EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment about Working Conditions in the Mills
Pupils demonstrate their knowledge of how setting impacts character development by completing a mid-unit assessment based on Katherine Paterson's novel Lyddie. They answer multiple-choice questions and cite textual evidence to...
EngageNY
Analyzing Textual Evidence: Working Conditions in the Mills
Deafening, dusty, debris. Such were the working conditions in the 1800s textile industry as portrayed in Katherine Paterson's novel Lyddie. Scholars watch a short video clip about life and work in the mills. Next, they work...
EngageNY
Introducing Working Conditions in the Mills
Scholars discover how working in a textile mill in the nineteenth century affected the title character from Katherine Paterson's novel, Lyddie. Partners analyze quotes from the novel and then add evidence and questions about...
EngageNY
Analyzing Character: Who is Lyddie?
Character analysis can help readers feel more connected to a literary text. Scholars explore the topic by writing an acrostic poem about the main character from Katherine Paterson's novel, Lyddie. Then, pupils watch a short video to help...
EngageNY
Modeling Entry Task, Reading Notes, and Reading Strategies for Lyddie
Readers understand a text better when they discuss it with someone else. Scholars continue reading the novel Lyddie by Katherine Paterson, engaging in text-related discussions with five classmates. Next, they add to their chapter three...
EngageNY
Analyzing Word Choice: Understanding Working Conditions in the Mills
Ravenous or hungry, happy or ecstatic—why does word choice matter? Scholars continue to analyze working conditions in the mill and how the conditions affect the protagonist of Katherine Paterson's novel, Lyddie. They engage in a close...
EngageNY
Close Reading to Learn about Lyddie’s Character
Scholars work in pairs to analyze the characters, plot, and setting of Katherine Paterson's novel, Lyddie. Next, they apply what they learned about the characters' feelings and motivation to perform a mini reader's theater.
Open Society Institute - Baltimore
Restorative Practices Lesson Plan Guide
Looking for resources that use restorative practices to build a positive school community? Then check out this 92-page lesson plan guide that provides background information on restorative practices, suggestions for how to implement a...
Western Justice Center
Emotions, Regulation Strategies
To regulate emotions in a conflict it is first necessary to be able to identify those emotions. To that end, class members engage in a series of activities, watch a series of videos, and compete worksheets that help them understand and...
Thoughtful Learning
Calming Down with Deep Pressure
Stressed out and tensed up! When stressed our bodies tense and our muscles clench. Teach youngsters how to calm down with simple deep pressure exercises. Press and release!
Thoughtful Learning
Understanding the Parts of the Brain
A mini-lesson explains the role the parts of the brain play in thinking and learning. Scholars discover why feeling safe, calm, and connected is essential to learning effectively.
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: The Dinka Tribe (“Loss of Culturally Vital Cattle Leaves Dinka Tribe Adrift in Refugee Camps” Excerpt 1)
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...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Think Like a Scientist
Scholars watch a video and meet a scientist who is studying sharks as she explains her observations about the sharks and provides her hypothesis to explain their behavior. Learners then act like a scientist as they watch an aquarium...
Thoughtful Learning
Setting and Reaching Goals
An activity boosts self-management through goal setting and reflection. Scholars choose one goal they wish to obtain by the end of the week. Participants brainstorm ways to make their goal a reality then reflect on whether or not their...
American Battlefield Trust
Middle School Assessment for the Civil War Curriculum
The bravery of African American troops on the frontlines directly impacted the lives of the newly freed enslaved people. Using documents, including letters from African American troops and an excerpt of the Emancipation Proclamation,...
Thoughtful Learning
Creating a Growth Mindset
A quick mimi-lesson models how to replace a fixed mindset with a growth mindset, a mindset that says improvement is possible with practice. Included is an activity that asks individuals to rewrite 10 fixed mindset statements with 10...
Thoughtful Learning
Using 5-5-5 Breathing to Calm Down
Scholars calm their minds and bodies with a 5-5-5 breathing exercise. Learners breathe in for five seconds, out for five seconds, then wait five seconds to start again. The exercise takes one minute to complete.
Thoughtful Learning
Recognizing Bullying
Boost social awareness with an activity that challenges scholars to recognize bullying. Participants read 10 scenarios and respond after carefully examining behaviors such as body language, facial expressions, and frequency.
EngageNY
Performance Task: Two-Voice Poem Readings
Eye contact, volume, and pronunciation are key ingredients to a successful presentation. Pupils present their two-voice poems to the class with their poetry reading partners. Next, to wrap up the unit, scholars use a worksheet to reflect...
EngageNY
End of Unit 3 Assessment: Using Strong Evidence
Young poets view a model two-voice poem while discussing capitalization and punctuation. Pupils also complete an end-of-unit assessment about using strong evidence to support a literary analysis.
EngageNY
Examining a Model Two-Voice Poem and Planning a Two-Voice Poem
Successful poetry writing requires three P's: planning, preparation, and practice. Pupils read a model two-voice poem and discuss how the author uses evidence to develop the theme. With a partner, scholars use a rubric to analyze the...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit 3 Assessment and Planning the TwoVoice Poem
Class members prepare to write a two-voice poem that compares and contrasts two characters from Linda Sue Park's novel, A Long Walk to Water. Pupils also complete the mid-unit assessment, answering questions about juxtaposition from...
EngageNY
End of Unit Assessment: Identifying Perspective and Using Evidence from Informational Texts about the Dinka and Nuer Tribes
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...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: The Dinka and Nuer Tribes
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...