We've all heard not to judge a book or a person by its cover. This topic is poignantly covered in the Vietnamese myth of the Crystal Heart. In this lesson, students will read the myth and write similes in the style of the fisherman's song.

Use this lesson to teach your students about the lives of 10 important leaders during the suffrage movement. Children will read a picture book that highlights 10 leaders who strove to win the right to vote for American women. Children will then work in groups to research and learn more about these inspiring women who dreamed big and never gave up. Finally, students will share their findings with the rest of the class.

Use this lesson to teach your students about Frederick Douglass and the impact that words had on his life. First, they will read a picture book that shares facts and beautiful illustrations to teach about his life. Then, they'll complete a graphic organizer with peers to record important details and events in his life. Students will then demonstrate understanding by creating a poster with images and key words that stand out when they think about Frederick Douglass.

In this lesson, students will look at picture clues to determine the topic of texts. ELs will build vocabulary and language skills by working with partners to discuss and represent texts using drawings.

Want to engage students in reading? Give them books that they want to read! This lesson will give you a chance to learn about your readers so that you can best support them to become fluent readers.

It's time to dig into some nonfiction books! In this lesson, students will practice identifying the main topic of nonfiction texts. This lesson can be used alone or with the How to Find the Main Idea lesson plan.

Read a well-loved story aloud to your second graders and inspire them to write funny titles. In this lesson, students will brainstorm outrageous titles of their very own!

Second grade students will step into the author’s shoes as they hunt for evidence to determine what a nonfiction author’s purpose might be.

Use this lesson to help your students learn how to find the main idea and details in a nonfiction text using a graphic organizer for support.

Crafting a grabby title and headings is an important skill. A title is the first thing a reader sees, and frames the rest of the piece. In this lesson, students will learn strategies to create and correctly capitalize grabby titles.

If you've ever had something go wrong, you know how it feels to search for a solution! Use this lesson to teach your students to identify problems and solutions in fictional text.

In this lesson, students will read text features and discuss how each text feature relates to the main idea of a nonfiction text. Use a stand alone activity or a support for the Examining the Author's Purpose in a Nonfiction Text lesson.

How can you see what your students are thinking while they read? Try reading response letters in your class. Students will practice formatting letters and learn to discuss their thinking about literature in writing.

In this lesson, students will retell stories by drawing and talking about what happens at the beginning, middle, and end. This lesson can be used alone or with the Goldilocks and Beginning, Middle, and End lesson plan.

In this lesson, students have a great time using their imaginations to collaborate and create their own story following the "how and why" style of common folktales.

Improve your students' comprehension of non-fictional reading through this lesson that teaches them about text features. Students will find their own text features and explain why they aid in the reading process.

By analzying picture books, students will make connections between the text and the illustrations of a story. They will compare and contrast the text and the illustrations and reflect upon how they impact their comprehension of a text.

This lesson teaches kids all about Malcolm X and how his childhood influenced him to become one of America's most well known, controversial, and revolutionary figures. First kids will listen to a read-aloud authored by Malcolm X's daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, and then they will write an informative paragraph.

Students will use their understanding of plot, theme, and comparing and contrasting in this lesson that teaches about an award-winning African American author, Jacqueline Woodson. Students will read some of her fiction books and compare and contrast the stories. They'll also discuss what they think makes Jacqueline Woodson an award-winning author.

The Earth is constantly giving us clean water, shelter, food, and so much more! Through this lesson, students will learn about how nature is always giving and discuss ways we can appreciate and take care of our environment.

Students will love talking about what they've been reading when the story comes to life. This tea time activity nourishes students' confidence in addition to improving their reading comprehension skills.

Reading can be a rollercoaster with its ups and downs! Use this lesson that features a rollercoaster-themed story map to teach your students about story structure and how to use a graphic organizer to visualize it.

How familiar are your fourth graders with the fictional genres available in their class or school libraries? This lesson introduces them to many genres of fictional books so they can get off to a terrific start of fourth grade reading.

Let’s read about our rights! In this social studies and language arts lesson, students learn about the Bill of Rights and participate in some fun writing activities.

Llama Llama's adventures are fun, interesting, and ready for your students' keen eyes. Explore the themes, setting, plots, and illustrations to discover hidden similarities and differences between these beloved picture books.

Every great reader and writer knows that syntax matters. During this lesson, students will use the close reading strategy to focus on word choice, and use their understanding of syntax to develop theories about patterns in the text.

In this lesson students will be guided through a session of reflecting on their day and their emotions. They will also practice ways they can welcome and befriend their emotions with kindness and curiosity.

Ask an important question this month: What does an activist do? This engaging lesson can be used leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day (and year-round). It supports students in understanding what it means to be an activist and how Martin Luther King Jr. used collaborative action to change the world and speak out against oppression. Perfect for first graders and second graders, this activity explores word meaning and other reading and writing skills.

This lesson plan teaches students about Jean-Michel Basquiat and his life as a child. First, students will listen to a story and figure out the main topic and details. Next, students will be asked to think deeply about what it means to be an artist and some of the types of art they like to create. Perfect for first graders and second graders, the lesson Black Artists: Basquiat highlights reading informational texts and building vocabulary.

Change is inevitable, even for story characters! In this lesson, your students will determine how a character changes throughout a story by focusing on the character’s dialogue and actions.