Writing+Activities

__Persuasive Writing Activity__ Taxation Without Representation: A Letter to the King Teacher will help students understand the abuse of power by King George III. After studying colonial response to the King's abuse of power, students will discuss the different types of protest used by the Sons of Liberty (demonstrations, public meetings, petitions, letters, boycotts, ambassadors, violence) and the possible side effects of protests. Students will write a letter to King George explaining the importance of representation in government as well as suggested compromises to prevent the colonies declaring independence. Modifications: Provide a graphic organizer for students to organize their points in support of representation and a problem/solution chart to outline compromises (see links) http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/persuasion.pdf http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/probsol.pdf Work with a small group to complete organizers together Assign peer partners Provide access to an Internet letter-writing program  __Expository Writing Activity__ Students will be placed in pairs for this writing activity. Each pair will be asked to choose two of the biographies from the book, __The Signers__ by Dennis Fradin to read together. After reading the students will discuss the key elements of the biographies including similarities between the two or things that stood out to them as being important or interesting. The students will then individually come up with interview questions to ask their partner that think will help them to come up with information that should be included in a biography. After forming the questions, students will rejoin with their partners and conduct the interviews. Students will be expected to record information that they learn. After conducting the interviews, students will write a biography about their partner. They should try to include some of the key elements they determined were important from the biographies they read in the text. We will then compile all of the biographies together to make a class collection. __Directions:__ We will compile the biographies in order to form a class collection just like the collection you read from about the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
 * 1) With your partner choose two biographies from the book __The Signers__ to read together. While reading think about and discuss the important elements that are part of a biography. What stood out to you as important or interesting?
 * 2) Individually create interview questions that you will ask your partner. You should come up with at least 10 questions. At least six of your questions need to be open-ended. This means they should require more than just a few words for your partner to answer.
 * 3) Conduct interviews with your partner. Be sure to record their responses!
 * 4) On your own, write a biography about your partner. It should include some of the elements you found in the biographies you read. Think about these elements when forming your interview questions.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">__Writing Activity Narrative__ <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A Patriot's Diary! After researching the details of Boston Tea Party in books, encyclopedias and on the Internet, students will pretend they participated or assisted in this event. Students will compose descriptive diary entry about the Boston Tea Party from a first person point of view. The diary entry should answer the five W's: Who? Where? Why? When? What? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Students will read their letters to others in small groups. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">