Curated OER
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Fourth graders listen and observe the role play of the various versions of the poem. They take notes while listening and observing and develop their own versions of "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
Curated OER
Alphabet Books
Young scholars work with a partner from a different grade level to brainstorm, draft, edit, illustrate and publish alphabet-themed books. They take turns reading the books to each other and conference with a teacher to review their work.
Curated OER
Find a Book
Student receives one book description card and in less than 2 minutes, they walk through the Media Center to find a book matching that description. After a matching book is found, each student evaluates the book.
Curated OER
You Can Do It, Mr. And Mrs. Mallard!
Students watch the video "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert Mc Closkey. They write letters to Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and make a map for the mallards. They talk about the importance of animal habitats.
Curated OER
Water Around Us
Third graders learn the effects of temperature on the states of water. Then students create paper snowflakes. Finally students complete a computer project with software which teaches the different states of water.
Curated OER
Poetry
Fourth graders participate in reading and listening to poetry. They are exposed to a variety of poems and examine and identify basic elements of poetry. They write their own poems and recite a poem with enthusiasm, expression, and props.
Curated OER
Make Way for Ducklings
First graders use skills to collect, organize, and interpret data. They compare and contrast two stories, Make Way for Ducklings and Chibi: A True Story From Japan. Students create a duckling.
Curated OER
Author, Author!
Third graders, in groups, select and research a favorite studenT author or illustrator. They answer questions about the author, conduct research and prepare a PowerPoint presentation with their findings.
Curated OER
John Milton and Paradise Lost
Pupils read one of his minor poems but focus on Paradise Lost. They apply historical criticism to the poem and note the parallel between the Biblical references and the politics of Oliver Cromwell.
Curated OER
Monster Dictionary
Third graders explore several retrieval strategies to find information in a variety of sources. They organize the information they find and create a Monster Dictionary that includes imaginary monsters and their definitions.
Curated OER
Dangerous for your health
Students articulate the relationship between the Shirtwaist Factory Fire and working conditions in an essay using primary sources. They are introduced to working conditions in America during the Industrial Revolution.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Literary Text: Close Reading of Poetry: Practice 3
This lesson will help you comprehend the poet's meaning by giving you practice in finding imagery, metaphors, symbolism, and allusions.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension
Comprehension strategies are conscious plans - sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading...
McGraw Hill
Mc Graw Hill: Mastering the Common Core Accessing Complex Texts With M. Russo
This professional development video is instructed by the National Reading Consultant, Marisa Russo. She provides explanations about what makes a complex text, why text complexity is important, and techniques to help student access...
McGraw Hill
Mc Graw Hill: How to Teach Close Reading With Complex Texts
This instructional video demonstrates ways to incorporate "close reading" with complex text. [56:53]
University of Houston
University of Houston: Extra! Extra! What's the Big Idea?!
Get the feel of running a newspaper by selecting articles and pictures. If you are interested in checking out real newspapers, there is a clickable list of online newspapers for younger readers.
Other
Ncrel: Reading Strategies: Before, During, and After [Pdf]
This page provides a detailed chart to aid students' understanding of texts. It goes through the steps of pre-reading, during reading, and after reading, outlining what students should be thinking about as they interact with a text. This...
Other
Penn. Department of Education:comparing and Contrasting Different Versions
Comparing and contrasting is a higher-level thinking skill promoted in the Common Core Standards leading to the ability to comprehend and analyze texts through various topics and genres. This lesson on Comparing and Contrasting Stories...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: For Middle Schoolers: Activities to Build College Level Reading Skills
ACT has developed this list of activities to help middle-school students improve their reading ability. Parents and educators can use this information to help ensure that these students are on target for college and career readiness.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Anticipation Guide
Anticipating is an effective reading strategy for readers of all ages. Utilize this template and graphic organizer to help your students become better readers.
Other
Nclr: The Essentials of Teaching Reading
Find out what the essentials are for teaching reading. This site provides vital information for teachers in developing the most successful reading program for their students.
Other
Prezi: What Is Complex Literature?
This Prezi was created by Marko Zlomislic. The presentation explains what constitutes complex literature. It defines complex texts, discusses the varied benefits of learning to read them, and provides links to lesson plans and examples....
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Holt Assessment: Evaluating Nonfiction [Pdf]
This one-page printable worksheet is designed for classroom use in evaluating a reading of nonfiction. The evaluation is set up in a rubric format.