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Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story
Now here is a resource you don't see everyday. It's a printable version of a 17-page, full-color comic that describes the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement in 1955 and 1956. It focuses on the actions of Martin Luther...
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Our Computers, Ourselves: Imagining the Digital Lives of Authors and Characters
The guiding question for this lesson is "Do computers and their contents shape who we are?" Open with a selection of Apple's commercials to introduce stereotypes and people's relationships with their computers. Then, read the attached...
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Everyone's a Critic: Analyzing Sitcoms as Cultural Texts
Start by defining the word sitcom with the goal of launching a discussion. What exactly is a sitcom? How is a sitcom different from sketch comedy, drama, and reality television? Class members give examples, remember storylines they've...
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"Ursula Pugh"
Intermediate English language learners read the short, page-long story "Ursula Pugh" and answer the multiple choice questions that follow. Most of the questions focus on vocabulary development and understanding of the story. An answer...
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Reading Comprehension 3 (Level 7)
Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? Whether your readers are English language learners or native speakers, assess their reading comprehension with this short passage and the seven multiple-choice questions that follow. A detailed...
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The Coachella Festival
A New York Time article on a major music and arts event can be a good way to get kids interested in the daily news. They read an article about Coachella, and then answer eight comprehension questions, in either blog or print form. Note:...
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Disposables and Deforestation
Ever think about the impact those cool disposable chopsticks have on the environment? Read about a group of students in Beijing who created a forest using nothing but tossed out chopsticks. Find out how this artistic endeavor is making a...
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"Cask of Amontillado" by E.A. Poe Practice Test
Assign this practice test to your ninth graders reading "Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allen Poe. They examine the characters, the plot line, the mood, and different themes in the text during this 32-question quiz.
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Hacking Campaign, Seen as Linked to China's Arm, Targets US Industry and Government
This single link includes six New York Times articles for learners to read. Each article relates to the Chinese culture, government, school system, or economics in some way. Each also includes a set of comprehension questions for...
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Lin at Home and Abroad
What is so amazing about Jeremy Lin? Read the following New York Times article and find out. The article and 13 comprehension questions regarding this basketball super star are awaiting your eager readers.
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Israel and Hamas Agree to Swap Prisoners for Soldier
Put a highly topical reading assignment in your learners grasp. They examine an article discussing the trade of Israeli prisoners for a soldier. The article goes into several facets of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and a specific...
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Is Modern Culture Ruining Childhood?
There are a lot of different ways a learner could respond to this New York Times article discussing the effects of modern culture on childhood. After reading the article, pupils construct a thoughtful blog post. The guiding questions...
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"Clean Water Act"
Read the short reading passage entitled "Clean Water Act" to help your class build reading fluency and comprehension. While most questions focus on recall, learners are asked to use the context to define select vocabulary words. This...
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Cross-Cultural Dialogue Lesson
Use the Peace Corps to explore a different place and different perspectives. Your class reads the personal narrative "Cross-Cultural Dialogue" by Roz Wollmering, completing an attached story frame sheet in preparation for a class...
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Reading Comprehension 4
Ever needed a reason to stop eating meat? Read this interesting (and slightly disgusting) passage with your class to assess reading comprehension.
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Reading Comprehension 8 Level 9
Interest your class with the idea of exquisite paintings and the forgeries created from them. This is a reading task; English language learners or native speakers read the text and answer the six questions that follow. Questions focus on...
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Reading Comprehension 4 Level 12
Designed for English language learners, this reading passage and its accompanying questions focus on autism spectrum disorders. Find a way to interest your readers before handing them this somewhat heavy reading, as even many...
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Following Instructions
Designed to assess your class's ability to follow directions, this reading activity has learners split into groups, read a series of instructions, read a passage, and answer two lists of questions. Can they remember to raise their hand...
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"Guermo's Surprise"
Have you ever thrown a surprise party? Use this question to engage your intermediate English language learners. After a brief discussion, read the passage "Guermo's Surprise," and have learners answer the 10 multiple-choice questions...
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Reading Comprehension 5: Level 9
The piranha is the subject of a reading passage that is sure to engage your learners in a reading comprehension exercise. Pupils must employ multiple strategies to answer the questions based on the passage. Of particular value is the...
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Hip-Hop History and the Beastie Boys
So what about those Beastie Boys? Kids read a New York Times article relating the history of hip-hop and rap icons the Beastie Boys. They then answer eleven who, what, when, where, and why questions about the text they read.
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A 'Stone of Hope'
Kids uncover the who, what, when, where, and why regarding the dedication of the Martin Luther King National Memorial. They read the provided New York Times article and then answer each of the 10 comprehension questions.
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Qaddafi Is Dead in Libya
The New York Times posted an article titled, "Qaddafi Is Dead in Libya" back in 2011. Your class gets a chance to read that article to better understand current events and increase their reading comprehension. After reading the article,...
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Reading Comprehension 5
Challenge your eleventh and twelfth graders with this reading passage. Whether you're preparing for upcoming state or school-wide testing, or you're just trying to give your class reading comprehension practice, print this for your...