National Council of Teachers of English
Writing Acrostic Poems with Thematically Related Texts in the Content Areas
Scholars scour thematically aligned texts to gather a bank of words they can use in an original acrostic poem.
Curated OER
Poetry Comprehension: Alfred Noyes' "The Highwayman"
Eight questions regarding Alfred Noyes' poem "The Highwayman" assess comprehension; readers infer, recall details, summarize, draw conclusions, compare and contrast, and respond to literature. A clean, useful resource if this poem is on...
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Paradox (English III Reading)
Pairs of contradictory words introduce learners to paradoxes, the literary device writers use to get readers thinking deeply about their messages. An interactive lesson uses poems by Emily Dickinson and Wilfred Owen and excerpts from the...
Odell Education
Reading Closely for Textual Details: Grades 9-10
Pay close attention! After finding details in a picture, scholars begin to find details in videos and text. They work together in groups, discuss in pairs, and carry out independent reading to answer guiding questions. Organizers, tools,...
K12 Reader
The Pet Gets Wet
Get those -et words down with a quick exercise. Class members read a short poem that includes quite a few -et words and then answer three reading comprehension questions.
K12 Reader
Ride a Broom to the Moon
Your class can practice words that contain the long oo sound. Cool! Learners read a short poem that includes many examples of the oo digraph and then respond to three reading comprehension questions.
K12 Reader
She Needs Less Shell
Supply your pupils with some practice of the short /e/ sound. They read brief poem that includes several examples of words that include this sound. Once they are finished reading, class members respond to three reading comprehension...
K12 Reader
My Sled is Red
Celebrate the snow with a quick exercise featuring a short poem about a sled. Learners practice -ed words and answer three included reading comprehension questions.
K12 Reader
He Bit the Pit
Move toward mastering the -it words with a brief exercise. Class members read a short poem that includes many -it words and then respond to three included reading comprehension questions.
K12 Reader
The Duck is Stuck
What luck! You've just found a resource that focuses on -uck words. It includes a short poem for kids to read that includes quite a few -uck words as well as three reading comprehension questions.
K12 Reader
Who Fell into the Well?
Read this short poem to reinforce understanding of -ell words, like fell and well. Learners also respond to three reading comprehension questions, which are include right on the page.
National Endowment for the Humanities
“House by the Railroad”: A Painting and a Poem for the Common Core
Introduce your class to ekphrastic poetry with an exercise that asks them to examine Edward Hooper's painting House by the Railroad and Edward Hirsch's poem "Edward Hopper and the House By the Railroad." After a close reading of the two...
National Humanities Center
Teaching Emily Dickinson: A Common Core Close Reading Seminar
Three of Emily Dickinson's poems, "I like to see it," "Because I could not stop for Death," and "We grow accustomed to the Dark," provide instructors with an opportunity to model for class members how to use close reading strategies to...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Weather
A reading adventure pack, featuring a fiction and nonfiction book focuses on the weather. Scholars read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett and Seymour Simon and then complete three creative activities. Participants craft...
Academy of American Poets
On "El Florida Room" by Richard Blanco
Scholars of all ages examine Richard Blanco's poem, "El Florida Room." Looking closely at pictures, pupils look for details that stand out to them, then read the poem. A whole-class discussion allows learners to reflect on what they...
K12 Reader
The Spy Will Try Not to Cry
Learn all about the exploits of a sly spy from the short poem included on this resource. The poem, intended to provide practice with long /i/ words that use the letter y, is paired with three reading comprehension questions for pupils to...
K12 Reader
The Coat Got Soaked on the Boat
This silly story of a family, their pet goat, a coat, and boat will capture your pupils' attention as they work on the long /o/ sound, the oa digraph, and reading comprehension.
Read Works
A Bird Came Down the Walk
"A Bird Came Down the Walk" by Emily Dickinson is the focus text of a narrative poetry-based reading comprehension worksheet. After reading her poem, young readers respond to seven multiple choice and three short answer questions. The...
Lakeshore Learning
Presidents' Day Poem
What a great way to combine English language arts with your celebration of Presidents' Day! Youngsters are guided through the reading of a poem sung to the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on the jobs of the president of the United States,...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: “Home” by Bruce Weigl
A poetry lesson takes a close look at home. Scholars discuss with partners what they are most grateful for at their homes. A timelapse video showcases potato tubers growing. While watching, pupils write down what they notice. Learners...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Heroes
Three creative activities follow reading a fiction and nonfiction book about heroes. Scholars build hero action figures out of clay for make-believe play, explain in written form how they show bravery, kindness, patience, thoughtfulness,...
Curated OER
The Pearl: Found Poem
It's hard to beat the beauty of John Steinbeck's prose, so borrow a little of it to form your own found poetry. After kids finish Chapter One of The Pearl, they select the most evocative and vivid words to create found poems.
New York State Education Department
Comprehensive English Examination: June 2015
Heroes rise from adversity. That theme forms the focus of the critical lens essay in a sample comprehensive English examination. The exam, which is part of a larger series of sample standardized tests, also includes two short response...
New York State Education Department
English Language Arts Examination: June 2016
The English Language Arts Examination handout contains a variety of multiple-choice questions to assess reading comprehension, in addition to a source-based argument essay and text-analysis response prompts.