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Comic Creator - ReadWriteThink.org

Grades
2 to 12
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Your students will create comics in minutes using this Comic Creator site. No log-in is required. Just type in the prompted information, such as the name of comic character, author,...more
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Your students will create comics in minutes using this Comic Creator site. No log-in is required. Just type in the prompted information, such as the name of comic character, author, caption, and of course, the dialog that goes into the speech bubble. The 'creator' chooses the number of panels, type of characters, style of speech bubble, and various props. Two actions are needed: clicking and dragging the items to go into the comic strip, and typing dialog into the bubbles. Then, presto....a genuine comic appears, ready for printing. The tool DOES support accent marks pasted from Word. (Unfortunately, there is no way to save your comic masterpieces.)

In the Classroom

Instead of writing boring summaries, why not summarize through a comic strip. It's much like storyboarding, but the drawing has been left to the Comic Creator pros. Make a class book of the comics created throughout the year. That book will become the most read classroom book of all in an elementary classroom. Use comics to show sequencing of events. When studying about characterization, create dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Another idea - why not use the comic strips for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or draw the pictures) than use the actual words. World language and ESL/ELL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternate to traditional written assessments.

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TeenInk Online Magazine - The 21st Century and the Young Authors Foundation

Grades
5 to 12
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This print magazine for teens also has a free, online version. While not all the content from the print magazine is found online, you will find a wealth of cool ...more
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This print magazine for teens also has a free, online version. While not all the content from the print magazine is found online, you will find a wealth of cool teen stuff there. Written solely by teens, the site includes edgy stories, poetry, opinion pieces, photography, extensive author and celebrity interviews, and call-outs for stories and contests. You need not "join" or "subscribe (at a cost) to read and use the site.

In the Classroom

English teachers, create your own TeenInk publication in your classroom. Work with your school's technology teacher to have students set up an online publication like the one at this site--perhaps on a wiki. Don't dare call it a literary magazine these days. Use TeenInk as a prototype of an edgy, creative outlet for your students. Put Shakespeare on the shelf for a few weeks and consider using the TeenInk site's content to show story elements and literary devices. If school policies prohibit publishing content online, make the wiki private and share the password with invited guests. Learn more about wikis at the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.

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Online Newspapers - Web Wombat Pty Ltd.

Grades
5 to 12
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Never again wonder where to find a newspaper. This site accesses thousands of newspapers with just a simple sign-in from the drop down information search page. There are newspapers...more
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Never again wonder where to find a newspaper. This site accesses thousands of newspapers with just a simple sign-in from the drop down information search page. There are newspapers included from South East Asia, Central America, Middle East, and nearly every country throughout the world. There are some minor advertisements at this website.

In the Classroom

Students can update reports and research by accessing newspapers from around the world. Any of your favorite newspaper learning activities can transfer to a newspaper in another part of the USA or world. Foreign language teachers and students will enjoy using the foreign presses for authentic learning. Social Studies teachers can assign students to compare points of view on world issues or perceptions of the U.S. via various newspapers.

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Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips - QDTips

Grades
6 to 12
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Invite Grammar Girl into your English/Language Arts classroom! Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex...more
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Invite Grammar Girl into your English/Language Arts classroom! Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help your students recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Through audio podcasts and written transcripts, get those short, friendly tips to improve student writing. Be sure to check out the "Top Ten Grammar Girl Episodes" and the "Related Grammar Girl Episodes." There is an archive link to all past episodes, an email newsletter signup option, and an RSS subscription option. Grammar Girl invites comments and questions.

