FreeReading is an open source instructional program that helps educators teach early literacy. Because it is open source, it represents the collective wisdom of a wide community of teachers and researchers. FreeReading contains Reading Connect Text Activities, a page of sequential and supplemental activities that helps teachers teach students to decode their first sentences in print.

FreeReading is an open source instructional program that helps educators teach early literacy. Because it is open source, it represents the collective wisdom of a wide community of teachers and researchers. FreeReading contains Reading Connect Text Activities, a page of sequential and supplemental activities that helps teachers teach students to decode their first sentences in print.

Laminate these question sheets and use them as group discussion prompts during reading lessons. They vary in difficulty.

In this lesson, students will be reading HFW, word family words, vocabulary words, etc. and will race their ozobot to see who can finish reading the words first. This activity is an adaptation from a free TPT lesson and can be adapted for any purpose. This activity is best used as a small group activity and can be referenced later as a fluency assessment (If used as a small group assignment, students will need multiple days to complete).Additional modifications: Students code the ozobot to read the desired words (all of the -at words).EL & DL Modifications:- Provide the translations or visuals for the codes for students who need added supports reading.- Provide checkpoints for student monitoring during the assessment.- Provide end of the day check-ins for students to ensure work is completed.- For advanced students (as well as older grades) use more challenging words.- For students needing additional assistance, use letters or words appropriate for their level.

Students are developing fluency skills to understand how English is written and read.

In this lesson, students are introduced to text structure through rereading an excerpt from The Most Beautiful Roof in the World. They use a graphic organizer to describe the structure of the excerpt and use a model summary of this excerpt to build on their understanding of effective summaries. Students also read a new section from The Most Beautiful Roof in the World for gist, in preparation for a close reading of an excerpt from this section in the next lesson (RI.5.2, RI.5.4, RI.5.5, RI.5.10, W.5.9b).
In Closing and Assessment A, refer to the Finding the Gist and Unfamiliar Vocabulary: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: "Out of the Shadow and into the Light (answers, for teacher reference; see supporting materials). Words students are likely to be unfamiliar with have been included in the Unfamiliar Vocabulary column, with accompanying definitions provided in the Meaning column; however, these words may vary based on students.
Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently as the teacher reads The Most Beautiful Roof in the World in Work Time A and by reading this text with a partner in Work Time A and Closing and Assessment A.
The research reading that students complete for homework helps build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to the rainforest, specifically rainforest species and research. By participating in this volume of reading over time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it. Inviting students to share what they have been learning through independent reading holds them accountable.
In this lesson, the habit of character focus is working to become an effective learner. The characteristic students are reminded of specifically is collaboration, as they work in pairs to compare the graphic organizer.

In this lesson, students consider the unit research question and develop specific categories for research. Then, in small groups, students read texts about how kids have made a difference and take notes using those categories (RI.4.1, W.4.7, W.4.8).
W.4.8 requires students to gather information from print and digital sources. As such, this lesson is designed for students to use internet sources as texts. If the technology necessary for students to complete the reading is unavailable, give them printed copies of possible texts from which to choose. Note that "Protecting Our Planet" is not a website and is provided (see supporting materials).
Students who finish quickly or require an extension can use a search engine to find their own sources.
In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by focusing on a characteristic of their choice as they work in expert groups to begin their research.

In this lesson, students reread "Rainforests and Why They Are Important" to determine the main idea and describe the structure. Working in pairs, students use a graphic organizer to record their thinking about the structure of the text and plan a summary of it. Students then work as a class to write a shared summary of the text (RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.4, RI.5.5, W.5.8).
In Work Time B, students participate in a modified Rank-Talk-Write protocol to determine the main idea of "Rainforests and Why They Are Important" (RI.5.2, SL.5.1b).
This lesson is designed for students to use an internet source as a text. If the technology necessary for students to complete the reading is unavailable, give students a printed copy of the text.
Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently as the teacher reads "Rainforests and Why They Are Important" in Work Time A.
The research reading students complete for homework helps to build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to the rainforest. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.
In this lesson, the habit of character focus is working to become an effective learner. The characteristic students are reminded of specifically is collaboration, as they work in pairs.
Continue to use Goals 1 and 2 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

