Standard 3: Reading Across Genres

In the final lesson of this text unit series for Florida, by Tamra Orr, students will identify and explain a claim made by the author about Florida’s representative government, using text features as support. Students will discuss the various characteristics of Florida's citizens and gain an understanding of the impact of voting on the preservation of our republic, using the author’s claim as support.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will read an informational picture book about a community in Africa that plants mangrove trees to help the community. Students will use a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of selected academic words in context. Students will also identify and describe the central idea and relevant details used throughout the book in order to write a summary paragraph.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this partial reading of Kate DiCamillo's story The Tale of Despereaux students will meet a variety of charming, and not so charming, characters. Students will identify figurative language within the text and explain how it contributes to understanding the characters. At the end of the lesson, students will make a claim about one of the characters and support their claim using text evidence.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will read an informational text, will identify the central idea and relevant details, and record their findings on a graphic organizer. They will use the informational text and their graphic organizer to create a summary based on the text. The students will also answer questions based on the text. As a summative assessment for the lesson, the students will repeat this activity using a different informational text and will conduct the work alone, rather than in a group.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will be able to identify similes and metaphors within a piece of literature. Students will be able to determine the meaning of the simile or metaphor and explain how it contributes to the text. The students will be able to then use their understanding of similes and metaphors to apply them to their own narrative writing.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will listen to and read literature where figurative language (specifically idioms) are used to convey meaning and enhance the writing. Students will have opportunities to explore and discuss idioms, in addition to applying their understanding of idioms by incorporating idioms in their own writing. Students will work in groups, individually, and with direct instruction from the teacher to gain a better understanding of idioms and how they are used in literature.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will go on adventures with the MacIvey family as they work cooperatively to summarize a text.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this resource, students will interpret the meanings of poems using similes and metaphors. The featured resource in the teacher modeling and guided practice sections utilize the text Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes edited by David Roessel and Arnold Rampersad. The poem (not a Langston Hughes poem) for the independent practice is provided with the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson students will be introduced to commonly used idioms and their meanings. Students will have the opportunity to listen to idioms used in short stories and recognize how they add meaning to the text. Students will be given time to work in small groups and discuss idioms found in stories they will read with one another. Students will also have the opportunity to work individually to create illustrations that depict both the literal meaning and the figurative meaning of the idiom of their choice.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson will engage students in discussions that involve conceptual understanding of vocabulary, theme, and summarizing. After reading a short fable, "The North Wind and the Sun" by Aesop, students will complete activities that require them to think deeply, make inferences based on textual evidence, and defend their interpretation during discussions. Students will use context clues, word relationships, and/or figurative language to determine word meaning and unfamiliar phrasing. Students will participate in a class discussion evaluating conceptual understandings, examining themes, and making inferences. Students will engage in student-to-student discourse and partner work throughout the lesson. For the summative assessment, students will write a summary to convey understandings presented in the text and the discussions with their peers.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn how to recognize idioms and explain their meanings as you complete this interactive, magic-themed tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this activity, students will use multiple reading strategies to answer questions and comprehend text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will summarize text using a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will answer questions to comprehend text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will paraphrase text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will retell or summarize a story.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will retell or summarize a story.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will summarize narrative text using a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

Students begin by reading Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" as an example of how overdevelopment can cause long-lasting environmental destruction. Students discuss how to balance the needs of the environment with the needs of human industry.

Type: Teaching Idea

3...2...1...Lift-off. Engage students in discussions about aerospace themes with the Ariane 5: The Satellite Launcher eReader. The eReader is an informational text with various text features and facts about the Ariane 5 rocket.

Type: Text Resource