The site includes ads and each podcast starts with a short commercial announcement. The transcript can be accessed online, sometimes with a short accompanying video that illustrates the grammar issue of the day. Grammar Girl tips can be heard as podcasts, which are played through an embedded online audio player. The podcasts can also be downloaded as Mp3 files and played through iTunes, QuickTime Player and RealPlayer installed on a local computer. You can get QuickTime and RealPlayer from the "Teachers First Toolbox page.
This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Check with your Information Technology Department to make sure the site is unblocked at school. If it is blocked, consider installing the free iTunes, QuickTime Player or RealPlayer on a computer at home and downloading the Mp3 files to play later at school. External speakers connected to the computer will help broadcast the sound throughout your classroom. IMPORTANT NOTE: This site includes tools for blog users to interact with others. Any visitor can comment on the posts and podcasts or participate in Forums. There are also links to other tip blogs on the web page. Check your school policies on students posting comments, etc. to the web and whether they are permitted to do so anonymously and/or with name or initials. Extend the concept of Grammar Girls by having students write and produce their own Grammar Girls style podcasts to explain the grammar demons that haunt their writing.

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Scratch - Lifelong Kindergarten Group, MIT Media Lab

Grades
1 to 12
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Want to get in touch with your inner child? Get Scratch! Warning: The use of this application is quite fun and engaging! Scratch is a downloadable program that creates interactive ...more
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Want to get in touch with your inner child? Get Scratch! Warning: The use of this application is quite fun and engaging! Scratch is a downloadable program that creates interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art. This application can be used for bringing simple ideas and projects to life. It has great use as a paint program without using the animations. Download/install files are available for Mac or PC. Menu tabs include an Idea tab where you will find a Getting Started Tutorial, Activity Guides, Coding Cards, and Starter Projects. FAQs and support pages are also available for help in using the application.

Material created can only be viewed within the program. Drawings are not saved as a JPG or pic file. However, a "snapshot" of the screen can be created by using these keys in Mac: apple, shift, and 4 and click/drag to surround the portion to save. In PC use: control/print screen. These snapshots can be uploaded or used as a picture in other applications.

In the Classroom

Be sure to "play" with this program before you present it to students; or, you could have computer savy students in your class pair up with not so savy students to investigate together. There are many tabs, folders; and icons to investigate. You (or students) could click Create and in the center pane, click on the tutorial. To begin your creation follow the steps in the tutorial. Once you have the idea, choose your own features from the menu on the left, and on the bottom right are two more menus; Look for the cat icon and the backdrops. Different colors, pens, and materials can be used to create the background or an image can be brought in from your computer. Objects in Scratch are called a Sprite and can be added in by choosing the folders below the screen. By clicking the script tab, blocks can be moved in to create motion, add sounds (even record your own message), and change the look of the Sprite. Blocks are linked on to each other to create a series of events. A control block dragged to the top of the blocks control which key starts the event. Advanced options include adding variables and other controls.

Be sure to check with your Technology Department, as many districts require authorization to download or install new applications. Projects can be shared online; however an account is required.

Work is saved to the computer itself and only shared online via an account. To avoid problems concerning content made by outsiders or issues with sharing, save the work locally and either create your own gallery on a supervised class website/wiki or set up a single account where you share the "best" projects online via your own log-in. Remind students of the school's Acceptable Use Policy and consequences of violations, if you do allow them to join/share. Images used should adhere to all copyright rules. Use pictures taken in class or those with Creative Commons licensing (and provide attribution!).

Practical tips: Students quickly catch on to this program when allowed to play and easily see what they can make from it. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Have students use a storyboard to write down what they will do/draw/say in their creation in order to keep tabs on what students and their creations.

Possible uses: For the lower grades, Scratch provides unlimited possibilities. Use as a new way to show vocabulary usage. Use the paint program to add information to a picture from your class field trip or science experiment. Use Scratch to help in storytelling a concept in a new and unique way, such as how rocks are formed. In the upper grades, use Scratch to show complex material in a new way. For example, students can draw DNA and show replication, etc. through their drawings and storytelling. Draw the different movements of landforms in plate tectonics. Draw or illustrate solutions to Math problems.

