Close reading doesn't mean to literally read text close to your face, but rather to pay attention to particular details in order to develop a deep and purposeful understanding of text. The first part of a five-part resource provides an...

Make reading more enjoyable and interactive with literature circles! Here you'll find detailed lessons to begin the literature circle process. Ten lessons introduce each role learners take on. Literature circle roles include...

What does it mean to be Americanized? Pupils read a text excerpt from Edward Bok's "The Americanization of Edward Bok." Next, they engage in the SOAPSTone strategy for analyzing the text. Afterward, scholars write a summary of the...

Scholars read about the brightly colored flower in Eugenia Collier's short story, "Marigolds." They annotate the text and answer comprehension questions. As a concluding activity, pupils write about the author's use of diction, imagery,...

Are dogs truly a man's best friend? Pupils read a newspaper column by John Grogan about the death of his dog, Marley. Next, they answer text-dependent questions and complete graphic organizers to examine Grogan's feelings about his dog....

How do authors develop main ideas in their writing? Pupils consider the question as they read and analyze paragraphs 27–31 from Julia Alvarez's essay "A Genetics of Justice," in which Alvarez describes her decision to become a writer....

How do people's relationships with their parents impact their lives? Scholars read paragraphs 23–26 from "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez, in which the author details her relationship with her mother. Pupils discuss how the...

"No flies fly into a closed mouth." Pupils consider the meaning of the proverb as they read paragraphs 20–22 from the essay "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez. They also engage in small-group discussions about how the author...

Does trauma have a lasting effect on people's lives? Scholars dive into the topic as they read paragraphs 9–11 of "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez, in which the author describes her family's return to the Dominican Republic....

What is a megalomaniac? Scholars discover the word's meaning as they read and analyze paragraphs seven and eight from Julia Alvarez's essay "A Genetics of Justice." They also read Mark Memmott's article "Remembering to Never Forget" and...

Rafael Trujillo was president of the Dominican Republic in the 1930s. Pupils read and analyze the first six paragraphs of Julia Alvarez's autobiographical essay "A Genetics of Justice," in which the author describes Trujillo's impact on...

Peter Bunzi takes readers to the Victorian era with two stories, Coghaert and Moonlocket. Accompany the literary time warp with a companion packet that offers a plethora of exercises. Learning opportunities include activities for before,...

A 16-minute audiobook features the classic Brothers Grimm tale "The Brave Little Tailor." After slaying seven flies with one blow, a clever tailor continues to prove his strength by outsmarting a unicorn, a princess, and a giant.

Three soldiers destined for a future of servitude outsmart a cunning dragon with the help of a kind grandmother. Discover how with the 17-minute audio retelling of "The Dragon and His Grandmother," originally by the Brothers Grimm.

Sultan is an old dog, but his friendship with a wolf saves him from a tragic ending. Find out how with a seven-minute audiobook featuring the Brothers Grimm tale, Old Sultan. 

A 15-minute audiobook features the Brothers Grimm tale "The Golden Goose." A young boy who often finds himself at the center of jokes discovers a golden goose that helps him to gain respect and a happy ending. 

A six-minute audiobook features the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "The Elves and the Shoemaker." It describes a fateful Christmas when a group of elves decided to help a husband and wife shoemaker team, and received fancy clothes in return.

A 13-minute audiobook features "The Six Swans," a Brothers Grimm fairy tale in which a princess rescues her six transformed swan-brothers. All the while, the princess is accused of a crime she did not commit.

Follow along as an engaging narrator reads the story of "Rapunzel." A 12-minute audiobook adapted from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales features a young girl trapped in a tower, where the only means to gain entrance is to climb her long...

A 12-minute audiobook features the Brother Grimms version of the fairy tale, "The Princess and the Frog." Previously transformed into a frog, the prince returns to his human form thanks to a kind, yet reluctant, young princess.  

Follow along to a 10-minute audiobook featuring the story "Rumpelstiltskin" by the Brothers Grimm. A miller's daughter finds herself in a sticky situation only to receive help from Rumpelstiltskin; however, the man's help does not come...

Adapted from a German tale, a 14-minute audio retelling of"The Three Dogs" details the adventure of an innocent shepherd who finds himself in jail, but thanks to three small dogs, escapes and seeks justice.