Search ALEX...

In this activity, students will read the story, Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers by Karen B. Winnick and pick a moment in the story to add a new scene in the form of a comic strip.

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. Students will interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can introduce students to the concept of designing weather-resistant structures, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. 

Are you ready for your students to burst into action while practicing contractions? Have them join the fiesta in "Arcade" mode by tapping/clicking on the correct contraction spelling and using the slingshot to make the piñata burst open, or play "Practice" mode to test their knowledge of contractions and hone their slingshot skills.

In this lesson, students explore the power of narrative voice in storytelling and in particular the first-person point of view. They engage with the text through a shared reading exercise and view a video segment from The Great American Read. Finally, students analyze text to identify how authors use language and voice to channel the emotions and experiences of characters.

This lesson supports third through fifth-grade students as they apply think-aloud strategies to reading, as well as to the composition of artwork and poetry. Activities include collaborative as well as individual work. Technology tools are integrated as students research symbols of peace and as they prewrite, compose, and publish their poetry.

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to explain why the sun is visible during the day and other stars are visible at night, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson.

What kid doesn't love ice cream? Use this activity for a simple and quick way to work on the reading skill of cause and effect. Simply look at the four scoops of ice cream on the left, which contain the cause, and try to match them with their effect, listed on the cones to the right. Once you have found a match, drag the scoop of ice cream and place it on top of the cone. Just be sure to wipe your mouth when you are finished. The learning resource also has a quiz, worksheet, and video available to help with understanding.

While plural nouns often indicate more than one of something with a simple "s" or "es," irregular plural nouns do not. They change the word entirely. Elf becomes elves, the tooth becomes teeth! This is a short, fun video that allows students to explore grammar principles.  An activity sheet is included that provides students with an opportunity to practice identifying irregular plural nouns. 

A writing unit focusing on alliteration allows students to strengthen their phonemic awareness while practicing their developing writing skills. Through the use of mentor texts, students construct a definition of alliteration. Using these texts as models, students experiment with creating alliterative sentences. First, working as a class, students create an alliterative book. While studying additional mentor texts, students generate their own sentences to contribute to a class book using the beginning sounds of their names. At the conclusion of the lesson, students use the mentor texts as examples when independently creating their own alliterative books using the Alphabet Organizer interactive.

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to provide information regarding geologic events that happen over a short period of time, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. This learning activity includes a StepRead: StepReads are less complex versions of the original article. StepRead1 (SR1) is less complex than the original article, and StepRead2 (SR2) is less complex than SR1. This will allow the teacher to use this learning activity with students of varying ability levels.

In this classroom resource, students will demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms). This informational resource offers videos, games, and worksheets to help further understand the concept.

In this interactive lesson, discover how literary techniques like setting, characterization, and conflict contribute to the overarching theme of a text. Through analysis of Lorraine Hansberry's iconic play A Raisin in the Sun, explore the importance of these different elements individually, then learn how each piece comes together to establish a theme.

While engaging in the processes of researching, writing, and evaluating short biographical sketches, students can master essential writing skills and enhance their content area learning. In this unit, students discuss standard elements in a biography and examine the characteristics of the genre in a workshop setting. After selecting and researching a contemporary or historical figure using online databases, students practice writing short biographies. They then offer feedback on others' compositions and publish final drafts for reading aloud and displaying in class.

Recognizing problems and identifying solutions are skills that help students develop an awareness of themselves and their surroundings. After reading the book Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann, students explore potential safety problems and then devise possible solutions. Each student creates a safety tip poster similar to the ones in the book to present a solution to one of the identified safety problems. Students communicate their safety messages to others by displaying the posters around the school or in the community. This lesson could easily be adapted for use with older students.

In this interactive lesson, students will learn that life without friction is a 3-ring circus and an accident waiting to happen. A circus dog with lots of tricks will help you learn about compare and contrast, cause and effect, and the importance of friction.

The comma tells us when to pause while reading and helps organize writing. Since commas can be used in a variety of ways, they have a lot of rules. Each one is important and helpful to know. This classroom resource will teach students when to use a comma. This resource offers informational material, videos, games, quizzes, and worksheets to help further understand this concept.

As you watch this updated snippet of the story of Rumpelstiltskin, take note of the characters, setting, and what happens in the story.

After the video, check out the additional activities below for the classroom and for the home, and watch the “Guided Viewing” version for parents to get additional tips for helping your students understand the English Language Arts concepts in the video.

Designed to help students learn to describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

You can access a pdf of the story by clicking on the following link: Rumpelstiltskin Storybook Text

Comprehension is an essential component of successful reading. Through modeling and progressive levels of independent work, students become aware of the importance of retelling and essential story elements. Students demonstrate their understanding of stories through the use of online interactive graphic organizers and present story elements of an individual book through a book talk.

Students will use metaphors and similes to express emotions. They will use watercolors to paint lines and colors to express a chosen emotion. Assessment rubric, letter to parents, examples of artwork, and lesson plan included in PDF.   

Students examine the importance of setting in this excerpt about the moors, from MASTERPIECE’s 2002 version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. The legend of the hound that haunts the mysterious landscape of Dartmoor captured Arthur Conan Doyle’s imagination. As students study the setting, they are also introduced to the cunning villain of the story, Stapleton, and what happens when the civilized Sherlock Holmes must solve a mystery set against such a wild and turbulent backdrop.