Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: I Hear America Singing

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with the poem "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman 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: 5 Surprising Facts About the Refugee Crisis by Jason Beaubien

For Students 7th - 8th
In recent years, the number of refugees seeking safety in other countries has become alarmingly high. In this NPR article, Jason Beaubien describes some of the most severe refugee crises around the world and how other countries are...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Heartbeat of Mother Earth

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with the poem "Heartbeat of Mother Earth" by CR Willing McManis, 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: Soaring "On the Wings of Wind"

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with the poem "Soaring "On the Wings of Wind"" by Lois Miner Huey, 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: The Anklet

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with the "The Anklet" by Neil Philip, 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: Seeing Through Dorothea's Eyes

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with the "Seeing Through Dorothea's Eyes" by Sudipta Bardhan, 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: The Poppy Lady

For Students 5th - 6th
A learning module that begins with the "The Poppy Lady" by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh, 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: Can We Cultivate Our Own Happiness

For Students 7th - 8th
Martin Seligman coined the term "positive psychology" to describe his exploration of how people can improve their own happiness. In this report from 2002, ABC News explains Seligman's research and findings in the field of positive...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Conflicting News Reports on the Fate of the Sinking Titanic

For Students 7th - 8th
The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of 15 April 1912, after colliding with an iceberg. More than 1,500 passengers died as a result of the ship sinking. After the ship...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin

For Students 7th - 8th
Kate Chopin (1850-1904) was an American author of short stories and novels based in Louisiana. She is considered one of the leading feminist writers of the 20th-century. This story begins with a married woman's disappointment over the...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Behind Closed Doors: "Colorism" in the Caribbean by Michel Martin

For Students 7th - 8th
In this interview, Michel Martin discusses Frances Robles's report on colorism in the Dominican Republic. Colorism is a form of prejudice based on the darkness of a person's skin color. Discrimination based on colorism often occurs...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: American Justice in the Supreme Court

For Students 7th - 8th
The Supreme Court is the highest court of the United States. It was set up by our Constitution to make important decisions about the law. This article describes how the Supreme Court works, and its impact on American justice. It also...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Dance Mama Dance by Daniel Beaty

For Students 7th - 8th
Daniel Beaty is an award-winning actor, singer, writer, and poet. His productions are known for incorporating music, movement, and words. In this poem, the speaker discusses their mother and their wish to see her dance. It also provides...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Chief Powhatan's Address to Captain John Smith (1609)

For Students 7th - 8th
The Powhatan are Native American people from Virginia who share an Algonquian language. In 1607, the Jamestown settlement in the Virginia colony became the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. At the initial arrival of the...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Coping Mechanisms

For Students 7th - 8th
Work, school, money - these are some of the most common stressors in everyday life. The effects of stress on a person's mental and emotional health may vary, but without the proper tools to cope, stress can have serious consequences. It...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Marsha

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "Marsha" Mikala Rempe, 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 student...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The World's Largest Refugee Camp Looks Like a Slum/star Wars Mashup

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "The World's Largest Refugee Camp Looks Like a Slum/Star Wars Mashup" by NPR Staff, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Food Deserts

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "Food Deserts" 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 free teacher and...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The History of the Cylinder Phonograph

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
A learning module that begins with "The History of the Cylinder Phonograph" by The Library of Congress, 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: Rosie the Riveter

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "Rosie the Riveter" by Barrett Smith, 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: The Chicano Movement

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "The Chicano Movement" 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 free...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Joy

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "Joy" by Molly McGinnis, 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 student...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Fertile Crescent

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "The Fertile Crescent" by Joshua J. Mark, 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: Gault Case Changed Juvenile Law

For Students 7th - 8th
A learning module that begins with "Gault Case Changed Juvenile Law" by Margot Adler accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through...