Santa Ana Unified School District
The Giver
Wouldn't it be great to live an a community without pain, without danger? Such a society is the goal of the community in The Giver. Using Lois Lowry's dystopian novel as the core text, class members read primary source materials about...
PBS
The Symbolism of Castle's Bedroom in Ghost
To conclude a unit study of Jason Reynold's Ghost, class members examine how Castle's feeling about his bedroom change over the course of the novel. Groups use the provided graphic organizer to identify the plot of the novel and then use...
PBS
The Symbolism of Sneakers in Ghost
As part of a study of Jason Reynold's Ghost, readers take a close look at sneaker culture and how Reynold uses sneakers as a symbol in his award-winning young adult novel. Groups explore links to "Sneakerology 101", a Carnegie Mellon...
PBS
Figuring Out Figurative Language in The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is well known for its relatable characters and plot, but don't forget how effective the book's figurative language can be! Check out an interactive resource that explores how figurative language comes alive...
PBS
Symbolism and Personification in The Outsiders
A shirt can't really swallow you—right? Readers find examples of symbolism and personification in S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders with two straightforward lessons.
Read Write Think
Book Report Alternative: Rewind the Plot!
Have you ever looked for a new way to teach an old concept? Scholars thinking about the rising action of a story in a whole new perspective. However, Book Report Alternative: Rewind the Plot! challenges readers and allows for much...
Prestwick House
Vocabulary in Context: Inside the World of Wizards
Enter the world of Harry Potter and learn new vocabulary at the same time. A high-interest reading passage provides insight into the history of Harry Potter. Follow-up activities incorporate key vocabulary strategies, such as using...
Prestwick House
Vocabulary in Context: Wilderness Survival
Do you have what it takes to survive in the wilderness? A high-interest reading passage offers practical advice while incorporating vocabulary practice. Follow-up worksheets focus on skills such as defining words, making inferences, and...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA "I Can" Statement Posters
Eighth grades can master the ELA Common Core standards! Show your learners the connection between classroom activities and assignments and the standards with this set of "I Can" statement posters. Each standard has been rewritten as an...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA Common Core Checklists
How close are your eighth graders to mastering the ELA Common Core standards? Keep an eye on progress with these charts, which include every eighth grade identifier and full standard text. As you move through the year and teach, reteach,...
Curated OER
Leveled Vocabulary for And Then There Were None
Chaotic, perjury, tenacious, vague, predatory, idiosyncrasy. Using Marzano and Brown’s six steps of direct instruction for vocabulary (choose, restate, illustrate, use, discuss, play) readers of And Then There Were None engage in a...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Solving Word Meanings: Engaging Strategies for Vocabulary Dev.
A 5-lesson unit where students learn to use context clues and semantic gradients together to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Context Clues
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart gives students practice using context to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Included are practice activities and assessment pages.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Understanding New Vocabulary Within Context
Learn how to find the meanings of words through analogy and other word relationships.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Understand New Vocabulary Within Context (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to determine or clarify the meaning of words using context within a sentence and in larger sections of text.
Student Achievement Partners
Achieve the Core: "Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution"
Lesson plan explores the meaning of the words in the Preamble to the Constitution.
BBC
Bbc: Skillswise: Dictionaries and Indexes
This Skillswise site focuses on using dictionaries and indexes. Included are a video about why using these tools is important, fact sheets and worksheets about using them, quizzes on the information presented, and a dictionary game. The...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Vocabulary: Understand New Vocabulary Within Context
A learning module that teaches students how to use context clues to understand new vocabulary words with six mini-lessons: Introduction, The Clues in Context, General/Inferential Context Clues, Definitions/Example Context Clues, Synonym...
Quia
Quia: Matching: What's My Meaning?
This matching game asks students to match roots on a grid with their meanings. Java is required.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Context to Determine Meaning of a Word [Pdf]
This learning module contains three nonfiction reading lessons that will assist student understand how to apply context clues when they encounter new vocabulary words.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Can Infer Meaning of Word From Context [Pdf]
Students will find a reference poster that will help students inference. Students will find step-by-step directions to help them infer meanings of new words.
Other
Knoword
Knoword is a word game that puts players' English vocabularies to the test. When a student starts a new game, they get a definition, the first letter of the word it's referring to, and one minute to solve the problem.
Other
Dictionary.com
Look up any word by typing the entry at the top. Includes word of the day, links to foreign language dictionaries, and link to a thesaurus. L.9-10.4c References, L.9-10.4d Verify meaning, L.11-12.4c References, L.9-10.4d Verify meaning,...
Other
Interacting Texts Directed Activities Related to Texts (Darts)
Want to improve your students' reading skills? This is a good place to find the types of directed activities, using a definition text, reconstruction/analysis activities, and advantages of using DARTs.