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Slang Idioms and More - 5-Minute English

Grades
2 to 12
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This site provides extra practice with phrasal verbs, idioms, and slang for ESL and ELL students and any students learning about idioms. The thematically organized idioms and slang...more
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This site provides extra practice with phrasal verbs, idioms, and slang for ESL and ELL students and any students learning about idioms. The thematically organized idioms and slang choices provide definitions, sentences, and comprehension exercises, all attractively packaged. The phrasal verb sections with "do," "come," and "go" provide practice and explanations of some of the most confusing verbs in English.

In the Classroom

Use this site on a projector or whiteboard when you have 5 minutes left or you want your students to do additional vocabulary work. Or provide it as a resource during your idiom lessons. ESL students have a very difficult time understanding idiomatic language and will benefit from the definitions and examples here. Ask them to share an example with your class of a similar idiom from their language. Often the translation of their idiom is funny enough to provoke classroom laughter but also explains why someone might say, "it is raining sheep and cows" instead of "cats and dogs."

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Ten Creative Writing Activities - Traci Gradner

Grades
4 to 12
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This site offers ten widely-varied creative writing activities that range in level from upper elementary grades through high school. In some way, they all help the students be invested...more
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This site offers ten widely-varied creative writing activities that range in level from upper elementary grades through high school. In some way, they all help the students be invested in their writing by making the topic personal, from "found treasures" to "show and tell" which works as well (although differently) with high school students as elementary ones.

In the Classroom

These are great activities to have at the tip of your fingers for days when inspiration just runs dry or you are looking for a new approach to creative writing. You might have each student bring in one thing for your "found treasures" bag and then pull them out at random for a class story. The "jumble story" idea is also great because you can substitute current events or topical characters or settings.

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Calibrated Peer Review - University of California

Grades
9 to 12
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This site offers teachers the option of having students do writing assignments on the web. It also offers students the chance to comment on the writings of their classmates. After ...more
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This site offers teachers the option of having students do writing assignments on the web. It also offers students the chance to comment on the writings of their classmates. After registering as an institution administrator or just a class administrator, the instructor can put up the writing assignment and attach relevant links, graphics, and other references. Although the lesson plan is part of the overall site offerings, the student responses are not visible to anyone but the class administrator. Another option for the teacher is to browse the lesson plans already created by other teachers and use them if so desired. This site works with Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. You also must have cookies enabled in your web browser.

Although the collection of lesson plans is heavily science oriented, there are plans from other subject areas, for high school and college. The site appears to function just fine, though the copyright date on most areas is 2001.

In the Classroom

Use this site to teach students how to do peer editing. Besides allowing them to see their classmates' writings, it has a series of specific questions, called calibrations, which give them ways to make effective comments. After students make comments on others' essays by responding within a "calibration framework," they can read, respond to, and correct their own writings.

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Dragon Writing Prompts - Joyce Fetteroll

Grades
8 to 12
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While this site would require some supervision, the variety makes it very attractive to the writing teacher. It has prompts that are pictures, others that are quotes, still others that...more
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While this site would require some supervision, the variety makes it very attractive to the writing teacher. It has prompts that are pictures, others that are quotes, still others that give first and last lines, or simply words-- either real or made up. The categories given in the right hand column range from adopt-a-plot to year-long mystery. Both students as writers and teachers as instructors are limited only by their imaginations! Check out the site first as some schools may block what appears to be a blog site, but really is something quite different.

In the Classroom

Assign a small group of students to each kind of prompt category and create a writing contest for each week or month. You can create prizes, publish bulletin boards, or even create your own class online writing magazine wiki with the results.

