ALEX Resources

Title: Mapping the Travels of Paul Bunyan Through Alabama, Too!
Description: During this lesson, students will recount a Paul Bunyan tall tale, an entertaining way to identify bodies of water and landforms in the United States. Although Paul Bunyan's Tales did not focus on Alabama, students will create their own narratives after viewing photographs of major mountain ranges, rivers, and lakes throughout Alabama (ACOS 3.2). This lesson will utilize older maps of the United States and Alabama, which are used to remind us that this folk tale was handed down orally until the early 1900s when a newspaper printed several accounts of the tall tale. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 10: Use digital environments to collaborate and communicate.

Title: What in the World is Wrong with Sammy? Making Predictions and Create a Story with a new character.
Description: This lesson provides students with the technology-based project researching Guinea Pigs. The trade book, Sammy, the Classroom Guinea Pig, will be used to make predictions.The students will use the facts from their research to create a story about Guinea Pigs and use themselves as a character in the story.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (3) 24: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. [W.3.3]

Title: The Komodo Dragon by Thane Maynard
Description: The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize students with research topics through individual assignments that utilize a variety of resources.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: Literary Elements in Jan Brett's The Mitten
Description: Students will analyze such literary elements as plot, cause-effect relationships, sequence, and prediction in Jan Brett's The Mitten. Students will enjoy predicting upcoming story events and retelling the story from a dialogue that shows a text-to-self relationship.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (3) 24: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. [W.3.3]

Title: Kids Search In The Classroom
Description: This is a technology-based lesson that will focus on using the Kids Search database in the Alabama Virtual Library. Students will work in teams to access information about animals. This lesson will allow students to research a particular animal and write a report on the information they collected.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: Dividing Words Into Syllables to Develop Reading Fluency
Description: Students will develop reading fluency using vocabulary from the book Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears by Leo and Diane Dillon. Students will participate in reading the story using the reader's theatre strategy. After being introduced to multiple-syllable words students, will practice building fluency by reading those words in the context of the story.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (3) 24: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. [W.3.3]

Title: Is Laura "Sitting" in the "Setting" of "Little House?"
Description: Using Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, this lesson focuses on the concept of time and place, phonics, and comprehension strategies. It is an interactive lesson with classroom dialogue and small group interaction.
Standard(s):

Title: A Math and Language Arts lesson: Introduction to Division
Description: The lesson will help students develop an initial understanding of division and clarify how the four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division relate to and are separate from each other. The lesson begins with a brainstorming discussion which builds background and fosters comprehension. A big book, The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins, is used along with manipulatives to provide instruction at concrete and pictorial levels. Students will demonstrate what they have learned by writing a short story incorporating simple division.
Standard(s):
[MA2015] (3) 5: Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. (Students need not use formal terms for these properties.) [3-OA5]

Title: Famous African-Americans
Description: During this unit students will study the lives of famous African-Americans who have had an impact upon history or present day society. This interdisciplinary hands-on unit will incorporate the subjects of social studies, reading, language arts, and technology. After studying African-Americans and viewing a presentation, students will select (or be assigned) a person to research, write a biographical sketch about, and then create a newsletter depicting facts from that person's life. The entire unit will cover a two- to three-week period.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 12: Summarize successes and failures of the Reconstruction Era.

Title: Helen Who?
Description: In this lesson, students will be introduced to the contributions of Helen Keller. The students will learn about Helen Keller through research on the Internet, a book, and a role-playing exercise.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 10: Analyze social and educational changes during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for their impact on Alabama.

Title: Rumpelstiltskin by the Grimm Brothers: A Reading and Writing Lesson
Description: This lesson provides literature-based reading and writing activities for special education and early elementary students. Using a simple story, special education/early elementary students develop reading and writing skills and learn about honesty, thoughtfulness, greed, promise-keeping and fairness. A persuasive letter will demonstrate what they have learned.
Standard(s):

Title: What a Character!
Description: This lesson opens up the world of writing by introducing students to the point of view in a story. Students will have the opportunity to read a new version of a classic story and see how it changes when it is written from another character's point of view. Students will have the opportunity to create their own story from another character's point of view.
Standard(s):

Title: Writing Native American Style
Description: In this lesson students will reinforce their knowledge about Native Americans and their culture. They will also be introduced to Native American writing. The students will read The Legend of The Indian Paintbrush by Tomie de Paolo to aid their learning. Finally, students will create their own writing using Native American pictographs.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: It's Your Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Description: This lesson plan is intended to be used during the month of March when the class is preparing to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day. After listening to and reading different stories by Dr. Seuss, the students have opportunities to compare and contrast story elements through critical thinking and Venn diagrams.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (3) 3: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. [RL.3.3]

Title: Let's Write A Cinquain
Description: During this lesson, third grade students will navigate the Internet to learn about cinquains. They will use their new knowledge to create their own cinquains while learning important word processing skills.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 6: Describe social and ethical behaviors related to technology use.

Title: What are Fossils?
Description: In this lesson students will view fossils and learn about the way they are found and how they show evidence of prehistoric life. Students will then search for "fossils" and conduct an interview about how fossils are found. Students will utilize a graphic organizer to web their ideas on fossils.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 2: Use various technology applications, including word processing and multimedia software.

Title: Settling the West: Westward Expansion
Description: During this lesson, students will have the opportunity to experience the westward expansion through literature and the Internet. By creating a brochure and a slideshow presentation, students will become aware of the difficulties people faced through their travels.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 10: Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and 1860 that led to the expansion of the territory of the United States, including the War of 1812, the Indian Removal Act, the Texas-Mexican War, the Mexican-American War, and the Gold Rush of 1849.

Title: Dewey Decimal Classification System Mural
Description: Students will select a book from an assigned section in the non-fiction area of the library. After reading the books, students will write a paragraph that summarizes the content area of the book. Students will illustrate the book that they read. Students will construct a mural by gluing their illustrations under the corresponding Dewey Decimal Classification. Students will make an oral presentation to the class in which they talk about the book they read.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: Action Words are Verbs
Description: This activity challenges students to identify action words as verbs. The students will go on a verb scavenger hunt and play charades using action words. They will also utilize the Internet to reinforce what they have learned by playing action word games.
Standard(s):

Title: Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Description: This lesson is part of a week-long unit. It focuses on the pre-reading phase of guided reading. It aims to activate prior knowledge, preview vocabulary, and set a purpose for reading. This book deals with a very sensitive issue that most children know little or nothing about, homeless people. In a non-judgmental way the author shows how a father and son deal with the situation. The story leaves the reader with hope that someday father and son and all other homeless people will again have a home.
Standard(s):

Title: Jack's Beans
Description: During this lesson, the classic story of Jack and the Bean Stalk will spark an interest in plants with students. Students will explore the Internet, take a nature walk, and make observations to learn more about plants. A brochure will demonstrate their knowledge of plants.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 12: Create a product using digital tools.

Title: Dr. Seuss on the Loose: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
Description: In Dr. Seuss’ first published children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, Marco, inspired by the passing of a horse and wagon, imagines a series of increasingly incredible sights on his way home from school. This story provides a springboard for discussing the concepts of honesty, imagination, and creativity and for exploring the difference between dishonesty and creativity. Students will learn to recognize when it is appropriate to weave an elaborate tale and when it is not.
Standard(s):

Title: Time Flies
Description: This lesson plan is one of the first in a unit on telling time which addresses the following content areas: language arts, math, science, social studies, and technology. Students will read several resource books to gather information. They will then sequence information in a timeline. The final project will be a slideshow presentation.
Standard(s):
[MA2015] (4) 20: Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale. [4-MD2]

Title: Just Plain Living
Description: Students work through a teacher-prepared Webquest in order to learn about the art, food, shelter, clothing, etc. of the Plains Indians. Internet resources are used to collect information in order to make group presentations to the class. Students have the opportunity to decide among several projects to complete in order to demonstrate what they have learned.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 12: Create a product using digital tools.

Title: "Moments in Time" Lines
Description: This lesson will give students the opportunity to share important events in their lives while learning to make a timeline.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (3) 2: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. [RL.3.2]

Title: Learning about Cinquains
Description: After reading/hearing Junie B. First Grader Cheater Pants by Barbara Park and discussing the concept of cheating, following directions, and poetry, students write cinquains and publish a class booklet.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: How Do Citizens Make Government Work?
Description: This five-session unit will provide hands-on opportunities for students to explore local, state and national governments. In the process, students will use technology and print media to learn about the leaders of each level of government and explore citizenship as a way to make a difference in their communities and nation.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 12: Create a product using digital tools.

Title: Wordly Wise
Description: Students will learn how to use better word choices by completing a cloze activity, listening to A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle, and completing a word web.
Standard(s):

Title: Character Education - Integrity
Description: The purpose of this lesson is to identify some of the skills and attitudes that are essential for solving problems effectively. This lesson will be implemented as part of a character education unit on integrity. The meaning of integrity is investigated and discussed through the use of research skills, open-ended discussions, digital photography, and cooperative learning experiences.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: Olympics 2004 Treasure Hunt
Description: This lesson is centered around an Olympics 2004 Treasure Hunt designed to give students an opportunity to learn about the history of the Olympic games and to generate interest in the modern Olympic games. Students are able to see the differences in the ancient games and today's modern games after viewing the Internet sites about the ancient Olympics and comparing those games to the modern Olympic events. Successful completion of the project requires that students navigate the Internet, work together, manage time wisely, and follow specific directions.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: Parts of a Friendly Letter
Description: The teacher will use charts, worksheets, and websites to orient students about the five parts of a friendly letter.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 8: Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

Title: "Hot Dog" Book Reports
Description: Students will use a Makes Sense Strategies Think-sheet to learn to identify the characters, setting, main idea and details of a book read.
Standard(s):

