Writing distinguished by voice, imagination, and impact

the colonists got mad and that’s how the Boston Tea Party started

Tea in the Harbor

Grade(s):

3

A 3rd grade student at Alice B. Beal Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts authored this essay as part of a learning expedition on the Revolutionary War. The assignment was to write a first-person narrative of the Boston Tea Party. This is a first draft, unedited work.

"I've been motivated by my coworkers to finish college so I can make a difference in my community."

Rheannon: College Essay

Grade(s):

12

A personal essay written for college applications. Most colleges, and the Common Application, requires a length of about 250 - 650 words; most students work to be close to the maximum length.

Listen, listen to her every whim

The Dancing Prince

Grade(s):

1

This piece is a freewrite created before the advent of the Common Core. Although the task wasn't designed to address Common Core standards, it is a strong representation of third grade Writing standard 3.

we used spoons, forceps, shallow pans, and buckets

Testing the Waters

Grade(s):

5

Fifth grade students at the Genesee Community Charter School in Rochester, New York created this scientific report as part of a three-month learning expedition on water quality and the risks of pollution.

It could also lead to invisibility cloaks and quantum computers

Article Research and Analysis

Grade(s):

9

Conducting experimental work and writing lab reports are the foundation of every science class because they cultivate a student’s ability to think like a scientist, which is fundamental in understanding the processes and concepts that underlie all science disciplines.

the life of a community follows a plot

A Little More Than Just People: Juanita Nelson

Grade(s):

8

Eighth grade students from the Four Rivers Charter School, in Greenfield, Massachusetts, created a book of “monologues of community cultivators.” Students studied people from their community, who both through their vocation or avocation, worked on behalf of their local communities and “gave back”

How in the world could mentioning a box stir up so much rage in him?

Chipped: A Dystopian Story

Grade(s):

8

Guiding Questions:
Who decides what is right?
How do rights get taken away?

even if she survives she won't learn anything there

Second Chances and Assistance

Grade(s):

9

A class of 9th graders at The Met High School in Providence, Rhode Island spent their first trimester learning about different philosophies of justice through watching, discussing and writing about Michael Sandel's Justice lectures, made free online by Harvard University. 

it feels comfortable here and the sky is so beautiful

Trees Are Trees

Grade(s):

K

Kindergarten students at The College School in St. Louis, Missouri created a book of poetry, letters and artwork. Each poem about trees is accompanied by a colorful drawing. Students spent considerable time outdoors making observations, drawing, writing and exploring.

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