Writing

A specialized spelling sequence for middle school students, focusing on complex phonetic patterns and their practical application in reading and writing. The sequence uses a 'Blueprint' theme to treat word construction as structural engineering.

A middle school ELA unit exploring how authors use word choice, sentence structure, and personal history to craft unique voices and distinct perspectives. Students analyze contemporary literature and informational texts to understand the relationship between identity and narrative.

A three-lesson unit for grades 6-8 exploring authorial voice, identity, and perspective through contemporary literature and paired informational texts. Students analyze excerpts from diverse authors like Sandra Cisneros and Jason Reynolds to understand how language shapes narrative personality.

A comprehensive two-week unit for Gordon Korman's 'Swindle', focusing on character archetypes, heist plot structure, and vocabulary development through the lens of a professional 'heist briefing'.

A lesson sequence focused on the narrative craft of writing high-stakes introductions for interactive survival stories, specifically leading to biological defense mechanism choices.

A creative writing unit for 6th grade focused on using figurative language to manipulate tone and mood. Students explore personification as a tool for setting the scene and shifting reader emotions.

A lesson sequence exploring the concept of Standard American English as a versatile tool for communication, emphasizing that language varies by context and that all dialects are valid. Students analyze the 'car analogy' from Khan Academy to distinguish between fundamental grammar rules and social conventions.

A comprehensive lesson sequence for middle school students to master the six elements of plot through video analysis, hands-on sorting, and text-based application. The unit follows a 'Plot Pathfinders' theme, mirroring the adventure-quest narrative of the instructional video.

This sequence focuses on the cognitive planning required before activating the microphone, bridging the gap between thought and oral expression. Students explore how to organize their ideas using graphic organizers and bullet points to prevent rambling during dictation.

A forensic-themed reading comprehension unit where students act as investigators to master predictions and inferences. Through case studies and evidence tracking, students learn to bridge literal text with deep narrative meaning.

A comprehensive 6th-grade ELA unit that guides students from identifying simple topics to constructing sophisticated thematic analysis. Through visual media, short stories, and creative writing, students learn how character development and plot structure build an author's message.

This sequence explores how poetic elements like diction, imagery, and sound devices work together to create tone and mood. Students move from technical identification to emotional interpretation through a case study of Edgar Allan Poe and comparative analysis.

A 5-lesson unit for 6th-grade students focused on the auditory elements of poetry, including onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, repetition, and performance. Students explore how sound creates mood and meaning through game-based learning and performance-oriented analysis.

This sequence moves to a higher level of analysis, asking students to compare and contrast how different poetic forms handle similar themes. Using a discussion and case-study approach, students examine 'Free Verse' versus 'Formal Verse' to understand the intentional choices poets make. The arc focuses on critical thinking, debate, and the synthesis of the elements learned in previous sequences.

A project-based exploration of figurative language where 6th-grade students transform literal text into vivid imagery through similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole. The sequence culminates in a creative blackout poetry project that synthesizes their understanding of poetic devices.

This sequence guides 6th-grade students through the structural mechanics of poetry, exploring stanzas, rhyme schemes, and meter. Students transition from identifying visual structures to active construction, using an architectural theme to understand how rules shape creativity.

An immersive exploration of the auditory elements of poetry, focusing on how alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and rhythm shape mood and emotional resonance. Students progress from identifying sound devices to evaluating their impact in both written and performed contexts.

A comprehensive 6th-grade ELA sequence exploring the functional and stylistic uses of hyphens, en-dashes, em-dashes, and ellipses to enhance voice and clarity in writing.

This sequence guides 6th-grade students through the intricacies of dangling modifiers and introductory phrases. Using a detective-themed 'Mystery' approach, students learn to identify, diagnose, and fix grammatical errors where the subject of a sentence doesn't logically match the opening action.

Students become 'POV Detectives' to investigate how different narrators shape stories. They analyze pronoun clues, narrator limitations, reliability, and the impact of perspective on reader suspense and empathy.

A comprehensive book club unit for Natalie Babbitt's *Tuck Everlasting*, exploring themes of immortality, nature's cycles, and moral choices through guided discussion, vocabulary expansion, and project-based learning.

A middle school ELA unit exploring how authors use word choice, sentence structure, and personal history to craft unique voices and distinct perspectives. Students analyze contemporary literature and informational texts to understand the relationship between identity and narrative.

