Curated OER
Gary Paulsen's Canyons: Question the Author (QtA) Strategy
Gary Paulsen’s Canyons is the focus of an exercise that models how to read closely using a Questioning the Author (QtA) strategy. Complete directions for the strategy, which can be used with any text, are included in the richly-detailed...
Curated OER
Western Civilizations, Chapter 9: The High Middle Ages: Religious and Intellectual Developments
If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to western civilizations, explore this online resource! Although designed for use with the Western Civilizations text, this site can be implemented in any course. A chapter quiz challenges...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Syllables, Feed the Animals
An activity challenges scholars to sort picture cards based on the number of syllables they count as they say the item's name on each card. Depending on how many syllables they count, they place the card in the corresponding box...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Segmenting, Phoneme Closed Sort
Build phonological awareness with an activity that challenges learners to sort picture cards based on the number of phonemes each has.
K12 Reader
Find the Meaning: JFK's Inaugural Speech
Analyze a seminal speech from the 20th century with an activity focused on President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. After reading an excerpt from the address, pupils use a worksheet to practice their reading...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Onset and Rime, Guessing Game
An activity challenges scholars to show what they know about onset and rime. Learners choose from a stack of picture cards and give onset and rhyming clues to see if their partners can guess the word they are holding.
Curated OER
Sentence Completion 6: Low-Advanced SAT Level
Consider using this worksheet, another in a series of sentence completion exercises, as the basis of a lesson on test taking or comprehension strategies, as a critical thinking exercise, or as extra practice for up-coming standardized...
Curated OER
What Happens Next? 1
Knowing how to sequence events means you have to know what happens before and after. Little ones draw a line from four before images to the images that show what happened next. This is a good challenge for your youngest learners.
Curated OER
"Killing Chickens" by Meredith Hall
After reading the essay "Killing Chickens" by Meredith Hall, provide your class with these thoughtful questions. After answering the four questions listed, your writers attempt to write their own descriptive essay. Challenge them to...
Curated OER
To Kill a Mockingbird Quiz
Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird? Test your readers with these multiple-choice questions from To Kill a Mockingbird. The quiz features some challenging, lesser-known questions about the novel.
Curated OER
The 'Question of Palestine'
New York Times covers hot topics and current events, now you may use those articles to help young people become more aware. Kids read an article regarding the Israeli-Palestinian agreement and the prospect of Palestine joining the UN....
Curated OER
Christie Will Not Run for President
Readers answer eight who, what, when, why, and where questions as they read this New York Times article. They peruse the article to learn about Chris Christie and the 2012 presidential race. Next, they answer the related comprehension...
Curated OER
A Model for Tens and Ones: Reading an Abacus
Interpreting pictures of an abacus, learners write 2-digit numbers. They read and transcribe abacus beads in the tens and ones places. For extension, they draw pictures to represent the numbers 9 and 90. Really bring it to life using a...
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
Keyword Challenge
Sight word practice can be found here! First graders can read and practice spelling words such as get, said, and to. This is a handy resource to use as a center activity. Learners can practice using these words in sentences as well.
Curated OER
Challenges and Rewards
Students are to research a specific disaster after seeing the Challenger explosion. They are to create a collage for the disaster they are choosing to show.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Unit 9: The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
A novel study examines The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller. Fifth graders participate in daily readings, discussions, and assignments following an "ask, explore, imagine, observe, and understand" routine. A final performance...
Clark County School District
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
A thorough lesson plan takes your first grade class through Jane Yolen's beautiful Owl Moon. It crafts the unit with clear objectives, high-level guiding questions, cloze activities and sentence frames, and extension...
Scholastic
Reading Characters
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass provides the text for a study of how writers bring characters to life. Using the provided character mapping worksheets, readers respond to questions and then write a short character sketch.
Echoes & Reflections
Rescuers and Non-Jewish Resistance
What does it mean to be a rescuer during the time of the Holocaust? Learners consider the role of those who resisted the Nazi invasions, including hiding Jewish people, throughout Europe. Activities include listening to the testimony of...
Aspen Institute
The Voice That Challenged a Nation
Included here are step-by-step instructions for conducting a close reading of The Voice That Challenged a Nation by Russell Freedman. After an individual and class reading, class members read carefully through the text excerpt,...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension 7
Regardless if there's a state test coming up, giving your kids reading passages is always beneficial. This passage is about the Norsemen and six multiple-choice questions follow. The answers are very detailed, describing where each...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Engineer a Dam
To begin the learning about dams, learners read (or are read to, depending on the age group) a passage about how dams work. Next, they work in groups to use the materials provided to build a small scale working dam. After the experience,...
Scholastic
Holes Match 'Em Up Challenge
Upper graders read the book Holes as a class or by themselves. In groups, they identify symbols and discuss how they are connected among the many plots in the story. They create a timeline in which they sequence the main...