Duration: 3 class periods of 45-55 minutes
Printable: “Advice to a Candidate” Lesson Plan (PDF)

Advice to a Presidential Candidate Prompt:

As the U.S. Presidential election season heats up, the voices of America’s diverse citizenry cry out, expressing the people’s needs, opinions, and visions for the future.  In the midst of all these competing voices, the Presidential candidates have to carefully consider what they say in return.  Imagine that you have the opportunity to speak privately to the candidate of your choice before he or she makes an important speech.  What would you tell him or her to say to America? (more…)

Learn 7 ways they can ensure site quality.

The lack of uniform standards and the ease of access have made the Internet a powerful but uncertain medium. Substantial effort is required to adequately evaluate its information, and this may not always be apparent to users. This is particularly challenging for students…[1]

Web sites can change over night, and students must develop the information literacy skills that will enable them to evaluate sites quickly and accurately. iSEEK™ Education Searchblade™ is a great place for students to discover trustworthy reference materials. Read on to learn what else students can do to ensure the resources they cite are reliable.

1. Every site has a purpose, and you must discover what it is. Advertisements, propaganda, and intentional misinformation can be designed to look reliable. Remember that all commercial sites, even popular names like Microsoft® and Crayola®, carry some kind of bias – they want to sell you something! (more…)

Duration: 2 class periods of 45-55 Minutes
Adaptations: Upper Elementary (4-5), “A Person You Admire” Prompt, Expository Writing
Printable: “Admirable Woman in History” Lesson Plan (PDF)

An Admirable Woman in History Prompt:

Throughout our history, there have been many admirable women who have had an important impact on our lives.  Whether they were great leaders, writers, or individuals who broke new ground and gender barriers, the roles of many women throughout history are to be admired.  What woman in history do you admire most?  What did she contribute to the world or accomplish in her life that earned your admiration? (more…)

Ralph Fletcher, author of many picture books and novels for young readers, provides us with the latest installment in our Author Series. Aside from his works of fiction, Mr. Fletcher has also published a series of instructional writing books including How to Write Your Life Story, A Writer’s Notebook, Live Writing, How Writers Work, and Poetry Matters. Stop by http://www.ralphfletcher.com to learn more about Mr. Fletcher, his books, and more! 

What Should I Write About?

I’m not a big believer in “story starters”. I believe that the best ideas are living inside you. Your challenge is to dig them out. Do the writing only you can do. But every writer gets stuck from time to time so I’ve included a few ideas to jump-start your imagination. (more…)

What made you decide to be an author, and when did you reach that decision?

When I was in eleventh grade, one of my high school English teachers said that I was very creative, and that I should consider being a writer. No one had ever suggested that to me, and it had never occurred to me. I always was a reader, and I would devour armloads of books during my youth, but this was the first time the thought of being a writer was presented to me. Reading has been really, really huge. I think the single most important thing about being a writer is that you must love to read.

What role did writing play in your life before your eleventh grade English teacher suggested it to you?

I started playing electric guitar when I was eleven, and at that point I really started writing a lot of songs. Also, my friend and I would make little, homemade, independent newspapers and magazines. I just always knew that I got great joy from putting words on paper.

A Writer’s Beginnings (2:07)

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These blogs are a medium to learn and share ideas for writing instruction using MY Access! You will find lesson plans on controversial subjects, interviews with authors, and ideas for teaching writing as a process. We encourage you to read the blogs, then share your own ideas, debate, and ask questions.  We have outstanding content that we are excited to share and are always looking for new blog material.  So please let us know if you have any interesting topics by posting them to our Forum.  Navigate between both the blogs and the forums to learn more about using MY Access! to its fullest instructional potential. We hope you will find the material in the Community timely, enlightening and useful. And we look forward to talking to you! (more…)

Duration: 3 class periods of 45-55 minutes
Adaptations: High School (9-12) “Recommending Literature” Prompt, Persuasive Writing
Printable: “Banning Books” Lesson Plan (PDF)

Banning Books Prompt:

Some members of your school board want to ban certain books from the public library.  They feel that these books contain topics unsuitable for young readers.  Do you agree that some kinds of books should be banned from the library?  Do you disagree? Write a letter to your school board persuading the members that these books should be banned or that these books should not be banned. (more…)