Scholars continue reading the Greek myth "Pyramus and Thisbe," analyzing why it was written into Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next, they complete a Venn diagram to compare the two texts.

Calling all researchers! Using the resource, scholars continue conducting independent Internet research about a chosen research question. As they browse the web in search of articles to answer their questions, pupils paraphrase their...

Is progress progressing too fast? So believes the Lorax, the eponymous character from Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. Young environmental science students read the book and debate the arguments of the Lorax and the Once-ler regarding the...

Find the central idea in an excerpt from Karen Russell's "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" with a literary analysis lesson. As your class analyzes a section of the story, they determine how the author forms the central idea...

Why is Romeo and Juliet considered a tragedy? Class members conclude their reading of the play, focusing on the final lines of Act 5, scene 3. They also consider how Shakespeare structures the text, orders events, and manipulates time to...

The concept of sight, whether it's a lack of sight or abundant sight of the future, plays a vital role in Sophocle's Oedipus the King. Develop your ninth graders' literary vision with a lesson that connects the prophecy of Teiresias to...

Having formulated a list of inquiry questions based on a reading of Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation, high schoolers complete a frame tool for their research. They categorize their questions based on preliminary research and trace...

Class members read the chapter, "Serfs and Sweetness" from Sugar Changed the World, and identify the central idea that the development of beet sugar and modern farming technology changed the reliance on the plantation system and made...

As first-year students continue to investigate how sugar changed the world, the focus shifts to a consideration of why people with limited job options take on dangerous or subjugating work. Class members read an opinion piece by Nicholas...

In "How We Researched and Wrote this Book," the final essay in Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science, authors Aronson and Budhos discuss their research methods and purpose in writing the text....

Anna McMullen's opinion piece "Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Who Really Pays for our Cheap Clothes?" offers readers another opportunity to examine how writers craft and support their arguments. After reading McMullen's article, class...

Scholars read the final paragraphs written by Martin Luther King Jr. in "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Readers work in groups to discuss King's word choice and point of view by completing graphic organizers. They also respond to a...

Great minds think alike. Scholars read two texts and compare how the authors develop the same central idea. Readers analyze "Women" by Alice Walker and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. They discuss word use and new...

Scholars examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and analyze the ideas in the preamble. Readers define new vocabulary words, listen to a Masterful Reading, answer questions in pairs, participate in a jigsaw discussion, and...

Let children be children. Scholars read in a speech by Malala Yousafzai how childhood is absent as children are forced to work and get married at a young age. Learners analyze part of the speech and discuss it in groups. After sharing...

I know exactly how you feel. That may be a statement between Henrietta Lacks and John Moore. Scholars read John Moore's story and compare his story of cell use to that of Henrietta. Learners record in a vocabulary journal, analyze...

Have you had a change of heart? Scholars consider whether their views change after gaining new information about tissue ownership. They read John Moore's court hearings and respond to a quick write prompt, noting if the new information...

How do complex characters develop throughout a text? Pupils read Act 5.1 from Shakespeare's Macbeth, which depicts Lady Macbeth's descent into madness. Using discussion and writing exercises, scholars analyze how Shakespeare develops...

How does the comparison of Hamlet to Fortinbras develop Hamlet's character? Scholars complete a Quick Write to answer the question. They also continue their exploration of Shakespeare's Hamlet, reading and discussing Act 4.4.

Using the resource, scholars read Act 3.3 of Shakespeare's Hamlet. They analyze two soliloquies and discuss how Shakespeare develops the characters.

How do Ophelia's interactions with Hamlet help develop her character? Pupils continue reading Act 3.1 from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Using writing and discussion, scholars analyze the dialogue between Hamlet and Ophelia, paying particular...

How can an author's decisions impact a text? Using an insightful resource, scholars begin their study of Hamlet by reading Act 1.1. They explore the language, characters, and setting in small groups. Upon finishing group work, pupils...

What impact does word choice have on character development? Using the resource, scholars read Act 3.1 from Shakespeare's Hamlet, focusing on the development of Ophelia's character. They also complete a Quick Write to analyze the meaning...

Fourth graders work independently or in a small group to (1) read a fictional passage, (2) use context clues to define unfamiliar vocabulary, (3) use comprehension strategies, and (4) make inferences. Reading passages and comprehension...