Curated OER
KWHL Jacob Have I Loved
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...
Curated OER
Comparative Religions: Islam
Engage theologians through online text resources during this comparative religions activity. Designed to interact with the online Glencoe text World History, there are many free tools on this site that stand alone. Scholars read the...
Curated OER
Mosetsana
Learners read and discuss a poem about the issues of gender, education, and family written by a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in South Africa. In this poetry activity, students read the poem 'Moetsana' and discuss the issues South...
Curated OER
SSR Teacher/Student-Run Conferences
Looking for a simple way to connect with each of your pupils about a book they've read? While the rest of your class is engaged in SSR, each learner comes to you for a one-on-one session. Great for formative assessment or just a good...
Curated OER
Palms and Literature
Learners read and analyze the Civil War novel, 'Charley Skedaddle.' They define key vocabulary terms, develop a story map, create a concept web for a character, and take vocabulary tests.
Curated OER
An Author Study on Kevin Henkes
To better understand how the author Kevin Henkes uses the theme of friendship throughout his books, learners engage in several compare and contrast activities. The class reads several Henkes titles and discusses the similarities in...
Curated OER
Literature and Telecommunications
High schoolers read a novel and write short journal entries about the characters, setting and interesting facts. Using email, they share their responses to the novel with other students at a different school. Student also create slide...
Curated OER
A Walk Around the School: Mapping Places Near and Far
After reading Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk, have your young cartographers create a map of Rosie’s walk. Then lead them on a walk around the school. When you return class members sequence the walk by making a list of how the class got from...
Curated OER
Paradise Lost: Identifying Vocabulary
“The mind is its own place. . .” and Milton’s Paradise Lost is sure to expand the vocabulary (and the minds) of young readers. Assist that growth with an activity that asks individuals to first select and define five unfamiliar words,...
Curated OER
Lost in Space
Here is a case study for high school or college-level learners about space exploration equipment that has failed. The class reads about the Mars Climate Orbiter that was destroyed in 1999 and discusses the costs and benefits of space...
Curated OER
Simply Speaking
Emerging orators distinguish between effective and ineffective public speaking strategies. They read a text that fits in with a Native Americans unit and speak about the text with both ineffective and effective volume, tone, phrasing,...
Curated OER
Shakespeare 2000
Comparing the more modern film Ten Things I Hate About You to The Taming of the Shrew leads to an understanding of how Shakespearean plots can be applied to modern-day situations and characters. As a culminating activity, groups select a...
Curated OER
People are People
Explore human diversity in this human rights lesson. Middle schoolers compare novels, speeches, videos, and short stories that promote diversity and basic human rights. They complete daily coursework as they read the selected literature...
Curated OER
Choosing Words Carefully
Use literacy tools to select precise vocabulary. High schoolers respond to discussion questions that require them to consider the denotation and connotation of words. They then read non-fiction passages and identify words in the passages...
Curated OER
Folk Tales for ESL Students
Using the folk tale "The Man, The Boy, and The Donkey" (linked in the lesson) and a SMART board, teachers can help pupils access multiple skills. Reading the story allows learners to create a timeline of the sequence of events based on...
Curated OER
The Great Terror: Old and New Approaches
Here is a thorough Russian history instructional activity. In it, learners read a two-page selection about the Great Terror and Stalin. They respond to four short answer questions based on the selection.
Curated OER
My Senator and Me: A Dog's-Eye View of Washington, D.C.
Although this legislative process lesson is designed to accompany a specific text, it is valuable independently. Young learners participate in a picture walk (worksheet included) through My Senator and Me: A Dog's-Eye View...
Curated OER
Check it Out...Nonfiction Can Be Fun!
Organizing information gathered for a research topic can be a challenge. Read aloud notes you have collected on a topic and use suggestions offer by the class to categorize and sort this information. Partners then follow this pattern,...
Rutgers University
African-Americans in WWII
Using transcripts of interviews of African-Americans who served in WWII, class members work in pairs to understand their experience. Prior to the group work, the teacher provides background on WWII and the African-American experience....
Curated OER
Studying History through Journal Keeping
Young scholars read and write journals to relate to events of the past, in this case the Oregon Trail travels. They watch a video and read journal accounts dealing with the trip to the West as they attempt to keep a journal of what the...
Curated OER
That Is Not My Opinion!
Being an informed citizen requires distinguishing fact from opinion and understanding persuasion methods. Secondary learners evaluate newspaper editorials. They read opinion pieces, identify the writer's purpose and position on an issue,...
Curated OER
Rules and Responsibilities Was It the Pied Piper's Fault?
Learners read or listen to a piece of literature to find the connections between people and their responsibilities. They participate in a variety of activities after experiencing the literature.
Curated OER
Spelling-Silent Letters
Silent letters make spelling and reading an even more challenging task. You class can practice detecting silent letters with this printable handout. Learners can also complete the learning exercise as an online quiz. Note: Answer sheet...
Curated OER
Adjective or Present Participle?
Read ten sentences and choose whether the selected word in each sentence is an adjective or present participle verb. The answer sheet is provided.