Picture Perfect

Help your sixth graders know exactly what is expected of them when it comes to Common Core language standards. Distribute the checklist, which is written in kid-friendly "I can" language, to each child. While most of these standards are...

It is impossible to know whether one has reached a goal without first knowing the goal. Help your sixth graders reach all the Common Core writing standards by giving them a checklist written in language they will understand. As you teach...

Help your English language learners move toward conversing like native speakers. This document includes five easy sentence structure changes that make a big difference when speaking in English. Examples and explanations are included for...

Explore how photographs can represent a whole story to a viewer. Middle schoolers work on narrative writing techniques in this lesson, focusing on photographs from the New York Times to write first-person descriptive narratives....

How did modern language evolve over the course of history? Discover the roots of the English language, spoken by over three billion people in the world today, and explore how historical conquests and intercultural exchanges are...

Misplaced modifiers are a common grammar error, but can your learners identify when a modifier can interfere with a reader's understanding? Watch a short and entertaining video from Ted Ed that illustrates misplaced modifiers, as well as...

A passage from The Great Gatsby is used to launch a series of skill-building activities that can be used to introduce close reading strategies. Groups practice crafting text-dependent questions, theme statements, and conclusions, as...

Complex text can be a challenge for even good readers. Encourage your class members to develop the skills needed to tackle big reads with a series of activities based on a passage from "The Offshore Pirate." The second in a three-part...

Eighth graders discuss photojournalism and then compare present day to historical photographs. They discuss how photos capture daily life and historical events, compare historic photos to those seen today, then take and make a photo book...

What's going on in this picture? That's the question posed to viewers of a 40-image slide show of photos that accompanies stories from the New York Times. Without captions or context clues, individuals use their close readings skills and...