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Someone is Summarizing
Students practice summarizing text using James E. Knight's, "Boston Tea Party, Rebellion in the Colonies." They read the story silently before summarizing it using main ideas and supporting details and deciding what type of information...
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Successful Summarizers
Students review the concept of silent reading. Through modeling and guided practice, they explore six steps/rules of summarizing. In groups, they read a short book and then, using the summarization rules and skills, write an effective...
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Questions or Statements?
Students are introduced to the six question words of who, what, when, where, why and how. After being read a story, they are asked who and what the story was about. To end the instructional activity, they practice identifying questions...
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Sheila Rae the Brave
First graders practice summarizing with the book Sheila Rae the Brave by Kevin Henkes. In this summarizing lesson, 1st graders read the story over 3 days and answer comprehension questions. They write a summary about what they book was...
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Let's Find the Main Ideas!
Third graders examine how finding the main ideas and summarizing increases their reading comprehension. They read "The Sea in Danger" while applying the six rules of summarization in a modeled lesson plan. Next, working in small groups,...
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Little Cloud
Students create "little clouds" after reading the story "The Little Cloud" by Eric Carle in this cross-curricular Art and Language Arts lesson for the early-elementary classroom. The author suggests using this with a "Raindrop Picture"...
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Summer of My German Soldier
Students participate in a layered curriculum unit for a novel study. The teaching method allows for a student centered classroom that includes different methods of instruction and assessment.
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You've Got to be Taught to Hate and Fear
Young scholars explore themes of prejudice and acceptance. In this character education lesson, students listen and respond to several fiction books, poems, and lyrics with a similar theme. Young scholars locate articles with the main...
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The Lion and the Mouse
Students examine a story. In this good citizenship lesson, students read the story "The Lion and the Mouse" and discuss being kind and what it means to be a good citizen. Students hold a discussion about how other animal pairs could...
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Mixing Metaphors with Politics
Students discuss different literary devices and use them to write summaries of New York Times articles dealing with international news. They reflect on the effectiveness and appropriateness of sports metaphors in the political arena.
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Summarization Safari
Students summarize a piece of fiction text. After reviewing the correct way to question while reading, students independently read a short story. They complete a summary organizer using the five Ws outlined by the instructor during...
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Sarah, Plain and Tall
Learners read Sarah, Plain and Tall, and they write a journal entry for each chapter. They can write about anything that come to mind as you read the story. Students are able to draw in the journal. They write down key words or...
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Myth Connections
Ninth graders present tales and myths in the oral tradition. They discuss the African method of telling a story where each member of the group tells a part of the story. They make up a composite hero and write a story that describes...
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Using Science Fiction To Understand Biological Concepts
High schoolers read and discuss," The Andromeda Strain" by Michael Crichton and complete a short writing exercise as a warm-up for a longer piece of science fiction writing. They choose a topic and create a science fiction short story...
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Photography in the Holocaust
Students analyze photographs for the use of propaganda. They explore the idea of having photos used as historical documents. Students realize the importance of having photos to tell stories.
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Summarizing
Third graders examine how to summarize the most important details in a reading passage in order to increase their comprehension. They design a story web using the summarization skills. Before class, they complete a reading assignment...
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Baby
Students listen to chapters 1 and 2 in the book, Baby, then pick one character from the story looking for words or phrases that describe the character. They develop a character sketch making notes about their ideas and share with others...
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Pigging Out on Reading Comprehension
Students summarize a piece of fiction text. After reviewing the correct way to read in order to summarize, students independently read the story "Pig in a Bag." They write a summary paragraph using the process outlined by the instructor...
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The Patchwork Quilt and Something From Nothing
Students listen to the teacher read the first 26 pages of the story, Something From Nothing, and discuss what predicting means, Students predict how Joesph might remember what his grandfather made him, now that the button is gone. They...
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Wants and Needs, Our community
Young scholars, after hearing the story, "The Rag Coat" discuss how family, school, and neighborhood provide basic needs and learning experiences. They decipher the difference between wants and needs and create a collage showing wants...
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Seminole Housing (Chickees)
Students listen to a story about the Seminole Indian tribes. They participate in a teacher-lead discussion of chickees--Seminole housing. They create a chickee book in which they write a description of their belongings in a chickee.
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Painting with Words
Fifth graders discuss words that are over used in their writing such as good, nice, happy, glad sad, etc. they complete a survey about word choice then hear a story and discuss descriptive phrases used in the story and how they help to...
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KS3 Bitesize
Students complete exercises using their five senses to improve their writing skills. In this writing skills lesson, students complete activities blindfolded and using their five senses. Students then select an abstract noun and describe...
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Summarizing
Students use their note-taking skills to write summaries of information. In this writing skills instructional activity, students use the notes they have taken in another instructional activity to write adventure stories by implementing...