Students examine visual images about the novel, Jacob Have I Loved. They compare pictures from "America from the Great Depression to World War II" that are described in the book and other studies of the Chesapeake Bay. They present their...

What kinds of questions could be asked with different pieces of literature? Use QAR questions to help your middle schoolers develop the skills to find information in a text. Thorough directions, a text excerpt, and a set of reading...

Use Barbara Joosse's heartwarming story I Love You the Purplest (which can be found on YouTube if you don't have it) to practice vocabulary in context with emerging readers. This sensory text is an excellent opportunity to...

There are so many ways to be smart! Can your class identify their intelligences? The third of five career and college lesson plans designed for sixth graders challenges them to assess their unique skills. Once they determine their...

Reading with expression is an important component in developing fluency. Emerging readers learn different strategies for accomplishing this skill through the teacher's model reading of Earrings!. Partner practice is combined with...

Close reading is key to the analysis and interpretation of literature. A close reading of the title and the epigraph of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” offers readers an opportunity to examine how even single words or names can...

During read-aloud of Kindergarten Count to 100 by Jacqueline Rogers, children listen for context clues about vocabulary that includes the words "first," "second," and "third." I love the way vocabulary development skills are integrated...

Young scholars research the Great Depression and World War II. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students analyze photographs of the depression era as they begin reading Katherine Paterson's Jacob Have I Loved.

Do you agree? Set up three stations in your room for this reading comprehension activity: I agree, I disagree, and I'm not sure. Learners listen to statements and walk to the sign that best describes their response. Model...

Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Love To Langston. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions,...

Dive your class into a reading of Island of the Blue Dolphins with this in-depth study guide. Breaking the novel into three parts, the resource begins each section with a focus activity that identifies a specific theme or question...

Students discover how to read with expression. By reading and rereading decodable words in connected texts, students study the importance of expressions and how it can make a book more enjoyable.

Who is Aimee Mann? Read the New York Times article "P.S. I Loved You," included here, and have your readers answer a series of reading comprehension questions. Afterward, encourage your class to brainstorm ways in which they...

Barbara Joosse approaches an age-old question through an equally traditional culture in her story Mama, Do You Love Me?, which helps budding readers explore Native American vocabulary in context. Here you'll find...

Students listen to poem, Where Oh Where On the Playground, Do I Love to Be?, and practice reading, interpreting, and making maps, charts, and graphs in surveying classmates and discussing their favorite places to play in school playground.

Your class has just begun reading Jacob Have I Loved, and they're coming upon the fifth chapter. Pause their reading and have them complete a KWHL chart (not included) to detail what they've learned from the novel's beginning. An example...

Incorporating To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, narrative writing, and friendly letters, this instructional activity is ideal for any number of units in your classroom. First, read chapter 10 of the novel, noting Scout and Jem's...

Franklin the turtle is on another adventure in Paulette Bourgeois' book Franklin Goes to the Hospital, and there are plenty of new words for your young readers to explore as they hear this story. Although you can include more,...

Depending on your perspective, solitude can be lovely or very, very lonely. Kids take a look at the simple landscape illustrated in Antoine de Saint Éxupery's The Little Prince, and write a short journal entry about their...

Students consider the importance of giving as they read "Franklin Says I Love You". In this character education lesson, students engage in discussion about the importance of sharing and giving. They relate to the story by offering...

A lovely guided reading lesson awaits you and your students. They read the book,Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians, by Aliki, summarize the important events of the story, and describe how corn has helped develop culture in America.

Students are read I Love You the Purplest, by Barbara Joosse. In this vocabulary focused lesson, students discover the definitions of at least three "Tier Two" words. As a group, they discuss the meanings of the words both before and...

Students read I Love You the Purplest with the intent of recognizing vocabulary words. In this vocabulary lesson, students preview three 2-tier words, listening for each as the story is read, defining each and practicing recognizing...

Third graders read the book Jacob Have I Loved, then ask themselves whether they can truly hate their siblings.