"Chicago's First Leader" is a one page, biographical passage about Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, the first non-native American to settle in Chicago. He started a trading post around which the city grew. It is followed by an open-ended...

[Free Registration/Login Required] In this activity, students learn to use the PEE (point, evidence, explain) model to study Love in Romeo and Juliet. They use a tracking worksheet to write down points showing Romeo and Juliet's feelings...

"A Proud Flight" is a one page, Greek myth about Icarus and Daedelus. The father and son were imprisoned, and in order to escape, Daedelus made wings using bird feathers covered with wax. He warned Icarus not to get too near the sun or...

"Natural Gas: An Energy Resource" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about natural gas, its uses, and how it gets to homes. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the...

"Chicago Is a City of Possibilities" is an inauguration speech by Deval Patrick given as he became governor of Massachusetts. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes determining...

"New Leadership" is Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech as Mayor of Chicago on April 12, 1983. It is followed by an assignment which requires students to provide evidence from the text; it includes comparing Washington's election as...

"Learn about South Africa" is a one page, nonfiction passage about South Africa and its fight to end the apartheid. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes underlining the most...

"Prairie Keepers" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the history of prairies and the Department of Agriculture's efforts to restore the prairie. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story;...

"Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech" is an excerpt from Deval Patrick's acceptance speech when he won the governorship of Massachusetts on November 7, 2006. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the...

In this lesson, you will read and annotate a pair of texts to make inferences, draw conclusions, and synthesize ideas and details using textual evidence. Prepare to get involved in a conversation between you and the two texts you will be...

This graphic organizer can be used with students when they read informational text. Students will identify a claim, list text evidence that supports the claim, and explain how the information can be used for their future understanding of...

[Free Registration/Login Required] A three-lesson unit on author's purpose. In the first lesson, young scholars practice identifying the author's purpose as to entertain, to persuade, or to inform. In the second lesson, students use...

[Free Registration/Login Required] A three-lesson unit teaching young scholars to use the first and last sentence to identify the main idea of a paragraph and the first and last sentence in each paragraph to identify the main idea of a...

In this lesson, students will read and annotate a pair of texts to make inferences, draw conclusions, and synthesize ideas and details using textual evidence.

[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, students will read and annotate a pair of texts to make inferences, draw conclusions, and synthesize ideas and details using textual evidence.

In this lesson, students will read and annotate a pair of texts to make inferences, draw conclusions, and synthesize ideas and details using textual evidence. The two texts are side-by-side to better understand them.

"Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan" is a one page, nonfiction passage about Daniel Burnham, an architect and city planner for Chicago. He planned the layout of the city including Navy Pier, railroads, streets, and public buildings. It is...

"Pilsen, A Community Changes" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the Chicago community of Pilsen which was settled by Bohemian immigrants but later became a Mexican-American community. The two groups of people worked together to...

"Prairie Ecology" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the tallgrass prairie ecosystem and how it works using three animals: the skipper butterfly, ground squirrel, and the bison It is followed by an open-ended question which requires...

"Our Streets" is a one page, nonfiction passage about how streets are designed, built, signed, and maintained. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes underlining...

"Traveling West" is a one page, nonfiction passage about pioneers traveling west in wagon trains. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes underlining the most important...

"What is a Fable?" is a one page, nonfiction passage about what a fable is including animals that talk and a lesson learned. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes...

"Chicago Changer, Jane Addams" is a one page, biographical passage about Jane Addams, Chicago's first changer. She helped poor people and immigrants to find homes and learn English. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires...

"Prairie Changes" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the changes in the prairie over time and the effect it has on plants, animals, and habitats. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence...