In this assignment, students read the article "It's Way Too Hard to Find Statues of Notable Women in the U.S." Then they research one woman they think should be honored with a statue and write an Op-Ed making an argument for the creation of this new statue. Students practice key skills in the Argument genre such as introducing a precise, knowledgeable claim; developing the claim with logical reasons and convincing evidence from the text and their own research; and addressing opposing claims fairly and thoroughly.

In this assignment, students read the article "Why Aren't There More Female Engineers?" Then they write a Persuasive Letter to the CEOs or Boards of the top engineering firms asking them for changes to policies that are unfair to women. Students practice key skills in the Argument genre such as introducing a precise, knowledgeable claim; developing the claim with logical reasons and convincing evidence from the text; and addressing opposing claims fairly and thoroughly.

In this assignment, students read the article "Feeling Small, in Awe of Nature, Makes People More Generous." Then they write an Argument in which they support the idea that nature can affect people's emotions. Students practice key skills in the Argument genre such as supporting a claim with reasons and evidence from the text and their own experience, addressing opposing claims, and using persuasive language.

In this assignment, students read the article "App Recommends Opportunities Based on News You Read." Then they write an Op-Ed for their local newspaper encouraging readers to use the app. Students practice key skills in the Argument genre such as introducing a precise, knowledgeable claim; developing the claim with logical reasons and convincing evidence from the text; and addressing opposing claims fairly and thoroughly.

In this assignment, students read the article "Coming Soon: Helmets Made from Carrots," which tells about an invention that reuses food waste, specifically carrot fibers, to make things like motorcycle helmets. Then they write a Persuasive Letter to the NFL (National Football League) arguing why the league should replace all of their helmets with this new material. Students practice key skills in the Argument genre, such as selecting relevant details from the article to support their claim, explaining topic-specific vocabulary that might be unfamiliar to their audience, and addressing opposing claims fairly and thoroughly.

In this assignment, students read the article "Denali, Ongtupqa, and Other Native American Names for Landmarks." Then they write an Argument about why it's important to honor Indigenous names. Students practice key skills in the Argument genre, such as selecting relevant details from the article to support their claim, using persuasive language, and addressing opposing claims fairly and thoroughly.

In this assignment, students read the article "Why Aren't There More Female Engineers?" Then they write a How-To Article giving advice to leaders in the engineering field about how to attract more women to enter the profession and encourage women to stay in the profession. Students practice key skills in the Information genre such as developing main ideas with significant concrete details and relevant examples from the text, organizing ideas logically, and using headings to clarify ideas for readers. They also practice demonstrating their comprehension of informational text by making inferences and citing relevant evidence to support their ideas.

In this assignment, students read the article "Who Has the Best Facial Hair in Baseball History?" Then they research interesting hairstyles or facial hair in another sport or another field of their choosing (e.g., artists, musicians, etc.) and write an Informational Article based on their research. Students practice key skills in the Information genre such as hooking the reader and introducing a topic, selecting relevant details from multiple reliable sources, and using headings to organize subtopics.

In this assignment, students read the article "What Gives Bugs Bunny His Lasting Power?" Then they research a different animated character of their choosing and write a Compare-and-Contrast Report comparing their chosen character with Bugs Bunny. Students practice key skills in the Information genre such as developing main ideas with significant concrete details and relevant examples from the text, organizing ideas using a clear compare-and-contrast structure, and ending with a clear summary of their main points.

In this assignment, students read the article "Inventing the Perfect Umbrella." Then they write a Problem-Solution Essay describing a problem with another everyday object and a new design idea that solves the problem. Students practice key skills in the Information genre such as developing main ideas with significant concrete details and relevant examples, organizing ideas using a clear structure, and using topic-specific vocabulary.

In this assignment, students read the article "We Thought We'd Be Living in Space (or Under Giant Domes) by Now." Then they write an Informational Summary focusing on the sequence of events described in the article. Students practice key skills in the Information genre such as introducing a topic, clearly stating main ideas, selecting relevant details and examples from the text, and using transitions to convey sequence.

