A short lesson focusing on practicing short constructed responses (SCR) using informational texts about the Ancestral Puebloans and the Haudenosaunee. Students read short passages, identify key details, and write evidenced-based responses.

An introductory lesson for 4th and 5th graders to the world of competitive debate, focusing on structure, rules, and respectful disagreement through high-energy activities.

A fast-paced 25-minute small group lesson focusing on identifying main ideas and supporting details using a detective-themed 'Case Files' approach. Includes guided modeling, collaborative practice, and independent application.

A comprehensive lesson designed to help middle school students master the art of writing strong, argumentative thesis statements through a blueprint-themed instructional approach.

A comprehensive lesson designed to help 3rd-5th grade students master the art of paragraph construction through a fun, retro video game theme. Students will learn about sentence variety, topic sentences, and supporting details through interactive slides, a card-based game, and scaffolded practice.

A comprehensive lesson for middle schoolers on mastering the art of the argumentative hook, covering four distinct strategies to grab a reader's attention and bridge to a strong claim.

A lesson exploring the famous case of Phineas Gage to understand the connection between brain structure and personality, meeting Oregon learning standards for reading informational text.

A comprehensive assessment focusing on decoding 2-3 syllable words across various syllable patterns including closed, VCe, r-controlled, open, and vowel teams.

This lesson focuses on Chapter 4 of Frederick Douglass's narrative, analyzing how specific accounts of murder illustrate the inhumanity of slavery and the corruption of the Southern legal system. Students analyze key lines and imagery to identify Douglass's central claims about the lack of justice and value placed on enslaved lives.

An analysis of Chapter 8 'Moscow', focusing on the introduction of Uncle Anoosh and the influence of political ideology on personal identity and Marji's concept of heroism.

A summative assessment unit comparing the historical case of Phineas Gage with modern neuroscience regarding the adolescent brain, focusing on reading comprehension and comparative analysis.

A lesson that bridges the gap between informational and narrative texts by applying detective skills to fiction. Students integrate character inferences with theme identification to solve 'literary mysteries,' analyzing fables like 'The Wisdom of the Cracked Pot' and 'The Kindness of the Lion.'

This lesson provides an informal assessment for students to demonstrate their ability to read 2-3 syllable words containing common prefixes and suffixes. It includes a student-facing word list and a corresponding teacher recording sheet.

A lesson focused on identifying the central 'Big Picture' idea in informational texts using the 'Investigation Lens.' Students practice zooming out from specific details to synthesize the main message authors intend to convey, using cases about polar bear adaptations and Thomas Edison's persistence.

A foundational lesson on making inferences using text evidence and personal schema. Students learn 'The Detective's Equation' (Evidence + Schema = Inference) and apply it to solve short 'case studies' ranging from athletic disappointments to mysterious kitchen messes.