In this lesson, students explore the module anchor text, My Librarian Is a Camel. They discuss what makes it different from the literary texts read in Unit 1 and read and find the gist of an excerpt of this text. This text will be used throughout the unit as students build their understanding of how people around the world access books (RI.3.4, L.3.4).
Boyds Mills Press, publisher of My Librarian Is a Camel, has granted permission to make facsimiles of pages or use brief quotes, in context, for classroom use. No adaptation or changes in the text or illustration may be made without approval of Boyds Mills Press. The following credit must be used: From My Librarian Is a Camel by Margriet Ruurs. Copyright (c) 1994 by Nancy Springer. Published by Boyds Mills Press. Reprinted by permission.
In Opening B, students return to the module guiding questions to help focus their work and build a bridge between Units 1 and 2 (SL.3.1b).
Throughout this unit, students learn about countries around the world and how some people in these countries access books. Consider researching students' countries of origin and help all students make connections between their country of origin and how books are accessed, if they are. Example: Consider asking students and their families to give a brief presentation on their country of origin or to bring in mementos to share.
Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently as the teacher reads excerpts from My Librarian Is a Camel in Opening A and Work Times A and B.
The research reading that students complete for homework will help build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to overcoming challenges in access to education, books, and reading near and far. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.

Using voice-to-text features to complete written assignments.  Students with reading/writing difficulties often struggle with getting their thoughts on paper.  Using a voice-to-text feature allows students to better focus on their thoughts and less on the mechanics of fine motor skills, spacing and spelling.

In Unit 3, students revise a scene of Peter Pan and then prepare a presentation explaining how and why they revised that scene. They begin the unit by analyzing a model revised scene from Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. They then select a scene to revise from Peter Pan, using the reasons they wouldn't recommend the text, generated in Unit 2, and determine why they want to revise their chosen scene. They then map out the original scene on a Narrative Planning graphic organizer and determine which parts of the scene can be revised without changing the outcome. Students then draft their revised scene before revising dialogue and description, possessives, word and phrase choice, and temporal words and phrases. For the mid-unit assessment, students revise a new scene from Peter Pan, following an already completed Narrative Planning graphic organizer.
In the second half of the unit, students prepare a presentation explaining how and why they chose to revise their scene. They prepare prompt cards for their presentation and practice the cards to present. Students also practice reading new excerpts of text aloud for fluency, in preparation for reading their revised scene aloud in the performance task presentation and in preparation for the end of unit assessment, during which they read a new text aloud for fluency. For the performance task, students perform their presentations for an audience.
RF.3.3, RF.3.4a, RF.3.4b, RF.3.4c, W3.3, W.3.4, W.3.6, L.3.2a, L.3.2c, L.3.2d, L.3.3a

ELA G3:M1:U1
READING LITERARY TEXTS: OVERCOMING LEARNING CHALLENGES—SCHOOL AND EDUCATION
ELA G3:M1
ELA G3:M1:U1:L1
In this Unit
Guiding Questions and Big Ideas
The Four Ts
Assessment
Content Connections
Habits of Character
Unit-at-a-Glance
Accountable Independent Reading
Supporting English Language Learners
Texts and Resources to Buy
Preparation and Materials
Technology and Media
Additional Language and Literacy Block
Lessons
Optional Activities
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ELA Grade 3
ELA G3:M1
ELA G3:M1:U1
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In Unit 1, students read literary texts about children who face challenges with access to education. Throughout the course of the unit, students read three literary texts: Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, Rain School by James Rumford, and Nasreen's Secret School by Jeanette Winter. They read each text for gist, recount the text, determine its central message or lesson, and then closely read and answer text-dependent questions designed to help them explain how that central message or lesson is conveyed through details in the text. Students also identify the challenges faced by the characters and how they are able to overcome them.

Throughout the unit, students are introduced to routines and anchor charts that will be used throughout the rest of the module, as well as the rest of the year. In the first half of the unit, students learn about independent reading and discussion norms and receive their independent reading journals and vocabulary logs. For the mid-unit assessment, students discuss what they like about their independent reading books and the things that they have found challenging. In the second half of the unit, after learning how to write short constructed responses, students read a new literary text, answer selected response questions, and write short constructed responses about questions having to do with the text.

In Opening B, students reread Eight Days: A Story of Haiti in reading triads. The focus of reading this time is to practice reading fluency, so students provide kind, specific, and helpful feedback to their triad peers using the criteria on the Fluent Readers Do These Things anchor chart (RF.5.4).
As a class in Work Time A, students analyze the illustrations in the text for how they contribute to the meaning, tone, and beauty (RL.5.7).
In the Closing, students complete a QuickWrite to explain how the illustrations in Eight Days: A Story of Haiti contribute to the meaning, tone, and beauty of the text (RL.5.1, RL.5.7).
In this lesson, students focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect, empathy, and compassion as they participate in a peer critique of reading fluency.

