Post-It notes, highlighting, underlining. Sam Anderson’s New York Times Magazine article, “What I Really Want Is Someone Rolling Around in the Text,” launches a study of “marginalia,” or writing thoughts in the margins of a text. After...

Students use their critical thinking skills to write about historical events. In this historical perspectives instructional activity, students read documents about historical events and make annotations and marginal notes. Students then...

Code red! Learners read an informational article about the Red Cross, discussing the gist of the text in small groups. On a three-column note catcher, pupils take notes to show how the Red Cross functions as a multinational aid...

Check out this detailed resource for some beginning of the year activities. After examining examples, class members uses the computer lab to create a personal brochure enhanced with clip art or photos to introduce themselves to the...

Sometimes it's hard to relate to a new text. Teach kids to use their prior knowledge when reading something new with a comprehension exercise. A short passage tells them how to think of their brains like filing systems, and provides five...

Students create tri-fold biographical brochures. Each of the sections of the brochure refers to either the past, present or future of the student. They use the back of the brochure to list ways to be successful in high school and reach...

Students read a story called Irwin's Death Draws Attention to Stingrays and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this stingray lesson plan, student respond to literature by answering questions, recalling details,...

Students create text that is aligned to the center of the page. They align images and blocks of text. They add specific spacing around images. They create text that is right justified.