essay

This is an opinion writing prompt and rubric for fourth grade students. Students will read two articles. One article outlines why a dog is better than a cat. The other article outlines why cats are better than dogs. Students will read the articles, choose a side, and write a response.

Students will write an essay that uses evidence from primary sources and background knowledge to make an argument and answer a historical question. Students will need to read and analyze documents to create a thesis-driven essay. Before students write their individual essay, they will...

Students will write or film a response discussing their relationship with the environment, how they view sustainability, and how their background and experiences brought them to those views. Students have the option (but are not required) to discuss these topics with a family member as part of...

Students conduct research about the World War II, use the research to answer a research question with a strong argument, and then explain their findings in a 5-paragraph Historical Research/Inquiry essay.

Students then apply their understanding of the events in WWII and the Holocaust and...

Students write an essay based on the information they have learned about the American Revolution and the period leading up to it.

Students choose to respond to one of the following prompts.​

1. “Despite the view of some historians that the conflict between Great Britain and its
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In this task students read and discuss core texts about personal values from literature, examine how this tradition continues in contemporary essays and in radio broadcasts and filmed interviews, and analyze the techniques an author or speaker uses to develop and support his or her personal...

According to Edgar Allan Poe, stories should be read in one sitting and be packed with details. However, his stories are also full of literary devices used to enhance the story by creating meaning and tone.

After reading a self-selected story written by Poe, the students will write an...

The purpose of the module is to examine the role of Ophelia in Hamlet based upon the social perceptions found in the readings. The unit is taught during the second quarter following work on multiple perspectives. 

This unit begins with a reading of Hamlet through the...

In this module middle school students analyze the classic short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

After multiple readings of the text, students apply their understanding of literary elements to analyze Jackson’s story in a Paideia seminar.

Then students write an analysis of...

In this task, students will read, analyze, and write about a selection from Susan Bordo’s "Unbearable Weight" in which she makes the argument that texts teach us how to see and think about ourselves and others.

Students will analyze a popular text to explore the idea that texts shape our...