In Opening A, students watch the video and read aloud the song lyrics to
"In the Water Where the City Ends" in reading triads (RF.5.4). This song is about the tsunami that devastated Japan's Tohoku area after an earthquake in 2011. After reading, students identify the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases (RL.5.4, L.5.4). Note: Although the video accompanying this song is an abstract animation, students may find the representation of devastation to homes and people upsetting. Please preview the video and determine whether any students--such as those who have experienced a natural disaster--need to be prepared in advance to watch it.
In Work Time A, students answer text-dependent questions in their reading triads. The purpose of answering these questions is to help students dig deeper into the human impact of a natural disaster, including how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic (RL.5.1, RL.5.2). Students also practice using synonyms, antonyms, and homographs to better understand words (L.5.5c).
In the Closing, students analyze how the visuals in the video contribute to the meaning, tone, and beauty (RL.5.7). They then complete a QuickWrite to explain their ideas (RL.5.1, RL.5.7).
In this lesson, students focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect, empathy, and compassion if classmates are upset by events in the text.
Students who finish quickly or require additional challenge can analyze the excerpt of text in the second row of the chart for Question 6 on the text-dependent question sheet, and then add to their QuickWrite.

In Opening A, students watch part of a video, read part of the first stanza of the poem "O' Beautiful Storm," and then identify the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases (RL.5.4, L.5.4). This poem is about Hurricane Katrina, which caused severe devastation along the Gulf Coast of the United States from central Florida to Texas in 2005, with some of the most significant devastation in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Note: The video is called "Katrina: Don't Let Her Go" and the poem is called "O' Beautiful Storm," so there are references to both throughout this lesson.
Note: Only the first seven lines of the first stanza of this poem have been used because later lines contain inappropriate content for students of this age. As a result, students do not view this video on their own devices.
The images accompanying the first stanza of the poem are video footage of the damage taken after the hurricane. Preview the video before showing it to your students and determine whether any students need to be prepared in advance to watch this video (those who have experienced a natural disaster, for example).
In Work Time A, students answer text-dependent questions in their reading triads. The purpose of answering these questions is to help students dig deeper into the human impact of a natural disaster, including how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic (RL.5.1, RL.5.2). Students also practice using synonyms, antonyms, and homographs to better understand words (L.5.5c).
In the Closing, students analyze the visuals in the video for how they contribute to the meaning, tone, and beauty of the text (RL.5.7). They then complete a QuickWrite to explain their ideas (RL.5.1, RL.5.7). To gradually release students in preparation for the mid-unit assessment in the next lesson, they work in triads without teacher guidance to complete the three-column Meaning, Tone, and Beauty Chart before completing their QuickWrite.
In this lesson, students focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect, empathy, and compassion if classmates are upset by events in the text.

In Unit 1, students launch their learning about the sun, moon, and stars by focusing on literary texts about these celestial objects. In the first part of the unit, students explore the unit guiding question--"Why do authors write about the sun, moon, and stars?"--by participating in a cycle of inquiry through observations and literature. The unit begins with a lesson focused on noticing and wondering about the sun and moon with close viewing of both photographs and time-lapse videos. Students then generate questions about these celestial objects and begin reading literature that centers on these objects.

During the second part of the unit, students complete a series of focused read-alouds, in which they explore a number of literary texts. Each text is read over the course of two lessons: students answer text-dependent questions, complete a Story Elements board to track the elements of the text, participate in role-playing to better make sense of what they are reading, and write in response to text. Students also gather language from these stories and begin to build a Word Wall with words used to describe the appearance and movement of the sun and moon. This will later support the students in their performance task. For the Unit 1 Assessment, students listen to Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes read aloud, and then write in response to the text about its characters, setting, and major events using key details from both the text and illustrations.

This media literacy unit was designed and piloted with junior English classes at the start of the school year. Activities can easily be adapted to suit secondary students at various levels. Within the unit, students analyze corporate logos, corporate advertising, movie trailers and stereotypes found in media related to Native American culture. Within the unit, students also learn how to consider the ways in which media appeals to ethos, pathos and logos and how to identify the tone of a piece of media.