Lesson Plan
Teaching Tolerance

You Are the Product

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What does it mean for a product or service to go viral? Scholars explore the topic by reading an article about the economics of social media. After reading, they complete a 3-2-1 data chart with information they learned from the text and...
Lesson Plan
Teaching Tolerance

Media Consumers and Creators, What Are Your Rights and Responsibilities?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Teach the class to separate fact from fiction. Scholars explore the topic of fake news as they read PEN America's News Consumers' Bill of Rights and discuss the rights and responsibilities outlined in the bill. Next, they read an article...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment: Analyzing an Informational Text

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars wrap up the unit by taking an assessment and reading the informational text "You Trouble" by Justin O'Neill. As they read, they answer multiple-choice questions and complete charts to analyze the main idea and supporting details...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Main Ideas and Supporting Details: “Growing Up Digital”

For Teachers 7th Standards
Young scholars continue their exploration of adolescent brain development by reading an informational text, "Growing Up Digital," by Matt Richtel. Then, with partners, they complete note-catcher worksheets to capture the article's main...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Excerpt 5 of “The Digital Revolution and the Adolescent Brain Evolution”

For Teachers 7th Standards
Class members consider how technology affects social interactions as they continue reading an article about the digital revolution and adolescent brain development. Then, working in pairs, scholars answer text-dependent questions and...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Excerpt 3 of “The Digital Revolution and the Adolescent Brain Evolution”

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's time to level up and discover how video games affect the brain. Pupils explore the topic as they continue reading excerpts from an article about adolescent brain development and the digital revolution. Scholars also participate in a...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading: Excerpt 2 of “The Digital Revolution and the Adolescent Brain Evolution”

For Teachers 7th Standards
Help scholars comprehend a challenging text. Using the resource, pupils read excerpts from an article about the digital revolution and adolescent brain development. As they read, they answer text-dependent questions and complete a close...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Development of the Young Brain

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars view a video clip about adolescent brain development and work with partners to identify the main idea and supporting details. Next, as part of the mid-unit assessment, pupils watch another clip from the video and complete a main...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Main Idea in Video: Understanding the Limbic System

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's time to put on those thinking caps and analyze the brain! Pupils watch a video about teenage brain development, using a note-catcher to capture their thoughts about the main idea. Finally, they select two pieces of information from...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Comparing Text to Multimedia: Understanding How the Brain Changes

For Teachers 7th Standards
Learners explore how the human brain changes over time, comparing an interactive web page about brain development to a text-only version. Additionally, pupils continue reading an article about teen decision making, analyzing the main...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Identifying Main Ideas and Supporting Details: What’s Going On in the Teenage Brain?

For Teachers 7th Standards
What's going on in the teen brain? Pupils consider the question as they continue reading an informational article about the topic. While reading, they use a Thinking Log worksheet and an anchor chart to track their understanding of...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing Module 4A: This Is Your Brain—Plugged In

For Teachers 7th Standards
What does brain science reveal about teens and decision making? Scholars watch a short video and participate in a gallery walk to pique their interest and curiosity about the topic. Next, they begin reading an informational article about...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: The Dinka Tribe (“Loss of Culturally Vital Cattle Leaves Dinka Tribe Adrift in Refugee Camps” Excerpt 1)

For Teachers 7th Standards
Text annotations help readers track essential ideas. Pupils continue reading and annotating an informational article about Sudanese tribes, connecting it with A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. They also begin writing about their...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment: Identifying Perspective and Using Evidence from Informational Texts about the Dinka and Nuer Tribes

For Teachers 7th Standards
Pupils consider the varying perspectives of people in different cultural groups as they read an informational text about the Dinka tribe of Southern Sudan and complete graphic organizers. They also respond to a constructed-response...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: The Dinka and Nuer Tribes Until the Mid-1980s (“Sudanese Tribes Confront Modern War” Excerpt 2)

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars continue making connections between the article "Sudanese Tribes Confront Modern War" and A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. They talk with partners to discuss how the article helps them understand a character's point of...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: The Dinka and Nuer Tribes

For Teachers 7th Standards
Building on a previous lesson plan, readers continue using context clues to learn new vocabulary. Additionally, they continue working on their Gathering Evidence graphic organizers, making connections between an informational text and A...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: The Dinka and Nuer Tribes Until the Mid-1980s (“Sudanese Tribes Confront Modern War” Excerpt 1) (Version 1)

For Teachers 7th Standards
Readers consider comparisons between the Dinka and Nuer tribes in South Sudan, making connections between an informational article about Sudanese tribes and the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. They annotate the text to help...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: The Lost Boys of Sudan

For Teachers 7th Standards
Get deep! Teach scholars how to make connections between texts to deepen their understanding of a topic. Using the resource, pupils read and annotate a short informational text about Sudan's Civil War and refugee crisis. Next, they...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reading for Gist and Answering Text-Dependent Questions: Local Sustainable Food Chain

For Teachers 8th Standards
Readers use sticky notes and a Reading Closely: Guiding Questions handout to record the gist of a different section (pages 161-166) in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. They then pair up and share their ideas. To end the lesson, readers complete...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Analyzing Author’s Purpose in Speech and Text

For Teachers 8th Standards
Part one of a mid-unit assessment relating to The Omnivore’s Dilemma includes listening to and analyzing a speech by Birke Baehr. Part two involves analyzing an excerpt from the text. The assessment ends with short response questions.
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: What IS the Omnivore’s Dilemma Anyway?

For Teachers 8th Standards
What's the best thing on the menu? Scholars enter the room, complete a gallery walk of menus to choose a food to pretend to order, and then discuss how they made the decision. Next, they read The Omnivore's Dilemma and relate their...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 3 Assessment: On-Demand Writing— Photograph and Song Choices for a Film

For Teachers 8th Standards
Ready, set, write! Every great film begins with a script, and every presentation starts with a plan. Directors use their research and experience to compose an essay explaining the rationale behind their film's musical and visual choices...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: The Internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, Part 2

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars learn about primary sources with a Primary Sources: Japanese-American Internment during World War II packet. Pupils work with a partner to read challenging sources in the packet while making notes in the margins. They then...
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Defying British Rule: Women's Contributions to The American Revolution

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Primary and secondary sources are the focus of a lesson that showcases the important role women played during the American Revolution. Pairs review sources and discuss their findings. A close-reading of an informational text leads the...