Curated OER
Lesson Plan 2: So What's a Novel, Anyway?
What makes a novel a novel? Class members select a favorite novel, record their impressions on a worksheet, and then come together in groups to discuss the elements common to narrative writing. Next, they identify the characters, the...
Curated OER
Oral Presentation
Practice public speaking in this oral presentation lesson. Middle schoolers list the characteristics of a powerful speaker. They watch a video of two speakers, compare them and discuss the qualities of a good speech. Afterwards, they...
Curated OER
Civil War
Historical poetry is lyrical in form and rich with content. After examining the differences between the Northern and Southern states before and during the U.S. Civil War, learners complete a Venn diagram and create an illustration of the...
Curated OER
Harvest the Wind
Wind is a natural resource available around the world. Help your pupils appreciate the power and importance of wind by researching wind farms, making pinwheels, and designing windmills.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Time Management
In this video segment from TV411, Ruby and her mom plan a schedule so she can complete her homework and still have time for friends and sports.
Other
Best Evidence Encyclopedia: Middle and High School Reading
Looking for opportunities to improve your readers or to help your readers get ahead? BEE presents a number of programs that have been evaluated by their researchers to bring educators the best programs on the market. Learn about programs...
Indiana University
Iu: Providing Students With a Purpose for Reading
Discussion of providing students with a purpose for reading from a college class site entitled "Advanced Study of the Teaching of Secondary School Reading." Along with discussion and background on the topic, some specific strategies are...
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Free Graphic Organizers for Planning and Writing
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides 30+ graphic organizers to aid in planning and writing. Students will be able to write informational pieces and literary responses.
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Additional Webs
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides a series of graphic organizers. Students will be able to plan the writing of summaries, paragraphs, and literary responses.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Setting a Purpose for Reading Using Informational Text
This lesson engages students in using a two-column graphic organizer to take notes. Students will record titles and subtitles and list questions that will correspond with each one.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Write in the Middle: Workshop 5: Teaching Multigenre Writing
Workshop 5 centers on multigenre writing, an eclectic approach to writing instruction that offers students a wide range of options for expressing ideas and communicating knowledge. As students explore different avenues for translating...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Classroom Strategies: Anticipation Guides
An Anticipation Guide is a strategy that is used before reading to activate students' prior knowledge and build curiosity about a new topic. Before reading a selection, students respond to several statements that challenge or support...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Classroom Strategies: Frame Routine
The Frame Routine is a strategy designed to assist students as they organize topics, main ideas and details about reading assignments. This technique includes a basic hierarchic graphic organizer called a "Frame" that can be used to help...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Literacy Practices Interview
Literacy practices interviews are informal assessments that elicit information on students' reading and writing activities, including their free-time reading habits, their access to books, and their attitudes toward reading and writing....
AdLit
Ad lit.org: What Should an Assessment System Look Like?
The developmental nature of reading means that diagnosing the reading comprehension ability of adolescents is more challenging than diagnosing reading comprehension among third graders. In particular, assessments should not only capture...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Effective Reading Interventions for Kids With Learning Disabilities
Research-based information and advice for sizing up reading programs and finding the right one for your child with a learning disability.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Assistive Technology Tools: Reading
Learn about assistive technology tools - from audiobooks to variable-speed tape recorders - that help students with reading.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Extended Writing to Learn Strategies
Writing enables students to process, organize, formulate, and extend their thinking about what they have been learning. In addition, teachers can also assign writing to help students evaluate what they know and understand about a topic....
Wisconsin Response to Intervention Center
Wisconsin Rt I Center: Writing to Learn [Pdf]
Teachers will learn how to use Writing to Learn as a formative assessment tool. Teachers will learn how to implement the strategy, measure progress, and find research to support writing to learn. A list of Writing to Learn activities is...
Other
Braindance: Reading Groups of Words at Each Glance
Gives insight into improving reading speed by learning to read words in groups. There is an excercise to test your speed and suggestions on how to increase it.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Developing Reading Plans to Support Independent Reading
Students analyze their past readings and use that knowledge to create reading plans for the future.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Developing Searching, Skimming, and Scanning Skills
Contains plans for two or three lessons that teach searching, skimming, and scanning skills using an internet bingo game that is easily adaptable to a variety of topics. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan...
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Learning From Mistakes
This Daily Teaching Tools resource is a reflective writing activty. Students will write a reflection regarding a mistake they have made. This activity may be used as a simple writing prompt or as part of behavior management system.
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Things That We Read
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides ways to motivate middle school students to read. A link is provided that contains 25 graphic organizers related to reading and note-taking.