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Interactive
PBS

Exploring the Drive to Create in Frankenstein

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Is it hubris that drives the creative process? Is it the desire to be remembered long past death? An interactive asks readers of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Percy Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" to consider what this wife and...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Word Choice: Atticus’s Closing Speech (Chapters 20-21)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Choose your words carefully. Scholars begin by reading a line of Atticus's closing speech in To Kill A Mockingbird. Readers work independently on their note catchers, then complete a Think-Pair-Share activity with partners. They finish...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Fishbowl Comparing Atticus and Mr. Gilmer (Chapters 17-19)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Class members participate in two circle group discussions to compare Atticus and Mr. Gilmer in chapters 17-19 of To Kill a Mockingbird. They use a note-catcher to guide their thinking. For homework, readers begin looking at chapters 20-21.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Author’s Perspective: “The Shakespeare Shakedown”

For Teachers 8th Standards
Simon Schama's article "The Shakespeare Shakedown" allows young writers to see how authors respond to conflicting viewpoints. Class members participate in discussion appointments with five peers to explore the author's point of view.
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

Analyzing the Development of Theme through Pivotal Moments

For Students 6th Standards
Liliana Heker's "The Stolen Party" and Martha Salinas' "The Scholarship Jacket" provide sixth graders with an opportunity to identify key scenes that authors use to develop their themes.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Focusing on Taking a Stand (Chapter 2 cont.)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars complete a close read of To Kill a Mockingbird and determine why characters take a stand. They use text-dependent questions and Note-catchers to help guide their thinking. Readers review the Taking a Stand Anchor chart and...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Connecting the Universal Refugee Experience of Fleeing and Finding Home to the Title of the Novel Inside Out & Back Again

For Teachers 8th Standards
What does it mean to turn inside out? Using the resource, scholars begin planning their end-of-unit assessment essays. They complete two graphic organizers to form claims about how refugees turn "inside out" and "back again."
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Paragraph 4 of “Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison”

For Teachers 8th Standards
Why is reading a text closely a helpful skill? Using the 13th of 20 lessons from the Grade 8 ELA Module 1, Unit 2 series, scholars continue reading the informational text "Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison." They work with...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Significance of the Novel’s Title: Connecting the Universal Refugee Experience to Inside Out and Back Again

For Teachers 8th Standards
How might different authors approach the same topic? Scholars read a paragraph from an informational text about Canadian refugees using the resource. Next, they participate in a jigsaw activity to connect real-life refugees' experiences...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Significance of the Novel’s Title: Connecting the Universal Refugee Experience to Inside Out and Back Again, Part 3

For Teachers 8th Standards
What does it mean to mourn something? Scholars continue reading paragraph four from "Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison" to better understand the mourning process for refugee children. Working with a partner, pupils then read...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Significance of the Novel’s Title: Connecting the Universal Refugee Experience to Inside Out and Back Again, Part 2

For Teachers 8th Standards
How does poetry help people better understand societal issues? Pupils participate in a jigsaw activity to analyze poems from the novel Inside Out & Back Again. Next, they connect the poems to real-life refugee experiences from the...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Paragraph 1 of “Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison” (from “Refugee Children in Canada: Searching for Identity”)

For Teachers 8th Standards
What common challenges do refugees and immigrants face? Using the 9th lesson plan from the 20-part Grade 8 ELA Module 1, Unit 2 series, pupils read about the similarities between refugees' and immigrants' adaptation processes. Partners...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Paragraphs 2 and 3 of “Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison” and Introducing the NYS Expository Writing Rubric

For Teachers 8th Standards
What factors make adaptation successful for refugee and immigrant children? The class explores the topic by reading two paragraphs from "Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison." Next, they engage in a think-pair-share to discuss...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: Challenges Bosnian Refugees Faced Fleeing and Finding Home

For Teachers 8th Standards
What challenges did Bosnian refugees face as they fled home during the Bosnian War? Scholars read an interview with four refugees and identify common themes that connect the universal refugee experience. They also engage in a...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Rereading and Close Reading: Communism, “The Vietnam Wars,” and “Last Respects” (Pages 85 and 86)

For Teachers 8th Standards
What might a papaya symbolize? Using the resource, scholars look for examples of symbolism in the novel Inside Out & Back Again. They also participate in a silent discussion called a Chalk Talk, writing their responses to a...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Comparing and Contrasting Two Texts about Poison Dart Frogs: Poison!

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Scholars compare and contrast two informational texts about Poison Dart Frogs. A brief vocabulary review and discussion lead the way to a two-part close reading—the first reading for gist the second reading for details. Followed by a...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Comparing and Contrasting Two Texts about Poison Dart Frogs: Eggs and Tadpoles

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Poison Dart Frog babies are the focus of a activity that challenges scholars to compare and contrast two informational texts. Beginning with a read-aloud, followed by a discussion, readers complete a practice page that examines the main...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Comparing and Contrasting Two Texts about Poison Dart Frogs: Legs and Toes

For Teachers 3rd Standards
A lesson challenges scholars to compare and contrast two readings about Poison Dart Frogs. Information presented comes from different informational texts, followed by a discussion, and the completion of a Venn diagram. A one-page...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Close Reading of the "Spadefoot Toad"

For Teachers 3rd Standards
A mid-unit assessment challenges scholars to use their close reading skills to identify the main idea and key details. After reading a brief excerpt, learners answer a series of questions—multiple-choice, short answer—complete a graphic...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Grade 11 ELA Module 2: Unit 1, Lesson 18

For Teachers 11th Standards
America's success depends on everyone. Scholars examine the first two paragraphs of Booker T. Washington’s "Atlanta Compromise" speech. They work in groups to answer questions and discuss Washington's perspective on African Americans'...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading of Pages 4 - 7 and 12 - 15 of Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle: Bullfrog Circle

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Scholars take part in a close reading of pages four through seven and 12-15 of the book, Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle: Bullfrog Circle by Deborah Dennard. Readers identify the story's main idea, list its key details, and examine...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

The Sunflower: The Possibilities and Limitations of Forgiveness

For Teachers 11th Standards
After reading Simon Wiesenthal's The Sunflower, pupils form opinions either for or against forgiveness as well as analyze Wiesenthal's choice about forgiving. Before completing their essays, learners participate in class discussions to...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

"The Gettysburg Address" Close Reading Module

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
It's time to think deep and narrow. Scholars focus close reading on one short text but task take their thinking to a deep level. Readers use a Rhetorical Analysis Chart to analyze The Gettysburg Address and determine how Lincoln used...
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Unit Plan
Odell Education

Reading Closely for Textual Details: "And I am willing to lay down all my joys in this life..."

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Look closely, some details are hidden! Scholars learn how to find attributes by first examining characteristics in illustrations and then move to locating details in text with close reading. The teacher models good practices for...