For the Teachers
Cause and Effect Matrix
Study cause and effect in both literature and informational text with a instructional activity designed for several different reading levels. After kids review the concept of cause and effect, they read an article or story and note the...
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Strategies for Determining the Meaning of a Word
What does that word mean? I can sound it out, but it just doesn't make sense. Teach your class a sure fire strategy to combat those pesky unknown words. You'll introduce the concept of context clues through metacognitive modeling,...
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"As You Like It" by William Shakespeare
Jacque's soliloquy from Act II, scene ii of As You Like It sets the stage for a close reading exercise that models how to approach difficult, dense text and enables readers to practice reading comprehension and analysis...
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Reading the newspaper
Students read articles related to local, state, national, and world events using word maps.
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Reading And Responding: Lesson 15 Nonfiction
Eighth graders examine a nonfiction selection in a teacher led lesson plan. They examine the author's purpose for writing the selection and identify the difference between fact and opinion. The compare and contrast expository and...
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Artifacts 2: Artifacts in Context
Students explore world history by completing artifact worksheets. In this archaeology lesson, students identify the importance of finding clues when researching historical information by utilizing artifacts. Students research the...
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Wordless Picture Books
Students use wordless picture books to examine elements regarding a story, the plot, and characters. In this wordless picture books lesson, students select a book to creatively discuss. Students then listen to the teacher read the story...
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It's Oobleck
Second graders listen to the story, "Bartholomew and the Oobleck," and list the information they learned about Oobleck in order to construct a meaning for Oobleck.
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Flat Stanley Guided Reading
Second graders listen to their teacher read the book, "Flat Stanley". They relate the activities in the book to activities in their own life. They can also create their own pictures of Stanley.
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Reading for Comprehension on the GED
Students preparing for the GED test practice the components of reading for comprehension. Students complete a practice test activity and use a calculator to score the practice test.
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Vocabulary Lesson (Color Words) Using Various Books by Eric Carle and Internet Sites
Students investigate color words. In this vocabulary, high frequency words, and technology lesson, students visit various websites to practice reading color words. Students listen to Eric Carle books and observe the illustrations,...
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Introducing Synonyms to Early Writers
Upper elementary schoolers examine the concept of synonyms and how using a variety of vocabulary through synonyms can expand their writing skills. They revise a paragraph using synonyms located on the Visual Thesaurus and participate in...
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Word Structure
Students infer the meanings of unfamiliar words using context clues and knowledge of prefixes and suffixes. They identify vocabulary words as nouns or adjectives using context clues and suffixes. In addition, they decide the meaning of a...
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Wrapping It Up
Class members develop their own glossaries for unfamiliar words in each chapter in Elizabeth George Speare’s The Sign of the Beaver. After recording the word, the page number on which the word appears, and its part of speech, they...
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Spanish 2 Fluxx En Espanol
Ninth graders investigate the mastering of Spanish while playing the card game of Fluxx. They follow directions in the target language, maintain a conversation, and solve problems using Spanish. Students use context clues while reading...
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Spelling and Reading
Students use their spelling words for the week to solve analogies. In groups, they work together to place the correct word in the correct place in a sentence. They also read a paragraph and determine the meaning of the word using...
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Jargon
Eighth graders investigate the concept of jargon and how it is used in different contexts in relation to the study of vocabulary. They practice interpreting jargon by concentrating on the comprehension strategy of using context clues.
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Super Dollar Special
Students read the Super Dollar Special. In this advertisement lesson, students read an article consider placing an advertisement in the newspaper. They work on summarizing what they've read and using context clues.
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Lesson 5: Red Herrings
A red herring isn't just a fish! Identify the clues that an author makes in a book to mislead the reader and make predictions accordingly. Have your class discuss how it feels to be tricked as a reader and about making wrong predictions....
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Mesmerizing Multiple Meaning Riddles
Students write and illustrate riddles using context clues to define multiple meaning words that they compile into a book. They read the book, Miss Nelson Has a Field Day, and observe the many different multiple meaning words...
National Park Service
A Tale of Two Men
Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores were both born in 1858, and both came to the Dakota territory in 1883, but they influenced the developing country of America in different ways. Elementary and middle schoolers apply written and...
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Introduce Vocabulary: A Taste of Honey (Wallace)
A Taste of Honey offers learners a chance to practice with unknown words and context clues. Choose several vocabulary words to focus on as you read the picture book, or use the ones provided here. Pre-teach the words and have...
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Shhh! Be Quiet
Teach the digraph sh with your learners. First, model the sound the digraph makes. Then, have learners spell a variety of words that use the target sound. Finally, read Shoe Man, where learners can hear the words in context.