To launch a reading of The Dark is Rising, the second novel in Susan Cooper's award winning contemporary fantasy novel sequence for young adults, class members engage in a guided imagery exercise that asks them to visualize the...

Nonfiction texts about people on the move provide young readers with an opportunity to examine not only the problem-solving strategies employed by immigrants, but to also find examples of figurative language these writers use to tell...

It can be difficult to begin a novel when you don't know what it's about. Take the opportunity to begin S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders slowly, making predictions and answering questions about the book's first nine pages.

A short informative text features the European explorer, Christopher Columbus. Scholars read or listen to the text then answer ten fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions.

Young scholars explore themes in fiction with this literacy comprehension instructional activity. They generate ideas for possible themes developed in the fairy tale of The Ant and the Cricket. Next, they examine the plot of The Great...

Everyone can be an expert! After finishing Wendelin Van Draanen's book Flipped, divide your class into small groups. Then, assign each group a topic to become experts on. The resource suggests topics such as characters, themes, setting,...

Compare and contrast ideas, hopes and dreams with those of Cassie in Faith Ringgold's, Tar Beach. your students can entries in their journals expressing their ideas.

Organize your curriculum of narratives and stories within an ELA unit and keep track of what elements are needed to ensure the unit's success. This curriculum map template allows you to plan for supporting texts, comprehension...

To start, read the article titled "Australian Rules Football," and then respond to 12 multiple choice questions about the selection and complete a word search. Because of its online format, users may submit their answers...

Students review personification and alliteration. In this literary devices lesson, students use personification and alliteration in a sentence. Students draw a picture reflecting personification.

Young investigators conduct an experiment using the scientific method. They see how many drops of water fit on a coin; have them conduct several different trials. This involves making a hypothesis, looking at controls, and introducing...

Reading comprehension and note-taking skills are practiced as young ecologists embark on this journey. Explorers visit a website where they will read about three ecosystems that are in danger. They use interactive programs to build a...

Light up middle schoolers' understanding of the monetary and health costs of smoking with two activities. First, class members calculate how much a smoker would spend in a year if they smoke a pack a week or a day. They then explore...

What do modern voices sound like? Scholars explore the topic, reading two concrete poems from John Grandit's Blue Lipstick and analyzing them using a graphic organizer. Next, they read a third poem and work with partners to look for...

The victory of Allied forces in World War I is due in large part to the continued collaboration and support of the Allied divisions themselves. Learn more about the ways Australia, Britain, France, and the United States worked together...

Students explore the connections between natural disasters and poverty. In this economic instructional activity students examine worksheets and activities for each level.

Suggestions for using Roberto Marzano's six-step approach to academic vocabulary instruction are detailed in a packet that includes graphic organizers, worksheets, and activities.

Discuss the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This story, called "Franklin D. Roosevelt" by Laura Hamilton Waxman, is used to explore comprehension skills. Some of these skills include identifying prefixes and suffixes, making comparisons,...

Novelly written questions are perfect for a novel study guide unit on The Cay. The well-rounded resource contains an anticipation guide for scholars to complete before reading, a variety of questions per chapter of the book, and a post...

As part of a final discussion of The House on Mango Street, groups examine a concept question about the text, record arguments for and opposed to the question, and then a draw their own conclusions.

Students use several strategies in poetry to convey tone and speaker. In this language arts lesson, students read and build vocabulary as they gain a larger understanding of how to write poetry. Students then work in groups in order...

Sometimes a test page loaded with text can make a student's face go blank. Help them decipher what a text question is asking with a series of tips focused on reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language arts mechanics.

Teach your class some strategies for effective searching. Pupils should assess the whole results screen and then determine how to go forward with their searches. A table of strategies is included, as is a challenge. After they complete...