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Hooks
Students examine how a hook grabs the readers attention. They read an example of a hook from the book "Charlotte's Web," and discuss the process of writing a hook. Students listen to the story "Hey Al," identify the hooks in the story,...
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Readers as Individuals
Sixth graders set and are encouraged to meet their reading goals and demonstrate knowledge of literary elements in this lesson.
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Accordion-Book Summary
Introduce your young readers to the book review. Groups of writers practice the basic steps of writing a book report and complete an Accordion-Book Summary activity. The lesson includes book report basics and directions to make...
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Writer's Workshop: Mood Endings
Learners listen to a story, "My Mama Had A Dancing Heart." They discuss the feeling they had after reading the story and define "mood." Students brainstorm a list of moods and discuss the mood of each character. Afterward, they write a...
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Writer's Workshop Mini-Lesson Plan- Story Sequencing
Students listen to a read aloud of Kevin Henkes, Owen, while listening for the beginning, middle, and end. They listen as the teacher describes the need for story organization and write down the story sequence. Finally, they create a...
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Keith Gilyard: Poemographies
Young scholars, in groups, read and analyze portions of Keith Gilyard's "Poemographies". They create original visual "poemographies" and participate in a written response activity.
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My Own True Name
Students read passages from My Own True Name. They write their own poems and present them to the class. They share their favorite lines from the poem as well.
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"Christmas Comes to Moccasin Flat"
Pupils discuss the life of the author of "Christmas Comes to Moccasin Flat". They also discuss the piece of literature and what Christmas means to them. In groups, they discuss how the novel ends.
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Ancient Egyptian History/African Literature Activity
Students gain a conversant knowledge of some aspect of ancient African literature of the eighteenth dynasty (1572-1315 B.C.) in Egypt. They choose either to make a crossword puzzle or a word search with at least 20 key words from their...
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Out of the Dust
Seventh graders read a book of poems called "Out of the Dust". In groups, they research the Dust Bowl and how it affected people living through the Great Depression. Using the text, they identify the theme and key turning points and...
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Folktales: Oral Traditions as a Basis for Instruction in our Schools
Students visit their school library to read a variety of folktales. While they read, they identify the trickster or hero in each and discuss how the character represents the chaos in the real world. In groups, they write their own...
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Language Arts: Persuasion
Students examine the characteristics of persuasive writing. They identify arguments, supporting details, and discuss how to reorganize and present information in more effective ways. Students compose their own essays and discuss their...