Genre Theory: Teaching, Writing, and Being

Grades   9 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Investigating Genre: The Case of the Classic Detective Story

After critiquing a list of conventions for the genre, students read, view, or listen to a classic
mystery, and then produce a mystery of their own, reflecting on the purposeful ways in which
they adhered to or altered the genre conventions.

 

Grades   9 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Beyond “What I Did on Vacation”: Exploring the Genre of Travel Writing

After reading and analyzing short examples of travel writing and discussing conventions of the genre, students write their own travel articles.

 

Grades   7 – 10  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

The Blog of Anne Frank?: Taking on Social Roles through Online Writing

Anne Frank shared her experiences through a private diary that became public as a book. In this lesson, students will consider how writing creates social identities as they blog about a political issue.

 

Grades   11 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Professional Writing in Action! Publishing Student Reviews Online

Writing professional reviews teaches students to understand audience, content, and publication guidelines. In this lesson, students put these into practice as professional writers critiquing, designing, and publishing reviews on Amazon.com.

 

Grades   9 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Chasing the Dream: Researching the Meaning of the American Dream

By conducting interviews, sharing and assessing data, and writing papers based on their authentic research, students reach their own conclusions on the meaning of the American Dream.

 

Grades   9 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

And in Conclusion: Inquiring into Strategies for Writing Effective Conclusions

While drafting a literary analysis essay (or another type of argument) of their own, students work in pairs to investigate advice for writing conclusions and to analyze conclusions of sample essays. They then draft two conclusions for their essay, select one, and reflect on what they have learned through the process.

 

Grades   6 – 8  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Blurring Genre: Exploring Fiction and Nonfiction with Diary of a Worm

After reading several examples of how a published author incorporates facts in fiction writing, students research a topic of their choice and write fictional diary entries that incorporate factual information.

 

Grades   9 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Unit

Help Wanted: Writing Professional Resumes

Students will create a beginning resume that represents their current work experience and demonstrates their knowledge of rhetorical situations for professional writing.