Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Themes: Social Pressure: What Are the Effects of Following the Crowd?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is a collection of Grade-Leveled texts (3-12) to address the question, "What are the effects of following the crowd?" Select a grade level and a collection of on grade-level reading passages on the topic comes up. [Free account...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Themes: Social Pressure: Why Do People Follow the Crowd?

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a collection of Grade-Leveled texts (3-12) to address the question Why do people follow the crowd? Select a grade level and a collection of on grade-level reading passages on the topic comes up. [Free account registration...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Themes: War & Peace: How Can We Achieve Peace?

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a collection of Grade-Leveled texts (3-12) to address the question, "How can we achieve peace?" Select a grade level and a collection of on grade-level reading passages on the topic comes up. [Free account registration required...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Themes: War & Peace: How Are We Changed by War?

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a collection of Grade-Leveled texts (3-12) to address the question, "How are we changed by war?" Select a grade level and a collection of on grade-level reading passages on the topic comes up. [Free account registration required...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Learn About South Africa [Pdf]

For Teachers 8th Standards
"Learn about South Africa" is a one page, nonfiction passage about South Africa and its fight to end the apartheid. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes underlining the most...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Flying [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
"Flying" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about someone set a goal to be a pilot and worked hard to accomplish that goal. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Like Plants [Pdf]

For Teachers 7th
"I Like Plants" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about a person who loves plants and became a botanist; now she teaches her college students about plants and ecology. It is followed by constructed-response questions...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Letter to Grandmother [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"Letter to Grandmother" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a family of early settlers who moved west. A girl writes a letter to her grandmother telling her about their new life on the plains. It is followed by...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Lexington [Pdf]

For Teachers 8th
"Lexington" is a one page, historical fiction, reading passage about soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War. A soldier describes the feeling of being an American. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Making a Difference [Pdf]

For Teachers 7th Standards
"Making a Difference" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about students helping to get their families and others to register to vote. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: More Trees [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"More Trees" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a student and his mother getting trees from the city and planting them in their neighborhood. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Community [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
"My Community" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a child talking about how his community has changed since his grandmother moved into that neighborhood 50 years earlier. It is followed by constructed-response questions...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Job [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"My Job" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the job as department of streets and sanitation worker including the work involved. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Job [Pdf]

For Teachers 8th
"My Job" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the job as a physical therapist including what is involved in the work. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story;...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My New President [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
"My New President" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about an African-American teen who learned about the government by working in Barack Obama's campaign office on Saturdays. It is followed by constructed-response questions...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My New President [Pdf]

For Teachers 8th
"My New President" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about an African-American teen who learned about the government by working in Barack Obama's campaign office on Saturdays. It is followed by constructed-response questions...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Painting [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
"My Painting" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a Russian immigrant student who is making a painting to show how she feels about her new homeland and the people here. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Painting [Pdf]

For Teachers 7th
"My Painting" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a Russian immigrant student who is making a painting to show how she feels about her new homeland and the people here. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: See Our Progress [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"See Our Progress" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about students planting a prairie garden in a vacant lot close to the school. TV reporters interviewed the students and took pictures of the garden for the news that evening....
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Challenge [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
"The Challenge" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy who is careless and loses or breaks things. When he broke his drum by using knives on it, his mother gave him a challenge to learn responsibility. It is followed by...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Different Bird [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
"The Different Bird" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a bird that is teases because he can't sing, but finds out he can talk. It's okay to be different. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Difficult Journey [Pdf]

For Teachers 8th
"The Difficult Journey" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the hardships of a family of early settlers moving West in a wagon train. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Election [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
"The Election" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the Republican Convention during which Abraham Lincoln was nominated for President. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The First Flag [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"The First Flag" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the making of the first American flag in time for the first Independence Day. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...