Reading comprehension, writing, grammar, and vocabulary.
Reading & writing · Grades 3-5 · 45 minutes
Finding the main idea in a short nonfiction passage
Students read a short nonfiction passage, name its main idea in one sentence, and point to two details that back it up.
Students will be able to:
- State the main idea of a passage in a single clear sentence.
- Quote two details from the text that support that main idea.
Standards
- Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2 — Determine the main idea of a text and explain how key details support it.
Original lesson. Original lesson written for this site; the practice passage is an original short text we wrote.
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Reading & writing · Grades 6-8 · 45 minutes
Writing a paragraph with a clear topic sentence
Students plan a single paragraph: one topic sentence, three supporting sentences, and a closing line, then trade and give one another feedback.
Students will be able to:
- Write a topic sentence that states the paragraph's point.
- Support it with at least three relevant sentences and a brief closing.
Standards
- Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 — Write to inform a reader about a topic with clear, organized supporting detail.
Original lesson. Original lesson and the peer-feedback checklist written for this site.
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Reading & writing · Grades K-2 · 35 minutes
Retelling a story in order
Students listen to a short read-aloud story, then use picture cards to retell the beginning, middle, and end in order and name the story's big idea.
Students will be able to:
- Retell a story's beginning, middle, and end in the correct order.
- Name the central message or lesson of a story.
Standards
- Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 — Retell a story including its key details, and show understanding of its central message or lesson.
Original lesson. Original lesson and picture-card retelling set written for this site.
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Reading & writing · Grades 3-5 · 50 minutes
Comparing two accounts of the same event
Students read two short passages that describe the same event from different people's points of view, then chart where the accounts agree and where they differ.
Students will be able to:
- Identify the point of view each account is told from.
- List at least two similarities and two differences between the two accounts.
Standards
- Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6 — Compare and contrast multiple accounts of the same event, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view each one represents.
Original lesson. Original lesson; both practice passages are original short texts written for this site.
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Reading & writing · Grades 6-8 · 50 minutes
Evaluating an author's argument
Students read a short persuasive article, underline its claim and each piece of supporting evidence, and judge whether the evidence is strong enough to support the claim.
Students will be able to:
- Identify an author's claim and the evidence offered to support it.
- Judge whether the reasoning and evidence are sound and sufficient.
Standards
- Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.8 — Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, judging whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient.
Original lesson. Original lesson; the practice article is an original short text written for this site.
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Reading & writing · Grades 9-12 · 55 minutes
Citing evidence in an argument essay
Students draft a short argument paragraph on a low-stakes topic, then trade papers to check that every claim is backed by a specific, quoted piece of evidence from a shared source packet.
Students will be able to:
- Support a claim with textual evidence cited by quote or specific detail.
- Distinguish evidence that is explicitly stated from evidence that requires an inference.
Standards
- Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly and inferences drawn from it.
Original lesson. Original lesson and source packet written for this site.
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Social studies
Social studies lesson plans
History, civics, geography, and reading primary sources.
Social studies · Grades 6-8 · 50 minutes
Reading a primary source: an old local document
Students read a short public-domain document from the 1800s, identify who wrote it and when, and separate facts from the writer's opinion.
Students will be able to:
Standards
Verified public domain. The reading is a verified public-domain document (published before 1900, United States). We checked the exact edition we host; the worksheet around it is original.
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Social studies · Grades K-2 · 35 minutes
Roles of people in authority
Students sort picture cards of a classroom, school, and community and match each person shown to their role and one responsibility, then discuss why rules and helpers matter.
Students will be able to:
Standards
Original lesson. Original lesson and picture-card sort written for this site.
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Social studies · Grades 3-5 · 45 minutes
Reading maps to explain a place
Students compare a physical map, a road map, and a photograph of the same region, then write two sentences explaining how the land shapes where people built the town.
Students will be able to:
Standards
Original lesson. Original lesson and map and photograph set written for this site.
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Social studies · Grades 6-8 · 45 minutes
Needs, wants, and scarcity
Students sort a list of household items into needs and wants, then role-play a family with a fixed budget deciding what to buy, and explain how scarcity forced a trade-off.
Students will be able to:
Standards
Original lesson. Original lesson and budget role-play cards written for this site.
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Social studies · Grades 9-12 · 55 minutes
Evaluating historical context
Students read two short accounts of the same historical decision written in different decades, identify what circumstances of the writer's own time may have shaped each account, and discuss how context changes interpretation.
Students will be able to:
Standards
Original lesson. Original lesson and paired historical accounts written for this site.
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