Curated OER
What's on Your Playlist?
Upper graders respond to a series of opinions posted about the music played at last year's Fashion Week in New York City. They describe the music on their personal playlists, why they like it, and what moods they try to evoke through...
Curated OER
The Waste-Free Lunch
Reusable packaging for school lunches seems like a wonderful and eco-friendly idea; however, some children are being chastised for not following one school's guidelines. This New York Times article engages learners in reading...
Curated OER
Fill-In : Corn Mazes
Can you actually get lost in a corn maze? Kids read how one family was so lost that they called 911 for help. An interesting piece of informational text put out by the New York Times is here to entertain and educate. As they read the...
Curated OER
Proposition 8 Struck Down
Have your class examine the issues surrounding same-sex marriage, civil rights, and proposition 8. They read a New York Times article entitled "Proposition 8 Struck Down" and then answer 10 who, what, when, where, and why questions....
Curated OER
Grading Khan Academy
Who is Salman Khan? That is the first question learners will answer after reading a New York Times article about the online math and science educator. They'll read the article and respond to eight questions that ask, who, what, when,...
Curated OER
What Do You Think of Obama's Oval Office Speech on the Oil Spill?
Kids age 13 and older are asked to read the provided Times article and background information in order to construct a thoughtful blog response to Obama's first Oval Office speech. They work to address each of the related critical...
Curated OER
News Quiz l May 26, 2011
Although this online current events quiz is based on May of 2011, it offers a chance for scholars to sharpen their media literacy skills and is available on a daily basis on this site. There are five multiple-choice questions covering a...
Curated OER
Casting Doubt: "Color-blind" and Nontraditional Casting Decisions
In his article about color-blind casting entitled, "Willy Loman Is Lost, Still Looking for Stimulus Plan and Some Dignity," Charles Isherwood quotes August Wilson as saying, "To mount an all-black production of a 'Death of a...
Curated OER
Largest Hamburger Ever?
If a 150 lb. person can comfortably eat and digest a 1 lb. burger, then how large would the person be who can comfortably eat and digest a 350 lb. burger? For a burger that size, it would take either a large person or a class of really...
Curated OER
By Heart
To memorize, or not to memorize: that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the fear and anguish of committing a poem to memory, to endure the heartache, to shuffle off this fear, and face the stares of classmates with the hue...
Curriculum Corner
“I Can” Common Core! 3rd Grade Reading
Third grade readers are given clear learning goals with this Common Core checklist. By turning each reading standard into an I can statement, children can focus on mastering the required grade level skills.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Colors All Around: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 2)
A reading of the rhyme "Red Means Stop!" launches a three-week ELD/ESL study of color. The scripted daily lessons contained in the 32-page unit are packed with exercises, activities, and skill builders.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Voyagers: Extra Support Lessons (Theme 5)
This packet, the third in the series of support materials for the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt thematic units on voyagers, contains activities for learners who may struggle with the basic concepts of the lessons. Included are...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Animal Habitats: Extra Support Lessons (Theme 4)
The activities and exercises in this packet, the third in the series of support materials for the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt thematic units on animal habitats, are designed for learners who need extra support with the basic...
Curated OER
Get the Message?
Remember Morse Code? High schoolers investigate ways in which people communicate and assess which communication methods are appropriate and effective in different situations. They evaluate how constant changes in the world of technology...
Curated OER
Sentence Completion 6
Your class must use the subtle clues in each sentence to select the word that best fits in each blank. While multiple options are present, the correct answer is not impossible to find. Use this for some test prep before state testing!
Curated OER
Poems: Identifying Patterns
Here is a great worksheet that contains two short poems to compare and contrast. Children will read each poem out loud and then complete three comparative analysis questions which focus on rhyme, structure, and language. Note: The...
Curated OER
The Plant Food Factory
Plants need sun and water to survive. Let kids discover these facts by reading a block of informational text and considering a scientific quandary. They read the text, then use the information to complete a two-part question about plant...
Curated OER
Present Irregular
It's tough to remember irregular verb conjugations! Provide this extra practice for your beginning classes. The 32 sentences are in Spanish, and they must find the correct English translation. Questions are provided in the...
Prestwick House
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a strange tale indeed, but a crossword puzzle based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story is pretty straightforward. Help learners review key facts and quotes from the book in a quick...
Curated OER
Technical Merits
What is technical knowledge? The class explores what technical knowledge might mean to an Olympic athlete. They catalog the different types of information that athletes would need to compete in various Winter Olympic sports and develop...
Curated OER
Ages in Stages: An Exploration of the Life Cycle based on Erik Erikson's Eight Stages of Human Development
Examine Erikson's chart on the various stages one goes through growing up. Individually, they write a paper on whether or not they fit into those categories and how they are different today. In groups, for each stage they role play the...
Curated OER
Increase Kindness, Defeat Bullying: Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation
High-interest content captures your most reluctant readers and class participants. Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, in collaboration with Harvard University, seeks to nurture a culture of kindness and reduce bullying. Excerpts from...
Curated OER
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:...