How do people solve problems in healthy ways? Writers explore a topic of interest in their multi-genre writing assignment exploring Zach's Lie. The final resource in a series of seven includes multiple scaffolds and organizers for...

Learners use reading, math, and writing skills to complete this activity in which they make chocolate chip cookies. This lesson seeks to tie real-life skills to classroom learning to make curriculum more meaningful. While this activity...

Great literature discussions are a consequence of carefully crafted questions, interpretative questions that permit more than one response, and responses supported by specific evidence from the text. The discussion questions in a guide...

The words of Henry David Thoreau on Civil Disobedience seem particularly relevant today, as are his writings and those of other transcendental thinkers who ask what it mean to live deliberately and what are the responsibilities of...

Students complete a survey that the teacher can use to compare similar reading interests and reading abilities before to assign reading partners. They participate in a reading partnership by choosing a "double-copy" book, setting meeting...

Examine stories with a moral in a character development instructional activity. The class reads a short story written by Benjamin Franklin in which he pays too much for a toy whistle. Individuals then make text-to-self connections and...

Here's a great idea for writing portfolios. Kids decorate all four sides of their portfolio, introducing themselves, their families, goals, dreams, and favorite things. Detailed directions for all four panels and a rubric are included in...

Young scholars read a chapter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and define new words for their dictionaries. In this vocabulary instructional activity students choose two or three assignment from a list of projects...

Tired of giving the same old multiple-choice tests, and have the urge for a new assessment? Then bring the precision of a Socratic seminar into your classroom. Even if you did not read Cold Sassy Tree the organization and explanation on...

Historical events do not occur in a vacuum. Such is the case of the Dreyfus Affair, where the connection between Captain Alfred Dreyfus, Emile Zola, and Hannah Arendt is fused by the events of the early 20th century. The informative...

Students use metaphors in order to see commonly experienced objects, events, and people in new and more meaningful ways.

Read a designated chapter of the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and discuss the chapter summary in small groups. Groups present their summaries and answer questions specific to their chapter.

Themes in Wildwood Dancing, Juliet Marillier's young adult fantasy novel, are the focus of an anticipation guide that asks individuals to agree or disagree with a series of statements.

Fourth Graders read the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. In the story a bulletin board flattens the main character. He is then sent in an envelope to a friend in California. During a fantasy genre language arts unit, groups of students...

Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the American Revolution based on the novel, 'Johnny Tremain.' They define key vocabulary terms, develop a timeline, write a report on a colonial craft, make a colonial flag, and create a...

Introduce Cyrano de Bergerac with an anticipation guide that asks class members to rate a series of qualities that they look for in a friend. Groups then share their responses and present the class with the quality that provided the most...

Learners read a narrative selection and select a literature circle role. In this reading comprehension lesson, students work in groups to identify vocabulary, make text connections, or other reading comprehension strategies. Learners...

Learners share their own knowledge and experiences of holidays they observe. They research a holiday of their choice and write a report. They also create art of their holiday to complete as a pre-writing activity.

Students complete QAR activities for Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this literary analysis instructional activity, students read chapters 2 and 3 and complete reading check questions. Students discuss chapter...

Eighth graders are introduced to Chinese language and culture to make Asian reading selections in literature circles more meaningful. They write about Chinese characters, work on oral speaking, and read Asian books and then have...

Students read Wordsworth sonnet, "The World is Too Much With Us," and complete reader response criticsm worksheets. They examine the poet's ideas and techniques then write a letter to Mr. Wordsworth and explain how he might feel about...

In this Louisiana music worksheet, students learn that a found poem is made using words and phrases from some things they have read and, then write a found poem following the steps listed on the worksheet.

Pupils develop the vocabulary necessary to make their reading meaningful. After creating pre-reading activities, students a list of unknown vocabulary related to their reading selection. They complete vocabulary and context vocabulary...