Cogitare

This packet is a complete independent research project in which students will sign up for a person in history who interests them. Their due dates will be based on the figure they choose, so that they will each be ready to present their essays to the class when their chosen figures appear in the text. In essence, they will become our class "expert" on the day when they present their essays and research to their peers. Since the presentations are staggered, they will not take up a significant p

This book report alternative allows students to design a descriptive book jacket for a book they read to present to the class and to be displayed in the hallway, on a bulletin board, or in the school library. Students follow a detailed format to create book jackets that showcase their comprehension as well as their writing ability. The project documents include the detailed requirements that students will be given at the beginning of the project, a format that can be transferred to their compu

This project allows students to work collaboratively or independently to analyze the strengths of the literature studied throughout the year. They will use the format of the elements of literature studied throughout the year, and they will give the "award" for each element of literature to two of the literary works studied. Since the project is a Word document, teachers can modify it to better assess the concepts covered in their own classrooms, using my format and requirements as a foundation

Peer reviewing is a skill to be developed, rather than a natural process for most students. Students need support to know the type of feedback they should provide and how to explain their feedback clearly. This peer review worksheet guides students as they review one another''s work. It provides five detailed prompts. For each prompt, students record a sentence or idea from the work they are reviewing and then explain, defend, or describe their evaluation. As it is a Word document, teachers

This chart can be used during a unit on the eight cases of pronouns or as a review tool or even an assessment at the end of the pronoun unit. Pronouns can be difficult for students, especially once they need to correctly use the eight cases, and this chart acts as a quick reference guide for them. I always use this chart at the end of the unit as a graded homework assignment to require students to review the cases. I collect the charts, grade them, and return them so students can use the corr

This chart is used to help students review a short story that has been studied either independently or as a whole class review. Because it is a Word file, it can be altered or modified to include different literary elements or to include multiple columns to allow students to compare and contrast multiple stories. It works well as a story-by-story review activity to assess comprehension of one story before moving on to other stories in a unit. It also works well as a final review activity befo

This Proofreading Scavenger Hunt is designed to have new essay writers evaluate their own essays, reinforcing their knowledge of the basic components of an essay and allowing them to locate and correct their own errors before submitting a first draft. I assign it as homework the evening before the first draft is due, and students are required to attach their completed scavenger hunts to their drafts so that I know they have done their own proofing before I begin to correct their essays.Essay Sc