Government spending on social programs in the US is a big topic. It is also the current event kids will read about as they delve into this issue of the New York Times. They'll read the article, then answer seven comprehension questions....

Critical thinking and social justice are central themes for this resource on bias and crime in media. The class views and discusses an incisive PSA that highlights assumptions based on race. Small groups read newspaper opinion pieces...

Does a ban on vending machines infringe on student rights, or do school officials have an obligation to monitor foods sold on school grounds? Your class members will explore the educational, health, and financial issues related to...

Learn how to use search engines and keywords! Learners evaluate the information process using given criteria and determine ways in which the process may be improved.

What can young scientists discover from dissecting an owl pellet? Explore the owl food chain, beginning with an introduction to these predatory birds. Suggested strategies here include creating a podcast and purchasing a poster, however...

Cover the 1980s in your class with a brief informational text and seven related questions. The one-page reading passage includes general information about jobs and skills, population patterns, and the AIDS epidemic. 

A complete resource from BBC World Service provides informational text for English or ESL classes to teach vocabulary, grammar, and reading skills. Learners participate in small group work, whole class discussions, and role-plays to...

Fifth graders examine text features and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this text features lesson, 5th graders go over Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures and text features before they choose one to include in a book and...

Ideal for a language arts class, literary unit, or independent reading assignment, a set of reading worksheets address a wide array of skills. From poetic elements to nonfiction text features, you can surely find a valuable resource in...

Demonstrate how to engage in a polite and professional conversation with this banking and interfacing lesson. Focusing on explanatory and informaitonal texts, middle schoolers write sentences using banking and finance terminologies....

Inspire your pupils to read the news and make connections between articles and another text, event, or experience with a straightforward reading log. Learners note down the article information at the top of the worksheet and then respond...

In preparation for the unit exam, groups employ the strategies they have been practicing to formulate an interpretative claim about the connections between Christopher Paul Curtis's " Bud, Not Buddy, and Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford...

A complete activity! The class reads the provided text, then answers the 7 critical-thinking questions. Topics covered are interpreting informational text, reading comprehension, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and US Policy. 

Develop historical analysis and interpretation with your older students. They will study and analyze three given interpretations of Christopher Columbus' life, which includes significant events, his character, and the impact he made on...

Although not a complete lesson plan, this set of emotionally powerful texts could be used in a variety of lessons. From The New York Times' Learning Network site, the resource includes a poem, an excerpt from a New York Times article and...

How did colonial settlement and the establishment of the United States affect Native Americans in the Chesapeake region? Your young historians will analyze contemporary and historical maps, read informational texts, and work in groups to...

Ronald Reagan's 1983 speech to the National Association of Evangelicals (also know as the "Evil Empire Speech") offers readers with an opportunity to practice their skills at reading informational text, specifically primary source...

Why do schools and government offices close one day every January to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Young learners discover the achievements and lasting significance of this influential figure in American history...

Through reading a variety of news articles and other informational texts, learners discover the political turmoil and intense ethnic and religious tensions that envelop the Ivory Coast today. Class members research the historical...

World affairs and current events are the name of the game. Today your class can read the Times, published on September 30, 2011 and then take a five question quiz to test their recall abilities. 

Find out what the hot topics were on April 8, 2011. Kids will read several New York Times articles for that day to answer five multiple choice questions. Tip: Have struggling readers complete this activity with a peer partner. 

Why not provide your class with an interactive news quiz? They can scan or read the New York Times from May 1, 2012 and then answer each of the six related multiple choice questions. Great for homework or as a daily warm up.

What's happening in the news today? Read all about top headlines and breaking news from April 17, 2012. Learners will read or scan the New York Times then take a five question multiple choice quiz.

Fill in the blanks, that's what young readers of this New York Times article are going to do. They read an article relating interesting facts about space tourism, then fill in 20 blanks. A copy of the article and a word list is included.