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Map Out the Important Stuff!
Students practice summarization by creating a story map. Students listen to a read aloud by the teacher, after which the class creates a storymap of the major events in the story. They read a passage from the Indian in the Cupboard...
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What's So Important?
Students work to develop comprehension strategies. They focus on the five 'w' questions for summarizing: who, what, when, where, and why? Through modeling and guided practice, they apply these questions to summarize several passages in...
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Picture This!
Students practice visualizing images as they read text to help improve their comprehension skills. The teacher models a visualizing technique, and the passes out two poems for the students to read silently. The class creates a Venn...
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Can you Summarize?
Students write summaries of non-fiction articles in this instructional activity. They read the article silently and then pick out the main points. Students list the main events as a whole class activity, and then they individually...
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The Spotted Owl
Second graders explore using nonfiction text to gain information. Working in pairs, 2nd graders read an article about the spotted owl. Each group identifies the main idea and supporting details of their text and use this information to...
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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Students read "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". They apply what they discovered about plot summary to the beginning of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". They draw a plot summary sketch and label the introduction and rising...
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Remembering the First
Students examine words and phrases associated with World War I as an introduction the era. They explore the legacy of World War I by reading and discussing "The War to End All Wars If Only." Students write obituries for fallen World...
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Resilient Poetry
Students read The Seven Resiliencies, a Maya Angelou poem, and complete writing activities to analyze the concept of resiliency. In this poetry lesson, students group in a circle to read the resiliency handout and discuss the text....
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The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs
First graders compare fictional and real pigs. In this pig comparison lesson, 1st graders read a fiction text then a non-fiction text on pigs. Students complete a K-W-L chart and fill out a Venn Diagram.
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The Deeds Of Paul Bunyan
Third graders explore the role of real and mythical heroes in shaping the culture of communities, the state, and the nation. They read, Paul Bunyan Tall Tale Trail. They use Microsoft Word to document the heroic contributions of Paul...
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Personality Poems
Students create a bio-poem for themselves or characters in stories they have read. They explore common character traits.
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Whodunit? Creating Mysterious Plays
Students examine mystery plays by reading a number of five-minute mysteries. They write and perform their own plays.
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One Pager
Students read the novel, Freak the Mighty and describe and illustrate the setting. They create a graphic organizer that demonstrates the major plot elements and character development.
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Map the Mystery!
Seventh graders read the novel, "The House of Dies Drear", and create a story map to analyze the plot and recall events.
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Students comprehend written text by teaching them how to think about the events in a story as they read. They make storyboards of their own. They need to make sure they put the events on the storyboard in the proper order.
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Night by Elie Weisel
Students read "No News from Auschwitz" and answer the study questions as an introduction to the novel. They record reactions to the essay and compare with reactions after reading "Night".