A three-lesson unit for grades 6-8 exploring authorial voice, identity, and perspective through contemporary literature and paired informational texts. Students analyze excerpts from diverse authors like Sandra Cisneros and Jason Reynolds to understand how language shapes narrative personality.

A comprehensive book club unit themed around a detective agency, focusing on R.J. Palacio's 'Wonder' to develop comprehension, empathy, and collaborative discussion skills.

A modular unit covering the middle chapters of Ellen Raskin's 'The Westing Game', focusing on character motivation, evidence analysis, and narrative shifts.

A comprehensive book club unit for Kate DiCamillo's 'The Tiger Rising', exploring themes of emotional repression and friendship through three distinct chapter groups with a focus on synthesizing, vocabulary, and summarizing.

A comprehensive 25-lesson book club unit for 'The Tiger Rising' by Kate DiCamillo, focusing on summarizing, synthesizing, and vocabulary development through the lens of a Florida woods field journal.

A lesson sequence focused on the narrative craft of writing high-stakes introductions for interactive survival stories, specifically leading to biological defense mechanism choices.

A 4-lesson unit exploring the organizational structures and graphic elements of non-fiction through the lens of the Dachshund breed, featuring a complex 1200 Lexile informational text.

A creative writing unit for 6th grade focused on using figurative language to manipulate tone and mood. Students explore personification as a tool for setting the scene and shifting reader emotions.

A professional development series focused on empowering educators with concrete frameworks for teaching complex writing and literacy skills.

A debate and communication sequence focused on teaching middle schoolers how to build persuasive arguments through creative performance and structured analysis.

This sequence focuses on the cognitive planning required before activating the microphone, bridging the gap between thought and oral expression. Students explore how to organize their ideas using graphic organizers and bullet points to prevent rambling during dictation.

A 5-lesson sequence designed for 6th-grade students in academic support, focusing on building inference skills through visual media, silent films, comics, and photography before transitioning to text. This approach removes decoding barriers to strengthen cognitive critical thinking.

A forensic-themed reading comprehension unit where students act as investigators to master predictions and inferences. Through case studies and evidence tracking, students learn to bridge literal text with deep narrative meaning.

This sequence explores how poetic elements like diction, imagery, and sound devices work together to create tone and mood. Students move from technical identification to emotional interpretation through a case study of Edgar Allan Poe and comparative analysis.

A project-based exploration of figurative language where 6th-grade students transform literal text into vivid imagery through similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole. The sequence culminates in a creative blackout poetry project that synthesizes their understanding of poetic devices.

An immersive exploration of the auditory elements of poetry, focusing on how alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and rhythm shape mood and emotional resonance. Students progress from identifying sound devices to evaluating their impact in both written and performed contexts.

A 5-lesson 6th Grade ELA unit that uses visualization and illustration to help students identify and correct misplaced modifiers, culminating in a gallery walk of 'Before' and 'After' sentence corrections.

A 6th-grade novel study sequence focused on narrative point of view, narrator reliability, and authorial choice. Students move from identifying basic POV to analyzing bias and reimagining stories from different perspectives to understand the impact of narrative voice.

A 6-session intervention sequence designed for small groups of students below grade level. This sequence uses a 'Building Blocks' metaphor to teach structured paragraph writing, starting with topic sentences and moving through evidence, explanation, and conclusions, progressively reducing scaffolding to build independence.

A comprehensive book club unit for Katherine Applegate's 'The One and Only Ivan', focusing on character development, plot structure, and vocabulary through the lens of Ivan's artistic journey. Students explore the transition from the Big Top Mall to the zoo while practicing synthesis and analytical writing.

A small-group literacy unit focused on mastering informational texts through text-based questioning, vocabulary development, and structured paragraph writing (Topic Sentence, Details, Concluding Sentence) centered on the theme of extreme weather.

A 4-lesson unit exploring the organizational structures and graphic elements of non-fiction through the lens of the Dachshund breed, featuring a complex 1200 Lexile informational text.

A systematic, color-coded approach for 6th-grade students to master text highlighting and annotation. Students learn to distinguish between main ideas, supporting details, and unknown vocabulary using a 'traffic light' system to reduce cognitive load and improve reading comprehension.

