Other
Reading Quest: Making Sense of Social Studies
Teaching students to read well in areas other than language arts requires teaching and reinforcing the kinds of reading strategies taught here. There are 27 strategies, ranging from brainstorming to word mapping. The site includes PDF...
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Craft and Structure: Determine the Meaning of Words and Phrases
Learn how to use context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word in a Social Studies passage.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Critical Media Literacy: Commercial Advertising
In this lesson plan, learners will examine mass media critically and become aware of how much advertising is around them. They will realize the impact media has on social equality, what people buy, and on culture.
Library of Congress
Loc: Teachers: Personal Stories and Primary Sources
Students will explore the value of personal stories and first-hand accounts when exploring history, in this case, the events of the early twentieth century, which included World War I and the Great Depression. Through this five-unit...
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Dirksen Center: A Bill Becomes a Law
Learning module on how a bill becomes a law offers students an alternative and in-depth approach to learning about the legislative process through text, graphics, and video .
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Cities in Mesopotamia: Understanding a Complex Text
In this instructional activity, 6th graders use details from a nonfiction article to create a visual representation and then, from that visual, provide evidence that demonstrates their understanding of the text. Includes samples of...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension
Comprehension strategies are conscious plans - sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Key Literacy Component: Text Comprehension
Text comprehension allows readers to extract or construct meaning from the written word. Students who misread words or misinterpret their meanings are at a disadvantage. Proper instruction can boost students' skills in this key area.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Curricular Connections: Holocaust Remembrance
The Holocaust is often a difficult topic to discuss with students. This guide offers tips for approaching the subject, as well as cross-curricular connections for a more meaningful reading experience.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Abc Bookmaking Builds Vocabulary in the Content Areas
Six 50-minute lessons build vocabulary through the content areas by making an ABC book. It can become a classroom resource. Links include a non-fiction book list, checklist, word list, rubric, and a storyboard chart. There is also a link...