Writing Educators Symposium
Asking the Right Questions
It can be difficult to find the theme of a book or story if you don't know the questions to ask. Teach your kids to discern the universal theme in works of literature with a set of activities that promote critical thinking and active...
E Reading Worksheets
Fact and Opinion - Worksheet: 6
Practice discerning fact and opinion with a activity that contains 25 statements. Once learners determine if they are fact or opinion, they circle their answer and write a sentence explaining how they know.
E Reading Worksheets
Tone Worksheet 4
A poet's word choice can be the difference between a poem that is merely sad, and a poem full of heartbreaking regret. Middle schoolers discern the tone in four different poems, noting the relevant textual evidence that supports each...
E Reading Worksheets
Tone: Voice of the Speaker
Tone and mood are easy to use interchangeably—and yet they are very different elements of literature. Help middle schoolers discern between the way a speaker feels about his or her subject and the way the audience is meant to feel with a...
E Reading Worksheets
Tone Worksheet 1
Discern the tone in four selected poems with a straightforward assignment. Junior high readers analyze the authors' word choice and text structure to define a tone for each poem, as well as each poem's meaning.
Virginia Department of Education
Sound
Add a little music to your next physics class. Pupils discuss how frequency determines pitch and take part in several activities designed to teach them more about sound, melody, resonance, and vibrations. They use materials to construct...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 5
Once you find and evaluate your sources, it's time to discern the most helpful information. In a research lesson plan based on questions derived from Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation, practice annotation and taking notes.
Teacher Created Resources
Terrific Topic Sentences
Strengthen writing skills with a introductory exercise to learn how to write topic sentences. Using an informational reading passage, pupils delineate the types of sentences they read and discern what the topic sentence should be.
Do2Learn
The Feelings Game
Discerning emotions and intent from facial expressions can be difficult for many learners, particular those with autism spectrum disorder. Help class members practice reading faces with an interactive resource that features three...
Pecentral.org
Personal Wellness Inventory
How healthy are you really? High schoolers assess the aspects of physical, mental, and social health in their lives before applying them to various templates and discerning the unhealthy habits that they can work on changing.
Classics for Kids
Instruments Have a Family
Are the instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in the same family as those in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue? Elementary musicians work on their music theory and their instrumental ear as they listen to clips of famous...
Scholastic
Consider the Source
Who is more trustworthy when it comes to marijuana: a high school student, or The National Institute on Drug Abuse? Sources matter when reading informational text. Help teenagers discern which facts are true with an activity that focuses...
EngageNY
Paraphrasing and Evaluating Sources: “Gaming Can Make a Better World”
Explore how gaming might make the world a better place. To dissect the statement, scholars watch video clips about the benefits of video games. While listening, pupils make notes in their researcher's notebooks, attempting to discern the...
C-SPAN
How to Interpret Political Polls
While numbers don't lie, the reliability of information in a poll may be difficult to discern. After viewing video clips with polling experts, young scholars consider how polls work and the elements of a reliable poll. Extension...
Curated OER
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Readers use an "Idea Tree" graphic organizer to discern the main idea and supporting details of several passages included in this presentation. The three passages offer opportunities for guided and independent practice.
Media Smarts
The Impact of Gender Role Stereotypes
One of three lessons on gender stereotype, this resource from the Media Awareness Network discusses the violence that is inflicted on men and women as they try to live up to the stereotypes of their gender. The section on women focuses...
Curated OER
Argumentative/Persuasive Writing
Intended for an intermediate/advance ELD course, this resource can support anyone learning the techniques and discernment needed for effective persuasive/argumentative writing. Beginning with the issue of curfews for a quick class...
Curated OER
Bouncing Pig
First graders practice discerning between the lowercase letters p and b. Through hands on and listening activities, they recognize the difference between the commonly confused letters b and p. They practice writing both letters and...
Curated OER
Winter Moves
Young scholars discuss the effects of downhill motion on the body, and discern how the human eye perceives motion by studying Edward Muybridge's photography. They observe seasonal changes and identify elements related to the winter...
McGraw Hill
Chapter 21: Mammals
Although the instructional activity found here is designed to accompany a particular textbook reading, it is a good basic review or study guide when learning about mammals. If you have a text that covers these concepts, young scientists...
Curated OER
dr/fr
Practice the blends "dr" and "fr" with this resource. Nine pictures are displayed with the end of the word written below. Learners discern whether the word begins with "fr" or "dr." Focus on two blends at a time to help your children...
Curated OER
Many Passages: The Voyage of the Slave Ship Brookes
Examine three perspectives of the slave trade - captain, sailor, and captive - through this collaborative analysis activity. Small groups study one perspective with a primary source to analyze. They discern what is a historical fact and...
Curated OER
Retell And Summarize Text
Help your learners read a text and summarize it using their own words. The main idea and important details of an article are discussed before individuals write their summaries. To support discernment about what to include in a summary,...
Curated OER
Reading and Comprehension
Reading comprehension is defined and common problems with understanding text are outlined. Potential solutions are offered to help your group develop discernment skills. Starting with slide sixteen, a sample reading selection is shown...