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Breaking News: English Athlete's Hairstyles
Practice vocabulary and speaking skills in this ESL reading comprehension lesson. Middle and high schoolers participate in a number of before, during, and after reading activities based on an article entitled "Footballer Sent Off for...
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"The 1,000,000 Pound Bank Note" by Mark Twain
Compare real events from Mark Twain's life to events in the story. Middle school readers identify point-of-view, its purpose, and its reliability by citing two examples. They describe the tone of the story using four examples and...
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Matthew Henson
Discuss the work of Matthew Henson, an African American who traveled to the North Pole with Robert Peary. After reading the story "Matthew Henson" by Maryann N. Weidt, learners answer questions by drawing inferences and conclusions,...
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Knights of the Round Table adapted by Gwen Ross
Everyone loves the tales involving King Arthur and his knights. After reading Knights of the Round Table by Gwen Gross, learners draw inferences and conclusions, analyze story elements, and discuss figurative language, including...
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Choosing Words Carefully
Use literacy tools to select precise vocabulary. High schoolers respond to discussion questions that require them to consider the denotation and connotation of words. They then read non-fiction passages and identify words in the passages...
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The Tell-Tale Hearts of Writers
Knock, knock, knock...Creep out your class with a critical thinking lesson focused on word relationships in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." They investigate the relationship between word choice, mood, and interpretation of a...
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Word Roots 5: NAT, TRACT, SEQU Intermediate Puzzle 1, 2, & 3
Build vocabulary with this resource. This online activity breaks up a list of words into words that have common roots. Learners are given the definition of each word as well as the word root and are asked to fill in the rest of the...
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34x25x36: Advertising and Body Image
Point of View’s short film, “34x25x36” launches a study of how images presented by mannequins and advertisements influence body image. Class members read and discuss the fact sheet "Media's Effect on Girls: Body Image and Gender...
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Reading: Personality-Type Questionnaire
While this activity is a personality questionnaire, it could be used for a variety of purposes. High school students might use this activity as a way to spur discussion about individual traits. The 20-question activity contains scenarios...
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Word Structure- Prefix and Suffix
Identify common prefixes and suffixes used in the English language and categorize the different kinds of information provided in a dictionary entry. Learners will write at least five pieces of information that they learn about a word...
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Word Roots 5: Nat, Tract, Sequ Beginner Fill-in-the-Blank
Ask your class to complete this activity to help them develop their vocabulary. Learners are given a word bank, word root information, and a series of 12 sentences to complete using the given words. They must use context clues and any...
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Word Roots 5: NAT, TRACT, SEQU Intermediate Fill-in-the-Blanks
This is a straightforward vocabulary exercise in which learners fill in each blank in 12 sentences with a word from a word bank. The activity is somewhat unique because it connects word roots to the meaning of the words, giving learners...
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Word Roots 5: NAT, TRACT, SEQU Intermediate Level Synonym & Antonym
Decipher vocabulary using word roots. For this activity, learners fill in an antonym and synonym for six vocabulary words. They are provided with a word bank and can receive immediate online feedback. This could be used as an in-class...
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When I Set My Hat at a Certain Angle: Trying on Zora Neale Hurston's Voice to Dress-up Prose
After reading and evaluating examples of prose nonfiction by Zora Neale Hurston and other authors, high schoolers write a personal reflective essay rich in figurative language. By incorporating this strategy, they utilize voice within...
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The Language of Surprise
Aspiring writers complete and discuss fill-in-the-blank cliché expressions, define cliché as a form of predictable writing, take cliché expressions and turn them into new, unpredictable ones, read poetry that illustrates writer's use of...
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Poetry in Depth
Scholars use technology to explore poetry and its related elements, such as theme, figures of speech, and other literary devices. They complete four poetry projects including a poem analysis with a concept web, an interactive poem...
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Idiom Exercise
Don't let your pupils bite off more than they can chew! Comprehending idiomatic speech can be very perplexing to language learners. Readers must use context clues, common sense, and knowledge of the connotative and denotative meanings to...
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Irony in "The Gift of the Magi"
Use O. Henry's ubiquitous tale of love and poverty to explore irony. After reading the story, middle schoolers identify examples of all three kinds of irony in the story. With partners, they brainstorm original examples of irony. Then...
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Analyzing Poetry
Use this poetry analysis worksheet to help your learners understand a poem of their or your choosing. This resource asks class members to summarize the poem and analyze it by looking at voice, word choice, imagery, and theme. The...
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Connotation: "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke
What's happening in this poem? Have your high schoolers participate in an activity about connotation and denotation. They apply the concept of connotation to a reading of Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa's Waltz." Lead a discussion about...
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Word Roots 4: Grad, Mot, Cad Advanced True and False 3
Test your pupils' vocabulary skills with this somewhat unconventional activity. Using context clues and word roots, leaners must decide whether a word is used correctly in a sentence or if it is not. This is a true/false activity; if the...
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Word Roots 3: Cern, Jur, Leg Intermediate Fill-in-the-Blanks
This resource includes a word bank, information about specific word roots, and 12 fill-in-the-blank sentences that will help your class acquire vocabulary. This is an online activity that provides instant feedback. Make connections...
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Word Roots 6: PLIC, FAC, COGN Intermediate True and False 2
Help your class make sense of vocabulary with this online interactive resource. Using a word bank and information on word roots, pupils determine if each statement is correct, marking true or false. Since this is an online activity, they...
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To, Too, and Two
The most pesky of homophones: to, too and two! Here's a worksheet to help you review and discuss what homophones are and how to correctly use them in sentences. Learners choose the correct word for 20 sentences. This can serve as an...