Curated OER
Reading Comprehension 2: Level 8
Need a quick assessment of your middle schoolers' reading comprehension skills? The four questions on this quiz ask readers to identify the likely source of the article, define words based on context, and identify the main idea of the...
Polk Bros Foundation
How to Summarize an Event in History or Today - or a Story
Ask your class to write a quick summary of a historical or current event. The worksheet offers a place to note down important details about the event, such as time, place, people, how it started, and how it ended. Pupils then take this...
Curated OER
Identifying Text Structure
Work on identifying text structure with this thorough worksheet. After studying a diagram depicting six different text structures (compare/contrast, spatial, chronological, problem and solution, cause and effect, and order of...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Guided Practice to Learn about the History of Wars in Vietnam
Scholars use a map of Asia to help them better understand the article "The Vietnam Wars," focusing on word meaning in the title and subtitle. Learners then use guided notes while reading the article and discuss their ideas with partners.
EngageNY
Launching the Performance Task: Thematic Statement and Narrative Prompt
Scholars think about what message Laura Hillenbrand tries to convey to readers in Unbroken. They begin by sharing their thoughts as thematic statements. After sharing, learners work on explaining their ideas in an Unbroken Thematic...
EngageNY
Understanding Perspective: Japanese Society’s Impact on Japanese Guards (Pages 189-197)
The focus is on written communication as class members respond to questions about the text Unbroken in their Written Conversation note catchers. They trade note catchers with a partner every two minutes and then share ideas from their...
EngageNY
Reading for Gist and Answering Text-Dependent Questions: Local Sustainable Food Chain
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 activity, readers complete...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Small-Group Work to Learn More about the History of Wars in Vietnam
Scholars take a close look at "The Vietnam Wars." They answer questions and discuss in groups to conclude that the author respects the Vietnamese. They participate in a modified jigsaw discussion and end the exercise with a quick writing...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: The Desegregation of Schools and Brown v. Board of Education
Scholars gain interest in the case of Brown v. Board of Education by watching a video clip and completing a quick write. They then independently read excerpts from Brown v. Board of Education and work through a Steps for Getting the Gist...
Teacher Printables
Just the Facts
Show your class how fascinating a text can be by asking them to focus on interesting facts they learned while reading. There are boxes for six facts as well as one large box where pupils can record the most important fact from their...
K12 Reader
Coyote: The Survivor of North America
Coyotes in Chicago? Yip. Middle schoolers demonstrate their ability to identify details that support the idea that coyotes are adaptable creatures.
EngageNY
Analyzing the Power of Different Mediums: A Mighty Long Way
Weigh the pros and cons. Class members continue sharing their thoughts on media and events by watching the video John Chancellor Reports on the Integration at Central High School. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of gaining...
Curated OER
Practice Makes Perfect: Citing Textual Evidence
Strategies, lesson plans, and ideas to help pupils locate and cite textual evidence.
EngageNY
Close Reading: Paragraph 4 of “Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison”
Why is reading a text closely a helpful skill? Using the 13th of 20 lessons from the Grade 8 ELA Module 1, Unit 2 series, scholars continue reading the informational text "Refugee and Immigrant Children: A Comparison." They work with...
EngageNY
Introducing Final Performance Task and Analyzing Statistics
How do statistics help people understand the universal refugee experience? Using the resource, scholars engage in an activity called a Chalk Talk, working in teams to analyze statistics from informational texts about refugees. Also, they...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Vietnam as a “Battleground in a Larger Struggle”
Read. Stop. Think. Scholars use a reading strategy to process the challenging text, "The Vietnam Wars." They read a paragraph and then stop to think about the text and its meaning. Readers then go on to work with partners and make notes...
EngageNY
Analyzing Text Structure & Summarizing Text: “Equal Rights for Women” by Shirley Chisholm
Let me check my schedule! Scholars set up discussion appointments with five classmates to discuss Shirley Chisholm's speech "Equal Rights for Women." Readers then use their Note Catcher guides to analyze the text of the speech more...
EngageNY
World Cafe: Analyzing Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?”
May I take your order? Scholars read "Ain't I a Woman" and participate in a World Cafe. They work in small groups to discuss text-related questions and then complete a Note-Catcher sheet to organize their thoughts. For homework, learners...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment: Analyzing Excerpts from Lyndon Johnson’s Speech “The Great Society”
Time for intermission! Scholars take an intermission break from learning in the unit to work on a mid-unit assessment independently. Readers answer questions about Lyndon Johnson's Speech "The Great Society" to demonstrate the knowledge...
EngageNY
Launching The Performance Task: Building Background Knowledge: “War in the Pacific,” Part 1
It's all about a bit of give and take. Scholars silently read War in the Pacific and circle any unfamiliar words. Using context clues, they write each word on a strip of paper along with the inferred definition. After looking the word up...
EngageNY
Gathering Textual Evidence: “Invisibility” of Those Interned
Add another layer to the class's understanding. Scholars deepen their knowledge of the primary sources in their Japanese-American Internment during World War II packet and determine how the sources relate to the theme of invisibility....
EngageNY
Character Analysis: Resilience
A Three Threes in a Row note catcher enables class members to dig deeper into the theme in Unbroken. They work with partners for 10 minutes and then rotate around the room to work with others. After regrouping and class discussion,...
EngageNY
Analyzing Theme: The Invisibility of Captives during WWII
Can you see me now? Scholars discuss two definitions of invisibility and then connect the definitions to text evidence related to Louie's invisibility in Unbroken. Readers turn their attention to The Life of Miné Okubo and record text...
EngageNY
Introducing a Thematic Concept: Becoming Visible Again after Captivity
Share your thoughts. Scholars use Think-Pair-Share to answer questions related to Louie in Unbroken. The class completes the Becoming Visible Again anchor chart to understand the text's theme better. They write an example of Louie...
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