Curated OER
Briefly Noted: Practicing Useful Annotation Strategies
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...
Curated OER
Note-Taking Skills
Students take a closer look at their note-taking skills. In this communication lesson, students summarize information by taking notes using the various methods that their instructor presents to them.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
From Ben’s Pen to Our Lives
What would Ben do? Jumping off from the pseudonymous letters Ben Franklin fooled his older brother into publishing when he was still a teenager, young literary lovers dive into acting, writing, and addressing a local issue with wit and...
Curated OER
James and the Giant Peach Character Study
Every book has a few great characters, but James and the Giant Peach is the only one whose characters travel in a piece of fruit. The class creates T-charts for the main characters of the novel, while reading the book. They write actions...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Vietnam as a “Battleground in a Larger Struggle”
Read. Stop. Think. Scholars use a reading strategy to process the challenging text, "The Vietnam Wars." They read a paragraph and then stop to think about the text and its meaning. Readers then go on to work with partners and make notes...
EngageNY
Analyzing Text Structure: “Teen Slang: What’s, Like, So Wrong with Like?”
What did you say? Class members read Teen Slang: What’s, Like, So Wrong with Like and make notes in the margin to determine the gist. They then analyze the text to identify claims made and the evidence to support the claims....
Curated OER
Putting it all Together
Young scholars take notes and summarize information. In this communication lesson, students summarize information by taking notes using the various methods that their instructor presents to them.
Curated OER
Kalsu, Tillman Define Heroism
In this article analysis worksheet, students read an article titled "Kalsu, Tillman Define Heroism," take notes on the article, define 2 words from the article, and write summaries of the article.
Curated OER
Opinion Poll-arities
Learners explore the mathematics behind opinion polls, as well as provides a framework for interpreting trends in opinion poll graphics.
EngageNY
Researching about the Red Cross, Continued: Who Is the Red Cross and What Does This Multinational Organization Do?
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...
Eastland FFA
Grapes of Wrath Movie Questions
John Ford's 1940 film version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath is the subject of a 23-question worksheet designed to accompany a viewing of the film. The questions not only focus viewers on events, but also ask them to make...
Curated OER
The Witch of Goingsnake
Students listen to The Ballad of Ira Hayes and write paragraphs about his character. In this The Witch of Goingsnake lesson, students read the verses and chorus of the ballad aloud and make notes about Ira Hayes. Students write a...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: The Internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, Part 2
Scholars learn about primary sources with a Primary Sources: Japanese-American Internment during World War II packet. Pupils work with a partner to read challenging sources in the packet while making notes in the margins. They then...
EngageNY
Reading for Gist and Answering Text-Dependent Questions: Industrial Food Chain
Where do humans fall on the food chain? Scholars read about the Industrial Food Chain in The Omnivore’s Dilemma sections. They use word catchers to record unfamiliar words as they read and place sticky notes in the margins to annotate...
Curated OER
Texas Kid Writes Book About Presidents
Arranged into small groups, learners read a paragraph of the news story "Texas Kid Writes Book About Presidents." As one reads, others mark the text (underlining important information and writing notes in the margin of the story). After...
Student Achievement Partners
"The Glorious Whitewasher" from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain with Mini-Assessment
It's the classic scene: Tom Sawyer is whitewashing a fence. Expose your learners to Mark Twain's humor while reinforcing reading comprehension. Eighth graders are encouraged to read and reread, achieving as much exposure to the text...
University of North Carolina
Getting Feedback
As many writers know, you are your own worst editor. The 10th installment in the Writing the Paper series explains that getting feedback from others is crucial to the writing process. The handout highlights the best time to ask others to...
Facing History and Ourselves
Literature Circles: Preparing for Literature Circles through a Fishbowl Discussion
Young scholars examine the attributes of productive conversations. For this fishbowl discussion lesson, students observe a modeled discussion of a literature circle. Young scholars watch a discussion of "The Bear That Wasn't" and note...
Curated OER
Instill Inherent Reading Strategies
Marking the text can help transform novice readers into experts and enrich the reading experience
Curated OER
APA Format and Citation
What is APA format, and how is it different from MLA format? Dive into the world of APA, investigate how to properly cite resources in-text, and look at a reference list of sources. Intended for higher education, not all of the...
Curated OER
Unit V: Worksheet 1 - Constant Force
In a force diagram, a stick figure man in an elevator takes a ride. Physics analysts work out the force exerted on him by the elevator floor. As the acceleration changes, they draw new force diagrams and compute new force values. This...
Curated OER
Story Totems
Students write and illustrate a story to describe the habitat and life cycle of a selected animal. They write and publish their story, and create a picture of the animal on a wooden board.
Curated OER
A Great Beginning
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...
Curated OER
Astronauts Build Space Station Addition
Young scholars read a story called Astronauts Finish Building Space Station Addition and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this space station lesson plan, students respond to literature by answering questions,...