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    FAQ Page

    How can I teach 21st century skills?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Learning Skills
    Literacy Skills
    Life Skills

    FAQ Page

    How are projects and project-based learning different?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Inquiry Process
    Learning Skills
    Literacy Skills
    Life Skills

    FAQ Page

    What are the keys to successful project-based programs?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Writing Project
    Graphing Project
    Web Project
    Performing Project
    Audio-Visual Project
    Community Project
    Inquiry Process

    FAQ Page

    How can students plan their projects?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Inquiry Process
    Planning
    Improving

    FAQ Page

    How can we evaluate projects?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Inquiry Process
    Planning
    Improving

    FAQ Page

    How can students use Inquire for PBL?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Writing Project
    Graphing Project
    Web Project
    Performing Project
    Audio-Visual Project
    Community Project
    Inquiry Process

    FAQ Page

    How can I form strong guiding questions?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Inquiry Process
    Questioning
    Planning
    Researching
    Creating
    Improving
    Presenting

    FAQ Page

    How can I get students engaged in driving questions?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Questioning
    Inquiry Process

    FAQ Page

    How can students find answers to their questions?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Inquiry Process
    Questioning
    Planning
    Researching
    Creating
    Improving
    Presenting

    FAQ Page

    How can students share what they find?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Writing Project
    Graphing Project
    Web Project
    Performing Project
    Audio-Visual Project
    Community Project
    Inquiry Process

    FAQ Page

    What is project-based learning?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Inquiry Process

    FAQ Page

    How can I improve the quality of students' questions?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Inquiry Process
    Questioning
    Planning
    Researching
    Creating
    Improving
    Presenting

    FAQ Page

    What are literacy skills?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Literacy Skills
    Succeeding in School
    Studying
    Reading to Learn
    Building Vocabulary
    Writing to Learn
    Taking Tests
    Information Literacy
    Media Literacy
    Technology Literacy
    Visual Literacy
    Financial Literacy
    Succeeding in the Workplace

    FAQ Page

    How can students judge sources from the Internet?

    FAQ Page

    What is inquiry?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Inquiry Process
    Questioning
    Planning
    Researching
    Creating
    Improving
    Presenting

    FAQ Page

    What kinds of inquiry experiences can I use?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Inquiry Process
    Project-Based Learning

    FAQ Page

    Where can I see PBL in action?

    21st Century Skills: 
    Project-Based Learning
    Writing Project
    Graphing Project
    Web Project
    Performing Project
    Audio-Visual Project
    Community Project
    Inquiry Process

    FAQ Page

    What are the qualities of writing?

    English Language Arts: 
    Qualities of Writing
    Structure
    Ideas
    Conventions

    Student Writing Model

    A Lesson to Learn

    Eddie, a seventh grader, wrote a brief journal entry about his little brother’s annoying habit of asking questions all the time—and how it taught him a lesson.

    Level: 
    Grade 6
    Grade 7
    Grade 8
    Mode: 
    Personal Writing
    Form: 
    Journal
    Theme: 
    Family
    Education

    Student Writing Model

    The Racist Warehouse

    This personal narrative by eighth-grader Alicia presents an engaging voice. Read the essay and notice how Alicia’s personality comes through; she obviously cares about her subject. Her use of details gives the reader a clear picture of the characters and environment in this account of Alicia’s first encounter with racism.

    Level: 
    Grade 6
    Grade 7
    Grade 8
    Mode: 
    Narrative Writing
    Form: 
    Personal Narrative
    Theme: 
    Community
    Freedom
    Rights
    People
    Personality

    Student Writing Model

    Giving Life

    This is a very moving narrative about a difficult experience. Sharing what she learned from this friendship makes an effective conclusion.

    Level: 
    Grade 6
    Grade 7
    Grade 8
    Mode: 
    Narrative Writing
    Form: 
    Personal Narrative
    Theme: 
    Friends
    Health
    Life

    Student Writing Model

    The Great Paw Paw

    Charlotte, the seventh-grade writer of this model, organizes her essay into paragraphs that describe different aspects of her subject. The closing leaves the reader with a clear idea of the important place her grandfather holds in her memory.

    Level: 
    Grade 6
    Grade 7
    Grade 8
    Mode: 
    Narrative Writing
    Form: 
    Personal Narrative
    Theme: 
    Family
    Love
    Life
    Fun
    Home
    Play

    Student Writing Model

    Friendship

    Five paragraphs in the body of this essay—one for each of the senses—provide a clear organization pattern that is easy for the reader to understand. Note that each of the five paragraphs begins with a sentence that repeats the same, simple pattern. This repetition of a sentence pattern provides unity. The use of an extended metaphor—comparing friendship to the making and baking of bread—works quite well and shows that Nate, the sixth grade writer of this essay, is willing to take creative risks.

    Level: 
    Grade 6
    Grade 7
    Grade 8
    Mode: 
    Explanatory Writing
    Form: 
    Definition
    Theme: 
    Friends
    Love
    Life

    Student Writing Model

    Cheating in America

    In this problem and solution essay, sixth-grade writer Nicholas grabs the reader’s attention with some “shocking statistics” that identify the problem. The essay closes with some possible solutions as well as a point to ponder.

    Level: 
    Grade 6
    Grade 7
    Grade 8
    Mode: 
    Persuasive Writing
    Form: 
    Problem-Solution
    Theme: 
    Education
    Rules

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