Curated OER
Teaching the Holocaust through Literature
Centered on the short story "The Tenth Man" by Polish Holocaust survivor Ida Fink, here is a solid one-day resource to support study of World War II or Nazi history, short stories, or to complement any ELA unit on The Diary of Anne Frank...
Smithsonian Institution
Art to Zoo: Life in the Promised Land: African-American Migrants in Northern Cities, 1916-1940
This is a fantastic resource designed for learners to envision what it was like for the three million African-Americans who migrated to urban industrial centers of the northern United States between 1910 and 1940. After reading a...
Curated OER
Maniac Magee: Life Without Problems
Young readers discuss how they would deal with problems faced by the main character in Maniac Magee. They write down their own problems and exchange them with others to analyze and provide possible solutions. They establish a "Dear Abby"...
Learning to Give
Humphrey The Lost Whale
The children's book Humphrey the Lost Whale tells an amazing tale of a community joining together for a common cause. Read this book with your class, making connections between the events in the story and personal experiences of young...
Penguin Books
Using Thirteen Reasons Why in the Classroom
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher helps bring difficult, but important, topics such as suicide and bullying into the classroom. An educator's guide for the novel provides activities and discussion questions to help teens explore the...
Curated OER
JIP: His Story
Students are provided with a three-column chart about a fictional character named Jip: looks, personality, and situation. After chapter 1 and chapter 2, students make notes on the charts and share that information with one other. They...
Curated OER
Chickenfeed by Minette Walters
Students read, analyze and discuss the novel, "Chickenfeed," by Minette Walters. They assess the theories of tell me a story, take a letter and is truth stranger than fiction? Each student reviews the synopsis and explore how dialogue...
Curated OER
Elders As Resources
Students engage in a activity that uses discussion groups for communication. The focus of the activity is upon the respect for authority that should be given to older adults. Students engage in class discussion about the information that...
Curated OER
A Pioneer Journal
Fourth graders take on the persona of a pioneer boy or girl. They write a fictional series of journal entries describing, from a child's view, some of the events, hardships and adventures of the trek west
Curated OER
Bog Child
You are destined for an engaged and happy class as they read Siobhan Dowd’s Bog Child because there is nothing missing from this study guide, seriously. This might be the easiest novel to teach because you don’t have to do a thing in...
Curated OER
All About Almanacs
Use almanacs to entice your learners to explore non-fiction texts in celebration of Read-An-Almanac Month!
Torrey Maldonado
Anti-Bullying & Conflict-Resolution Lesson
Invite your class to consider how to respond to a conflict. Designed to be used alongside Secret Saturdays by Torrey Maldonado, a lesson plan focuses on a set of terms: conflict, escalate, deescalate, conflict resolution, denial, and...
Curated OER
Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Young scholars compare and contrast the details from the life of the real David Crockett and the legendary folk hero he later became. They identify the characteristics of a tall tale and follow a rubric to create a tall tale of their own.
Our White House
The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!
Get the youngest American citizens involved in the presidential election and inauguration with a set of social studies activities. Focusing on the history of presidential inauguration ceremonies, learners draft their own poems, design...
Curated OER
Children of Loneliness: Immigration and Intergenerational Stories
Students evaluate Anzia Yezierska's story, "Children of Loneliness," in relation to Jewish immigrants coming to America. They discuss the connections in the story to their own coming to America and their roles as parents. After...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Truth, Trash and Treasure
Students examine how people can make a difference in the world. They read and analyze excerpts from a novel, discuss song lyrics, clean up a local park, and write an essay.
Curated OER
In Country: An Integrated Look at the Vietnam War
Students explore aspects of the Vietnam War and how it relates to the heritage of America. In an attempt to understand the level of involvement, students analyze statistics from the Vietnam war. Students watch a video, read a book, and...
Curated OER
Read Across Texas
Sixth graders read various books about the state of Texas. They read their assigned book, write a book report, and create an illustration or a shadow box of a scene from their assigned book.
Curated OER
Year of the Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi
Pupils analyze Korean culture from their literature piece. They investigate the theme of oppression by an occupying army. Students encounter courage, resistance movements and explore the underground railroads.
Curated OER
I Have to Change!? The Role of the Adolescent in the Family
Sixth graders examine the changes occuring during adolescents using children's literature. As a class, they brainstorm a list of the various roles they play in their family. In groups, they use excerpts of plays from Shakespeare to...
Curated OER
Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Students name tall tale characters and locations, which are based on actual people and places, and describe how they are used in an exaggerated way. They name characters and events from tall tales, then list literary characteristics of...
Curated OER
Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Students name tall tale characters and locations, which are based on actual people and places, and describe how they are used in an exaggerated way. Students name created characters and events from tall tales. Students write a tall tale.
American Library Association
American Library Association: Best Fiction for Young Adults
In this website, you will find reading recommendations chosen by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). You can select the overall awarding-winning novels for young adults with brief descriptions or you can click the best...