Curated OER
The Clay Marble
Students probe the story, "The Clay Marble" by Minfong Ho to identify examples of courage, quick thinking, and perseverance. The lesson plan creatively extends the plot of the story by celebrating the heroin's birthday many years after...
Curated OER
The Sign of the Beaver--Better Left Alone
In this The Sign of the Beaver worksheet, students brainstorm about things that are better left alone as they consider the bees that Matt just would not leave alone despite his father's advice. Students complete a graphic organizer...
Curated OER
Technology Newsletter
Students discuss impact and value of modern technological inventions on society, contemplate world without technology, skim magazines and newspapers for advertisements highlighting modern technologies, and work with partner to create...
Curated OER
Life in THE JUNGLE
Students discuss problems immigrants may have when coming to a new country. They take on the role of a law maker from the era and create an action plan and policy based on samples they read (links provided). Students discuss ways their...
Curated OER
Unit Plan for Mark Twain and American Humor
Students create brochures about the humor of Mark Twain. In this literature-analysis lesson plan, students read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and other short stories by Twain. Students write analytical paragraphs and...
Curated OER
Assignment #5 Sci-Fi Analysis
Class members select a science fiction novel for independent study. To verify they have completed the reading, they write a summary, a critique, and an outline of the plot for a sequel or prequel. They then deliver a five-minute speech,...
Curated OER
The K-W-H-L Strategy
Learners create a KWHL chart as a pre-reading strategy. In this graphic organizer lesson, students communicate their background knowledge before reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Learners continue to construct their KWHL chart as they...
Curated OER
Unit Plan for The Catcher in the Rye —A “Place-Based” Approach
"People never notice anything." As part of their study of The Catcher in the Rye, class members adopt Holden Caulfield's approach and spend time as quiet observers of their surrounding, recording their observations/reflections in a...
Curated OER
Mini-Lesson Planning for Inferences
Making inferences and drawing conclusions is a key component to successful active reading. Encourage your class to use context clues and prior knowledge to infer different elements of a story, including the setting, plot, and character...
Louisiana Department of Education
Hatchet
Accompany a novel study of Hatchet by Gary Paulson with a unit consisting of 16 lessons focused on physical and emotional survival. Reading the story along with a variety of informational texts, scholars compare and contrast reading...
Penguin Books
Folklore and Fairytales: A Guide to Using Traditional Tales and Reimagined Classics
Every culture has its own stories to tell. An interesting educator's guide shares a large collection of fairytales and folktales, some from different cultures and some re-creations of classics. A summary and brief teaching ideas...
Penguin Books
The Jungle
It's a jungle out there! Teachers gain information to guide learners through reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Instructors give an overview of the characters in the story and a summary of each chapter. The resource includes questions...
Curated OER
Pilkey Author Study
Third graders read and hear stories by the author, Dav Pilkey and research the list of books written by this author. They become illustrators to the novel "Captain Underpants: An Epic Novel," then they create a timeline of their lives...
Curated OER
Their Eyes are Watching
Fourth graders create a character map for each character in the novel, adding to each as he or she is revealed in "Their Eyes Were Watching God." They document how each character deals with attitudes and injustices.
Curated OER
HOLES UNIT
Students participate in the unit based on the Newbery Medal-winning novel by Louis Sachar and the Walt Disney Movie "Holes". They use the layered curriculum model of assessment and activities.
Curated OER
Out of the Dust 3
Students read the novel, Out of the Dust, and complete a cause and effect chart and a character chart. When the book is completed, they answer review questions.
Curated OER
A Creative Presentation
Students read chapter books by Gary Paulsen. In groups, they identify imagery presented in the book. Students locate 10 quotes, categorize each quote into one of the five senses, and then organize it and create a display of their three...
Curated OER
Across Five Aprils/Civil War
Eighth graders study the Civil War novel, Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt. They review vocabulary and literary elements and write a "Brother Against Brother" essay about coming face to face with a brother in one of the battles of the...
Curated OER
All Quiet on the Western Front
Students use unitedstreaming and Google Earth to investigate World War II and All Quiet on the Western Front. In this novel and technology lesson, students view a video about the novel using unitedstreaming video, visit the given...
Curated OER
Out of the Dust 2
Students, after reading the novel, Out of the Dust, describe the language used in the novel. They cite examples of words or phrases that are from that time period. Then they are given sentences and must rewrite them in modern-day language.
Curated OER
Historical Background of Nightjohn Lesson Plan
Eighth graders use first-hand slave narratives that show conditions of slavery. They paste text into Appleworks and publish with a picture clipped from web sites. They create a group account of life during slavery to prepare for reading...
Curated OER
HyperStudio Book Reports
Fifth graders create a HyperStudio book report after reading a novel. They work in pairs or small groups to design a HyperStudio stack about a previously-read novel. They use a variety of graphic organizers to have Students gather...
Curated OER
Setting the Stage from the Page
Students examine the differences between the portrayal of characters in books and in motion pictures. Using the novel, The Kite Runner, students discuss the ways in which the characters can be interpreted. Students create original...
Curated OER
The Great Gatsby
Learners read "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In groups, they research the events and spirit of the 1920s and relate events in the novel to actual historical events. They compare the characteristics of various genres and...