Text Organization Teacher Resources

Sixth graders use a decision-making grid and list the alternatives and criteria for deciding to drink the Water of Immortality. They examine advertisements and list the product for sale, where it is sold, and why consumers should buy it,...

Sixth graders investigate tall tales as a literary genre. They listen to a number of tall tales to discover how exaggeration is used as a story element. They write and publish a tall tale using word processing software. They illustrate...

Students are divided into teams to make a presentation about their state. Each team is responsible for making one part of the presentation. At the end, all parts are combined to make one complete presentation. While creating the...

Students are introduced to and practice techniques and strategies to master the art of summarization. They read, discuss and summarize chapter 3 in "Catwings," by Ursula K. LeGuin. Steps to follow for summarizing is included within this...

Sixth graders complete a shared reading of the book Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco and character analysis Venn diagram. In this character analysis lesson plan, 6th graders read the book and work in groups to compare and contrast the...

Students use the Internet to gather historical facts about the county in which they live. Using the information, they discover how to check it for accuracy and present their findings to the class. They write an essay about the history of...

Sixth graders create and use a spreadsheet to make graphs which will be used to analyze Progress Report and Final Report Card grades. They practice finding the mean, median, mode, and range of a data set. Students also incorporate column...

Eighth graders practice researching and exploring given websites and writing a paragraph on the content of each. As a class, they determine the value of each site, discuss plagiarism, and the need for paraphrasing information. Students...

Eighth graders explore the steps for research based writing. In the computer lab, they examine approved, given websites. After observing a chosen site, 8th graders write a paragraph describing the websites' content. They discuss...

In this math tables activity, students review the word problem to gain an understanding of the information in the table. Students then review the use of the model to solve the word problem. Students then use the same steps to solve the...

In this organized list instructional activity, students review the problem solving strategy of reading for information and using a math model or organized list to solve the problem. Students then complete the two problems by using...

Students are introduced to the definition of a hero. As a class, they compare and contrast the difference between non-fictional and fictional hereos they have read about. They read a story, create a story map of one of the heroes and...

Students explore dwellings around the globe and conduct collaborative research on cliff dwellings, igloos, longhouses, and yurts. They then explore how different dwellings reflect environmental and cultural conditions, and they create a...

Fourth graders label maps of Arizona and Mexico to show the people, goods, and ideas that have moved between the two places. In this Arizona and Mexico lesson plan, 4th graders summarize the effects of the movement on Arizona life.

Students research English/Shakespearean and Italian/Petrarchan sonnet forms. They write an original sonnet on their preferred form (English or Italian), write the poem on the wordprocessor and publish and post it on the net at the Sonnet...

Second graders complete story maps in order to retell stories to the class.

Students research information about the Florida Everglades and discuss why conservation efforts are important in its preservation.

Pupils are able to use the library and/or computer lab to research reliable information sources supporting arguments being put forward in the position paper. They are able to find examples of mission statements from various...

Students examine mystery plays by reading a number of five-minute mysteries. They write and perform their own plays.

Students participate in an oral story telling activity designed to show how story embellishments occur. They read "Beowulf" and identify incongruities that suggest additions and embellishments over the years.

Students review the characteristics of various characters in fairytales. As a class, they review the story details and create a concept map using a software program. They create their own wanted poster of the villians in the fairytale to...

After examining a map from 1803 and 2003, they explore how to become map readers. They describe what they see on the map from 1803 and compare the information to the map from 2003. Learners create their own map of the neighborhood that...

Sixth graders read the chapters in their social studies books and answer questions about Egyptian Dynasties. In this Egyptian Dynasties lesson plan, 6th graders research in their book, and then work in groups to answer the questions.

Students read a current science article. They write a summary of the article, take notes, write and edit a summary, and print their work.