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Esperanza Rising - Anticipation Guide
Learn about Mexican culture while simultaneously strengthening reading, writing and computer skills. In order to get the most out of Esperanza Rising, pupils should have prior knowledge of Mexican culture. Therefore, there are links to a...
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Knights of the Round Table
As an exploration of the Knights of the Round Table, this activity helps students organize their information and check for understanding by using the comprehension questions. This packet would be a terrific supplement to a unit on this...
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10 Tips for Keeping All Readers Accountable
Keep middle and high school readers accountable and push all students toward success by showing interest in their reading and testing the strategies below.
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Dragonwings: Evaluate Chapters 10-12
As your class finishes the novel Dragonwings, use these culminating projects. A vocabulary list is given for chapters eleven and twelve and either an epitaph or letter activity concludes the book. The final project consists of creating a...
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To Kill a Mockingbird: Theme
So many themes are expertly woven through Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. On the first page, scholars will read five themes, selecting an incident and a quote to highlight that theme. On page two, they use chapters 29-31 to...
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Sequencing Chart
Take note of events in a story with this organizer. Learners write down the who, what, where, and when, writing down four events in the order that they occur.
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Understanding Fantasy
Explore fantasy as a genre. After working in small groups to identify literary elements in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, class members share their work and then use the presentations to help them prepare to write...
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Story Pyramid
In this story pyramid worksheet, students read a story and then fill in the blanks which will give the main idea of the story.  Students identify the main characters, describe the characters, setting, problem, and main events.  Eight...
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Write a Scene
In this write a scene instructional activity, students examine a snowy scene picture and then write about their ideas for the setting, characters, actions and events of the pictured scene.
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Story Outline
Students examine the qualities of a piece of writing. In this language arts lesson, students begin writing by following an outline for what goes into a story. Students illustrate their story when it is finished and share their stories...
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Focus on Genre
In this focus on genre worksheet, students describe the genre they are reading, types of characters, kinds of settings, and examples of other forms of the same genre.  Students answer five short answer questions.
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Creative Writing Idea Sheet
In this creative writing ideas worksheet, students create their own stories as they use the setting, character, and objects listed on the worksheet to fuel their ideas.
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Lesson One: How Change Affects Our Lives
Sixth graders discuss fears and how their lives change as they grow up. In this change lesson, 6th graders read the poem "Whatif" by Shel Silverstein. They discuss things they are afraid of or what they used to be afraid of. 
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Beginning, Middle, and End
First graders identify the beginning, middle, and ending of a story and describe the plot, setting, and the characters.  As a class they read a picture story and identify the beginning, middle, and end.  Students then draw a picture of...
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Through the Forest and Home Again: Maps Help Us Find Our Ways
Students read Little Red Riding Hood, focusing on her path home to Grandma's house. In this language arts and geography lesson, students perform a reader's theater, re-creating the walk home and possible routes that could have been...
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Point of View and Mentor Relationships
Tenth graders  analyze the role of mentors, point of view, and prejudice using the texts of To Kill a Mockingbird and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. For this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders review Scout's...
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Focus on Figurative Language in Prose and Poetry
Students place emphasis on the use of figurative language when analyzing prose and poetry. In this figurative language lesson, students explore the tone of a story and its imagery. Students read and discuss how the author uses imagery in...
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Families and Neighborhoods
Students build their own neighborhood. In this lesson on community, students are introduced to books about families and neighborhoods. As a class, the students create their own neighborhood, elect a leader for their neighborhood and...
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Word Choice: Lose and Loose
For this word choice worksheet, students fill in blanks in a set of 20 sentences with the appropriate choice: lose or loose. Online version link available.
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Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions
Second graders make several inferences based on the reading of Shel Silverstein poems. They write their own poetry and complete an assessment in which they differentiate between sentences that are stated or inferred.
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History/Mystery: Regionalism and Ethnicity in the American Detective Novel
Students use mystery novels to focus on the history and ethnicity of different regions of the United States.  As a class, they are introduced to the elements of a mystery and compare them to the other types of novels they have read.  In...
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Story Pyramid and Summary
Students read a short selection of a story individually or as a class.  On their own, they create a story pyramid for the selection and write a one page summary. They use text from the story for their supporting details.  To end the...
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Exploring Prejudice and Text-to-Text Relationships
Tenth graders use the novel To Kill a Mockingbird to analyze relationships in society. In this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders participate in a shoe activity where they bring in one shoe belonging to someone they know and a...
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A Second Visit To Old Sturbridge Village-The Story Tour
Students conduct research on 1830s families and early New England culture. They conduct research on the Old Sturbridge Village website, participate in an online chat with a costumed interpreter, and continue to develop possible plots to...