Thirty-six pages familiarize scholars with the story and vocabulary of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. After reading and listening to an abbreviated version of the holiday tale learners show what they know about the sequence of...

It's the classic scene: Tom Sawyer is whitewashing a fence. Expose your learners to Mark Twain's humor while reinforcing reading comprehension. Eighth graders are encouraged to read and reread, achieving as much exposure to the text as...

English language learners explore the Internet! First, they discuss common Internet vocabulary such as homepage, results, images, etc. Then, they complete a scavenger hunt where they visit Google, Yahoo, and MSN webpages and explore...

Focus on vocabulary, comprehension, and analysis while reading A Weave of Woods, a colorful picture book by Robert D. San Souci. Young learners use worksheets to preview, predict, practice paraphrasing, and make comparisons. The richly...

What is a community? Explore the idea of community by investigating countries that have experienced severe damage. Learners discuss the horrible aftermath the 2011 earthquake had on Japan's infrastructure after the tsunami it caused....

Young scholars explore Cherokee legends. They read The First Strawberries by Joseph Bruchac, and then do several activities to help comprehension. They discuss the book and answer comprehension questions. In addition, they retell the...

Research characteristics of slavery during the 19th century by reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Also view several informational texts, pictures, story illustrations, and primary source documents. Pupils write an expository...

Determine the author's point of view in a text. Young readers read Dr. Seuss' The Sneeches and identify the author's purpose in the story. They identify persuasive techniques in writing, asking and answering questions to better...

Readers make personal connections to Saturday Market by Patricia Grossman and answer comprehension questions while reading the book. Comparing and contrasting the different characters in a Venn diagram leads to a kinesthetic activity...

In the second of a two-part instructional activity, young learners act out the story of The Three Little Pigs. After reading an alternate version, class members use a Venn diagram to discuss how the wolf's feelings differ from those of...

Third graders choose a book, read, and report what they read. Using the three R's, they will watch a video of an author giving a book talk. Then, they discuss the video as a class. Next, they organize information from their chosen book...

Dress up to catch the class's attention before reading a silly story aloud. Learners identify five sensory details within the story and interpret two metaphors. They then collaborate on sequencing events before retelling the story using...

Teach your third graders to compare and contrast literary elements in two different works on related topics. A pre-assessment activity asks young readers to identify story elements such as character, setting, plot, and main idea. Pairs...

A creative spin occurs when one pupil acts as author Ann M. Martin. Using a Q & A at the back of her book A Dog's Life, other classmates ask the "author" questions. They discuss the reasons why they know the book is from a...

Conduct a shared reading activity with a non-fiction animal book. Young researchers identify the various text features in informational texts, complete a graphic organizer to compare and contrast text feature purposes, and finally choose...

After reading Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, scholars test their comprehension by answering questions about the story's beginning, middle, and end. Participants craft a flat replica of themselves then compose a story where they are mailed...

Over three days, scholars listen to and read the poem, "Covers" by Nikki Giovanni. Learners complete a graphic organizer by sketching their visualizations from each stanza then discuss their pictures with a peer. Pupils answer...

A performance task challenges scholars to read an informational text then respond with an explanatory essay. The exam begins with an independent reading of Seeing Eye to Eye by Leslie Hall. A second reading follows with the completion of...

An assessment examines scholars' comprehension of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Pupils read an excerpt from the novel, tag key details then complete a two-column notes page. Peers discuss their findings and reflect on...

The Amazon Horned Frog is the focus of a activity designed to encourage readers to ask and answer questions. A frog-themed poem opens the door to a whole-group discussion. Following a read-aloud of an informational text, a three-page...

English language arts and science combine in a activity that focuses on asking and answering questions about frog skin. Discussion, a read-aloud, and partner work lead the way towards a three-page worksheet that tests learners'...

Boost reading comprehension skills with a lesson all about freaky frogs. A poem hooks scholars and takes them into a reading of an informational text followed by peer discussions. A three-page worksheet focuses on text features and...