Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grade 3 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, a descriptive passage from a piece of prose is used to create a found poem. Students may then use found poems for models in writing parallel poems.... 2 Teaching Science Through Picture Books: A Rainforest Lesson Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 4–5 Professional Commentary: This lesson integrates effective reading strategies for informational texts with a study of the tropical rainforest. Prereading activities, which allow students to access and build upon prior knowledge, include listening to sound effects of the rainforest, writing, and drawing.... 3 Multimedia Responses to Content Area Topics Using Fact-"Faction"-Fiction Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 3–4 Professional Commentary: Young learners have a natural curiosity about their environment. This lesson supports students' natural curiosity about spiders and builds upon their prior knowledge.... 4 Literature as a Jumping Off Point for Nonfiction Inquiry Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 4–5 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students work in cooperative groups to respond to a novel. After reading a novel, students develop a list of topics related to the novel then explore those topics in more detail using a text set.... 5 Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Critical Discussion of Social Issues Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 5–7 Professional Commentary: This lesson uses picture books to invite students to engage in critical discussions of such complex issues as race, class, and gender. Students gain insight into some of the social barriers that separate people from one another as they examine examples of prejudice and inequality.... 6 Exploring American Tall Tales Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 4–5 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students explore the common elements of folktales and tall tales, while learning how these stories built the spirit of American pioneers. Students identify the elements of tall tale and write responses to these tales, including a composition in the form of a monologue or a news report.... 7 Voting! What's It All About? Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading, Social Studies Grades: Grades 3–4 Professional Commentary: This cross-curricular unit uses a variety of resources to integrate language arts content with social studies topics. Students listen to fiction and nonfiction books related to voting and explore child-oriented websites, newspapers, and magazines to gather additional election and voting information.... 8 The Hare and the Water: A Tanzanian Folktale Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grade 2 Professional Commentary: In this series of lessons, students explore the literary elements of a Tanzanian folktale about animals collaborating to dig a well. After reading the folktale, students respond by discussing the plot and creating a storyboard, sequencing the story's main events.... 9 Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 4–6 Professional Commentary: This promising practice, part of Scholastic's Writing With Writers series, provides strategies for assisting students with summarization and persuasive writing. Designed for implementation within a writing workshop, this writing project features a sample book review, writing tips, strategies, and challenges to help students develop their own book reviews.... 10 Lights, Camera, Action: Interviewing a Book Character Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–7 Professional Commentary: During a novel study, students closely examine the different characters in the text by keeping journal entries, meeting for group discussions, and using graphic organizers. This extensive character examination is designed to help them to prepare a final project that involves creating an interview-style television show.... |