Curated OER
Beneath the News: Who's Doing What to Whom, and Who Cares?
Students investigate the differences between various forms of media (print, radio, TV, Internet). They determine the target audience for each and compare exposure around the world. They write a short story and share it with the class.
Curated OER
K Is for Keelboat
Fifth graders investigate the significance of the keelboat in the Lewis and Clark expedition. They define the key themes of the expedition and classify them in prescribed format, an ABC book.
Curated OER
Grounded for Life
Second graders become familiar with the lives of penguins including their life cycles, habitats and basic needs. Students will experience the lives of penguins through stories and video.
National First Ladies' Library
States' Rights: 1798-1860
Students develop an annotated timeline specific to the concept of States' Rights. They research an example to the doctrine noting how the ideas change and beome more specific as time passes and discuss their findings through class...
National First Ladies' Library
Rock the Vote! But When?
Middle schoolers research and examine about voting turnouts in the United States and around the world. They assess about various aspects of the so-called "youth vote," and have an opportunity to consider the meaning of the vote in a...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Literature in Nonfiction Inquiry
This lesson plan involves students working in groups after reading a work of literature to develop text sets. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.
CommonLit
Common Lit: America's Most Infamous Hate Group: The Kkk
A learning module that begins with "America's Most Infamous Hate Group: The KKK" by Jessica McBirney, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Comprehension Strategies With Elie Wiesel's Night
Working in small groups, young scholars read and discuss Elie Wiesel's memoir Night and then take turns assuming the "teacher" role, as the class works with four different comprehension strategies.RI.11-12.4 Word meaning, RI.11-12.10b...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Weather: A Journey in Nonfiction
Questions about weather clear up when students use what they learned from their books to create a presentation to share with the rest of the class.
Read Works
Read Works: Star Power
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction passage discusses the philanthopic acts of music group and movie stars. This passage reinforces essential reading comprehension skills. Opportunities for vocabulary acquisition are also...
Other
Literature Circles: Lesson Plans and More
What are the major roles in literature circles? Check out this site to learn more about the individual roles needed to form a literature circle. Includes links to various reading handouts and lessons.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Maintaining Cultural Continuity [Pdf]
"Maintaining Cultural Continuity" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about Fidelis Umeh, a Nigerian businessman in Chicago, who founded Nigerians in Chicago, a support group to help Nigerians fit into American society and still...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park
Based on a true account, this book tells the story of Salva Dut, an 11-year-old boy separated from his family by the civil war in Sudan, and Nya, a girl from a small village who walks miles each day to fetch water for her family....
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Herd Behavior" by Common Lit Staff
A learning module that begins with "Herd Behavior," accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and student accounts....
Utah Education Network
Uen: Balanced Diet
In this instructional activity, 2nd graders will learn about the components of a balanced diet. Students will analyze charts and then self-report their own foods in categories. Several fiction and nonfiction books are listed as...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Community Progress? [Pdf]
"Community Progress?" is a one page, nonfiction passage about three community projects in Chicago; each group saw a problem, decided on a solution, and implemented it. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Pilsen, a Community Changes [Pdf]
"Pilsen, A Community Changes" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the Chicago community of Pilsen which was settled by Bohemian immigrants but later became a Mexican-American community. The two groups of people worked together to...
Other
Seattle University: Literature Circles Resource Center
How can you get started with literature circles in your classroom? This site provides information on every aspect of developing your own literature circle instruction.
University of Calgary
The Children's Literature Web Guide
This resource is a children's literature web guide.