Standard 1: Communicating Through Writing

Using the case study, “Farm Frenzy” (See CPALMS Resource ID#219714), students will be able to discuss and identify ways in which selective breeding can affect and impact animal welfare. Students will be given an opportunity to use their research conducted in part 1 to come up with a possible solution to the problems on Milky Farm. This is part two of a two part lesson series.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, “Fashion Forward Designs,” students will share their individual experiences with using websites, social media, email, and customer loyalty programs in marketing fashion brands, both from a marketer's and a consumer's perspective. In small groups, students will plan and prepare a role-play scenario, embodying one of the characters from the case study. After the role-play, each student will write a solution to the case study.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, “Digital Dangers: The Impact of Your Personal Digital Footprint in the Workplace," students will research rules and regulations on social media use by education professional responsible for minors. They will develop an outcome scenario that addresses a universal theme and the impact of social media posts on person’s career.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, “What if I Used A.I. To Build My Site?” students will research the historical, legal, and ethical impacts of A.I. and write an argument for or against the use of A.I. in a competitive business situation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, Should the Business Expand? students will create an argument for expanding the business or not expanding the business. Students will compose a business communication to the owner of the case study business that provides their argument for or against expansion, to include logical reasoning and evidence.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the case study, Seeing the Light, students will encounter and discuss a business situation at a police light installation company in which communication is unclear. Students will work in teams and then as a class to revise the written instructions to make them clear and easier to follow. Finally, students will journal other work scenarios that illustrate the importance of clear instructions.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is #3 in an ELA/Civics Integrated Text Unit designed to support students with the integration of civics into the ELA classroom through the reading and study of Homer’s The Odyssey. This lesson should take place after students have read excerpts from Part 2 of The Odyssey. Students will use knowledge from lessons one and two as well as information from Article II of the United States Constitution to identify and explain the different presidential responsibilities such as receiving foreign heads of state. They will then create a “White House Press Briefing” outlining the U.S. President’s events of the day which includes a visit from a foreign head of state- Odysseus-who has come to the United States to learn more about how the United States borrowed from Greece when creating a constitutional republic.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will conduct research to identify, compare, and discuss characteristics of personal loans, student loans, and unsecured credit cards in this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will conduct research to identify, compare, and discuss characteristics of auto loans, mortgages, and secured credit cards, in this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 2, student teams utilized the research they conducted in part 1 to develop one portion of a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). Teams completed a plan worksheet and uploaded it along with any relevant attachments to an online collaborative platform for feedback. In part 3, student teams will review the draft submitted by a team working on a different portion of the CHEMP and provide feedback through the online collaborative platform. Teams will provide feedback to the other team using a checklist (attached). Once feedback has been given, teams will then utilize feedback to adjust their plan before developing a presentation to communicate their plan to the County Board of Commissioners.

Type: Lesson Plan

This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 4, students will work within their teams to create the three components of their presentations. Students will plan their oral presentation to the County Board of Commissioners as well as create a visual presentation and a written document. The teacher’s role will be to present the task, monitor student engagement, and provide feedback as the teams complete the three components of their portion of the plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson intended for the debate classroom, students will read through pivotal court cases in preparation for an Extemporaneous Speaking Socratic Seminar. Teachers will divide their class up into two groups. Each student in each group will get 10 minutes to prep individually after the question has been posted on the board. When prep time is over, the whole group debates using refutation, claim, warrant, data, impact format. They have 15 minutes for each student to make his/her argument.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will work collaboratively to make arguments for and against a proposed piece of legislation: A Bill to Eliminate Bot Social Media Accounts to Stifle Misinformation.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan intended for a debate class, students will create Congressional arguments based on proposed legislation randomly assigned to them at different stations.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will conduct research to identify characteristics of secured and unsecured loans, in this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

