Curated OER
Inventors and their Inventions
Students create a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation on a specific inventor and their invention. This lesson is web-based and includes resource links, alternative lesson ideas, and lesson extensions.
Curated OER
Which One Doesn't Belong?
Third graders identify words that are related with 80% accuracy. Given a list of four vocabulary words, 3rd graders identify specific relationships between three of the four words. They also identify which of the four words are not...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte
This Gothic-Romantic novel, set in Victorian England, chronicles the life of Jane Eyre: a plain governess who falls in love with her employer and discovers a terrible secret within Thornfield. Selected (11) reading passages (grades 8-12)...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi
Selected (7) reading passages (grades 7-9) to pair with the autobiography "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi. "Persepolis" is an autobiographical graphic novel depicting Marjane Satrapi's experience during the Islamic revolution of 1979....
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad
In the novel "Heart of Darkness," Marlow travels up the Congo River on behalf of a Belgian trading company. Once he is far upriver he encounters the mysterious Kurtz, a man who has set himself up as a god amongst the natives. Selected...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
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...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe
Selected (12) reading passages (grades 6-11) to pair with "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. In this classic novel, Okonkwo, a wealthy and respected member of the Umuofia clan, resists the forces of change brought to Africa by...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Selected (9) reading passages (grades 9-11) to pair with "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro. After decades of striving to be the perfect butler, Stevens embarks on a drive through postwar England that prompts him to reflect on...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton
Selected (9) reading passages (grades 7-11) to pair with the coming-of-age novel "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton. Ponyboy Curtis, a member of the Greaser gang, learns the value of family and friendship through his conflict with a rival...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
Selected (7) reading passages (grades 9-11) to pair with the novel "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie are two migrant workers trying to stay employed and out of trouble. Their dream of having their own farm may be...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings
Teaching a book unit this year? It's a best practice to supplement book units with short passages from a variety of different genres. These 92 reading passages were handpicked by master teachers to supplement your book units. They...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Holes" by Louis Sacher
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile correctional camp for boys where each day he is forced to dig holes into a dry lake bed. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 5-8) to pair with the novel "Holes" by Louis Sacher. [Free account...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
In this novel, Louise dreams of leaving her tiny island home in Chesapeake Bay, but first she must escape the shadow of her twin sister who seems to rob her of everything. Selected (11) reading passages (grades 6-10) to pair with "Jacob...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Inside Out & Back Again" by Thanhha Lai
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....
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Incantation" by Alice Hoffman
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...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
"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...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly
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...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell
Animal Farm is an allegorical novel about the animals of Manor Farm that drive out the human farmers and assume control. As time progresses, the dynamic amongst the animals moves from unity and equality to tyranny. Selected (7) reading...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "1984" by George Orwell
In this dystopian novel, the protagonist of the story, Winston Smith, attempts to rebel against a totalitarian government that exercises complete control over all aspects of its citizens' lives. It includes selected (8) reading passages...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
In this novel, a group of boys are stranded on a deserted island and attempt to govern themselves. Selected (7) reading passages (grades 5-8) to pair with the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. [Free account registration...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville
Selected (7) reading passages (grades 8-11) to pair with the novel "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. In this famous American novel we follow Ishmael as he documents Captain Ahab's obsessive pursuit of the infamous white whale, Moby Dick -...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Selected (13) reading passages (grades 7-12) to pair with the dystopian novel "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. The World State's motto is "Community, Identity, Stability," and a cast of characters find themselves grappling with these...