Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is perhaps the most famous and well-loved of all American poets. He achieved success in his lifetime, and his works continue to be revered today. Read a beautiful, thoughtful poem about looking up at the night sky, and complete written assignments focused on the contrast between the scholarly appreciation of astronomy and the raw enjoyment of star-gazing. More like this available in Smiling Scholar Reading Passages Collections!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph persuasive essay in which you defend an opinion related to the topic of humour, as explored in several primary texts. It includes full instructions, a list of possible topics, worksheets and all necessary reading materials. 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: “Lampoons” & “True and False Humour” (excerpts), by Joseph Addison (1672 – 1719) In his time, Addison was known for his ‘breezy, conversational style’, and his ‘cheerful and respectful humour’. Here, he describes what he considers to be unfairly cruel humour, and the difference between true and false humour. The one is based on truth, the other on lies. “Extricating Young Gussie” (excerpt) & “Damian and Pythias, A Romance”, by P.G. Wodehouse (1881 – 1975) Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881 – 1975) was one of the most widely-read humorists of the 20th century. Read the beginning of a humorous story, in which the narrator’s fearsome aunt pays a call. Next, read a short, humorous poem in which two young men discover they are infatuated with the same woman. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in philosophy or humorous writing. Need some extra essay writing practice? Check out our Beginning and Concluding Paragraphs resource!

One of the trickiest parts of writing a good essay is composing a beginning and concluding paragraph that are not too similar – but that do communicate more or less the same thing. Here is an opportunity to practise just this skill. This eBook contains 15 paragraphs and 3 main essay bodies about different subjects. They can be used in any order. Each paragraph and essay has its own page, with blank spaces for the student’s work. **The Paragraphs ** Each of the 15 paragraphs could either begin or conclude an essay. The student’s tasks are: - to write a second paragraph for each one that is similar but not identical - to label the original paragraph and their own paragraph indicating which one would be better to begin an essay, and which to conclude one - to identify and write down, concisely and clearly, the topic of the imaginary essay that the paragraph(s) would begin and conclude - to identify and write down the subjects of the three middle paragraphs of the imaginary essay, based on what has been written in the beginning and concluding paragraphs The paragraphs’ topics are as follows: skiing in the wilderness, Scotland, Gautama Buddha, William Shakespeare, Ancient Rome, French fashion, beavers, chocolate, toilets, human writing, water, rock climbing, essay writing, tomato sauce, believable scientific concepts from Star Trek. **The Essays ** The 3 essay ‘bodies’ may be used as follows. The student should: - identify the main topic of the essay - identify the main topic of each individual paragraph within the essay - write both a beginning and concluding paragraph for each essay The essay topics are salt, cats, and exercise. See more essay writing resources from Smiling Scholar!

This complete lesson will guide you to write a full, 5-paragraph ‘compare and contrast’ essay on a topic related to stormy weather. 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 ‘Storm’ by Charles Dickens This excerpt from David Copperfield describes the dramatic effects of a seaside storm. ‘Squall’ by Leonora Speyer This poem describes a short storm that leaves nature refreshed. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in outdoor adventuring or who loves 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 persuasive essay on a topic related to wilderness survival. 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: The Vagrants of the Barren When his shack burns to the ground, a solitary woodsman must face the wilderness alone in midwinter. He is knowledgeable and experienced, but he is aware that his chances of survival under such circumstances are slim. He must find food and shelter quickly. A sudden storm makes his situation all the more difficult. In the end, a chance encounter with a herd of caribou allows him to survive and to reach safety. The Grip In Deep Hole Alone in the woods that he has known and loved since childhood, a woodsman approaches a rushing stream only to feel the bank give way underneath his feet. He plunges into the water – and his foot becomes tangled in an underwater ‘trap’ of slimy roots. Repeated attempts to free himself amount to nothing. A bear arrives, and as it swims past, the woodsman cleverly – and amazingly – finds a way to use the bear’s strength to escape a tragic end. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in wilderness survival or wild animal behavior. 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 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!