This close reading lesson focuses on Mary Schmich's comical commencement speech essay, "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young." Students will take an in-depth analysis to discover her powerful satirical style, as well as the power of social nuances. Students will focus on academic vocabulary and answer high-level text-dependent questions as a guide for their comprehension of the essay, evaluating if her choice of words and wisdom remain valid, relative, and sufficient for the youth of today.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson provides students the opportunity to explore how the word ‘swagger’ has transformed over centuries through the writings of poets such as Shakespeare and rappers such as Jay Z. Students will read an article from NPR titled “What do Jay Z and Shakespeare Have in Common? Swagger” and thereafter will be asked to analyze vocabulary from the article, respond to text-dependent questions, and complete a summary of the term swagger analyzing its previous and present day definitions.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will be challenged with self-discovery as they gain a deeper understanding of the poem, "The Hangman," by Maurice Ogden. Teachers will guide students using text annotation to focus on specific word choice and examine its impact on the poem. Further, students will gain a deeper understanding of the poem through responding and discussing the answers to text-dependent questions. In the culminating writing assignment, students will demonstrate their understanding through a written response that is supported by details from the text. Text-dependent questions and key, rubric for the writing task, and other handouts are included as attachments with the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will analyze protagonist, antagonist, conflict, resolution, and hubris in three classic myths: "Odysseus and Polyphemus," "Athena and Arachne," and "Echo and Narcissus." They will write an essay explaining the message of each myth using examples from the myths and discuss the impact of the recurring theme of hubris on the ancient Greek audience.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson includes a close-reading and text-marking activity using two soldiers' letters, one from the Civil War and one from The War on Terror. Students will discover by looking at word choice and sentence structure how language styles have changed over time.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will discuss the importance of imagery as it pertains to writing. They will practice using vivid descriptions through their writing.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students collaborate and connect to writing by learning how to review the work of their peers constructively. Using a structured reciprocal teaching method, students will read, revise, and provide feedback to their peers.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will collaborate to revise an expository piece of writing by expanding their details and varying their writing structure in this lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will create story boards to show their analysis of plot, characters, and setting in Act One of Romeo and Juliet. Students will then use the information analyzed with the the reading of Act One and the story board creations to answer a short response question.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is part two in a three part series that covers Ismael Beah's memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. In this lesson students will have independently read, outside of class, chapters 8-14. In class, students will create position statements as they read several informational articles and speeches about a variety of topics. Students will participate in a whole class discussion to assist them with their creation of position statements.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this multi-day lesson, students will work collaboratively to conduct brief research and create a presentation on one of the habits, from the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. After sharing their multimedia presentations with the class, students will determine which one is most important to them personally. Students will write a response to explain how that habit can provide a positive personal impact.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn to distinguish between passive and active voice and how to revise sentences by changing them from passive to active voice in this magic-themed tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Practice writing different aspects of an expository essay about scientists using drones to research glaciers in Peru. This interactive tutorial is part four of a four-part series. In this final tutorial, you will learn about the elements of a body paragraph. You will also create a body paragraph with supporting evidence. Finally, you will learn about the elements of a conclusion and practice creating a “gift.” 

This tutorial is part four of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 1)
• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 2)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 3)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 4)

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial is the third part of a four-part series. In previous tutorials in this series, students analyzed an informational text and video about scientists using drones to explore glaciers in Peru. Students also determined the central idea and important details of the text and wrote an effective summary. In part three, you'll learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay about the scientists' research. 

This tutorial is part three of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 1)
• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 2)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 3)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 4)

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Students will participate in a debate using the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. This could be a verbal, silent, or alley debate. One group will represent the Federalists and be given information relating to their arguments. The other group will act as the Anti-Federalists and be given information relating to their arguments. Provide students time to prepare their arguments either individually or as a team, then commence the debate.

Type: Teaching Idea

This is an activity that can be used as often as needed to review/reinforce how to use cross examination in debate. For the purposes of this lesson, we will stick with LD debate, but many of the tactics can be used in other formats like public forum. Also, this lesson focuses on the topic as if it is being introduced for the first time, so it should be modified for later uses.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will share with classmates in small groups the first drafts of their completed original oratory speeches to participate in a peer editing process. Students will use the Peer Editing Checklist and guidelines to identify specific elements of the speech and to offer constructive critiques and suggestions for improvement.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will debate which foundational ideas found in American documents are most important in the Great Mini Debate. Students will use evidence from the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble and the Bill of Rights to support their arguments. The Great Mini Debate Cheat Sheet will prompt beginning debaters as to what should go in each speech of the debate.

Type: Teaching Idea

This slideshow and accompanying notes introduce what Lincoln-Douglas debate is (a values/morals debate) and how it is conducted. Students will learn everything from timeframes to how “flow” works.

Type: Teaching Idea

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice correcting two common types of run-on sentences: comma splices and fused sentences. For each practice item, you must identify the best way to correct either a comma splice or a fused sentence. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."

Type: Tutorial

Luis Martínez-Fernández was born at the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Dr. Martínez-Fernández immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 2 years old after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. His family moved to Lima, Peru after his father was offered employment there. Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s family left Peru after the President of Peru was ousted from power. The new government in Peru concerned Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s father and the family moved to Puerto Rico where they become U.S. Citizens. Dr. Martínez-Fernández moved to the U.S. after graduation from The University of Puerto Rico. He is a Professor of History, an author, and is civically engaged through his nationally syndicated column.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

In this animated video from TEDed, students will learn how to use effective storytelling techniques to slow down time in a narrative. First, students will draw a parallel between film and writing in order to identify the principles of effective storytelling. Then, students will examine how to improve their own writing using these storytelling techniques to slow down time and emphasize important moments in their narrative.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

In this animated video from TEDed, students will learn the process of writing an engaging and insightful introduction. They will also examine how to compose an introduction that is tailored to a specific thesis. Looking at Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, they will identify the fundamentals of writing a great introduction by examining this masterpiece.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation