Florida Center for Reading Research
Phoneme Challenge
This phonemic awareness game is very similar to the classic card game war; partners divide picture cards, each taking half (included). They place one card face-up at a time and segment the phonemes aloud. Whoever has the most phonemes...
Curated OER
Maus Lesson Plan
The artistic choices Art Spiegelman made in his graphic novel, Maus, are the focus of an exercise that asks class members to compare classic comic book forms with Spiegelman’s panels and frames. Directed to specific pages and guided by a...
Curated OER
Twisted Tales
Experience how a story can drastically change when the point of view is altered. Young scholars first read a review of Disney's film Tarzan, focusing on how the point of view in the classic story is important. They then select...
Curated OER
Frankenstein
Share a classic novel with your class using this resource. After reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, learners answer questions involving the narrator's point of view, make and confirm predictions, and sequence events in the story.
Curated OER
Literary Newspaper: Candide
Prejudice? Religious intolerance? Political sedition? Class distinction? Plight of women? Voltaire satire, anyone? A literary newspaper offers an opportunity for readers of Candide to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections as...
Curated OER
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Henry David Thoreau and Linda Ronstadt? Ann Tyler and Pete Townshend? Joyce Carol Oates and Pearl Jam? This richly detailed plan pairs classic literature with contemporary music and asks learners to analyze how the theme of conformity is...
Curated OER
You Are What You Eat
Youngsters listen to the story of Gregory the Terrible Eater and write a similar story using the same pattern. In the new book, Herman is requested to eat things that are nouns. They must supply the correct part of speech for the class...
Curated OER
Electric Charge and Static Electricity
Begin with the classic static electricity demonstrations: the behavior of charged balloons and metal leaves of an electroscope. Then move on to test the electrical conductivity of various materials. Give physics pupils a charge with...
Curated OER
Comic Books in the Classroom
You can use comic book projects to teach a variety of curriculum topics.
Curated OER
Mitten Mania
Youngsters listen to the classic Jan Brett book, The Mitten, then gain strength in utilizing listening skills, developing vocabulary, practicing sequencing events, and expressing themselves through movement and art projects. This rich...
Curated OER
Making a Magical Story
Fourth and fifth graders use their knowledge of developing character, dialogue, and setting to produce an original story. An excerpt from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is used as inspiration to get everyone's...
Curated OER
Say Hi to Haibun Fun
What is a haibun? With this interesting lesson, writers will experience the Japanese writing form haibun, identify elements important to Japanese writing styles, analyze a haibun, and compose their own. Different from the typical journal...
Curated OER
Explore Brothers and Sisters throughout Literature
Celebrate Brothers and Sisters Day on May 2, 2013 by studying sibling pairs in literature.
Curated OER
Saving Money
After listening to the wonderful book, A Chair for my Mother, young mathematicians engage in an awesome lesson about coins and the value of saving money. The lesson is done in a classic style - everything is beautifully organized, and...
Curated OER
Different Ways to Develop Fine Motor Skills
Adjust your everyday routine to efficiently improve fine motor skills in your classroom.
Curated OER
Hansel and Gretel
In this comprehension instructional activity, students answer short answer and discussion questions for the story Hansel and Gretel. Students complete 14 questions.
Curated OER
Writing Exercises: The Spread of Islam
Get your theologians thinking about the spread of Islam as they respond to three short-answer writing prompts. Learners consider the origins of the faith, explaining where and why it began. They describe traditional Muslim views,...
Curated OER
A Tongue-Twisting Language Arts Lesson
Pupils discover enunciation and alliteration by reading tongue twisters in class. In this language arts lesson, students listen and repeat some of the classic childhood tongue twisters along with their teacher. Pupils write...
Curated OER
Beowulf
High schoolers complete literature analysis activities for Beowulf. They read lines from the poem and complete character analysis activities. In addition, they write and share a boast modeled on the text and then create heroes and...
Library of Congress
Dracula
Readers experience classic thrills and chills in the digital version of Mary Shelley's Dracula. The online version of the classic text has the look and feel of an old book with modern upgrades, such as buttons to navigate between...
Curated OER
Long Vowels
Now here is a great set of activities that will make learning about long vowel sounds a snap. The activities cover two days and include vowel identification, reading, and several great games. Kids will hunt for long vowel words, play...
Curated OER
Adapting "List/Group/Label" to Literature
Need a prereading activity in line with the Common Core Standards for Language? Although designed for grades 11 and 12, the procedure detailed in this resource could be used with most grade levels. Prior to reading, select 20 – 25 words...
Reed Novel Studies
Robinson Crusoe: Novel Study
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want with you? Robinson Crusoe of course! During his years stuck on an island, Crusoe learns to survive by making a canoe, finding food, and living in solitude. Scholars read...
The New York Times
The Horror! The Horror!
Gear up for Halloween by studying the horror genre with your class and analyzing films and texts to uncover the genre's traditional conventions.