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UsingEnglish.com - UsingEnglish.com

Grades
5 to 12
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Check this site for things you need to help for ESL/ELL students. You will find lesson plans, reference links, grammar practice, reading comprehension work, tests, word lists for specific...more
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Check this site for things you need to help for ESL/ELL students. You will find lesson plans, reference links, grammar practice, reading comprehension work, tests, word lists for specific tests, vocabulary offerings, professional articles, and more. The site is easy to searchand well organized, present exercises and tests in a consistent and easy to read format. The "question bank" offers difficult grammar points in a poll format, with results constantly renewed; some answers are obviously wrong, but grammar, too, has its debatable points! With free membership registration, teachers get access to even more activities, exercises, quizzes, games, a newsletter, and more. NOTE: There is a Forum (bulletin board) feature on this site. If your school does not permit students to use such tools, be sure to spell out the consequences as you tell students to avoid that area.

In the Classroom

Regular classroom teachers will want to use this site with ESL and ELL students fwhen they need a quick review on a specific grammar point. Use the professional articles for your own edification as well as links to other topics of interest.

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David Perdue's Charles Dickens Page - David Perdue

Grades
8 to 12
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This is a very complete, though cluttered site on the life and works of Charles Dickens. It is full of extras and contains everything from timelines of both his life ...more
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This is a very complete, though cluttered site on the life and works of Charles Dickens. It is full of extras and contains everything from timelines of both his life and his works through "sketches by Boz," Dickens" on stage," and a very detailed list of characters from Dickens' books. If you teach Dickens, this is a must site for your list. Clicking on one of the novels such as Great Expectations will take you to a page that gives a summary of the plot and two lists at the bottom of the page-- one for characters and one for other links on the web regarding that book. The character links will take you to a different page in the site where that character is discussed. The links include such sites as Sparknotes, the Victorian Web page, and a variety of different articles by reputable academics. There is a map below that that shows Pip's journey through England and an excerpt from the book.

A caution: Some of the links (easily identified) will take you to Amazon to buy the books or the videos. So be specific in where you want students to go on this site.

In the Classroom

You can have your choice of activities from this site for students. Have students work in teams to research various sections of this website. Then, have the groups create a multimedia presentation to share with the class on an interactive whiteboard or projector.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Literature Board Games - Gary Brooks

Grades
7 to 12
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This site is a practical explanation of how to create board games based on literature students have read. It gives the list of supplies needed and suggestions on how to ...more
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This site is a practical explanation of how to create board games based on literature students have read. It gives the list of supplies needed and suggestions on how to encourage students to be original.

In the Classroom

Using this idea as a "final" evaluation of text is a good way for students to remember. A more technologically advanced idea is for students to create a PowerPoint game or other multimedia presentation. Have the students share their projects on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Board games are also a more innovative way to have students do individual book reports, particularly if several students in the class are reading the same book.

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The Art of Teaching the Arts - Annenberg Media

Grades
9 to 12
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This is a wonderful site for high school educators who are interested in teaching the arts through theatre, music, art, or any of the humanities. It is a professional workshop ...more
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This is a wonderful site for high school educators who are interested in teaching the arts through theatre, music, art, or any of the humanities. It is a professional workshop site that offers 8 one-hour practical video seminars on how to teach the arts and on the passion of those who already do. The videos are free for streaming, but you can also purchase them as DVDs or VHS. You do have to register--for free. The self-described goal is a workshop to help teachers improve their teaching through seven different foci, including the diverse needs of students, instructional approaches, creating the appropriate learning environment to making the most of community resources, and encouraging students to be independent thinkers and creative problem solvers.

In the Classroom

This is a professional site rich in ideas for any teacher looking for new ideas or a jump-start to teach the arts. Make this course your personal goal for summer break or a collaborative professional development group.

