Imagine using narrative essays to encourage change. This multi-week unit plan does just that. After reading a series of articles from Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, class members examine the...

Middle schoolers aren't too young to feel strongly about politics, social issues, consumer rights, or environmental problems. Demonstrate the first steps toward social change with a project about action-oriented writing. Eighth...

Do research projects at your school look like a class of eighth graders staring at a blank screen? Use the Big 6 research method to guide middle schoolers through the process of finding a topic, searching for and evaluating sources,...

The Grapes of Wrath. The Jungle. Native Son. The Things They Carried. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. To address a current social, political, economic, or environmental issue, class groups pair the reading of a...

Rather than waiting for the world to change, encourage your class members to become agents of change with a project that asks groups to select an issue found in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America....

Class members choose a current social, political, environmental, or economic problem presented in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, research this problem and a variety of suggested solutions, before...

After researching an issue introduced in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, writers develop an original thesis statement and craft an analytic essay using evidence collected in their research.

Encourage your young citizens to make a difference. Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America as a starting point, class members watch documentaries, investigate issues, and then write letters to...

Should junk food be banned in schools? Should the US open its borders to all immigrants? Should the US impose term limits for the House of Representatives and for the Senate? Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas...

What are some things you think are special enough to keep? Discussing special things launches young learners into reading Keepers. They investigate related vocabulary and practice before, during, and after reading comprehension...

Have your class explore active reading strategies! In this guided reading lesson, learners make personal connections to characters having a bad day as a prior knowledge activation discussion. After reading Gettin' Through Thursday, class...

Students complete a variety of activities related to the book "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo. They create a scrapbook of the characters in the book, play a reading comprehension maze game, and participate in an online...

Students complete a variety of activities related to the book "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. They create a comic strip based on the characters, setting, and plot of the story, and examine the author's writing process. In small groups...

Third graders complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Confetti. In this reading lesson plan, 3rd graders complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions,...

Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Strong to the Hoop. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions,...

Students read the book "Baseball Saved Us" and respond to the story through writing activities. In this reading lesson, students create a chart of events  which they predict will take place in the story. Students then use their...

Young scholars complete activities with the book The Birthday Swap by Loretta Lopez. In this literature lesson, students answer pre-reading questions, locate new vocabulary, and read the story. They answer comprehension questions,...

Learners explore reading comprehension strategies. In this character development and reading comprehension lesson plan, students brainstorm common traits of "heroes." Learners read Heroes, then identify the personal conflicts the story...

Students read the story "Night Golf" and respond to questions that enhance their comprehension of the book's message.  In this reading lesson, students participate in a literature circle to explore reading passages. Students ...

Second graders read The Piano and become familiar with racial discrimination.  In this racial discrimination book lesson, 2nd graders answer comprehension question to focus on the importance of the book.  Students discuss the...

Third graders become familiar with the poetry of Issa. In this haiku lesson, 3rd graders recognize the format of a haiku and learn about the life of Issa (the poet) through focused questions, vocabulary and reading responses. Students...

Third graders read and discuss the story of Crazy Horse. In this Crazy Horses' Vision teacher's guide, 3rd graders examine the life of Native American, Crazy Horse. Students answer questions, perform literature circle roles, and...

Students explore the main elements of the book Passage to Freedom. In this reading response lesson, students participate in pre-reading activities that focus on the idea of courage. Students conduct a book walk-through and are introduced...

Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book The Last Day of Slavery. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer...