Curated OER
Number the Stars Chapter 16
Middle schoolers consider information about the character Peter, in the book Number the Stars. They discuss the author's use of withholding information about characters in her book. They discuss the issues of theme and climax within the...
Curated OER
Response to Literature: Feelings About the Book
Young scholars read chapter 17 in the story NUMBER THE STARS and think about the author's purpose for writing the book. They are encouraged to share with the class their personal reactions to the story.
Curated OER
Sand Island Story Mapping
After reading Under the Blood-Red Sun, by Graham Salisbury, students use story mapping to create a visual representation of Hawaii. They include Pearl Harbor, Sand Island, and the Japanese relocation camp, where Tomikazu swims to visit...
Curated OER
Holes: Setting and Inferences
Learners read the book Holes, and draw a picture of the setting and answer questions about inferences regarding the book. They answer two questions and draw one setting.
Curated OER
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Request Strategy
Model for readers how to develop effective questions with a request strategy for questioning. Text-explicit, text-implicit, and experiential based questions are the focus. Step-by-step instructions are included for the strategy that...
Curated OER
Sarah Plain and Tall
Students read the story, dividing it into chapters per day until complete. They respond to the ad, just as Sarah, Plain and Tall did and use the correct parts of a letter used including a return address, greeting, body, closing and...
Curated OER
Journey to Topaz, a Literature Based Approach
Students view a video clip of the experiences of Japanese-Americans during World War II. They read parts of a book in which a child tells her story about living in the internment camps. They participate in a simulation activity as well.
Curated OER
Literature Study Guide: Gulliver's Travels
Although the title suggests this resource is devoted to Gulliver’s Travels, the materials and templates can be used with any work of literature. Readers fill out a reading schedule chart, write a summary, keep a vocabulary word list, and...
Curated OER
Building a Case for Clues
Here's a strategy that can be used with any narrative, whether read by the instructor or as independent reading. At the end of each chapter, learners predict, using prior knowledge as clues, what will happen in the next chapter. Readers...
Curated OER
Number the Stars, Lesson 10
Students analyze the literary element mood in Chapter 10 of the novel Number the Stars. They explain why the literary element mood is a feeling that a story creates in readers. Students share their thoughts on the topic of mood and its...
Curated OER
5 W Questions
Second graders practice asking the 5 W questions by reading a Boxcar Children book. In this journalism lesson, 2nd graders read a single story from the Boxcar Children series and answer the 5 W's about each specific chapter. Students...
Scholastic
Step-by-Step Strategies for Teaching Expository Writing
A carefully crafted, logically organized, 128-page packet is an excellent addition to your unit on expository writing.
Curated OER
Charlotte's Web
Fourth graders focus on fluency by reading the book Charlotte's Web. In this reading strategies lesson, 4th graders partner read, do guided reading, and independent reading to increase fluency. Students use Venn Diagrams, discuss cause...
Curated OER
Why the Whales Came
In this Why the Whales Came worksheet, students answer questions about each chapter in the story for twelve chapters. Students answer five to ten questions about plot per chapter and complete a writing assignment for each chapter.
Curated OER
Number the Stars, Lesson 3
Students consider how an author creates a feeling of suspense in a reader's mind. They analyze characters in the story. Students make a character map for Peter. They discuss how suspense unfolds in the novel Number the Stars.
Curated OER
Esperanza Rising: Lesson 8
Sixth graders complete activities with the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. In this literature lesson, 6th graders read Chapter 8 of the book and discuss the chapter. They practice putting events in sequence and record new...
Curated OER
Basic Shapes
Students create books about shapes. For this shape lesson, students select a topic such as points, lines, angles, planes, polygons, quadrilaterals, triangles, circles, and polyhedra. In groups, they create an illustrated children's...
Curated OER
Using Credit: Not for a Billion Gazillion Dollars
Fifth graders explore the concept of credit. In this consumer education lesson, the teacher uses the book Not for a Billion Gazillion Dollars to lead the class in a discussion about credit, debit, and income. Students then analyze their...
Curated OER
Solve a Mystery
Fourth graders use text clues to solve mysteries. In this text clue/mystery solving lesson, 4th graders access a teacher assigned web site, Cyberkids.com, where they solve a mystery. They read chapters of, Encyclopedia Brown, and work...
Curated OER
Pictures Make Perfect!
Young scholars observe and demonstrate how to visualize the information they are reading. They participate in a visualization exercise, and discuss how visualizing information from the text can improve their comprehension. Students...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan 1: Introducing NaNo and Novels
Did you know that November is Novel Writing Month? In the first of a series of lessons, class members are introduced to the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project.
Ideas From Suzi
Responding to Literature
Guide your class through a text with resources for before and after reading. Learners ask questions, discuss characters and plot points, point out elements of the reading that stood out, and compose brief summaries.
Curated OER
Chinese New Year
Gong hei fat choy! Celebrate Chinese New Year with a variety of activities that introduce learners to the Chinese myth of the race that determined which animals earned their place the zodiac.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Connected Text, Practice and Read
A reading activity boosts scholars' level of fluency while reading connected text. Working collaboratively, pairs read a word list three times and a specific text while their partner gauges their accuracy and speed.