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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Get in the Newspaper Habit

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Dive into journalism with your high schoolers! The resources provided here will help your learners write unbiased, clear, and succinct newspaper articles. First they spend time sifting through stacks of articles, filling out a graphic...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching Justice: Schooling and the Four Waves of U.S. Immigration

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
U.S. immigration is the focus of a unit on social justice. Over the course of a school year, young historians read a variety of texts to learn about four waves of immigration that have occurred over time in the U.S. An emphasis on...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

The Impact of Gender Role Stereotypes

For Teachers 8th - 9th
One of three lessons on gender stereotype, this resource from the Media Awareness Network discusses the violence that is inflicted on men and women as they try to live up to the stereotypes of their gender. The section on women focuses...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Better Class of Journal-ists

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Young academics create a current events journal by skimming newspapers for articles that fit defined guidelines for informational texts. After cutting out two articles each week to add to their journals, they write a brief description of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map It Out

For Teachers K - 4th
Explore how illustrations add to a story. Young learners will look at picture books to see how the pictures tell the story. They create illustrations to go with a chosen story, and then flip the activity so they have to write a story to...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Words in the News: Stem Cell Research

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
A thorough resource for intermediate English learners addresses reading comprehension of informational texts, adjective forms, vocabulary acquisition, and writing in a journalistic style. Specifically, the class reads about stem cell...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

The Newspaper Front Page

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Hot off the presses! A perfect instructional activity idea for a journalism class or even a language arts class looking to incorporate some informational texts. Young writers analyze the front pages of various newspapers to determine the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bias and Crime in Media

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Critical thinking and social justice are central themes for this resource on bias and crime in media. The class views and discusses an incisive PSA that highlights assumptions based on race. Small groups read newspaper opinion pieces...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is It Fact or Opinion?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Distinguish between fact and opinions in this nonfiction reading lesson. Middle schoolers read 'The Diary of an Early American Boy' and work in groups to analyze the text. They record the facts and opinions for the text.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Details From The Text

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Begin this expository writing activity by reading a non-fiction book of your choice and modeling expository writing. The plan suggests The Trip of a Drip by Vicki Cobb but notes that other texts will work. Learners then choose a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Idea-Noun Definition: Source Searching

For Teachers 11th - 12th
A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpreting Data, Facts and Ideas from Informational Texts - A Different King of Fuel

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
Why do we need renewable energy resources? Discuss the energy crisis with your middle and high school classes through interpreting informational texts. An engaging video and a worksheet accompany this plan. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Check My Writing

For Teachers K
Use this resource as an evaluation tool, or have your class assess their own letter writing skills. They will use a checklist that they create during some interactive writing sessions as criteria for their self-evaluation. Teachers can...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using a Magazine/Non-Fiction Texts

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Working with magazine articles and other informational texts, students identify the parts of a non-fiction work. The learners use SMART board files to guide instruction, as well as a transition to writing their own non-fiction article in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Readings in Hudson River Natural History: Understanding Informational Text

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
After reading a series of informational articles regarding the Hudson River Estuary, the class will answer a series of comprehension questions. An answer key is provided but the articles and worksheets are not.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Apples, Apples, Apples

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students complete activities using apples that help improve their science, math, and reading skills. In this apple activity, students read the book Apples, Apples Apples and visit an orchard or farmer's market to buy a variety of apples....
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Worksheet
Curated OER

E for Elephant

For Students 2nd
In this elephant facts worksheet, 2nd graders read several informational passages about elephants. Students learn facts and read a poem about elephants.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Blues and Folk Music Workshop

For Students 6th - 7th
In these informational texts worksheets, students read the detailed flyer for the Blues and Folk Music Workshop. Students then answer 8 multiple choice questions about the text.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

S for Seal

For Students 1st - 2nd
In this seal information instructional activity, students read several informational passages about seals. Students learn facts about the animals and read a poem.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

R for Raccoon

For Students 1st - 2nd
In this raccoon information activity, students read several short, informational passages about raccoons and facts about the animal. Students then read a short poem about raccoons.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

T for Tiger

For Students 1st - 2nd
In this tiger information learning exercise, students read several informational passages about tigers. Students learn facts and read a short poem about tigers.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native Americans

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students read informational texts to become experts on Native American culture groups from different regions and times. Students work in small groups and at activitiy center in this unit in which they practice speaking skills.