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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Inside Out & Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

For Students 5th - 8th
In this novel based on her life, Ha and her family are living in Saigon when the Vietnam war forces her family to flee to Alabama. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 5-8) to pair with "Inside Out & Back Again" by Thanhha Lai....
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Incantation" by Alice Hoffman

For Students 5th - 9th
Estrella is a girl living in Spain during the Spanish inquisition and dealing with the secret of her Jewish heritage, an unacceptable crush, and her best friend's betrayal. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 5-9) to pair with the...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

For Students 9th - 10th
"In the Time of the Butterflies" is the story of the four Mirabal sisters, who lived through the despotic regime of General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Throughout the novel that spans more than 50 years, Julia Alvarez masterfully weaves...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Grendel" by John Gardner

For Students 9th - 10th
Selected (6) reading passages (grades 9-11) to pair with "Grendel" by John Gardner. [Free account registration required for specific tools.]
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

For Students 9th - 10th
Nick Carraway observes the wasteful lives of four wealthy acquaintances in the nouveau riche society of West Egg, Long Island. During his time there, Carraway befriends his affluent and enigmatic neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Selected (10)...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck

For Students 9th - 10th
The Joad family leaves Oklahoma in search of work after their farm is destroyed by the Dust Bowl. They arrive in California only to find that fair jobs, food, and sympathy are scarce. Selected (9) reading passages (grades 8-11) to pair...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

For Students 9th - 10th
In the dystopian novel "The Giver," Jonas is chosen to be the new Receiver of Memories; he meets his incumbent -- The Giver, a man who is tasked with holding onto the community's collective experiences and memories. Selected (11) reading...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

For Students 4th - 9th
In the novel "Frightful," a peregrine falcon, has spent most of her life depending on a human and must now learn how to survive in the wild on her own. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 4-9) to pair with "Frightful's Mountain" by...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly

For Students 9th - 10th
The scientist Victor Frankenstein recounts his story of bringing a creature to life and the tragedies that followed. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 8-12) to pair with the horror novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly. [Free account...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

For Students 9th - 10th
After Noah's dad is arrested for sinking a casino boat he believed was dumping sewage into the ocean, Noah must prove that his suspicions are right and stop the boat from further polluting the ocean. Selected (8) reading passages (grades...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Fault of Our Stars" by John Green

For Students 9th - 10th
Hazel has been diagnosed with cancer and has a sullen outlook on life. She meets Augustus, whose love and friendship brings her across the world and around again -- in more than one way. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 8-12) to...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

For Students 9th - 10th
This book tells the story of Bryan Stevenson, a young lawyer who establishes a legal practice, and takes on the case of Walter McMillian who was wrongly convicted for murder. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 8-12) to pair with "Just...
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Professional Doc
AdLit

Ad lit.org: Multiple Texts: Multiple Opportunities for Teaching and Learning

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Engaging all students in a themed study or unit is a challenge that teachers can resolve by using materials that match students' independent or instructional reading levels (Robb 1994, 2000). When students face textbooks that are above...
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Article
AdLit

Ad lit.org: Hooking Struggling Readers: Using Books They Can and Want to Read

For Teachers 9th - 10th
One of the keys to helping struggling readers is to provide them with books that they can and want to read. Fiction for struggling readers must have realistic characters, readable and convincing text, and a sense of the readers'...