Technology has undoubtedly improved the lives of people around the world—but has it improved communication? Seventh graders read two informative passages about the rise of texting and emailing versus in-person conversations before...

As an assessment of their skill in crafting a compare and contrast essay, class members read and compare the portrayals of nature in excerpts from naturalist John Muir's My First Summer in the Sierra and from poet Emily Dickinson's...

A three-part writing assessment challenges scholars to think critically about schools of the past and present. Learners read informative texts, answer questions to prepare for a discussion, research in small groups, complete a Venn...

Included here are three short study questions and five essay topics for the novel For Whom The Bell Tolls. Consider using these in an upcoming final assessment, but also remember that many high schoolers use SparkNotes to prepare for...

SparkNotes is popular for a reason! It provides tons of information, and even for teachers, there is useful information on this website. Respond to eight short answer and essay questions about Philip Pullman's trilogy of His Dark...

Use an online interactive literature instructional activity to test comprehension and critical understanding of the book, Homecoming. Learners respond to eight short answer and essay questions about Cynthia Voigt's novel. Answers to...

Teaching the present progressive? Your class needs this informative handout! Consider reading it through with them and stopping occasionally to provide practice opportunities or board examples.

“You don’t have to think too hard when you talk to teachers.” Or so says Holden Caulfield.  Challenge his assumption by asking your readers to think about and respond to some of the assertions of Salinger’s narrator. Should a...

Young readers consider ten questions regarding murder mystery stories. The must choose from one of five options: strongly disagree, disagree, depends, agree, or strongly agree. A sample questions is, "A murder mystery must describe the...

To demonstrate their understanding of figurative language, middle schoolers use a guided reading worksheet to find examples of figurative language in a text, identify the technique being used, and to explain how they were able...

Guide your students' reading with this learning exercise. Included are five matching and five multiple choice questions focused on aspects of the two-party system employed in the United States. Use as a quiz, guided reading questions, or...

Accompany the story, Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett with an assortment of activities designed to reinforce concepts covering story structure, comprehension, grammar, and social studies. Here, scholars identify the difference...

The importance of revising writing is the focus of a short reading comprehension learning exercise that asks readers to respond to a series of questions based on the article.

Here's a two-part reading comprehension worksheet that asks kids to read a short passage about the customs and traditions of Native American tribes and then to answer a series of questions based on the article.

Designed to accompany a reading of The Hunger Games, readers are asked to agree or disagree with a series of statements and use examples and reflections to explain their stance. After reading Chapter One of Suzanne Collins’ popular...

Young scientists are introduced to the connections among cells, tissues, organs, and systems in a life science reading comprehension worksheet that asks them to respond to a series of questions based on the passage.

FDR's December 7, 1941 address to the nation is the focus of a reading comprehension exercise that asks middle schoolers to read an excerpt from the Pearl Harbor speech and determine the president's purpose.

Middle schoolers read a passage from Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Avonlea and identify three details from the passage that show Anne is nervous as she faces her middle schoolers for the first time.

To develop their reading comprehension skills, learners read short paragraphs, summarize the passage in one sentence, and then develop an appropriate title that indicates the main idea of the selection.

If you build it they can come. After reading a short article about the impact of western expansion, middle schoolers cite evidence from the article to explain how this expansion forced changes in transportation.

In this Finding Information in the Library worksheet, learners write down something they want to find out about and then read 8 steps to help them in their search. Students discover web addresses of three sites where they can find out...

Writing is tough to perfect. Help your class improve their writing skills by studying different sentence problems. This reference guide covers sentence fragments, run-ons, and misplaced modifiers, but that's just to start! There's a...

Can you read this table? Learners begin to comprehend data analysis through examining two simple tables and answering comprehension questions. The first gives characteristics about three animals in yes-or-no format (i.e. "eats insects,"...

Close up your unit of study with an examination of one of the guiding or essential questions as it relates to what your class has studied and other research. Class members first write down the question. Then they note down information...