It's a misconception that writing teachers simply tell students to write and wait to see what happens. Teachers should provide instruction in and exposure to various elements of writing to help students understand what good writing is.

Students create a draft of their culminating task product. As needed, they conduct additional research.

A screencast lesson defining different types of audience, discussing the importance of determining an audience, and explaining how a writing style should be chosen based on the needs and expectations of the intended audience.[5:18] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.5 Develop and strengthen writing

What are the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking? Many of us are aware that we're being tracked when we go online. It's one of the ways our favorite websites and apps know how to recommend content just for us. But how much information are companies actually collecting? And what are they doing with it? Digging into the details can help us make smart decisions about our online privacy and how to protect it. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define online tracking and describe how companies use it. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking to both companies and users. Analyze specific examples of online tracking and take a position for or against them.

Are we addicted to our devices, and, if so, are companies to blame? The word "addiction" packs a heavy punch, and the research is inconclusive on whether it's truly accurate when it comes to digital device use. What's certain, however, is that as people use devices and apps more, profits increase for the companies who make them. Help your students recognize how most of the technology they use is designed to keep them hooked, and help them use this as an opportunity to find more balance in their digital lives. Approximately 60 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Analyze and draw conclusions about a series of photos depicting device use. Use online resources to track arguments for and against whether we are addicted to our devices. Complete a short writing assignment analyzing one or more aspects related to the device addiction debate.

Interesting article from Canadaone.com that outlines the author's seven C's of effective writing. Each of the concepts (all beginning with the letter "C") includes an explanation that demonstrates why the concept is important to the student.

How can we challenge our own confirmation bias? Our brains are great at using past experiences to make quick decisions on the fly, but these shortcuts can also lead to bias. "Confirmation bias" is our brain's tendency to seek out information that confirms things we already think we know. Help your students learn to recognize this when they encounter news online, as a way to examine competing opinions and ideas and to avoid drawing questionable conclusions. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define confirmation bias and identify why it occurs. Explore examples of confirmation bias, particularly related to news and online information. Identify strategies for challenging their own confirmation biases.

How can you tell when an online relationship is risky? Having conversations online, without nonverbal cues or being able to see people, can be awkward and sometimes even risky -- with drawbacks from simple misunderstandings to manipulation or inappropriate messages. Help students navigate and avoid these situations before they go too far. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify the types of messages that might cause a red flag feeling for someone. Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to analyze and respond to a situation involving a red flag feeling.

A clear guide to understanding the audience for your writing, this site leads you through steps to help you identify your audience, then structure your writing to meet that audience's needs and expectations. Use links on the right. W.9-10.4 Write/Aud/purp. W.11-12.4 Clear/Coherent Writing; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.5 Develop and strengthen writing

Use the links on the right to get a better understanding of purpose in writing including the types of purposes and how audience affects purpose. Click on Purpose and Audience and Purpose and Strategies. W.9-10.4 Write/Audience/Purpose; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.5 Develop and strengthen writing

This modular ELA collection for grades 6–12 invites students to explore the complexity of identity and develop a sense of agency as they reflect on what it means to grow up in the world today.

The collection includes:
- Back to School Toolkit
- Introductory lesson
- Multi-genre text sets
- Unit Guide for teaching Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming
- Unit Planning Guide for developing a unit on a book of your choice
- Book Club Guide
- Whole School Read Planning Guide

The resources in this collection help you diversify the range of stories that students read and combine reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills with ethical and empathic reflection.

How can we counter online hate speech and xenophobia? As humans, we thrive on social connections and group associations. But this tendency can also lead us to be suspicious of people outside our group. This fear -- xenophobia -- can be overcome by more exposure to people who are different from us. However, the internet can often make this more difficult. Help students recognize this challenge and find strategies for navigating content online. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe the relationship between hate speech and xenophobia. Analyze how the internet has contributed to an increase in hate speech and extremist views. Describe one way to use the internet to combat one type of hate speech.

How can I create a social media presence that represents the real me? Social media gives us a chance to choose how we present ourselves to the world. We can snap and share a pic in the moment or carefully stage photos and select only the ones we think are best. When students reflect on these choices, they can better understand the self they are presenting and the self they aim to be. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe how their curated self may or may not represent their real self. Analyze the benefits and drawbacks of representing different parts of their real self online. Create an avatar that represents both their real and curated selves.

Not only does this site from Capital College Community Foundation give you a fine explanation of writing purpose and how to identify yours, it also provides good examples of how to develop that purpose in a piece of writing. W.9-10.4 Write/Aud/purp, W.11-12.4 Clear/Coherent Writing

How can you avoid being fooled by fake videos and other information online? We know not to believe everything we hear, but what about what we see? Advancements in computer-generated graphics, facial recognition, and video production have led to a world of viral videos that are often difficult to identify as fake. Help your students learn to read what they see on the web "laterally" by showing them how to get off the page, check credibility, and find corroboration. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "misinformation" and explore the consequences of spreading misinformation online. Learn how to use lateral reading as a strategy to verify the accuracy of information online. Apply lateral reading to examples of questionable videos to determine their accuracy.

What is the role of digital media in our lives? We often use our phones or other devices without even thinking about it. But paying closer attention to how -- and how much -- we use digital media can help us find better balance in our lives. Challenge students to truly consider how digital media adds to -- or takes away from -- their overall quality of life. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explore the role that digital media plays in their lives. Use the Digital Habits Checkup to reflect on the positive and negative impacts of digital media. Create a personal challenge to improve their digital well-being.

How can you respect the privacy of others online? Tagging friends on social media is a great way to connect with others and capture memorable experiences. But what if they don't want to be tagged? Encourage your students to take responsibility for how they may affect the digital footprints of others. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "digital reputation," and identify examples of social media posts that can have a positive or negative effect. Use the 1-2-3-1 Perspectives activity to consider the causes and effects of posting about others online. Generate a list of questions to ask themselves before posting pictures or information about someone else.

Real-world writing allows students and teachers to connect the dots between writing in the classroom by classifying writing into six areas: Express and Reflect; Inform and Explain; Evaluate and Judge; Inquire and Explore; Analyze and Interpret; Take a Stand/Propose a Solution.