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The Similarities and Differences of Setting
Sixth graders identify components of the setting in science fiction text. In this compare and contrast settings activity, 6th graders read Only You Can Save Mankind and identify similarities and differences between science fiction text...
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Mysterious Plot Problems
Students explore the plot of mystery books. In this genre study lesson, students read the book, Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy and listen to a read aloud of a chapter from the text. Students fill in a graphic organizer that helps...
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Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery
Sixth graders identify clues to solve a mystery. In this details lesson, 6th graders read from Sammy Keyes and The Hollywood Mummy and consider key details or items that would provide a clue to solve the mystery. Students write their...
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Genre Lesson: Autobiography
Have your middle schoolers write a short story about themselves with an autobiography unit about Rosa Parks. They learn the difference between biographies and autobiographies, define the different types of autobiographies and determine...
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Pictures, Photographs, and Captions
"How do photographs contribute to an autobiography?" Laurence Yep's The Lost Garden provides learners with an opportunity to examine how photos and their captions contribute to and clarify events in a story. Class members use expressive...
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Textual Analysis Lesson: Taking Stock of the Stock Market
In this reading comprehension lesson, 6th graders read and analyze the novel, The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin. Students, after reading chapters 3-5, answer 8 reading comprehension questions about the stock market. Students add on to...
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Character's Motive
Create a list of possible suspects for a crime based upon each character's motivation. Middle schoolers discuss the motives of each main character in The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. This lesson is part of a larger unit on this novel.
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Science Fiction
Do your sixth graders like science fiction? Learn to identify elements of the science fiction genre with a literature lesson. They read from Only You Can Save Mankind and identify the objects, words, and characters from the scenarios....
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Predicting Events-Realistic Fiction
Start out with a general scenario to get your class warmed up. Have individuals guess what will happen next and then apply that skill to Maniac Magee. Provide guided practice and then break your class off into partners to fill out a...
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Mystery Plot Problems
Learners recognize that mysteries contain a problem that needs solving at the beginning of the book. In this mystery plot lesson, students become the detectives finding the problems and minor problems in a mystery story. Learners view...
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Red Herrings
Young scholars follow clues and find a hidden object that is really in plain sight. In this red herrings lesson plan, students recognize that some reading clues are misleading. Young scholars read Chasing Vermeer and search for...
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Lesson 3: Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery
In this reading comprehension lesson, 6th graders read the novel, The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin. Students practice exploring the process of drawing conclusions from details to solve a mystery. Students interact with a Clue Tracker...
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Using Plot Elements to Retell a Story
Sixth graders chart a story. In this plot elements activity students chart and then retell a story from the rising action until the resolution. Students use stories from the book America Street.
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Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery
Sixth graders find clues. In this mystery lesson students search for clues within Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett to solve the mystery in the story. Students record the details they find.
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Picture Talk
Students explain a picture or caption using events from a story. In this literacy instructional activity, students analyze a picture and make a connection to the text. Additionally, students share ideas about how pictures can form a...
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Character's Motive
Sixth graders determine a character's motive while reading a text. In this motive lesson, 6th graders discuss motivation and how that can impact a character's actions. Students read passages about suspects and try to solve a crime while...
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Compare and Contrast Passages
Combine two skills with the activities included here. Pupils not only practice determining the main idea of short passages, they also use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the main ideas of the different passages. Start out...
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Analyzing Plot Conflict
Students explore the connection between analyzing a character and the character plot conflict. In this plot conflict lesson plan students role play two characters in the story, The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Students also pretend to...
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Determine the Meaning of Unknown Words
Sixth graders explore the meanings of unknown words in science fiction. In this language arts lesson, 6th graders participate in a game of Balderdash and guess the meanings of given words. Students discuss how to use context clues to...
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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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Character's Motive: Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy
Sixth graders explore language arts by completing a reading comprehension worksheet. In this character study lesson, 6th graders read a crime story and investigate which character they belive committed the crime. Students complete a...
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Textual Analysis Lesson: Who Was Vermeer?
Apply the Textual Analysis process and answer questions about a text. Learners read Chasing Vermeer and "Who Was Vermeer?" They then use the textual analysis process to answer questions regarding what they read.
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Multiple Perspectives
Sixth graders watch and listen as teacher models how to contrast and compare perspectives in a story. In this language arts lesson, 6th graders engage in guided practice to compare and contrast perspectives in a selection titled "No...
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Narrative Poetry
Sixth graders explore narrative poetry. For this language arts lesson, 6th graders create a group story. Students discuss the characteristics of narrative poetry and use a story elements checklist to determine which poems are narrative...