Making predictions is an important skill that experienced readers tap into when tackling a difficult text. Prepare your pupils to read My Antonia by Willa Cather with an initial prediction activity and this anticipation guide, which...

As the story unfolds and your class is introduced to George and Lennie, provide them with this short reading guide for chapter one. It addresses challenging vocabulary and any literary terms used in the section before asking learners to...

Feeling harried? Experiencing a sense of foreboding? Learners craft sentences using words from Homer’s The Odyssey. The two exercises included here are sure to stoke their enthusiasm.

Arguably one of the most famous novels, A Tale of Two Cities is a tough read for many learners. Help your readers understand the first chapters of the text by offering this vocabulary guide. Twenty new words are introduced, and two...

The best way to learn vocabulary is to see it in context, right? That's exactly what this worksheet does; it presents 20 terms for Macbeth in context. For part one, learners answer a list of questions that use the target vocabulary. In...

Read Our Town with your class, and introduce them to new vocabulary words. Twenty words (like agrarian, crestfallen, and ennui) are the focus, and learners complete to exercises to better acquaint themselves with the new words. Although...

Ah, The Catcher in the Rye. As your class reads this iconic book by J.D. Salinger, provide them with some opportunities to develop their vocabulary. Twenty new words are introduced, and learners deepen their understanding through both a...

Although dated in appearance, this PowerPoint presents current content in how learners can identity a theme, main idea, subject, and topic. The information is formatted for easy note taking, but offers no explanation of the themes...

There is nothing more frustrating than discussing theme in literature, and now the Common Core requires that your learners determine two or more, and discuss the development of it throughout the text. This is crazy, but manageable with...

Although the ideas on how to implement the skill RI.9-10.2 are lacking, the assessment would work well for challenging learners to summarize, and identify the main ideas of presidential speeches that are of similar topics. One could use...

New to teaching and the Common Core? Then you need to check out how the skill W.9-10.4 is broken down into easy-to-understand steps for your learners to dominate and conqueror. Included is a script to present to your class that details...

What would happen if I structured this review by beginning in the middle of it? Or by flashing back to the dinner I had last night that gave me bad heartburn, and then transitioned into how the lingering burn of acid seeped into my...

Determining the meaning of a word based on context clues or marking how the meaning of a term evolves in the course of a document can be a challenge in more complex text. Give your pupils an opportunity to practice this skill with a...

Comparing information found in images, charts, and graphs with that found in written text can be a challenge for even senior high scholars. Provide learners with an opportunity to practice this skill with an exercise that asks them to...

If you need an introduction to skill W.9-10.1 for writing, then you’re off to a good start here. Included is a funny script that introduces what the students need to know to conquer the skill. It also provides an introduction activity...

After reading each chunk of two chapters of Carl Hiaasen's novel Hoot, ask learners to respond to related study questions. The instructions at the top of the questions suggest that individuals should read the questions first, read the...

Young writers will surely remember this acronym while they are writing! Each letter prompts pupils to include a different aspect of a brief constructed response. The resource includes a checklist as well as a graphic organizer that...

Need a DBQ practice set? Whether or not your class is preparing for the AP exam, learners will benefit from analyzing primary source documents about economic and social change. For Part A, the short-answer questions, participants read...

Learn all about your new learners' exciting summer breaks with this simple writing exercise. Young learners complete a series of three sentence frames about their summer vacation and their hopes for the new school year before...

Support your learners as they read The Cay by Theodore Taylor with a word wall. This resource includes 50 words from the book. All the words are printed in large font, and some of the words are paired with images.

Continue your study of the short story with the next lesson in this fourteen-lesson series. After wrapping up a study of "Hills Like White Elephants" through a quiz and discussion of the setting, learners are introduced to the final...

Talk about technology in the classroom. This plan has all the resources needed to create a non-linear or branching story. Included is a step-by-step tutorial that walks middle schoolers through the project description, a model of a...

Sixth graders interview Veterans or role play to answer who, what, where, when questions. For this Veteran's Day questioning activity, 6th graders learn about the events in the military service of veterans. Students may simulate...

¿Quíen tiene la camiseta? Here's a fun, interactive activity using real pieces of clothing to teach and review new vocabulary. Get all of your young learners participating with this one!