This sequence focuses on the cognitive planning required before activating the microphone, bridging the gap between thought and oral expression. Students explore how to organize their ideas using graphic organizers and bullet points to prevent rambling during dictation.

This sequence helps 6th-grade students with executive functioning needs transition from brainstorming to structured expository writing. Using the 'Blueprint for Writing' theme, students master visual organizers like web maps, table structures, and Venn diagrams to draft coherent informational articles.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th-grade students focusing on using visual graphic organizers to structure expository essays. Designed for students with executive functioning challenges, the sequence moves from brainstorming to categorization, thesis construction, paragraph development, and final drafting.

This sequence moves students from a basic understanding of plot summary to the complex analytical skill of identifying and stating themes. Students learn to distinguish between subject and theme, construct universal thematic statements, and trace how character development and plot resolution reinforce an author's message.

Students investigate themes and central messages in a novel study, moving from one-word topics to complex thematic statements supported by textual evidence. This sequence uses an 'Explorer' theme to encourage students to hunt for hidden meanings.

Students move beyond finding sources to organizing scattered information into a structured debate brief. They learn to categorize evidence, rank its strength, and group facts into cohesive reasons to build a powerful argument.

A 5-lesson unit focusing on diagnosing and repairing structural issues in writing, specifically targeting thesis statements and topic sentences through the metaphor of revision as 'surgery' or 'diagnosis.'

A 5-lesson sequence for 7th graders focusing on paragraph unity, topic sentence alignment, and precision through gamified architectural-themed challenges.

A simulation-based writing unit where students act as editorial writers for a newspaper. They master thesis statements (editorial stances) and topic sentences (sub-headlines) through the lens of real-world journalism.

A project-based writing sequence where 6th-grade students learn thesis statements and topic sentences by designing their own museum exhibit, transforming abstract structural concepts into concrete organizational tasks.

A game-based sequence focused on refining topic sentences and thesis statements to prevent logic 'drift' and enhance precision through diagnostic activities and vocabulary upgrades.

This sequence teaches 6th-grade students how to construct strong, debatable argumentative claims. Students move from identifying facts and opinions to crafting authoritative thesis statements with reasoning, ultimately testing their arguments through a town hall simulation and counter-claim analysis.

This inquiry-based sequence introduces 6th-grade students to the relationship between thesis statements and topic sentences. Through the metaphor of architectural blueprints and roadmaps, students learn how a thesis statement serves as the foundation for an entire essay while topic sentences act as the structural support for individual paragraphs.

This sequence guides 6th-grade students through the foundational skills of expository writing, focusing on the identification, scoping, and drafting of effective topic sentences. Students move from categorizing details to constructing cohesive paragraphs using the 'Umbrella Analogy' and architectural planning techniques.

A project-based writing sequence for 6th grade that teaches students how to synthesize details into topic sentences using keyword extraction, categorization, and visual collage-making. Students move from concrete identification of keywords to abstract synthesis, culminating in a gallery walk of their visual and verbal work.

A middle school ELA unit exploring how authors use word choice, sentence structure, and personal history to craft unique voices and distinct perspectives. Students analyze contemporary literature and informational texts to understand the relationship between identity and narrative.

A three-lesson unit for grades 6-8 exploring authorial voice, identity, and perspective through contemporary literature and paired informational texts. Students analyze excerpts from diverse authors like Sandra Cisneros and Jason Reynolds to understand how language shapes narrative personality.

A lesson sequence focused on mastering coordinating conjunctions to improve writing flow and sentence variety. Students transition from short, choppy sentences to fluent compound sentences using the FANBOYS mnemonic.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th-grade students on using text-to-speech technology as a proofreading and editing tool to improve writing clarity, mechanics, and flow.

An immersive exploration of the auditory elements of poetry, focusing on how alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and rhythm shape mood and emotional resonance. Students progress from identifying sound devices to evaluating their impact in both written and performed contexts.

This sequence guides 6th-grade students through the intricacies of dangling modifiers and introductory phrases. Using a detective-themed 'Mystery' approach, students learn to identify, diagnose, and fix grammatical errors where the subject of a sentence doesn't logically match the opening action.

A comprehensive 5-lesson sequence for 6th graders to move beyond simple sentences by mastering complex structures, subordinating conjunctions, relative clauses, and appositives to enhance writing sophistication and flow.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th Grade students focusing on the intersection of historical chronology and causal writing. Students learn to use transition words, causal syntax, and narrative structure to explain not just when things happened, but why they happened, culminating in a published historical narrative.

A comprehensive sequence for 5th-grade students focusing on subject-verb agreement in complex and inverted sentence structures. Students learn to navigate 'Here/There' starters, questions, and poetic word orders using the 'un-inverting' revision strategy.

A comprehensive ELA sequence for 6th grade focused on using relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) to build complex, descriptive sentences and understand the nuances of restrictive vs. non-restrictive clauses.

A comprehensive unit on the structural mechanics of argumentative writing, focusing on the 'funnel' approach for introductions and the 'inverse funnel' for conclusions. Students move from broad contexts to specific claims, mastering the art of engaging openings and impactful closings.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th-grade students focusing on relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that). Students learn to combine choppy sentences into complex ones, distinguish between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses, and use 'who' vs. 'whom' correctly through a 'Sentence Bridge' construction theme.

A middle school ELA sequence exploring punctuation as a rhetorical tool for style and voice. Students learn to use em dashes, parentheses, ellipses, and hyphens to control tone and pacing.

A comprehensive unit for 6th graders on identifying and fixing run-on sentences and comma splices using periods and semicolons. Students progress from diagnosing errors to mastering sophisticated sentence structures with conjunctive adverbs.

This sequence focuses on the critical role commas play in sentence structure and clarity, moving beyond simple listing. Students progress from introductory elements to compound structures and non-essential interrupters, culminating in a professional editing workshop.

A series of lessons focused on mastering the art of persuasion and argumentative writing, from building claims to defending them against opposition.

A 6-session intervention sequence designed for small groups of students below grade level. This sequence uses a 'Building Blocks' metaphor to teach structured paragraph writing, starting with topic sentences and moving through evidence, explanation, and conclusions, progressively reducing scaffolding to build independence.

A 4-lesson unit exploring the organizational structures and graphic elements of non-fiction through the lens of the Dachshund breed, featuring a complex 1200 Lexile informational text.

A sequence of lessons exploring different informational text structures, starting with chronological sequence through the lens of vacation planning.

A lesson sequence focused on mastering coordinating conjunctions to improve writing flow and sentence variety. Students transition from short, choppy sentences to fluent compound sentences using the FANBOYS mnemonic.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th-grade students on using text-to-speech technology as a proofreading and editing tool to improve writing clarity, mechanics, and flow.

A comprehensive sequence designed for 6th-grade students to master the art of editing and refining text produced by speech recognition software. Students act as 'Digital Detectives' to identify AI glitches, apply systematic editing workflows, and format raw transcripts into professional documents.

A sequence focused on the critical revision workflow for students using speech-to-text technology. Students learn to identify and fix common errors like homophone confusion, run-on sentences, and informal tone to turn raw dictation into polished academic writing.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th-grade students on mastering dictation editing. Students move from identifying AI errors to mastering voice commands and a hybrid editing workflow that combines voice and manual corrections.

An immersive, gamified mystery sequence where 6th-grade students act as detectives to master predictions and inferences. By analyzing physical clues, witness statements, and found documents, students apply deductive reasoning to solve the 'Case of the Missing Golden Whistle.'

This sequence focuses on using text structure graphic organizers as blueprints for argumentative writing. Students transition from analyzing model essays to building their own logically structured arguments, including counter-claims and refutations, using visual tools.

This sequence helps 6th-grade students with executive functioning needs transition from brainstorming to structured expository writing. Using the 'Blueprint for Writing' theme, students master visual organizers like web maps, table structures, and Venn diagrams to draft coherent informational articles.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th-grade students focusing on using visual graphic organizers to structure expository essays. Designed for students with executive functioning challenges, the sequence moves from brainstorming to categorization, thesis construction, paragraph development, and final drafting.

A comprehensive 6th-grade ELA unit that guides students from identifying simple topics to constructing sophisticated thematic analysis. Through visual media, short stories, and creative writing, students learn how character development and plot structure build an author's message.

Students explore how nonfiction authors use specific text structures and visual features to organize information. This sequence covers text features, chronological order, cause and effect, problem and solution, and compare and contrast, culminating in the ability to navigate and analyze complex informational texts efficiently.

