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This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph persuasive essay in which you defend the opinion that a visit to the historical sites of Athens would be interesting - or boring. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Text: A Glance At The Site And Antiquities of Athens The author writes a first-hand account of visiting various ancient sites within Athens, with the intent of recommending the place as a fascinating destination for North American tourists. They describe the historical importance of the sites and their links to Greek mythology, and refer to the size and atmosphere of the places as well. The text dates from 1873 and is a charming example of the type of laid-back, informed travel that was in vogue in that era. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in Greek mythology or who enjoyed the ‘Percy Jackson’ series when they were younger. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph persuasive essay on a topic related to wild apples. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Text: Wild Apples, by H. D. Thoreau Henry David Thoreau is known for his unique and pensive style of writing. He spent considerable time in the wilderness and shared his reflections about nature and its relationship to mankind in his works. Here, he ponders upon a marvelous fruit that has been important to humans since ancient times. Various themes are addressed, including history, myth, literature, philosophy and first-hand observations and reflections by the author. TIP! This resource is a perfect fit for students who have an interest in history, philosophy or the wonders of the natural world. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

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This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘compare and contrast’ essay on a topic related to creation stories. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Stories: ‘Grandmother’s Creation Story’, by Muskeke Iskwew A Creek medicine woman shares her grandmother’s telling of the creation of the earth, the animals, and humans, and subsequent events. (Note: this is a personal story and not the Creek creation myth as is found on Wikipedia.) ‘The Garden of Eden’ by Walter de la Mare A renowned children’s author writes a vivid description of the ‘creation of man’ and the ‘fall from grace’ as described in the book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. (Note: this is not a children’s version of the story, but a vivid ‘retelling’ in contemporary English.) TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in religion or anthropology. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘compare and contrast’ essay on a topic related to deep space travel (fiction). It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Stories: . . . So They Baked A Cake A bitter, hardened journalist joins an elite space crew for an experimental voyage into deep space, a daring mission to find a planet that humans could colonize. They are travelling at one tenth the speed of light but the journey will still take 42 years one way in Earth time. The protagonist’s pessimism about humanity, and the crew’s growing despair due to the implications of the ultra-fast travel, are both confounded by an unexpectedly happy conclusion to their journey. The Lonely Ones A space crew is on an exploratory mission to find life on another planet – human or alien, they don’t care which. Discouraged by the lifeless landscapes of the planets in the solar system, they finally reach a new planet and land. Faced with an advanced society in which they will be treated as insignificant underlings, they decide to continue their journey further into space, though in a changed frame of mind. *Note: *The stories contain mild expletives, such as ‘what the hell’, and include mature themes such as references to drinking alcohol. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in science fiction or futuristic literature. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘compare and contrast’ essay on a topic related to weathering a storm at sea. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Texts: Typhoon off the Coast of Japan, by Jack London (published when the author was seventeen) The narrator relates how a ship of seal hunters navigates a powerful storm at sea, with characteristically vivid descriptions. A Storm, from The Wreck of the Grosvenor by W. Clark Russell The narrator describes a three-day long gale that pushes the crew of a ship to their limits, in the style of a vivid diary entry. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in pirate novels or survival stories. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘summarize and describe’ essay on a topic related to building iron bridges. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Text Iron Bridges And Their Construction Edward Rowland describes the process of building iron bridges at the end of the 19th century. First he writes about bridge construction in general, referring to important accomplishments in that field from earlier times. He then describes in detail how iron is prepared when it will be used for bridge-building. He ends with a brief description of how an iron bridge is assembled. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in 19th century literature or the Steampunk movement. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘summarize and describe’ essay on a topic related to enjoying a thoughtful winter walk. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Text: A Winter Walk, by H. D. Thoreau The author writes in the first person, describing a long winter walk through a wooded area with few human inhabitants. He communicates what he sees and feels while walking, and also his innermost thoughts and musings about the nature of life, wilderness, and humans’ place within the world. This text is descriptive and pensive. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student who has an interest in philosophy or who enjoys the peaceful side of nature. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘summarize and describe’ essay on a topic related to a 19th century tourist’s visit to India. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Text: The author and narrator, an Englishman travelling in India with his invaluable guide and trusted friend, Bhima Gandharva, describes their visits to a handful of beautiful monuments and places including the Taj Mahal and an indigo factory. The description includes some local folklore and the reactions of the narrator to the beauty around him and to the people he encounters. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in Bollywood or history. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘summarize and describe’ essay on a topic related to volcanoes (in particular, Mount Vesuvius). It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary primary texts. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Texts: Letters of Pliny, by Pliny the Younger Pliny was born in 62 CE. He witnessed an eruption of the famous Mount Vesuvius, which he describes here in two detailed letters to a friend. Buried Cities: Pompeii, Olympia, Mycena, by Jennie Hall Written in 1922 by a History and English teacher, this text describes Mount Vesuvius first-hand according to various different sources, from ancient times to the early twentieth century. Mount Vesuvius, by Edwin J. Houston Written in 1907 by a professor, this text offers interesting information both about Mount Vesuvius’ eruptions and the cities and people affected by them. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in Roman history, or geology. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘summarize and describe’ essay on a topic related to the natural events in springtime, as explored in two short, challenging primary texts (included). It contains full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary sources. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Texts: A Woodland Valentine, by Marian Storm Marian Storm was a 20th century American writer, journalist, poet, animal rights advocate and conservationist. She is also known for saving the Mexican shrub Ayuque (later named Balmea stormiae after her) from extinction. Here she describes the arrival of spring in highly poetic language. Field And Hedgerow, by Richard Jefferies This short excerpt is from collection of essays written in the late 19th century, and is a reflection of Jefferies’ deep appreciation for nature and the countryside. He explores themes related to the relationship between humans and the natural world, as well as observations on rural life, seasons, and the essence of existence. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in poetry or nature studies. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘summarize and describe’ essay on a topic related to the art of conversation as described in three short historical texts (included). It contains full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all relevant sources. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Make the most of this easy and efficient way to practice essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Texts: Polite Conversation (excerpt), by Jonathan Swift This selection by Jonathan Swift (1667 –1745) comes from the introduction to a collection of dialogues in which the author explores the art of polite conversation in his social circle. A Definition of a Gentleman, by Cardinal Newman This description of a perfect secular gentleman was written by Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801 – 1890), an English Catholic academic and poet. To Read and Speak with Eloquence, by “Browne” The origins and true author of this piece of writing are a mystery – it was found in a compilation entitled The Illustrated London Reading Book. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in etiquette or history. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

