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Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: u.s. V. Butler (1936)
This Supreme Court case dealt with provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act conflicting with the Federal Constitution. Read the complete text of the court's opinions and decision. Registration for a free Findlaw account may be...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Abuelito Who" by Sandra Cisneros
In this poem by Sandra Cisneros, the speaker describes their aging grandfather. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Code of Hammurabi" by Unknown
The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia dating back to 1772 B.C. The Code which consists of 282 laws and corresponding punishments. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "America and I" by Anzia Yezierska
This is an essay about Anzia Yezierska, an immigrant from the Russian-Polish border, and her struggles adapting to living in America. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Growing Down" by Shel Silverstein
In this poem by Shel Silverstein, a speaker tells an adult that he should try "growing down" rather than growing up. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Gettysburg Address" by President Abraham Lincoln
This speech was given in 1863 after the Union and Confederate armies had been at war for more than three years and several hundred thousand Americans had already died. Thousands of Union soldiers died at the Battle of Gettysburg alone. A...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "On Tragedy" by Aristotle
In this chapter from "Poetics", Aristotle seeks to define "tragedy" as it relates to literature and human emotion. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Ronald Reagan on the Challenger Disaster" by President Ronald Reagan
President Ronald Reagan delivered this speech to the grieving nation on January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, leading to the death of its seven crew members. A specific purpose for reading...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus
This poem is currently engraved on a bronze plaque and displayed on the Statue of Liberty's pedestal. The statue stands across from the historic Ellis Island, through which millions of immigrants came into the U.S. in the late 1800s and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe
In this short story, a wealthy prince holds a party for his powerful friends within the safety of his home, as a disease rips the rest of the country apart. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site...
CommonLit
Common Lit: At the Zoo by William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) was an English writer who was best known for his stories about life in England. In this poem, a speaker describes animals at the zoo. It also offers guided reading, an assessment, and discussion...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "It Is Raining on the House of Anne Frank" by Linda Pastan
In this poem, Linda Pastan analyzes the experience of tourists visiting two iconic buildings in the city of Amsterdam: the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Story of the Lazy Boy: A Kachari Folktale" Rev. Sidney Endle
In the early 1900s, Reverend Sidney Endle wrote about the Kachari people of India. He translated several of their spoken folktales, including this story about a boy who tries to plant seeds after everyone else has finished. A specific...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Memories of a Former Migrant Worker" by Felix Contreras
In this interview, Felix Contreras asks his father about his experiences as a former migrant worker. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and answers, an...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Arriving at Emerald City" From "The Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum
In this excerpt from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Dorothy and her friends arrive at the Emerald City. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and answers, an...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Excerpt From "The Odyssey: The Sirens" by Homer
"The Odyssey" is an epic poem about a Greek hero named Odysseus, also known as Ulysses in Roman myths, and his 10-year journey home after the fall of Troy. In this excerpt, Ulysses encounters the Sirens while at sea. A specific purpose...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Many and the Few" by J. Patrick Lewis
In this poem, a speaker describes the effects of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts,...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Columbus and the Egg" by Barbara Radner
This is a historical fiction story about Columbus, the explorer who came to the Americas from Spain in 1492. This is a story about what might have happened long ago when he was back in Spain. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Home" by Gwendolyn Brooks
In this short story by Gwendolyn Brooks, a family contemplates losing their house. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and answers, an annotation tool, and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Jabari Unmasked" by Nikki Grimes
This poem by Nikki Grimes uses the first stanza of Paul Laurence Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask," as a speaker describes why they conceal their identity. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Funeral" by Ralph Fletcher
In this excerpt from his memoir, Ralph Fletcher describes taking a trip into the forest with his friends. As you read, take notes on how Ralph's friends feel about him. [Free account registration required for specific tools.]
CommonLit
Common Lit: "To a Daughter Leaving Home" by Linda Pastan
This brief poem describes a mother watching her daughter ride away on her bike. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and answers, an annotation tool, and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes
This is the full text of the poem "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. It includes a short bio of Langston Hughes and a focuses for the reader: As you read, take notes on the metaphor and larger message presented in the text. [Free...