University of Victoria (Canada)
Uvcs: Critical Reading Exercise
Students read quotations from different "interest groups" or "lobbies" in this exercise and then perform a multiple-choice test to evaluate the credibility of each lobby group.
Department of Defense
Do Dea: Real Survival Skills
Learn about process analysis, writing procedurals texts, the steps of the writing process, and cause and effect in this unit. Also, examine patterns of organization in writing. A handy chart shows common organizational patterns which...
Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University (Dr. Mc Clennen): How to Do a Close Reading
This guide is written for college students, but should be very useful for upper level high school students as well. The writer first describes fourteen steps to take in doing a close reading, then provides six pieces of advice on how to...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Informational Text: Analyze an Argument: Practice 1
When you read an argumentative essay or article, you should analyze the author's evidence. However, you can't analyze the evidence a writer gives in support of a position if you don't know the author's perspective.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Informational Text: Analyze Graphical Sources: Practice 2
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn how to evaluate the clarity and visual appeal of images and other graphic elements included in a reading text. Practice exercises are included.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Evaluate a Text for Its Graphics and Visual Appeal
This lesson will teach you how to evaluate texts for the clarity of their graphics and for their visual appeal.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Revising for Effective Introductions and Conclusions
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn how to adjust your thesis so it accurately reflects the main idea of your essay. You will learn how to breathe life into a dead introduction...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Effective Intro & Conclusion & Variety of Sentence Structures
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson focuses on the introduction which establishes the context for the information that will form the body of the essay, connecting the conclusion to the introduction,...
W. W. Norton
W.w. Norton & Company: Elements of the Essay: Tone (And Audience)
An explanation about using an appropriate tone for the intended audience of an essay.
Edutopia
Edutopia: Common Core in Action: 10 Visual Literacy Strategies
Explicitly teach a collection of competencies that will help students think through, think about, and think with pictures.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Organizing Information Quick Guide
Organizing information questions ask you to understand and analyze how a passage works to make an argument. What is the progression of ideas in the passage? or What is the purpose of a specific paragraph?
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Main Point Quick Guide
The first question in most Reading Comprehension sets will ask you to identify the statement that best expresses the central idea or the main point that the passage as a whole is designed to convey.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Sat Reading Test: Information and Ideas
The Information and Ideas category of the SAT Reading Test includes questions that focus on what the passage says (directly or indirectly). To interpret the author's message, you'll need to consider both what's stated and what's implied...
Joe Landsberger
Study Guides & Strategies: How to Read an Essay
Use this guide when reading an expository text or any type of essay, as it provides important questions you should ask yourself while you read. You can access this page in multiple languages from the English homepage.
Other
How the Language Really Works: Restatement
Choosing when to read for simple comprehension is the focus of this brief article.
Other
Critical Reading: How the Language Really Works: Interpretation
In this brief article, the author considers the ways that readers interpret text. An interesting comparison between reading and viewing a painting is worth a look.
Other
Gallaudet University: Reading and Mapping
Learn strategies for reading and mapping. This link offers important tips on improving test taking skills. Includes a PDF (requires Adobe Reader).
Other
In Time: Evaluating Media for Bias
This site provides a checklist, especially helpful for teachers, that details the way to check media elements to be used in the classroom for biases. This site provides six questions to help evaluate the effectiveness of the media in...
Other
Learning Enrichment:reading Skills in the Social Studies
Discussion of the critical reading skills needed in Social Studies, although the skills discussed can apply to a variety of areas. This is part of a larger site containing numerous lesson plans for Social Studies, and this page is really...
Intel Corporation
Showing Evidence Tool: Analyzing and Evaluating Information
If you're looking for a way to engage students in analyzing and evaluating evidence, rather than simply piling up information, this tool may be a boon. Students can use it to construct an argument, rate the quality of resources, and...
Mind Tools
Mind Tools: Reading Strategies
This site from Mind Tools reviews six different strategies to help you read more effectively. RI.11-12.10a Text Complexity
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Becoming an Effective Listener
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart focuses on the traits of an effective listener and the identification of popular logical fallacies and propaganda techniques. In addition, there is an Activote at the end to check student...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Cause and Effect Papers: Organization
This lesson discusses structuring an outline for a cause and effect paper.