Empower your readers by modeling for them the steps for retelling a story. Designed as a teacher resource, Dr. Cummins argues that shifting responsibility for retelling to the learners increases their comprehension. The procedure is...

There's a lot of challenging vocabulary in Romeo and Juliet. As you progress through the novel, assess your class's understanding of the vocabulary with this two-page quiz. Twenty words are presented, and learners must answer questions...

Review some of the challenging vocabulary as your class begins The Hobbit. Twenty vocabulary words are introduced in two exercises. In the first, learners answer questions using some of the target vocabulary. Then, in part two, they use...

“. . . one man in his time plays many parts,/His acts being seven ages.” Jaques famous speech from Act II, scene vii of As you Like It sets the stage for an examination of the roles people play. Class members not only consider the roles...

Focus on writing argument essays with your high schoolers. The lesson suggested here focuses on The Jungle, by Sinclair Lewis; however, the idea could be adapted for other texts. Check out the quick quiz provided at the end of the...

This lesson plan is hilarious! To understand how to investigate a topic, collect data, and evaluate the results, learners research the effects of laughter on health. Each group is assigned a research task, which they will turn into...

Here is a 19-page sample lesson that uses an interesting format. It starts with an appetizer or activity to make reading the book James and the Giant Peach fun. Then it dives into the main course or core content instruction which...

Explore the structure of narrative writing with this fun, collaborative lesson. Start by reading aloud a short story, asking small groups of learners to fill in key events on a large story board prepared on the class whiteboard....

Ask your learners to keep track of their independent reading progress on a weekly reading log. There is space to write the title of the book, the pages read, a brief summary of what was read each time, and the minutes read. Each of the...

Any story can be mapped onto a plot graph. This particular chart includes the mountain shape of a traditional plot graph. Each element of plot is labeled on the page and surrounded by a box to make the words stand out. Learners write in...

Engage young children in learning the letters of the alphabet with a fun animal alphabet chart. With the letters written in both upper and lower case and accompanied by pictures of animals beginning with each letter, this is a great...

Support young learners' exploration of the alphabet with this series of picture flash cards. Each card includes both upper- and lower-case letters, as well as a picture and corresponding word that begin with the letter. This fun resource...

Test your pupils' ability with analogies with a cute worksheet featuring penguins. Learners complete each penguin-related analogy by circling the best choice to complete each one. They then take the letters they circled and move them...

Keep an eye on progress with reading and vocabulary using pink and green sticky notes. This resource describes how to set up the sticky note system so that learners can note difficult passages, and teachers can track ability.

Instruct your pupils to make those simple sentences complex! For this exercise, learners are given eight pairs of complete sentences and subordinating conjunctions. It's their job to transform each sentence by using the subordinating...

Engage your pupils in a seres of journalism activities. For this journalism lesson plan, learners practice with AP style, analyze an article, practice writing leads, work with organizing information, and take a stab at writing headlines....

Collect evidence and reasons and fill them in on this page to prepare for presenting an argument. Learners can evaluate what they are missing and make sure they fill in each line and bubble before considering their argument complete.

Studying Charlotte's Web in your class? Included here are worksheets and activities for pupils, and lessons for teachers. Learners examine the text, create their own little play using paper cutouts of the characters, complete a crossword...

The second lesson plan in a series of fourteen, this plan takes the short story basics a step further. Learners complete a quiz about the story from the previous day, discuss the text, learn about Anton Chekhov, and work in groups to...

Expand your pupils' understanding of the short story genre with a study of John Updike and his story "A&P." This lesson, the fourth in a series of fourteen, invites learners to examine literary terms and read and discuss the story....

What is a white elephant, and what does it have to do with Ernest Hemingway? Study "Hills Like White Elephants" in-depth by following the procedures outlined in this lesson, the fifth in a series of fourteen. Learners start the day with...

If the Lorax were to write a letter, what would he write? Introduce your class to systems and feedback loops through the whimsical stylings of Dr. Seuss. Learners take on the Lorax's point of view to write a letter, among other activities.

Enhance your writing with describing words. After reading 12 simple sentences, learners circle the adjectives and underline the nouns they describe. Additionally, they write a few of their own sentences with adjectives at the bottom of...

Can you believe there have already been 100 days in the school year? Help your learners document their time in your class with a newspaper format. They write about the 100 Day celebrations, as well as drawing what they will...