"Seasons on the Prairie/Questions" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the different seasons in the prairie. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining...

Story Maps are used for teaching students to work with story structure for better comprehension. This technique uses visual representations to help students organize important elements of a story. Students learn to summarize the main...

Fun, illustrated trip through the story of Perseus from Greek mythology well suited for younger audiences. Each page summarizes part of the story along with a very eye-catching, animated illustration.

StoryCorps is a national oral history project that records and preserves stories of people around the country. Select recordings are broadcast weekly on NPR, with an archive of stories available for playback at the StoryCorps online...

To understand a text, you must understand the central idea of the story. Learn how to recognize the central idea and supporting details with this article. Click the links at bottom right.

PBS collects and summarizes the stories of the freedom riders, who, in 1961, challenged segregation in the American South. Includes video clips from the documentary, interactive timeline of key locations and events, biographical...

"Early Chicago Environment & People" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the Native Americans who lived in what is now Chicago. It explains how they lived and how Chicago got its name. It is followed by constructed-response...

"Early Chicago Environment and People" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the early Native Americans who settled in what is now Chicago. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...

"Prairie Keepers" is a one-page, nonfiction passage about how the prairie was saved from total destruction and the efforts of the Department of Agriculture to rebuild the prairie. It is followed by questions which require students to...

"What is a Fable?" is a one page, nonfiction passage about what a fable is including animals that talk and a lesson learned. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes...

"Public Transportation" is a one page, nonfiction passage about public transportation in Chicago helps people get where they want to go and provides jobs for many people. It is followed by questions which requires students to provide...

"Read to Learn about City Systems" is a one page, nonfiction passage about government systems and workers that keep people safe including police officers, food inspectors, and water and sewer system workers. It is followed by an...

"Read to Learn about Elections" is a one page, nonfiction passage about government systems and workers that keep people safe including police officers, food inspectors, and water and sewer workers. It is followed by an open-ended...

"Learn about Physical Therapists" is a one page, nonfiction passage about what it takes to be a physical therapist. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes underlining the most...

"Transportation Workers" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the various jobs of transportation workers. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes determining the main...

"Prairie Keepers" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the history of prairies and the Department of Agriculture's efforts to restore the prairie. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story;...

In this lesson, we will read and understand the story "Through My Eyes" by Ruby Bridges. We will then compare and contrast this first-hand account with the secondhand account of "The Story of Ruby Bridges" by Robert Cole. A video...

Fun, illustrated trip through the story of "Jason and the Argonauts." Well-suited for younger audiences. Each page summarizes a part of the story along with a very eye-catching illustration.

Who is Gerald Ford? Learn about the 37th President of the United States through his own words. In this speech he gave in 1996, he summarizes his political beliefs, his battles, his failures, and his accomplishments. Contains humorous and...

At this website from the Nobel eMuseum, you can read a biography of Rudyard Kipling, which summarizes Kipling's life, education, and published works. In additon, the Presentation Speech given by C.D. af Wirsen provides a detailed...

Fun, illustrated trip through the story of the Odyssey well suited for younger audiences. Each book of the Odyssey is summarized on a page along with a very eye-catching illustration.

Teaching students to read well in areas other than language arts requires teaching and reinforcing the kinds of reading strategies taught here. There are 27 strategies, ranging from brainstorming to word mapping. The site includes PDF...

"A New Park" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about how a school in need of a playground got a city park instead. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...

In this lesson, the teacher reads a story aloud and students work with a partner to retell the story using sentence starters. Includes downloadable poster.