Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

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Jane Baber

LEARN Author

K20 Center

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Recent Publications

What Do You Want to Talk About?

Writing Dialogue

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

There is a quote that says, “Dialogue is easy. It’s what you’ve been doing almost every day, most of your life” (Josip Novakovich). Sure, dialogue seems simple; it’s having a conversation. But what about writing dialogue? To write conversations between characters, or even for a character with themselves,... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson

Tag Related

  • Individual Career Academic Plan (ICAP)

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts, ICAP

Course Course

  • Composition, Creative Writing

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 9.7.R.2, 9.7.W.1
More
Time Frame
To Whom It May Concern

Writing a Professional Email

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

A necessary skill for most 21st-Century digital citizens is professional email communication. A cordial, professional email is not only a sign of respectful communication, but also clearly relays an intention or request that honors the recipient’s time and encourages a desired action, response, or feeling.... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
To Whom It May Concern

Writing a Professional Email

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 9.2.W.1, 9.4.W.2
More 1
Time Frame 50
Thank You for Being a Friend

Writing a Thank You Note

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

There are a multitude of reasons why we offer thanks to others. Whether someone has done us a favor, given us a gift, shared their personal or professional time, or even just offered a kind word, thanking them with a sincere thank you note is a timeless and appreciated form of gratitude. A timely and... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Thank You for Being a Friend

Writing a Thank You Note

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • Composition

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 9.2.W.1, 9.4.W.2
More 1-2
Time Frame
Texture Poetry

The Great Gatsby and the Sense of Touch

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 10th Grade

In this lesson, students will explore how the sense of touch functions in The Great Gatsby by composing poetry that makes connections between character and an associated object's texture. Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Texture Poetry

The Great Gatsby and the Sense of Touch

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 10th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 10.1.W.1, 10.2.W.1, 10.4.W.2
Time Frame 1-2 class period(s)
Sentence Structure in Siddhartha

Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th Grade

Sentence structure adds variety, interest, and impact to a text. Different sentence structures are composed of clauses and combinations of clauses, and these add varied sentence lengths and styles to a text. This lesson asks students to identify and practice writing simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Sentence Structure in Siddhartha

Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • A.P. Literature and Composition

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 9.5.W.1, 9.5.W.2
More
Time Frame

In this lesson students will engage in multiple independent and group strategies to both identify and analyze essential structural elements of an essay.  By doing this, students will both practice and gain a clearer perspective of how to write with greater clarity and effectiveness. Read more »

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 10th - 11th

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • Composition

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 10.3.W.3, 11.3.W.3, 11.6.W.2
More 150 minutes
Time Frame 3- class period(s)
More Than Meets the Eye

Direct and Indirect Characterization

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 7th - 9th

Willy Wonka: distant and devious or charismatic character? Like all well-rounded literary characters, Willy Wonka is multi-faceted. We can tell a bit about him by observing his quirky appearance. But, what lies beneath his eccentric surface? In this lesson, students will evaluate characters for direct... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
More Than Meets the Eye

Direct and Indirect Characterization

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 7th - 9th
More 180 minutes
Time Frame 2-3 class period(s)
Let Us Start the Lettuce Club (or Not)

Writing a Thesis Statement

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th Grade

Is lettuce interesting? The answer depends on whom you ask. Whether the subject of lettuce is personally captivating or not, a good essay on the subject requires a thesis statement to organize the text and to keep the reader oriented and focused. A strong thesis statement not only helps the reader,... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Let Us Start the Lettuce Club (or Not)

Writing a Thesis Statement

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • Composition

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 9.6.R.1
More 2
Time Frame 100
It's Raining Whats and Whats?

Colloquial Language

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

Colloquial language is informal and consists of words or phrases known primarily to native speakers of a language. In this lesson, students will examine not only how familiar they are with English colloquialisms, but also how often these colloquialisms are used in our speaking and writing, and the effect... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
It's Raining Whats and Whats?

Colloquial Language

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 8th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 8.4.R.4, 8.4.W.2, 8.7.R.1
More 120 minutes
Time Frame 1-2 class period(s)
Is Pizza Epic?

Word Choice

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 7th - 8th

The use of informal language and phrases in our writing and speaking is simply part of our culture. Idioms, slang, understatements, and hyperboles help characterize language by region, time period, and groups of people. Language, though, often benefits from precision, and appropriate word choice helps... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Is Pizza Epic?

Word Choice

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 7th - 8th

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 7.4.R.5, 7.4.W.1
More 1-2 class period(s)
Time Frame 100 minutes