This sequence introduces 6th-grade students to the structure of analogies, focusing on identifying specific relationship types using the 'bridge sentence' strategy. Students progress from simple synonym/antonym pairs to complex structural and functional relationships.

This sequence explores the rhetorical power and nuance of foreign phrases in English, moving from context-clue inference to stylistic application in creative writing. Students will analyze how words like 'carpe diem' and 'déjà vu' add layers of meaning that standard English translations often lack.

A 5-lesson sequence for 6th Grade students focusing on the intersection of historical chronology and causal writing. Students learn to use transition words, causal syntax, and narrative structure to explain not just when things happened, but why they happened, culminating in a published historical narrative.

A simulation-based writing unit where students act as editorial writers for a newspaper. They master thesis statements (editorial stances) and topic sentences (sub-headlines) through the lens of real-world journalism.

A project-based writing sequence where 6th-grade students learn thesis statements and topic sentences by designing their own museum exhibit, transforming abstract structural concepts into concrete organizational tasks.

A series of lessons focused on mastering the art of persuasion and argumentative writing, from building claims to defending them against opposition.

A series of lessons focused on mastering argumentative writing through immersive, game-based activities and role-playing scenarios.

A comprehensive module for 6th graders focused on identifying and using textual evidence to support claims. Students transition from distinguishing opinions to hunting for proof and constructing evidence-based arguments through a detective-themed series of activities.

A comprehensive NYS ELA test preparation sequence for grades 6-8, focusing on main idea, text structure, and argumentative writing through a 'detective case file' theme.

A middle school curriculum unit focused on critical thinking, information literacy, and strategic task management across digital and physical media.

A lesson sequence focused on mastering the three rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Logos, and Pathos) through video analysis and a simulated school debate.

A professional development series focused on empowering educators with concrete frameworks for teaching complex writing and literacy skills.

A debate and communication sequence focused on teaching middle schoolers how to build persuasive arguments through creative performance and structured analysis.

A lesson sequence exploring the intersection of civic duty, social contracts, and rhetorical analysis through the lens of the 'Shopping Cart Theory'. Students analyze a structured argument and participate in a Socratic Seminar.

An immersive, gamified mystery sequence where 6th-grade students act as detectives to master predictions and inferences. By analyzing physical clues, witness statements, and found documents, students apply deductive reasoning to solve the 'Case of the Missing Golden Whistle.'

This sequence focuses on using text structure graphic organizers as blueprints for argumentative writing. Students transition from analyzing model essays to building their own logically structured arguments, including counter-claims and refutations, using visual tools.

A comprehensive unit focused on psychological character analysis, tracing development from traits and emotions to complex motivations and arcs. Students act as 'literary detectives' to uncover the internal and external forces shaping identities.

A comprehensive 7th-grade unit that guides students through the cognitive process of making inferences to uncover deep literary themes, moving from visual analysis to evidence-based writing.

This sequence guides 6th-grade students through the production side of idioms and adages, focusing on when figurative language enhances or hinders communication in various contexts. Students will explore misinterpretation through simulation, adapt their speech for different settings, develop character voices in dialogue, and use proverbs as persuasive tools.

Students learn to research, synthesize, and organize evidence into a structured debate brief, moving from broad curiosity to targeted logical arguments.

This sequence explores the rhetorical and stylistic implications of choosing active or passive voice. Students learn to use voice intentionally across different genres—media, science, mystery, and persuasion—to influence reader perception and focus.

Students move beyond finding sources to organizing scattered information into a structured debate brief. They learn to categorize evidence, rank its strength, and group facts into cohesive reasons to build a powerful argument.

A comprehensive introduction to the art of persuasion, focusing on rhetorical appeals and crafting compelling arguments for middle school students.

A comprehensive unit on the subjunctive mood, focusing on formal suggestions, demands, and wishes in high-level academic and professional communication. Students engage in simulations and formal writing to master complex grammatical structures.

This sequence teaches 6th-grade students to analyze persuasive writing by understanding denotation, connotation, tone, and bias. Students will move from basic vocabulary nuance to complex media literacy skills, learning to identify how authors influence readers through word choice and perspective.

A series of lessons focused on mastering the art of persuasion and argumentative writing, from building claims to defending them against opposition.

A series of lessons focused on mastering argumentative writing through immersive, game-based activities and role-playing scenarios.