Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Changing Our Street [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"Changing Our Street" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about how the problem of people driving too fast in a neighborhood was solved. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Community Progress [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
"Community Progress" is a one page, realistic fiction passage about how students created a mural for their school, which generated lots of attention from the press, parents, and other schools. It is followed by constructed-response...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Flying [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
"Flying" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about someone set a goal to be a pilot and worked hard to accomplish that goal. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Letter to Grandmother [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"Letter to Grandmother" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a family of early settlers who moved west. A girl writes a letter to her grandmother telling her about their new life on the plains. It is followed by...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Making Progress [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"Making Progress" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about students clearing the trash from a vacant lot near the school and planting a garden to beautify the neighborhood and show they care. It is followed by constructed-response...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: More Trees [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"More Trees" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a student and his mother getting trees from the city and planting them in their neighborhood. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Community [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"My Community" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a child talking about how his community has changed since his grandmother moved into that neighborhood 50 years earlier. It is followed by constructed-response questions...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: See Our Progress [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"See Our Progress" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about students planting a prairie garden in a vacant lot close to the school. TV reporters interviewed the students and took pictures of the garden for the news that evening....
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Spring Is Coming [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"Spring is Coming" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a family of settlers who had survived the winter, but needed food. Their Native American neighbors showed them onions growing and gave them new hope. It is followed by...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: The Ants and the Grasshopper[pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"The Ants and the Grasshopper" is a one page, fable about grasshoppers who played all summer while the ants worked gathering food for winter. When winter came, the grasshoppers were hungry. It is followed by questions which require...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The First Flag [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"The First Flag" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the making of the first American flag in time for the first Independence Day. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The New Family [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"The New Family" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a family who moved into a new neighborhood. The boys were playing ball in the street, breaking rules they didn't know about. It is followed by questions which require...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The First Flyers [Pdf]

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
"The First Flyers" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the Wright brothers and their obsession with flying. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining main...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Prairie Farmers [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"Prairie Farmers" is a one page, historical fiction, journal describing life for farmers in the prairie throughout the year. It shows the difficulties including bad weather and fires. It requires students to closely read the journal and...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My First Baseball Game [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"My First Baseball Game" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a child going to his first baseball game and learning what it means to be a Chicago Cubs fan. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: How the Firefly Got Its Light [Pdf]

For Teachers 1st - 4th
"How the Firefly Got Its Light" is a one page, myth about the fly who wanted to be special; he made a deal with the moon to be his friend and, in return, the moon shared the secret of shining. It is followed by constructed-response...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Traveling West [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
"Traveling West" is a one page, nonfiction passage about pioneers traveling west in wagon trains. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes underlining the most important...
Graphic
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Take Show and Tell [Pdf]

For Students 1st - 8th Standards
Students will use this graphic organizer to show their understanding of what they have read. Afterward, students will share the illustrations with their peers and explain how their pictures connect to the text.
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My First Baseball Game With Q & a Key [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"My First Baseball Game" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy and his sister going to their first baseball game and learning what it means to be Chicago Cubs fans. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My Summer [Pdf]

For Teachers 1st - 4th
"My Summer" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a child who visited his grandmother in Phoenix for the summer. He was surprised at how hot it was there. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Little Red Hen [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"The Little Red Hen" is a one page fable about the other animals not helping the little red hen plant wheat, harvest it, or bake the bread, so they did not get to eat it either. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: After the Chicago Fire [Pdf]

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
"After the Chicago Fire" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about how Chicago was rebuilt after the great fire. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: A New Park [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"A New Park" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about how a school in need of a playground got a city park instead. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...
Graphic
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Locate and Classify Information [Pdf]

For Students 1st - 8th Standards
A blank T-Chart is provided for students to use as they sort facts into two categories. Students will classify science information with this aid.