Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Clap Your Hands (Cauley)
Lorinda Cauley's book Clap Your Hands is a fun way to expand budding readers' vocabulary in context (although you could use any book for this strategy). To prepare kids, introduce the following terms before...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Countdown to Kindergarten (McGhee)
Budding readers will relate to Allison McGhee's story Countdown to Kindergarten in which a young girl is worried about not being able to tie her shoes once she gets to school. This is a fun way to teach vocabulary in...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Grandfather's Journey (Say)
Read Allen Say's classic tale Grandfather's Journey as scholars expand their vocabulary in context (note: this strategy could be done with any text). Wondering what words they will learn here? Although you could easily include...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: I Love You the Purplest (Joosse)
Use Barbara Joosse's heartwarming story I Love You the Purplest (which can be found on YouTube if you don't have it) to practice vocabulary in context with emerging readers. This sensory text is an excellent opportunity to...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: I See Animals Hiding (Arnosky)
Animals are amazing at disguise! Explore the different ways they escape view as scholars learn vocabulary-in-context through Jim Arnosky's book I See Animals Hiding. Prepare pupils to raise their hands when they hear...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Weimar Republic: Historical Context and Decision Making
Did you know that way before Hitler became a dictator, he actually spent nine months in a German jail? Provide the background for the escalating point before the Nazi party took over in World War II through the exercises in the resource....
Curated OER
Context Clues Worksheet (Part 2)
One way you can help your learners with reading comprehension is by teaching them how to use context clues to help them figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. Here is a resource that asks class members to practice that very skill....
National Endowment for the Humanities
Courage “In the Time of the Butterflies”: A Common Core Exemplar
The courage of Las Mariposas, the Mirabal sisters, is the focus of a series of activities designed to accompany a reading of In the Time of the Butterflies that ask readers to consider what it means to be courageous. Beautifully crafted...
Curated OER
Word Roots CERN, JUR, and LEG Advanced True/False Quiz
An above-average vocabulary test: given a vocabulary word in the context of a sentence, pupils must decide, using their knowledge of the word's meaning along with context clues, if the word is used correctly or not. This worksheet...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Close Reading Part 2 of “Shrouded in Myth”
That was a good talk. Scholars learn about how to conduct a good discussion. They use chart paper and markers to record and discuss expectations for members when working in a group. They then take a look at vocabulary...
Curated OER
Metaphors in Context
Do your class members know where the phrase "raining cats and dogs" come from? They will after viewing a presentation about metaphors. The concise definitions and clear examples make for a strong introduction to this element of...
Orange County Public Schools
Vocabulary #25 Worksheet – English 1
Practice ten vocabulary words with a series of critical thinking activities. After reviewing each word in context and matching them to their definitions, kids complete analogies and find antonyms to complete the assignment.
Curated OER
Vocabulary Review: Word Meanings
Provide this to your class as they learn to develop vocabulary. There are 10 questions, and the reader must read the sentence and guess the meaning of the bolded word. There are three choices for each question.
Curated OER
Art in the Mail
The "mail art" phenomena was started back in the 20's with the Dada and Fluxus art movements and revitalized in the 60's. The principle of mail art, is free exchange and artistic expression. Learners study these facts and then create...
Curated OER
My Reading Words in My Social Studies Book?
Connect social studies and language arts using this resource. After studying root words, have learners locate five words from their social studies book that have a prefix, suffix, or root word. This puts a new twist on practicing basic...
Curated OER
All Summer in a Day Vocab
While working with Ray Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day," take some time to consider vocabulary. This exercise lists eight sentences from the story in which Bradbury uses words in interesting or different ways. Pupils read the sentence...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: I Hate To Be Sick
Engaged in a read aloud, kids use the story to define new vocabulary words, raising their hands when they hear new words in the story. Additionally, individuals refer to the text to show how the word was used in context....
Achieve3000
Context Clues and Idioms
Kids practice using five types of context clues (definition, synonym, antonym, example, and general) to decode idiomatic language.
Murrieta Valley Unified School District
Review and Assess: “The Inn of Lost Time”
Check out a resource made up of two separate exercises. The first page lists a series of higher-level questions about "The Inn of Lost Time" by Lensey Namoika. Use the questions to encourage discussion or as an assessment. Since they...
College Board
2010 AP® Calculus BC Free-Response Questions
What do a zoo, snow, and a moving particle have in common? The six free-response items from the 2010 AP® Calculus BC exam allow teachers and pupils see how items may show up in context. Three of the questions are from only the BC portion...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Definition Context Clues
Model for young readers how to recognize definition clues and how to use these clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Then distribute this instructional activity that offers them an opportunity to practice recognizing...
Smarter Balanced
American West in the 1800s
To establish a context for an assessment or a study of pioneers and the American frontier in the 1800s, groups examine photos and record observations about clothing, housing, and travel.
American Documentary
Religion in Culture & Politics: Women’s empowerment in Syria
What defines a woman as empowered, and how does this definition compare to the ideas and actions of a group of Muslim women in Syria? After watching a series of video clips from a documentary film about a school for girls in Damascus,...
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture
Shapes in Agriculture
It's time to get crafty with shapes! Your future farmers demonstrate their geometric ability by building a farm using triangles, circles, rectangles, and squares. But first, scholars take part in a brainstorm session inspired by their...