How do nineteenth-century texts by African American and Native American writers contribute to the country's ideals of freedom and individuality? Learners explore the topic by watching and discussing a video, reading biographies, writing...

Bring history to life through literature. The first in a series of three challenge activities designed to accompany Theme 5: One Land, Many Trails does just that through unique projects connected to historical fiction and nonfiction...

Students study the American sport and history of baseball. In this baseball lesson, students complete three levels of units to learn about baseball.

English is not the only subject that requires its own set of vocabulary words—geography does too! A series of language development lessons designed to be used with Theme 5: One Land, Many Trails helps introduce readers to key vocabulary...

Grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies are all part of the journey toward understanding a text. The last in a series of three extra support lessons designed to accompany Theme 5: One Land, Many Trails provides a wealth of...

Students prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package includes ten lessons from the American Literature series, each covering a different reading selection. Pre-reading and response activities are included for each...

Meet the characters of Valerie Tripp's American Girl series, and learn cultural lessons through this collection of worksheets and guides (PDF, require Adobe Reader). Resources cover a variety of social issues including bullying,...

Jacqueline Woodson describes her experiences growing up as an African American girl in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 3-6) to pair with "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson. [Free...

This site, created by Deidre Johnson, provides information on series reading about girls in the 19th century. You can find information about noted authors of these series, such as Jacob Abbott and Sophie May, and many selections from...

This lesson focuses on satire and parody. Students read the text of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and its parody "Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch" by Weird Al Yankovic and compare/contrast the two. The audio of Weird Al's...

This is an online study guide/notes for the novel Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene including author information, literary elements, chapter-by-chapter summaries/notes, study questions, and analysis. In this novel, a...

Writer Gwendolyn Brooks is presented in this biography for her contributions to African American literature. Click on "Gwendolyn Brooks Activities" for related artifacts and activities.

Maya Angelou recounts her coming of age story as a mature but apprehensive girl in the American South and California during the Jim Crow era. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 7-10) to pair with "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by...

This is an online study guide/notes for the children's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell including author information, literary elements, chapter-by-chapter summaries/notes, study questions, and analysis. This novel is...

A summary of the events of the American Revolution. Includes diary entries written by a patriot in Boston and a girl stationed at Valley Forge in 1777. Students can also do arts and crafts activities, write a journal entry, and design...

A great resource for students reading "Cezanne Pinto," complete with a brief biography of author Mary Stolz, pre-reading material, diagramming activities, and personal response and analysis questions linked to each chapter. Also provides...

McKenna Pope's younger brother loved to cook, but he worried about using an Easy-Bake Oven- because it was a toy for girls. So at age 13, Pope started an online petition for the American toy company Hasbro to change the pink-and-purple...

This site provides a book summary, lesson plan ideas, book connections and resource links for teaching How Tia Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez.