Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Joseph Jacobs

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Joseph Jacobs, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "You Have the Right to Remain Silent": History of Miranda Rights

For Students 5th - 6th
Can your rights protect you if you don't even know what they are? Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona answered that question by requiring police officers to read the "Miranda Rights" when making an arrest. This text will explain the...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Anger as Inspiration by Sami Awad

For Students 5th - 6th
Sami Awad is the Founder and Director of The Holy Land Trust, a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, families and communities in the Middle East. The group identifies the cycle of violence as...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "Hello, My Name Is " by Jason Kim

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "Hello, My Name Is ___" by Jason Kim accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry

For Students 7th - 8th
William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) was an American writer better known by his pen name, O. Henry. "After Twenty Years," published in 1908, is one of his better known short stories that shows how complicated friendship can be. As you read,...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Walking Down Park by Nikki Giovanni

For Students 7th - 8th
Nikki Giovanni is one of the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement and has won numerous awards. Her work ranges from covering topics on race, gender, the African American experience and social issues to children's literature and...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Amigo Brothers by Piri Thomas

For Students 7th - 8th
Piri Thomas (1928-2011) was a writer and poet, best known for his memoir Down These Mean Streets. Thomas was born to a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban father. During his childhood, Thomas lived in East Harlem, which became known as...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Alaska Accelerates Indoor Agriculture by Emily Schwing

For Students 7th - 8th
Greenhouses can allow produce to grow in even the coldest conditions. In this informational text, Emily Schwing discusses the use of greenhouses in Alaska during its harsh winters. It also offers a guided reading mode, an assessment,...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "How Earthquakes Take Place" by Jessica Mc Birney

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with "How Earthquakes Take Place" by Jessica McBirney, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: David's Old Soul by Nikki Grimes

For Students 7th - 8th
Grimes is well known for her award-winning books written for children and young adults. The poem "David's Old Soul" appeared in her book One Last Word, a collection inspired by poems from the Harlem Renaissance that follow the "Golden...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Marshall Plan

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with news article by Mike Kubic called "The Marshall Plan" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Spanish Civil War

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with news article by Mike Kubic called "The Spanish Civil War" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Excerpt From Swann's Way

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with an "Excerpt from Swann's Way" by Marcel Proust accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Easter 1916

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with William Butler Yeats' poem "Easter 1916" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Marshall Plan Speech

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with a George Catlett Marshall's "Marshall Plan Speech" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Excerpt From "Civil Disobedience"

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Henry David Thoreau's "Excerpt from 'Civil Disobedience'" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Benjamin Franklin's "Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Battle of Bull Run: The End of Illusions

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Ernest B. Furgurson's "The Battle of Bull Run: The End of Illusions" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Thomas Gray's poem "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Excerpt From Spirit of Laws

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Charles-Louis de Secondat Montesquieu's "Excerpt from Spirit of Laws" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Un Explores Native American Rights in u.s.

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Michel Martin's interview "UN Explores Native American Rights in U.S." accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Rape of Nanking and a Forgotten Genocide

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Mike Kubic's news article "The Rape of Nanking and a Forgotten Genocide" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Israeli Palestinian Conflict

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Mike Kubic's news article "The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with Thomas Gray's poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...