Develop concepts on how to change your improving wordsmiths' writing from blah to wow with the activities and ideas in this resource. The instructor provides the class with examples of writing that lacks detail and precision, and then...

Does your ELA class need some practice with the specific skills outlined in the Common Core standards? Then this is the perfect resource for you! One in a series of connected lessons that cover the standards for reading literature,...

How much do your pupils really know about the revolution in Tunisia? In order to inform your class and spark discussion, first create a country profile, comparing and contrasting Tunisia with the United States. Learners then analyze the...

It isn't always easy to tell another person how we feel; and little ones have an even more difficult time identifying and expressing their emotions. They get a chance to discuss and explore how they can express how they feel in different...

Get your writers ready to compose a constructed response essay in response to either an informational or fictional text. Pupils note down the big idea they wish to address as well as up to nine examples from the text that they wish to...

Model for young readers how to recognize definition clues and how to use these clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Then distribute this worksheet that offers them an opportunity to practice recognizing the clues and...

If you're teaching point of view, this is the instructional activity for you! First, decipher the writer's point of view from a primary resource, then compare and contrast the primary source with a secondary source to explore the...

Compare and contrast reading passages with the ever favorite story of Cinderella. The versions in focus include an Italian version and a Native American story followed by three questions designed to share similarities and...

Is there such a thing as fate/luck? Can one fight destiny? As part of their study of Chinua Achebe's purpose in writing Things Fall Apart, class members answer these questions from Achebe's point of view and then from William...

Does jet lag affect a baseball team's performance in games? Read about how a baseball team's chance of winning a game can be affected by traveling over one, two, and three time zones. Readers then respond to five short answer questions...

Full truth, or an exaggeration? How can you tell when a storyteller is exaggerating a story? Readers analyze a story told by Hortensia, and identify the exaggerative language she uses. Then, learners write their own narrative story using...

The Bill of Rights is a foundational document of American democracy, much like the Nuremberg Laws were a foundational document of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany. But that's where their similarities end. Engage high schoolers in a...

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...

How many pairs of Nikes® or Apple® products are in the average American home? What makes someone buy one particular type of laundry detergent over another? Scholars grapple with these questions as they develop a list of brands they use...

The Boston Massacre may be an iconic event in American history, but perhaps the British soldiers had another point of view. Using primary sources, including reports from Boston newspapers and secondary sources from the British...

Read like a writer. Scholars read a model literary analysis in preparation for a similar writing assignment before annotating each paragraph for the gist. Next, pupils devise a list of qualities of a strong literary analysis essay. 

In this word usage instructional activity, students read several word pairs of words that sound and are spelled similarly. Students then place the correct word to complete the sentence. Parents or guardians must sign the instructional...

Third graders practice predicting. In this prediction lesson, 3rd graders read a worksheet and they predict where 15 words will fit into the story. After they read the story, they discuss the similarities and differences between their...

First graders create a venn diagram with two folktales. In this folktale lesson, 1st graders read Cinderella and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe. They find the similarities and differences and chart these on a venn...

First graders explore the concept of multiple viewpoints. In this perspective instructional activity, 1st graders discuss the differences and similarities found within different cultures. Students then write a narrative about how...

Learners interview each other to find similarities and differences with their partner. They create a Venn diagram that displays their findings and then using hula hoops as a large scale model present their Venn diagram to the class as a...

First graders discuss the difference between old toys and new toys. In this toys lesson plan, 1st graders bring their teddy bears to school and determine which is oldest and which is newest. They then discuss how a curator at a museum...

Students explore Greek mythology. For this ancient culture and introduction to The Odyssey literacy lesson, students complete a worksheet accessing their prior knowledge about Greek mythology. Students listen to a passage about the...

Fourth graders investigate women's roles during the frontier era in what is today's West Virginia. In this US history lesson, 4th graders discuss similarities and differences of women's roles in the past with what women's roles...