English II

War is...

Upon consideration of the perspectives on war from their classmates, the poet Stephen Crane in "War is Kind," and various characters from All Quiet on the Western Front, students will write an editorial for the school newspaper in which they share opinions about war.

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

By Rhonda Dillingham.

A “defining moment” in editorial writing

Students will be introduced to the definition mode of writing. Students will learn to define a particular subject by responding in an editorial format. Students will first compose an editorial graphic organizer, which will aid in composing a completed editorial using the writing process. This lesson includes modifications for a Novice Low Limited English student.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts and English Language Development)

By Susan Brooks and Carrie Mabry.

Resources on the web

Persuading an audience: Writing effective letters to the editor

Students write a persuasive letter to the editor of a newspaper, focusing on a current local or national issue. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 7–8 and 10 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Censorship in the classroom: Understanding controversial issues

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students examine propaganda and media bias and explore a variety of banned and challenged books, researching the reasons these books have been censored. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE