Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Nature: Friend and Foe: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 6)
If readers don't understand key portions of a text, it may seem more like a foe than a friend. The second resource in a series of three ESL lessons designed to accompany the texts in Nature: Friend or Foe makes the texts easier to...
Curated OER
Inspector Readers: The 002 Book Club
This unit introduces book clubs/literature circles to lower elementary classes, but could be adapted to higher grades. It outlines the anticipatory activity that includes a WebQuest, a discussion to clarify questions about the unit,...
Great Books Foundation
On the Origin of Species
How did Charles Darwin support his controversial theory of evolution with evidence? Use an excerpt from his 1859 work On the Origin of Species to reinforce the importance of making inferences within an informational text, and to...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Painted Story Quilt
Creating story quilts is a great way to combine art, social studies and literature. Kids select a story, a published one or one of their own, to illustrate, paint on a canvas square, embellish, and mount on a felt backing.
Curated OER
Using Poetry As Inspiration for Composition
A reading of Robert Frost’s "The Road Not Taken" launches an interdisciplinary study of the connection between the meters of a poem and a melody. After identifying the number of beats in each line of the poem, young musicians use...
Curated OER
Character Tea Party
A tea party in Wonderland? An East Egg brunch with Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Nick? Breakfast with Miss Havisham, Lady Macbeth, and Abigail Williams? Or dinner with Andre, Hamlet, and Randle Patrick McMurphy? Class members select a favorite...
Curated OER
Magazine Production
Analyze magazines as a class, looking carefully for the target audience, advertisements, and topics presented. Small groups then work as a publication team and receive a magazine that they have to "sell." Each individual has a different...
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Enterprise and Commerce
Using Mark Twain's The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, invite your learners to consider the concept of virtue in a democratic society devoted to gain and self-interest. This stellar resource guides your class members through a close...
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Freedom and Individuality
What are the strengths and weaknesses of American individualism and independence? Explore these principles through a close reading of Jack London's To Build a Fire, and engage in high-level discussion with your class by analyzing the...
Curated OER
ELL/ESL Reading and Reasoning Selection- Picture Dictionary
In this ELL/ESL reading and reasoning learning exercise, students read a short selection about an ESL student who is afraid to read in front of the class. They answer 5 true or false questions before writing an essay detailing what the...
Curated OER
Apply Post-Reading Skills and Discuss Persuasive Text
Students put their reading comprehension skills to practice. In this interpreting text lesson, students read "Chief Red Jacket's Reply," and then respond to questions that require them to reason, infer, and analyze the selection.
Curated OER
Reading...Try It, You Might Like It!
Young scholars demonstrate through a choice of assessments, their understanding and enjoyment of materials they select to read.
Curated OER
Deepening our Understanding and Topic Selection
Students explore writing techniques by reading a children's book with their classmates. In this topic selection instructional activity, students read the story Pancakes for Breakfast and identify the themes and topic by completing an...
Curated OER
Cloze Word Story
Fifth graders complete a cloze word story test. In this listening skills instructional activity, 5th graders listen to a story and follow along with their own copy. Students listen to the story a second time and fill in the missing words...
Curated OER
Fluency Station Directions
In this fluency station directions worksheet, students discover their expressive reading score through timing one another and calculating their words they read per minute.
Curated OER
Come Join Our Book Club!
Students participate in a class book club. After reading a selected book, they discuss what they like and dislike about the book and if they would recommend it to a friend with their partner. As a class they listen to the book "Click,...
Curated OER
Literary Lingo
Students make connections between reading and writing. In this language arts lesson, students explore literary elements as they examine a number of texts and practice implementing figurative language into their writing.
Curated OER
Express Yourself!
Students explore the five main components to reading fluency: faster reading, smoother reading, expressive reading, silent reading and voluntary reading. This lesson is designed to help children use expression as they read. Improvement...
Curated OER
Horror Tales: What Makes Them Spooky?
Before you jump into this lesson, be aware there is little to work with. That being said, the ideas are solid and will be brought to life with a little Halloween spirit. Learners examine horror as a sub-genre, and contemplate what makes...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension-Grade 3
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read several short selections at 3rd grade level. Each selection is followed by 1-2 multiple choice questions. An answer key is given at the end of the set.
Curated OER
Reading for Comprehension on the GED
Students preparing for the GED test practice the components of reading for comprehension. Students complete a practice test activity and use a calculator to score the practice test.
Curated OER
Flat Stanley Guided Reading
Second graders listen to their teacher read the book, "Flat Stanley". They relate the activities in the book to activities in their own life. They can also create their own pictures of Stanley.
Curated OER
Directed Reading Thinking Activity: "A Raisin in the Sun"
Students predict outcomes of a text. In this comprehension strategy lesson, students read a poem and compare it to the play A Raisin in the Sun. Students discuss their similarities and the power of dreams.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary: Words in Context, Pun Fun
Scholars explore a variety of texts to locate wordplay. Partners read their selections and discuss meanings.