Read Works
Read Works: Alyssa Wears a Bow Tie
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage is a fictional narrative about a girl who chooses to show her creativity by wearing a bow tie on the first day of school. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces...
Read Works
Read Works: Shoot and Score!
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about a big sister teaching her little sister to play soccer. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: It's Opening Day
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about a boy named Matthew and his experience at opening day with his favorite baseball team. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: A Host of Heroes
What can some of literature's most famous heroes teach us? From the epic hero to the tragic hero, each has something distinctive to share. April Gudenrath describes the many faces of the fictional hero--and shows how they can inspire...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Seeking a Hidden Hive
A learning module that begins with "Seeking a Hidden Hive" by Jocelyn Rish, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher...
Other
Los Siete Poderes
Delve into 14 chapters of the captivating story of the "Seven Powers," and see how it all ends in the final combat. This site was created with the reader in mind because of its excellent font selection.
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen
A learning module that begins with "The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Joseph Jacobs
A learning module that begins with "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Joseph Jacobs, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Home
A learning module that begins with "Home" by Gwendolyn Brooks, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and student...
CommonLit
Common Lit: The Two Brothers
A learning module that begins with "The Two Brothers" by Leo Tolstoy, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: The Challenge
A learning module that begins with the "The Challenge" by Gary Soto, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Names/nombres
A learning module that begins with the "Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Seventh Grade
A learning module that begins with the "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and...
CommonLit
Common Lit: The Drive in Movies
A learning module that begins with the "The Drive-In Movies" by Gary Soto, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher...
Other
Writing World: Four Ways to Bring Settings to Life
A great resource outlining four major ways to make settings appear more real and genuine in fiction. Deals with themes such as motion, experience, mood, and the senses. W.11-12.3d Sensory/precise lang narratives
Immigration and Ethnic History Society
Iehs: Evan Turiano, Teaching Fiction in Immigration History
This article focuses on using fiction to teach immigration history. Including fiction like Atticus Lish's 2015 novel, "Preparation for the Next Life" can meaningfully enrich a history seminar. A critical analysis of the novel introduces...
Read Works
Read Works: 3rd Grade Lesson: Realistic Fiction
[Free Registration/Login Required] A lesson in which students use the book Allie's Basketball Dream by Barbara E. Barber to learn about the characteristics that define realistic fiction. Lesson includes direct teaching, guided practice,...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Arriving at Emerald City" From "The Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum
In this excerpt from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Dorothy and her friends arrive at the Emerald City. A specific purpose for reading and vocabulary notes are provided. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and answers, an...
Eserver
E Server: Short Fiction
A diverse group of writers, subjects, and eras is represented here. All references cited are often anthologized and studied in English classes.
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Hearts and Hands" by O. Henry
A learning module that begins with "Hearts and Hands" by O. Henry accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and...
Other
Fiction Factor: The Importance of Setting
An interesting article concerning the importance of setting to any piece of fiction. Gives good information about how setting affects characters and "world-building."
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne
A wire fence stands between Bruno and Shmuel's friendship at Auschwitz, and tragedy beckons when Bruno's naivety and his distance from his family take him beyond the fence. Selected (9) reading passages (grades 5-9) to pair with "The Boy...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Holes" by Louis Sacher
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile correctional camp for boys where each day he is forced to dig holes into a dry lake bed. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 5-8) to pair with the novel "Holes" by Louis Sacher. [Free account...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'dell
Karana's tribe has lived on the Island of the Blue Dolphins for centuries, but a tragedy forces them to leave. When Karana gets left behind, she must learn to live alone. Selected (10) reading passages (grades 5-9) to pair with the novel...