Who better to show the usefulness of a well-asked question - and the importance of a clear and concise answer - than Sherlock Holmes? In 'The Adventure of the Three Students’, Holmes and Watson find themselves at the heart of an old university, where someone may have tampered with an Ancient Greek exam. The future of a promising student, and the reputation of a noble house of learning, hang in the balance! As it turns out, it is not too late for one character to make a noble gesture that will bring all to a happy conclusion. For young readers who are ready for their first Sherlock Holmes mystery (but who would rather not read about murders or ghosts), this is an excellent tale! Contents: • The full, original tale of ‘The Adventure of the Three Students’, divided into ten short sections • Following each section: Five questions to be answered separately in a student’s notebook Vocabulary, in alphabetical order, with definitions or synonyms (making the word comprehensible in the story’s context), from the chapter just read A ‘looking up close’ page, exploring one main theme of the section just read, such as Gothic architecture, tea, pencils, Victorian furniture, the long-jump, etc. (with pictures) Directions: • Read one section of the book at a time. Use the vocabulary list to help with understanding the story (and practise looking things up in alphabetical order). Answer the questions in a separate notebook. Read the ‘looking up close’ page for fun. Enjoy a good, old-fashioned, Sherlock Holmes mystery!

In this introduction to botany for young readers, the narrator presents a selection of wildflowers during a fictional tour of an old farm. Learn where they grow, their names, and notable features (petal colours, leaf shape, etc.), with each new fact introduced in a gentle conversational style. You will learn about wildflowers in general (common to the Northern Hemisphere), and about specific plants as well, all from a teacher whose love of flowers and respect for young minds shines through the pages. The text also includes a very manageable handful of scientific terms. This book is an excellent beginner’s botany text, being neither too simplistic nor overly detailed. Once you’re done, you will very likely be able to recognize a number of common wildflowers the next time you take a nature walk. For English Language Arts purposes, this resource is suitable for young readers who are ready to begin to read longer texts; the format and Reading Comprehension questions focus on reading more than writing. Drawings of the flowers – some colour and some black and white – help to entertain and inform as you read. Included in this resource are: The complete text in fourteen short chapters Following each chapter, four to six very simple reading comprehension questions which need not be answered in full sentences (single words or short phrases will do) A vocabulary vist Decorative mini-poster pages ; the student may want to label the flowers and hang the pages on a wall as a pretty reminder of what they’ve learned.

The rich descriptive language in this gentle fairy-tale by classic children’s author Walter de la Mare is balanced by a simple and unique story. Read a page a day and answer five reading comprehension questions in a notebook of your own (29 pages and 145 questions in total). If your child is ready to read more advanced English, but not old enough for the mature content of classics like Treasure Island, ‘A Penny A Day’ is a good choice. Excerpt: ‘Whenever Griselda had time to herself, which was very seldom, she would climb up by the broken weed-grown steps to the very top of the Castle tower, and sit there looking out over the green cliffs and the vast flat blue of the ocean. When the sea-winds had blown themselves out she would search the beach for driftwood in the thin salt spray blown in on the wind, the only human creature to be seen. And the sea-birds would scream around her while the slow, toppling Atlantic breakers shook the earth with their thunder.’