Class members discuss the gist of chapter four of A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park with a partner and share their responses with the class. Next, they complete graphic organizers to answer text-dependent questions based on a close...

That was a good talk. Scholars learn about how to conduct a good discussion. They use chart paper and markers to record and discuss  expectations for members when working in a group. They then take a look at vocabulary...

There would be no luck if it were not for bad luck. Scholars take a close look at the theme of adversity through multiple reads of Taggot, the Blacksmith’s Daughter. They place sticky notes on important details of the story and complete...

It is just a figure of speech. Readers look for figurative language as they read Taggot, the Blacksmith’s Daughter. They complete a Figurative Language graphic organizer by recording and identifying the types of figurative...

The Battle of Fort Sumter was both the first and the least deadly battle of the American Civil War, with no soldiers lost during the lengthy bombardment. Learn more about the first shots of the Civil War with a short reading passage and...

Scholars participate in a Write-Pair-Share activity while answering questions about the meaning of words in "Wet and Crying." They use their Write-Pair-Share note-catchers to guide their thoughts and then share with the class. After...

Groups or pairs choose ordinary objects from a bag and rename them based on traits, so that a stapler becomes a "paper cobra." Then they connect this exercise to the way authors use language to emphasize certain traits through word...

Are you looking for word problems to fit into your Common Core math lesson? Use this resource to assess your third graders' problem-solving skills. They read 14 word problems involving multiplication and division, and write the answers...

Words matter, particularly in academic writing. Issues such as vague language, wordiness, and cliches make it difficult to get a point across. Part of a larger series to improve writing skills, the handout on word choice shows writers...

Why is reading a text closely a helpful skill? Using the 13th of 20 lessons from the Grade 8 ELA Module 1, Unit 2 series, scholars continue reading the informational text "Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison." They work with...

Readers have the opportunity to bring the words from an excerpt of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to life. They use strategies from the Storyteller’s Toolbox anchor chart as a guide and then work in pairs to prepare...

Make a match! Scholars play a matching game after looking at excerpt five from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Learners match types of figurative language with example sentences, and add to their powerful language word wall...

Take inventory. Scholars analyze pages 28-31 of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World and use a note catcher to model how Meg Lowman took inventory of the species in the rainforest. Learners then take a close look at the vocabulary...

How well can your third graders interpret data from a chart? Use this straightforward worksheet to reinforce problem-solving skills. After reading a school schedule, pupils answer ten questions about the information in the chart. A great...

Thanksgiving doesn't occur only once a year for the Haudenosaunee. Weave an instructional activity about reading closely with an inspiring message about eternal gratitude for all of the elements of creation into a unit on Native American...

Time for a good old fashioned match game! Readers complete an initial, second, and third read of Plantation Life to gain a deep understanding. After close reading the text, scholars practice identifying paraphrasing by...

Cheater! Scholars create independent reading cheat sheets to help others learn about a book. They rate the book, list quotes, and describe how they connected to the text. Readers share their cheat sheets with others and conduct a gallery...

This is an excellent way to make onset and rime visual for beginning readers. They examine CVC-word picture cards that are all missing the first letter. Using plastic letters (or whatever you have), they complete each word and record it...

Individually, words have power, but when added together, they can take on a whole other level of meaning. Readers learn about compound words in the 10th of 17 lessons of the Word Recognition and Fluency series. A script provides guidance...

A reading activity boosts scholars' level of fluency while reading connected text. Working collaboratively, pairs read a word list three times and a specific text while their partner gauges their accuracy and speed.

Learning to read can be exhilarating for some pupils, but for others, it's difficult to get past the frustration of not knowing how to read a particular word. A tutoring resource provides several ways to guide class members into...

Understanding different verb tenses begins with knowing how to decode words. A instructional activity on the -ed suffix with unchanging base words introduces readers to the past tense. Teachers present the skill with oral reading and...

Work on the fundamentals with your little learners. A packet that focuses on four sight words (not, make, funny, and am) guides kids through reading activities such as matching, tracing, and word recognition.