This lesson contains strategies for proofreading your assignments. Use the links on the left for a step-by-step method for proofreading and editing for grammar and mechanics. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.5

A good resource that lists many ways to improve upon the clarity of a sentence. Includes examples and exercises for students.

A good reference to consider when writing professionally (as in business/technical writing). Includes brief structural examples.

Excellent resource for those interested in professional, business, or technical writing. Gives definition, uses, and guidelines for the element of tone in a written work.

From Purdue University, a lesson that lays out the details to writing a good abstract.

Check out two outlining links under the heading "Invention/Planning." "Developing an Outline" shows how to use different organizational principles. Sample outline shows a complete outline for a paper, including thesis statement and audience.

This assignment is designed to introduce quantitative reasoning and critical thinking in viewing documentary videos on the issues of development. Students will write a review essay about one of three designated documentaries for the course.

Students will read an academic article critically and write a review of the article.

In this video [0:42] from the American Masters film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey, Robert O'Meally discusses the author's unique approach to writing. This resource is best used in a class or lesson on fiction writing.

REACH for more! Be an author! Write and illustrate your very own story by mixing up a simple recipe of WHO, WHERE, WHAT, and ENDING.

Explore the sweet, slimy world of snails (and worms!) as you discover the difference between fact and fiction with videos, stories and games.

This website offers a printable book review template that can be used to guide students in writing book reviews. The template includes prompts for summarizing the book, identifying the main characters, and offering a personal opinion.

This rubric from ReadWriteThink can be used to evaluate student created book trailers and includes criteria for assessing the quality of the trailer's content, production value, and effectiveness in generating interest in the book.

Lesson plan considers changes in writing style since the inception of e-mail and text messaging.

This video segment from Between the Lions features a motivating, kid-friendly song that celebrates the reasons to write in everyday life.

This lesson plan is the ninth in the "Incredible Bridges: Poets Creating Community" series. It provides a video recording of the poet, Joy Harjo, reading the poem "Remember." The companion lesson contains a sequence of activities for use with secondary students before, during, and after reading to help them enter and experience the poem.

Welcome to Research 4 Success (R4S)! The course is designed to supplement the instruction of research and information literacy skills for students in grades 9-12. Purpose and Design of the CourseR4S consists of six learning units. The six units can be used together or they can be used individually. Each unit contains three lessons. Each lesson has resources and activities to supplement the instruction of research, inquiry, and information literacy skills.Students learn key skills using a combination of videos, digital texts, and eBooks.Students practice key skills using a combination of templates, tasks, and interactives. Students apply the skills they have learned and practice as they develop a research project under the guidance of an educator. 

To become an effective, creative researcher, and problem solver the first step is to begin with good, solid questions that will focus your topic and guide your research. Each lesson includes activities and resources selected to help students learn, practice, and apply research skills. In this unit, students will learn how to develop a research topic, practice developing research questions, and apply strategies to develop research topics and questions. 

Finding the best sources to answer a question saves time. If you are creating a term paper, video, or presentation, make sure you have the best sources possible! To be an effective, creative researcher you must first begin with quality information from multiple sources. Each lesson includes activities and resources selected to help students learn, practice, and apply research skills.Students will learn how to locate valid information, practice locating information using keyword search strategies, and apply effective search strategies to locate information.  

The units in this course, along with the instructor notes, are provided to educators and students free of charge. Each unit may be used individually or the entire series of units may be used as the foundation for teaching research and inquiry skills or to support project-based learning in your classroom or school library.