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60 second Shakespeare - BBC

Grades
9 to 12
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Although this page has been archived and is no longer updated, most links are functional. This is a fabulous site for the Shakespeare teacher or simply the Shakespeare fan. It...more
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Although this page has been archived and is no longer updated, most links are functional. This is a fabulous site for the Shakespeare teacher or simply the Shakespeare fan. It includes all of Willie's most famous plays done up in student-friendly and attractive, attention-getting form. The challenge is for students to develop their own '60-second' bit of Shakespeare. The site includes examples of different formats and offers everything from teacher lesson plans to "master classes" in teaching students how to do things such as audios, films, and photo slideshows as well as the more common newspaper articles and acting classes. The site also allows viewers to "vote" on their favorite renditions. This website requires Windows Media Player or Real Player. You can get either from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom

Since you can even submit your 60-second Shakespeare piece to the site for posting, this can be a real challenge to classes in competition. Have each class design its own 60-second program. They can use the ones already posted for inspiration. If you choose, you can use plans already posted by Paul Sibson, an IT teaching instructor, or you can pick and choose which ones you want students to attempt (or make better!). Make sure you have written parent permission before submitting student work and are within school policies. If policies prohibit posting on the BBC site, create a private wiki of your own within your school.

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Meg Cabot - Meggin Cabot

Grades
6 to 12
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This official website for author Meg Cabot is a tool to encourage journal writing. It has journal writing tips, downloadable journal pages, a bibliography of other journal selections,...more
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This official website for author Meg Cabot is a tool to encourage journal writing. It has journal writing tips, downloadable journal pages, a bibliography of other journal selections, an opportunity to journal with the author, and more. This website requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom

Use this site to encourage daily writing. Help students improve their sentence structure and use grammar painlessly through frequent personal writing. ESL and ELL students will enjoy journal-writing as a safe place to practice without corrections. Some journal-writing can also take place on classroom blogs, though you may want to keep uncorrected student blogs behind passwords until students are comfortable with the more public setting.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Welcome to the Universe: Mythology - Windows to the Universe team

Grades
4 to 12
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This site is part of a larger science-oriented site and focuses on the stories of mythology from Greek, Roman, and other major world cultures, and their importance to our world ...more
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This site is part of a larger science-oriented site and focuses on the stories of mythology from Greek, Roman, and other major world cultures, and their importance to our world both culturally and scientifically. Mythology is an important aspect of literature and the humanities. Too often students know little about it, thus losing many of the important allusions that writers from Shakespeare to Hemingway use frequently.

Broken into three sections: beginner, intermediate, and advanced, the site offers a variety of approaches to teaching the mythologies of the world. The maps and family trees are especially nice. Switching from beginner to intermediate to advanced changes the level of depth and sophistication as the expectation for more vocabulary and understanding rises. The map showing different mythologies through continents is nice to show students the parallels between the stories of different cultures and places. The site also includes a "Mythology Hangman," always a challenge for any level of student, and mythology links to other sources on the web.

In the Classroom

Depending on what level you teach, your possibilities here are endless. For upper levels, assigning individuals or small groups to different mythologies and then having them "teach the class" that mythology is an attractive prospect. Showing the synthesis among the different cultures emphasizes Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and human archetypes. For younger students, drawing the stories of the different mythologies or writing conversations between Apollo and Freyr (for example) creates some fun while learning stories that influence our western culture. There is a teacher section you can access if you register (registration is free).

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NaNoWriMo's Young Writers' Program - NaNoWriMo.org

Grades
6 to 12
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Give students the chance to write a novel, either individually or as a group, by participating in this annual event. Register for a free account, fill in your profile, go ...more
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Give students the chance to write a novel, either individually or as a group, by participating in this annual event. Register for a free account, fill in your profile, go to your dashboard, and start creating your classes; yes, you can have more than one class! Give your students the unique code for their class (the site also provides a Website Permission Form for districts requiring consent from student families). Click the "How it Works" tab at the top and slide down to "For Educators" to get complete instructions for the challenges and more. By its own admission, this is about quantity, not quality, but the idea is to get words on paper. Be sure to check out all of the tabs at the top; there is a wealth of information and resources for teachers, students, and families. All of the novel work students do remain the author's property, so there's no problem with ownership. You do have to register for an account (student or teacher), but it is free.

