Teacher's Corner
Is There a Wocket in my Pocket?
Accompany Dr. Seuss' Is There a Wocket in my Pocket? with this graphic organizer. Young readers make inferences about why the main character has certain feelings towards the creatures found in the story.
Curated OER
Peer Editing Form
Save time by downloading a template for peer editing. Included, you will find a one-form-per-page format and a four-forms-per-page format.
Planet e-Book
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby has become one of the most iconic novels in American literature. An eBook allows readers to access the full text of the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. With the original words and paragraph breaks intact, new generations...
Curated OER
Analyzing Literature via Literature Circles
Introduce literature circles with Roland Smith's novels. Your seventh graders will see the activity modeled as you read The Three Little Pigs together and apply the format to a Roland Smith novel of their choice. The lesson includes...
Pearson
Lesson Plan: Introduction to Plato’s Cave
Can we perceive reality or are we chained by preconceptions that limit our vision? Plato’s allegory “The Cave” serves to introduce nascent philosophers to Plato’s dialogues and hopefully to engender a love of ideas and discourse. A...
Curated OER
Review of a Novel Project
This review of a novel project is a great way to ensure accountability for independent reading. The assignment sheet, templates, samples, and rubrics are all part of the packet materials.
Lerner Publishing
Meet the Dinosaurs
Take your class of youngsters on a prehistoric adventure with this four-lesson series on dinosaurs. Accompanying the Meet the Dinosaurs books by Don Lessem, these lessons engage children in writing their own dinosaur books, making...
Curated OER
Newspaper Unit: Reading Lesson Plan
Work on identifying the different parts of a newspaper with your English learners. After reviewing newspaper terminology, pupils pair up and complete a scavenger hunt, looking for specific things in the newspaper and recording their...
Curated OER
Et tu Brute?: Fun Trivia Quiz
A unique format for a reading comprehension quiz, the questions for this test give a brief statement as if spoken by Marcus Brutus which asks readers questions about major characters and plot elements in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar....
Curated OER
MLA Documentation Exercises
Has your school adopted the MLA style for documentation? If so, use this worksheet to assess whether or not your class members know the rules. Young researchers complete of series of documentation exercises using the MLA format. They...
Curated OER
WORDS FRANKLY SPOKEN
Students visit appropriate websites to discover quotes from Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac. Working in pairs, they choose three quotes on which to elaborate and then write two original quotes.
Curated OER
Short Story Lesson Plan
Students read and discuss the short story, "The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm," by Mark Twain. They assume the role of the main characters in the story and write a humorous letter of complaint using a business letter format. They...
Curated OER
The Diary of Anne Frank: Selected Passages
Students read the novel, "The Diary of Anne Frank". Using the internet, they gather information on the effect of the Versailles Treaty, formation of the Weimer Republic and the Nazi Party on the Holocaust. They view propaganda...
Digital Writing and Research Lab's – Lesson Plans
Teaching Close Reading through Short Composition/Revision
This activity may have writers evaluate short compositions, but their subjects are quite tall: great Americans. Pupils read one another's compositions and closely examine how specific phrases and diction contribute to shaping American...
Novelinks
The Joy Luck Club: Writing Strategy
Readers of The Joy Luck Club, use a double-0entry journal to record and reflect on passages from Amy Tan's novel.
Serendip
Learning about Genetic Disorders
Each genetic disorder has its own story to tell. A research-based lesson asks individuals to investigate a genetic disorder using scientific web resources. Guiding questions ask them to explain the mode of inheritance and the effects of...
Curated OER
Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades
Bring the beauty of "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost to middle school language arts. After learners read a copy of the poem, they follow an instructional sequence that focuses on sound, figurative language, and theme.
School Improvement in Maryland
Analysis of Marbury v. Madison
Should the United States Supreme Court have the power of judicial review? Instructors guide class members through a review of Marbury v. Madison and assist class members in writing a brief of the case. As independent practice,...
C-SPAN
Polling and Public Opinion
Most people are eager to offer their opinions about topics of interest, but what's the most effective way to collect and assess these opinions as a matter of fact? High schoolers learn about the history of polling, as well as the...
Spreading Gratitude Rocks
Token of Gratitude
What would the world be like if everyone expressed gratitude? Pupils explore the concept by watching a motivating time-lapse video. Scholars express appreciation by handing out tokens of gratitude, and then write about their experiences.
Curated OER
English PowerPoint: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Students read, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," by Zora Neale Hurston. They explore the use of symbolism that depicts the main character's quest for self knowledge and identity. After identifying the significance of clothing in relation...
John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
JFK Challenge
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. And so begins your invigorating, innovative learning experience in the JFK Challenge app! Learners choose from two "missions" and...
Curated OER
Concrete Detail and Commentary
In this writing skills worksheet, students practice writing with facts or quotes from a text by following the graphic organizer format. Students write the concrete detail and then list two commentaries for their facts or quotes.
Curated OER
The Research Report
Students brainstorm criteria for reliablility, currency, and accuracy of information. They research a given topic, write a research report then develop a bibliography of sources for the research report using the designated format.