EngageNY
Learning from the Narrator’s Point of View: Introducing Dragonwings
Journey into the past with Laurence Yep's Dragonwings. Scholars complete anchor charts to analyze techniques the author uses to develop the narrator's point of view in his novel. As they read, pupils also complete word catchers to track...
EngageNY
Preparing to Write Historical Fiction: Determining Characteristics of the Genre
A language arts instructional activity helps young writers identify elements that make up historical fiction. First, it guides them through elements of fictional pieces with vocabulary cards. Then, pupils work collaboratively to...
EngageNY
Comparing and Contrasting: Seeing and Hearing Different Genres
Let's compare and contrast! Scholars use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the experience of reading a poem and listening to its audio version. Next, they complete graphic organizers, comparing two different genres: a poem and a...
EngageNY
Seeing, Hearing, and Comparing Genres: A Poem and a Letter
One can never be too prepared. Pupils prepare for their upcoming mid-unit assessment by writing their group norms for small group discussions. Additionally, scholars read and listen to a poem, comparing the two experiences using a Venn...
EngageNY
Framing Lyddie’s Decision and Practicing Evidence Based Claims
Scholars grapple with whether the title character of Katherine Paterson's novel, Lyddie, should sign a petition about working conditions at the factory. They engage in close reading and discussion before adding their thinking about the...
Nemours KidsHealth
Healthy Relationships: Grades 6-8
Help middle schoolers develop healthy relationships with a series of activities that teaches them not only to recognize and protect themselves from unhealthy relationships, but also how to develop and maintain positive ones. In addition,...
Curated OER
Two Greedy Bears
Improving listening comprehension skills is the goal of this language arts instructional activity. Young readers listen to the story Two Greedy Bears, stopping to have discussions with a partner. They predict outcomes and make inferences...
EngageNY
Choosing a Book That Interests Me: Seeking the Superhero Reader in Me
Selecting a "power book" and engaging in a structured class discussion are the learning targets for this fourth lesson in a larger unit. It is designed as a beginning of the year unit for establishing norms and routines in the classroom....
Curated OER
Reptile and Amphibian Defense Strategies
Students study the stages of the Eastern newt either by collecting a live specimen or from pictures. They note the colors of the eft stage before reading the "Eastern Newt Species Account" that shows the newt's life stages, migration,...
Curated OER
Team Teaching - Spanish
Students present a Spanish grammar topic to the class. In pairs, they select and research a grammar concept, create an over-head transparency, homework assignment, and a quiz to use with the presentation, and teach their concept to the...
Curated OER
Reading Clinic: Use Predictions to Help Kids Think Deeply About Books
Students learn to use prediction to think more deeply about literature. In this reading comprehension lesson, students chart predictions in order to more fully understand text.
Novelinks
The Grapes of Wrath: Vocabulary Activity
Readers locate unfamiliar words in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and teach these words and their meanings to class members.
Curated OER
The Lightning Thief: Vocabulary Strategy
Take an in-depth look into the vocabulary from the novel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. With a list of words to choose from, scholars discover the definition, origin, stories associated with the...
Maine Content Literacy Project
Exploring Text with the iMovie Application
Get your class going on one of the final assessments for a unit on short stories by introducing iMovie and its main features. In this tenth lesson in a series of fourteen, pupils take some time to explore iMovie before conducting an...
Curated OER
Strategies for Success
Students share opinions about common bad habits, read about behavior economics by reading and discussing article "Your Plate Is Bigger Than Your Stomach," identify goals and strategies designed to improve negative behaviors, and test...
Curated OER
The Importance of Teaching Text Structure Lesson Plans
Using text structure lesson plans can help students improve their understanding of what they read.
Curated OER
A Reading State of Mind
You can create and support student literacy skills through independent reading.
Curated OER
Teaching Comprehension Strategies
Reading Comprehension Lesson Plans can help students develop the right strategies.
Curated OER
Self-Monitoring Strategies and Vocabulary Games
Middle and high schoolers identify how to discover a word's meaning by exploring context clues and any pictures, diagrams, photographs, and charts that might be included. They continue this process with other examples and locate one on...
ReadWriteThink
Promoting Student Self-Assessment
Keep class members accountable for their own learning with a series of differentiated instruction strategies. From rubrics created by pupils to learning contracts written at the beginning of the year, the resource offers multiple ways...
Curated OER
Theater: Create a Script
Figurative language is the focus in the book Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia. After reading Peggy Parish's book, class members dramatize idioms from the text, using dramatic strategies such as characterization, exaggeration, and improvisation....
Curated OER
Using Algebra to Explore Problem Space
Students apply their knowledge of math by rewriting word problems using equations. In this word problem lesson, students build upon previous knowledge as they set up the correct steps to solve word problems. This lesson is full of hints...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Book Review Writing: a Guide for Young Reviewers
Encourage scholars to share their love of reading with informative and engaging book reviews. Here, you'll find a series of guides that walk learners through the review writing process. Included in the collection is information about...
Curated OER
Money Problems: Pounds and Pence
Teaching youngsters how to handle money is a great way to bring math to life. This series of problems encourage learners to use problem solving strategies such as, underlining, and circling information to solve. Note: This resource was...