In the Classroom

Engage your students with the free classroom kits, workbooks, and Common Core-aligned K-12 lesson plans. Teachers can use this challenge and the resources to get their kids writing. It also offers the chance to be published online. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to get your students started filling in their profiles. Show students that they are to click "yes" whether or not there is a current challenge (they can still get started writing). Then have them click the link for detailed instructions for getting started.

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6+1 Trait Writing Lesson Plans - Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

Grades
1 to 12
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This site provides several professional learning resources related to the 6+1 Trait Writing Model. Scroll down past the "Services" to find the resources offered. Some options, such...more
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This site provides several professional learning resources related to the 6+1 Trait Writing Model. Scroll down past the "Services" to find the resources offered. Some options, such as the rubrics, require users to complete a free registration form to access the information. Rubrics are available in two versions - one for grades K-2 the other for grades 3-12. Next, follow the link to the Trait Definitions to view a summary of each of the six traits. An additional resource includes a 45-minute video of a training session on using text sets to increase student writing skills.

In the Classroom

Use this site as a starting point to understanding the 6+1 Writing Traits Model or as a refresher on your previous understanding. For more in-depth knowledge, be sure to visit the FAQ section on this site to find answers to many common questions related to implementing and understanding this writing model. As you introduce this writing model to students, share curated examples using the column features of Wakelet, reviewed here, or Padlet, reviewed here. Create a column for each of the seven traits and share highlighted examples of the use of the featured trait. As students create text to share, use the same method to share their work in each category. Ask students to share their work in a writing portfolio created with Seesaw, reviewed here. Include a self-reflection work of writing for students to reflect and share their growth in writing.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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English Renaissance Drama - Anniina Jokinen

Grades
9 to 12
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Students know something about Shakespeare, but they tend to think he was the only playwright of his day. This site helps them realize that he was only one of many ...more
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Students know something about Shakespeare, but they tend to think he was the only playwright of his day. This site helps them realize that he was only one of many in the Elizabethan period and that there was a Tudor period before and a Jacobean period after him. This is an exhaustive, albeit entertaining, and authoritative look at English drama as it moved from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. The articles are written by professors and they all contain links with explanations for all the referenced allusions. While rather encyclopedic in nature, having all the resources in one place is extraordinarily handy for the teacher of this period.

In the Classroom

Have students "become" one of the rival playwrights after researching the times and the playwright might be interesting. Perhaps students could do a panel discussion or write a blog entry as their "playwright." Don't miss the Introduction section to get valuable information about the theaters and the staging conventions of the time.

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Word Reference - wordreference.com

Grades
2 to 12
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This series of free translating dictionaries allows students to search to/from English in these languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and German. Once a definition comes up...more
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This series of free translating dictionaries allows students to search to/from English in these languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and German. Once a definition comes up in English, there are links to other dictionary pages where the word appears in a sentence. You can click on the audio button to hear the word spoken in both languages. This feature is only available in more commonly used words There are also immediate clicks to other languages, so a student could check the same word in Spanish and French very easily. In addition to the translation dictionaries, there are also "English Dictionaries" (non-interactive) available in Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic (coming soon). Many of the foreign language dictionaries will increase in volume as the site developers add more vocabulary. Be aware: this site does include minor advertisements. There is a link to Language Forums. It is probably best to advise students to stay away from the forums.

In the Classroom

Save this site in your favorites on your classroom computers for use by ESL/ELL and foreign language students or for use when studying derivations and word families in English (compare the same word across several languages to see how close they can be!). Students can take an active role in vocabulary preview work by using this site in prior to reading. Be sure to list this site on your class webpage so students can access this information both in and out of the classroom. If you are introducing new vocabulary words to your foreign language class. Have them use this site to find the appropriate translations. Then have the students work in cooperative learning groups to create online vocabulary guidebooks using a tool such at Bookemon. Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to keep the links for future students to use the guides, as well.

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