Unit Activity Lesson Plans

Introduction
Students have read about the writing process. In this lesson, they will practice replacing wordy phrases with shorter, more concise terms.

Lesson Description
Students will rewrite ten sentences, replacing wordy phrases with shorter, more concise terms.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will be able to write good sentences using concise language.
2. Students will be able to improve their writing by adding more detail.

Student Web Activity Answers
Note that all answers provided below are examples. Student answers may vary.

1. Born in England in 1862, Kingsley spent much of her youth caring for her sickly mother and brother.
2. Her father expected her to take care of them because he traveled a great deal.
3. In the little free time she had, however, she would read stories that explorers had written about their adventures in Africa.
4. After her parents' death, Kingsley decided to change her life.
5. When she was thirty, she made her first trip to West Africa.
6. Although she was uncertain whether she could manage on her own, her trip was a success.
7. Kingsley felt more at home in West Africa than in England.
8. She lived for a year with the Fang tribe, who accepted her because she brought cloth and tobacco to trade for their ivory and rubber.
9. Although she had no formal education, Kingsley made many scientific discoveries during her trips to West Africa.
10. Before returning to England in 1895, she collected many new and rare species of beetles and fish and made careful ethnological studies of tribal culture.

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