Annenberg Foundation
Rhythms in Poetry
Rhyme, rhythm, free verse, imagery: Do these words describe poetry, or jazz music? The answer is both! A resource explores these similarities as scholars watch a video, engage in discussion, read author biographies, write poetry and...
Polk Bros Foundation
Meet the Nonfiction Main Idea Challenge
Help your class develop the ability to determine a main idea with a packet of materials that you can introduce and use over a period of time. The packet includes some information for the teacher and rationale for the exercises. There are...
Curated OER
Time Capsule Survey
Here's a fun way to incorporate technology into your curriculum. E-mail each of your class members a picture and 10 questions about the photo. Individuals then imagine the story behind the image and e-mail back their responses. Although...
Curated OER
Persuade Me, Please! Reading a Persuasive Essay and Liking It!
Persuade your writers that crafting arguments is not that difficult. They only need to follow the steps outlined in this resource.
Curated OER
Pudd'nhead Wilson: Guided Imagery
Inspire thought around some of the themes of Pudd'nhead Wilson with a visualization activity. As you read a passage, learners close their eyes and picture the scene. A writing exercise and discussion follow.
Curated OER
Finding the Main Idea: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
An excerpt from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea provides learners with an opportunity to practice their ability to identify the main idea and supporting details in a passage. The beautifully illustrated worksheet also has an...
Curated OER
The Raven
After a close reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" individuals copy the rhythm and rhyme scheme and rewrite the final stanzas of the poem.
Curated OER
Running Out of Time: Picture Book Activity
Ease your class into reading Running Out of Time by first reading The Boy Who Stopped Time, a picture book with some similar concepts and themes. After a reading of the story, learners participate in a discussion and journaling exercise.
Tompson Solutions
Be a Reporter (The 5 W's and an H)
Teach your class how to investigate research sources. You can start out with this presentation, which lays out a easy strategy for asking questions and taking down answers that cover the important information.
Polk Bros Foundation
A Way to Analyze Paragraphs to Figure Out the Main Idea of a Nonfiction Text
Shrink up a section by asking pupils to write down the main idea for each of seven paragraphs. There is a space provided for each main idea. When students have completed this portion, they write down what they think to be the central...
Curated OER
Using a Preview Checklist with Informational Text
Sixth graders identify information from texts by working in pairs using Wikki Stix or highlighting tape to locate, mark, and read items on preview checklist. Students then compare what they marked with what another pair marked.
Curated OER
Language Arts: Reading for Information
Sixth graders discover how to turn book titles into questions in order to locate the information during their reading. Using t-charts, they list titles and subtitles with the questions they suggest. Gradually, 6th graders progress from...
Curated OER
Introducing Learning Strategies (Motivation)
Students examine how to develop the skill of motivation for learning. The application of this skill can be transferred to other areas of life. The use of print media is part of the lesson and students reflect upon the concept presented...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Reading Non-Fiction
Students read and view information sent from seven high school students who travel to China. The daily reports that they send back to the weblog section of the site should be of high interest to students in Minnesota.
Curated OER
Finding the Good Stuff in What We Read
Students work to develop comprehension strategies. They focus on three rules for summarizing: getting rid of extra information, organizing, and finding the main idea. Through modeling and then guided practice, they apply these rules ...
Curated OER
Color Coded Reading
Young scholars read text that is color coded to make it more exciting to read. In this reading lesson plan, students read text that is in different colors or highlighted differently in order to be inspired to read in front of the class.
Curated OER
The Correct Use of the Articles "A" and "An"
Students discover the grammatical rules regarding articles. In this grammar lesson, students study the rule regarding the use of "a" and "an" in writing. Students are encouraged to discover the rule on their own and apply the rule while...
Curated OER
"Comprehension of Word Problems" Using a Table
Sixth graders practice solving math problems by utilizing a data table. In this number sense lesson, 6th graders create a table using the numerical information about a fictitious farm's inventory. Students complete the empty segments by...
Curated OER
Read This Book
Students practice summarizing a story that they have read. They write a persuasive essay encouraging others to read the story they have finished. They are to create a movie trailer or advertisement to promote the book.
Curated OER
Problem-Solving Strategy: Draw a Picture: Practice
In this fraction drawing worksheet, students read the fraction word problems. Students then draw a picture to help them solve the word problem.
Curated OER
Using Word Parts to Infer Meaning
Middle schoolers examine the importance of physical activities and use word parts to infer meaning to a story. They discuss agility, baseball, and ballet dancing, read an article, and observe a demonstration on breaking down words and...
Curated OER
Reading Artifacts
Students explore and analyze categorizing objects, material culture artifacts, from a variety of perspectives, to consider the story behind each one. They research skills by assessing how to look at artifacts as cultural outsiders would....
Curated OER
Making a Family Newsletter: Using a Word Template
Students create a one-page family newsletter about a selected person in their family. They bring in a photo or use a digital camera to take a picture of their selected family member, and use a newsletter template to write and publish...
Curated OER
Places, Action! Making Mind Movies: Reading To Learn
Students explore the reading strategy called visualization to help them remember what they read independently. They use visualization to help them remember enough to draw a scene from a book without looking back in the book for assistance.