Margaret Ryan

Margaret Ryan

K-12 English Language Arts and Social Studies Curriculum Specialist

Pitt County Schools

1717 W. Fifth St.

Greenville, NC 27834

Resources created by Margaret Ryan

Records 1–4 of 4 displayed

Essays of Definition: Lively Writing through Professional Models: This lesson examines a professional model of a definition paper and asks students to analyze and imitate the structures of using anecdotes and cause and effect to elaborate an essay of definition.; Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts); By Margaret Ryan.

Helping Students Understand Text Structures: Informational Problem/Solution: This exercise teaches students to understand the organizational structure of problem/solution essays by having them write "what it says" and "what it does" statements about a text. Asking students to write these statements about a text will enable students to read the text closely and will ensure that they understand the structure of a problem/solution text.; Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts); By Margaret Ryan.

Posing a Scenario and "Looping" to Provide Focus in a Cause/Effect Essay: Most of us are familiar with the idea that in narratives a writer chooses a “hot spot” or critical incident to serve as the focus of the work. Teachers of expository writing also must assist students in finding the “hot spot” or focus of their essays. Use this exercise to help student focus on one aspect of the essay.; Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts); By Margaret Ryan.

Practicing Elaboration in a Problem/Solution Essay: One theory suggests that students tend to list in an essay because they lack the tools to elaborate. Because they do not have the strategies, they attempt to fill up the empty space by introducing new primary ideas instead of fleshing out the ideas they have already presented. This activity attempts to make students aware of the need to elaborate and to provide students with some workable strategies for elaborating. Using a PowerPoint presentation, the teacher demonstrates the necessity for elaboration in a problem/solution essay. Students then choose a particular point in the PowerPoint presentation to expand through elaboration.; Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts); By Margaret Ryan.