In this assignment, students read the article "Coming Soon: Helmets Made from Carrots." Then they write a Design Proposal for their own invention idea that would use sustainable resources for something useful. Students practice key skills in the Information genre such as developing main ideas with significant concrete details and relevant examples, organizing ideas using a clear structure, and using topic-specific vocabulary.

In this assignment, students write a Poetry Analysis about Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Annabel Lee." Students consider how the author uses literary techniques such as assonance, alliteration, and repetition to influence the mood of the poem. They then focus on writing a clear analysis that includes citing evidence from the poem to support their writing. The ability to analyze a poem or fictional text—and to cite supporting evidence from the text—are key skills required by many Information-genre writing assignments.

In this assignment, students write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay about Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." Students consider the similarities and differences between the two main characters, the narrator and her husband. Then they focus on writing a clear analysis that includes citing evidence from the text to support their writing. The ability to compare and contrast characters in a fictional text—and to cite supporting evidence from the text— are key skills required by many Information-genre writing assignments.

In this assignment, students write a Historical Analysis about Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. Students consider what they can learn about the social norms and values of Regency England (1811-1820) from the first chapter of this novel. Then they focus on writing a clear analysis that includes citing evidence from the text to support their writing. The ability to analyze a historical literary work and to cite supporting evidence from the text are key skills required by many Information-genre writing assignments.

In this assignment, students write a Thematic Analysis about Sherwood Anderson's short story "Departure." Students consider the theme of the story and how the author conveys this theme. Then they focus on writing a clear analysis that includes citing evidence from the text to support their writing. The ability to analyze the theme of a literary work—and to cite supporting evidence from the text—are key skills required by many Information-genre writing assignments.

This general Response to Fiction template is available for customization by adding your own reading to the template. Choose from the optional prompts provided to select specific directions for analyzing the text. This Response to Fiction assignment enables students to focus on the material that the class is currently reading, while learning to practice and apply their literary analysis skills.

In this assignment, students write a Nonfiction Summary of "The Gospel of Wealth," by Andrew Carnegie. Students read the text, analyzing the author's view on wealth, including the role of rich people and poor people in society. They then focus on writing a summary that includes citing evidence from the text to support their writing. The ability to summarize a nonfiction text—and to cite supporting evidence from the text—are key skills required by many writing assignments in the Information genre.

In this assignment, students write a Text Analysis of a chapter from Frederick Douglass's autobiographical book My Bondage and My Freedom. Students consider why the author includes this particular chapter. They then focus on writing a clear analysis of the author's purpose for writing this chapter and whether the chapter is effective in achieving its purpose. The ability to analyze a nonfiction text—and to cite supporting evidence from the text—are key skills required by many writing assignments in the Information genre.

In this assignment, students write an Article Summary of an article about NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Students identify the main idea and key details of the article and focus on writing a clear Summary describing the key points. Students organize their Summaries by focusing on the most important ideas, and they use vocabulary from the text to help readers become familiar with the topic. The ability to summarize a nonfiction text—and to cite supporting evidence from the text—are key skills required by many assignments in the Information genre.

In this assignment, students write a Synthesis Essay in response to a two-article text set about how virtual reality is being used to preserve and share cultural landmarks and artifacts across the world. Students consider the main claim of each source, analyze the similarities and differences of each author's ideas, and come up with their own example of a world landmark worth saving. The ability to synthesize two or more related texts, discuss ideas from both texts, and cite supporting evidence from each text are key skills required by writing assignments in the Information genre.

In this assignment, students write a Historical Analysis of the diary of Samuel Sewall, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century. Students identify what Sewall's position was on the trials and give evidence from the text to support their analysis. The ability to analyze a historical nonfiction text and to cite supporting evidence from the texts are key skills required by many writing assignments in the Information genre.

This general Response to Nonfiction template is available for customization by adding your own reading to the template. To find out more about how to add a reading, click here. Choose from the optional prompts provided to select specific directions for analyzing the text. This Response to Nonfiction assignment enables students to focus on the material that the class is currently reading, while learning to practice and apply their literary analysis skills.