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Reading comprehension
In this reading comprehension worksheet, 4th graders read passages about Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), sharks, Chinese tales, and more. Students then answer 24 multiple choice questions.
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May I Take Your Order, Please?
Pupils read a story, boil down that story to 5 to 7 key events, create a sequencing quiz to go with the story and have their classmates take the quiz. They will the strategy of sequencing by reading various stories (that they are not...
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Short and Sweet Science
Readers learn how to summarize scientific text and evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges in writing summaries. They select science-related articles you've pulled and collected from the New York Times and, with a partner,...
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Characters' Coming of Age
Students develop older versions of child or adolescent characters from favorite works of literature, adapting them for teenage or adult sequels. They each outline a sequel and write its first chapter.
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Oral History and Multiculturalism
Students observe the human or personal side of history by assessing the background to the people in the community who are basically "living" historians. They compare the histories of different ethnic groups to identify areas of patterns...
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The Giving Tree
Students investigate the virtue of kindness and giving by conducting a children's literature study of "The Giving Tree". They make a list of words to describe emotions in the story and write a journal daily while looking at the virtues...
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"Wright-ing" Biographies for Young Readers
Students research the life of the Wright brothers or another famous person, write a draft biography, peer edit, make edits, and share the final biography with a younger reader. Lesson can be adapted for younger and older learners.
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She's All Over the Map
Students consider female authors and their literature. Working in partnerships, they research and map the life and work of a Nobel Prize-winning female author of their choice. Students write individual letters expressing their thoughts...
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Oedipus Wrecks
Students explore the concept of the 'tragic hero' and how such characters are relevant in theatre, literature, and history.
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Elders' Ways
Eighth graders collect and compare folk beliefs and sayings about health and healing as well as folk remedies. Then they investigate local graveyards, analyze their findings, and compare graveyards in Louisiana. Students also engage in...
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Dress Rehearsal
Learners trace the rites of passage from the 1940's through the present in literature. They review some of their favorite expressions first and compare some of Holden's speech with their own. They discuss initial reactions to the book...
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Slide-Tape Dramatization as a Way of Teaching Literature
Learners select one song and write the lyrics on the blackboard. They segment the lyrics into meaningful phrases or sentences and visualize each unit of meaning to convey the message of the song. They select a different song and act out...
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Personal Experience Narratives
Help your middle schoolers identify personal experience narratives in their own lives through telling stories themselves and from family members or other adults. They study personal experience narratives in Swapping Stories and compare...
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Screen Play
High schoolers examine the New York Times review of the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and explore the elements of scriptwriting. They read the article about the film adaptation screenplay and examine a sample...
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Using Fairy Tales to Debate Ethics
Is trickery ever justified? Is it okay to steal from someone who has stolen from you? Puss, from Puss in Boots, and Jack, from Jack and the Beanstalk, might have some ideas about these ethical questions. After listening to a series of...
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Training Students for Literature Circles
Role sheets clearly define expectations of all group members in this introduction to literature circles. By using a variety of picture books or short texts, readers can practice roles while the teacher circulates to each group observing...
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A Year in the Work of the Bard
Students study the life and times of Shakespeare. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students research the noted Web sites to discover details about Shakespeare's life and the times he lived in. Students also virtually visit the Globe...
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A Comparison of the Play and Movie "Inherit the Wind"
Learners read the play "Inherit the Wind" about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. In groups, they choose their favorite scene and create a diorama dipicting the scene as they see it. They watch a recording of the play and compare it to their...
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Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) Lesson Plan
Students create a pizza recipe based on the recipe used in The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges. In this early childhood lesson plan, students read The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) and identify the ingredients needed...
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Testing... Testing...
Students demonstrate critical- and creative-thinking skills to develop test questions. They write clear test questions or statements using correct grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
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Create a Book on Tape
Learners of all ages record themselves reading their favorite books with accuracy and feeling. They must read with sound effects and consider the audience for whom the tape is being made. They are assessed based on the quality of their...
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Acrostic Book Report
Students read the story Wild Horse Winter and construct acrostic poems. In this poetry lesson, students use adjectives and events in the text to develop an acrostic poem.
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Chain Together A Book Report
Individuals examine a book's components, including key events, characters, and vocabulary and develop "chain book reports" with their peers. Strips of paper containing the book's important events are staples together and hung.
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Genealogy Research
Students explore history is not as a listing of dates, wars, and leaders but as the story of real people whose lives were impacted by the events of their time. They complete a pedigree chart and tape record a family member.