AdLit
Ad lit.org: Reading Discussion Guide: Hello, America by Livia Bitton Jackson
Eighteen-year-old Elli has a number tattooed onto her arm. It is an indelible remnant of a terrifying past a life lived, for many years, in the death camp of Auschwitz. When Elli arrives in New York City, she can not speak English, and...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Reading Discussion Guide: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Arguably Mark Twain's most famous novel - indeed, one of the greatest works of American literature - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn brings together two people from the lower rungs of society, an ill-educated boy escaping an abusive...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Reading Discussion Guide: The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
In A.D. 793, eleven-year-old Jack leaves his family farm to become an apprentice to the Bard, a druid from Ireland, who is assigned to his Saxon village. At first, he is unsure of his duties, and is puzzled when the Bard experiences a...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Reading Discussion Guide: Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
Twelve-year-old Sumiko feels her life has been made up of two parts: before Pearl Harbor and after it. The good part and the bad part. Raised on a flower farm in California, Sumiko is used to being the only Japanese girl in her class....
University of Manchester
Children's University of Manchester: Word Literacy: English Language Timeline
Students move through the timeline to read about the history and development of the English language.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Thieves to Preview Nonfiction Texts
Contains plans for three lessons that introduce a nonfiction prereading strategy with the acronym THIEVES, which stands for Title, Headings, Introduction, Every first sentence, Visuals and vocabulary, End Questions, and Summary. In...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Reading Discussion Guide: Paper Towns by John Green
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign...
Hopelink
Word Bank Lesson Plan: Eastside Literacy Program
This word bank lesson plan offers the individual student the opportunity to increase their vocabulary.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Classroom Strategies: Collaborative Strategic Reading Learning Logs
Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) is a technique that teaches students to work cooperatively on a reading assignment to promote better comprehension. CSR learning logs are used to help students keep track of learning during the...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Southwest Literacy Unit
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart is a literacy unit based around a Southwest / Westward Expansion Theme. Native Americans, pioneers, and the old west is covered. 8 different literacy strategies are taught with FULL...
Other
Seussville Read Across America
Dr. Suess Enterprises takes an active role in the Read Across America Initiative. This site provides links to classroom participation certificates, door hangers, and more. This site contains a good series of information to get you started.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Discussion Guide: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by James Boyne
Bruno is only nine years old when his father, a commandant in Hitler's army, is transferred from Berlin to Auschwitz during the Holocaust. The house at "Out-With," as Bruno calls it, is small, dark, and strange. He spends long days...
Other
Literature Circles: Lesson Plans and More
What are the major roles in literature circles? Check out this site to learn more about the individual roles needed to form a literature circle. Includes links to various reading handouts and lessons.
Other
Seussville Read Across America
Dr. Suess Enterprises takes an active role in the Read Across America Initiative. This site provides links to classroom participation certificates, door hangers, and more. This resource contains a good series of information to get you...
Hopelink
Hopelink: Reading Lesson Idea: Teaching Word Structure
Understanding word structure and being able to identify root or base words, prefixes and suffixes give your student valuable vocabulary-building skills. Click on the Prefixes and Suffixes handout.
Other
New York State Library: Student Activity: Primary Versus Secondary Sources
Read about the Railroad Strike of 1877 using three excerpts from textbooks and three original newspaper articles. Compare and contrast the information in the primary and secondary sources.
Hopelink
Hopelink: Reading Lesson Idea: Word Sorts
Delve into a world of vocabulary building. This site offers a lesson plan for "word sorts." This simple but effective tool will increase your student's vocabulary skills.
TES Global
Blendspace: Reading Strategies for Complex Texts
A nine-part learning module on reading strategies including links to videos, images, websites, and activities.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Martin Luther King, Jr. Comprehension Activity
[Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson is geared for a comprehension activity for the book, "My Brother, Martin" by Christine King Farris (MLK Jr.'s sister). It is intended to be a comprehension lesson based around the reading...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Maniac Magee
Have you ever read "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli? Use this resource to learn more about this book. An educational resource with discussion questions, extension activities and more.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Interpreta La Historia [Pdf]
Students will read about a historical event and then illustrate their interpretations. Questions are included to extend the students' comprehension of the events. This activity is written in Spanish.
Books in the Classroom
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site: u.s. History and Children's Literature
Integrate curriculum with topics are fully developed with related children's books, and activities dealing with U.S. history.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Technology Over Time
In this interactive activity adapted from A Science Odyssey, learn how technology in the home has changed through the years. Scroll through a timeline from 1900 to 2010 to explore technological innovations in the home (such as...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Novels for Growing Readers
Come and check out this informative resource featuring novels for growing readers. This site lists several appropriate books for students ranging from grades three through six.