Curated OER
Learning Inference
Making inferences can be a tricky proposition for middle schoolers. In the activity presented here, pupils practice the skill of drawing a conclusion and making a judgment - which are what making an inference is all about! There are five...
Scholastic
Midnight Magic Discussion Guide
This discussion guide accompanies the fiction book Midnight Magic written by Avi, enforces story elements, inferences, and theme/plot. Have the class work on it over time, it will engage even your reluctant readers.
Curated OER
Two Greedy Bears
Improving listening comprehension skills is the goal of this language arts activity. Young readers listen to the story Two Greedy Bears, stopping to have discussions with a partner. They predict outcomes and make inferences based on...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment: Close Reading of the "Spadefoot Toad"
A mid-unit assessment challenges scholars to use their close reading skills to identify the main idea and key details. After reading a brief excerpt, learners answer a series of questions—multiple-choice, short answer—complete a graphic...
Curated OER
Guided Reading with Elizabeti's Doll
Practice reading strategies using Elizabeti's Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen. Readers utilize decoding and comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading the story. A detailed list of text features, high frequency words,...
Curated OER
The Diary of Anne Frank
Eighth graders read the Diary of Anne Frank. In this novel reading lesson, 8th graders read and analyze the story. Students do online activities and create a newspaper giving a summary of three major events in the story. Students answer...
Curated OER
Tomas and the Library Lady
Learners practice read aloud comprehension strategies. In this literacy comprehension lesson, students listen to Tomas and the Library Lady, stopping to discuss with a partner aspects of the story suggested by the teacher. Learners make...
Curated OER
The Gingerbread Boy Comes Alive
Students make cut-out gingerbread cookies. After reading "The Gingerbread Boy", their cookies "disappear" and students must make predictions and draw conclusions about what happened to their cookies.
Curated OER
Teaching and Learning Through Objects
Students identify and interpret the function, usefulness or utitlity, form, beauty or aesthetics, and meaning, context or story, of objects and how they learn new skills and make things that they learn traditionally, by observation and...
National History Day
“The Art of War”: Trench Art of World War I
Teach pupils how veterans used art to deal with PTSD and shell-shock from trench warfare during World War I. Scholars use graphic organizers, a cartoon analysis sheet, and their own inferences to analyze primary source art work by veterans.
Curated OER
Guided Reading: Asking Questions
Here is a reading strategies lesson in which learners use post it notes to create a bulletin board. They post their new questions on the bulletin board and look back at questions they have already learned the answer to. A great idea,...
Read Works
Bat News
Get the bat facts with a short nonfiction reading passage. After reading the passage, readers respond to questions that focus on main idea, inferencing, vocabulary in context, and author's purpose.
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1
Does your ELA class need some practice with the specific skills outlined in the Common Core standards? Then this is the perfect resource for you! One in a series of connected lessons that cover the standards for reading literature,...
Curated OER
Traveling With Limited Funds; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Students participate in a pre-reading activity which helps them see what it would be like to live in poverty. In this reading comprehension lesson, students make a list of items they take on a trip considering they have very limited...
Curated OER
Today’s Telephone
Does your class know the history behind today's telephone? They will after reading a very interesting one-page informational passage. They'll learn all about the way phones have progressed to the amazing devices they've become as they...
Curated OER
Making a Case for Beginning Wigh Suprasegmental Features in Pronunciation
Students explore the ways in which voice quality and intonation can convey meaning.
National History Day
“War Is Hell. We Know it Now.” American Soldiers in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Understanding the soldier's experiences during World War I sometimes takes a newscast. Learners see the importance of understanding multiple points of view with a newscast project surrounding the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Compare and...
Curated OER
Eating Healthy
Students review healthy eating habits, and demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
Curated OER
Forming, Answering, and Scoring Open Ended Questions
Students explore higher level thinking. They develop their critical thinking skills by answering open ended questions. Students work cooperatively and make and explain connections between texts and their personal lives. Students use...
American Statistical Association
Exploring Geometric Probabilities with Buffon’s Coin Problem
Scholars create and perform experiments attempting to answer Buffon's Coin problem. They discover the relationships between geometry and probability, empirical and theoretical probabilities, and area of a circle and square.
Curated OER
Birds Nesting Habits
Learners explore nesting habits of birds, and demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
Curated OER
What's For Lunch? A Combination Sensation!
Learners combine different foods to make possible lunches and determine the specific combinations of lunches that can be made from a finite set of foods.
Curated OER
Using Print Media in the LCTL Classroom
Explore newspapers as a form of print media. They examine headlines from newspapers and infer meanings of the headlines. They skim articles for information and exchange articles between groups. They complete charts while skimming the...
Curated OER
What is the Function of Each Seed Part in the Growth of a Plant
Sixth graders investigate the parts of a seed by using a digital camera. In this botany lesson, 6th graders plant their own seeds in class and demonstrate the necessary attributes for growing a plant. Students utilize a...