Title: Alaska Native Stories: Using Narrative to Introduce Expository Text
Description: Tradition and technology come together in this lesson in which students learn about Alaskan animals through Native American tales and their own online research.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 35: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. [SL.5.4]

Title: Morality ''Tails'' East and West: European Fables and Buddhist Jataka Tales
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students learn about Buddhist Jataka tales and then compare and contrast them with European fables. They learn to search for the lesson that is embedded within both fables and the Jataka tales. This lesson can also be used as a springboard for introducing world cultures and literatures through the use of morality tales.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 9: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the Grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. [RL.4.10]

Title: Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Narrative Structure
Description: This lesson uses comic strip frames to define plot and reinforce the structure that underlies a narrative. Students finish by writing their own original narratives.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 40: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. [L.5.3]

Title: Demonstrating Comprehension Through Journal Writing
Description: Students demonstrate comprehension by responding to open-ended questions based on the Newbery Honor book Mr. Popper's Penguins, and then draw from the text and their personal experiences to create journals.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 40: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. [L.5.3]

Title: Escaping Slavery: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Description: Students read Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson, create a problems/solutions/events chart, and create a map with a key, compass, and landmarks surrounding their home and school.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 9: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the Grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.5.10]

Title: Guided Comprehension: Previewing Using an Anticipation Guide
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of previewing.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 9: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the Grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.5.10]

Title: Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction
Description: Students identify the elements of fiction in a book they have read and share summaries of them by writing and illustrating their own mini-book.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 9: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the Grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.5.10]

Title: A Genre Study of Letters With The Jolly Postman
Description: Students read The Jolly Postman, in which a postman delivers letters to storybook characters. They explore different types of mail and categorize letters from the book and their own mail.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 30: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [W.5.9]

Title: Behind the Scenes With Cinderella
Description: Cinderella without castles, coaches, or ball gowns? Students use versions of Cinderella to explore how the setting of a story time, place, and culture affects the characters and plot.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 21: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. [RF.5.4]

Title: Myth and Truth: Independence Day
Description: By exploring myths and truths surrounding Independence Day, students think critically about commonly believed stories regarding the beginning of the Revolutionary War and the Independence Day holiday.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 8: Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures. [RL.4.9]

Title: Writing ABC Books to Enhance Reading Comprehension
Description: Using the alphabet as an organizing structure, students analyze literary elements in a book they have read and organize their observations in an alphabet book.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. [RL.5.2]

Title: Fairy Tales, Then and Now
Description: In this Xpeditions lesson, students read an old fairy tale or story and list the geographical features and characters described in the story. They then think about how the story might be updated to reflect their own modern setting and culture and conclude by performing an updated version of the story.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 32: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on Grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. [SL.5.1]

Title: Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World
Description: This unit of four lessons, from EDSITEment, introduces students to folktales, such as fables and trickster tales, from around the world. Students become familiar with different folklore traditions and genres, as well as the process of the oral transmission of culture and history.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 8: Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics. [RL.5.9]

Title: Pourquoi Stories: Creating Tales to Tell Why
Description: Where did the stars come from? What makes lightning and thunder? Pourquoi tales are narratives developed by various cultures around the world to explain natural phenomena. Students study three tales and learn about their cultures of origin, then work cooperatively to write and present an original pourquoi tale.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 7: Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem). [RL.5.7]

Title: Charting Characters for a More Complete Understanding of the Story
Description: Character Perspective Charting allows students to compare multiple characters and their points of view to better understand a story.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 30: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [W.5.9]

Title: Thundering Tall Tales: Using Read-Aloud as a Springboard to Writing
Description: Imagination and application are key to this tall tale lesson in which students take what they know about tall tales to spin a yarn of their own.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 40: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. [L.5.3]

Title: Guided Comprehension: Evaluating Using the Meeting of the Minds Technique
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the strategy of evaluating, using the Meeting of the Minds technique.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 19: By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the Grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RI.5.10]

Title: Acquiring New Vocabulary Through Book Discussion Groups
Description: This lesson employs direct instruction and small-group discussion to help students learn new vocabulary skills while reading Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 43: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition). [L.5.6]

Title: Guided Comprehension: Knowing How Words Work Using Semantic Feature Analysis
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of knowing how words work.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (6) 29: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [W.6.9]

Title: Readers Theatre
Description: Students develop scripts, perform, and use their voices to depict characters from texts, giving them the opportunity to develop fluency and further enhance comprehension of what they are reading.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 43: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation). [L.4.6]

Title: It Came from Greek Mythology
Description: In this unit of six lessons, from EDSITEment, students study basic plots of three Greek myths and discuss three common themes in Greek myths. They also explore contemporary uses of terms from Greek mythology and analyze artistic and literary works based on or inspired by Greek myths.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 7: Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem). [RL.5.7]

Title: Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips
Description: Comic frames are traditionally used to illustrate a story in a short, concise format. In this lesson, students use a six-paneled comic strip frame to create a story map, summarizing a book or story that they've read. Each panel retells a particular detail or explains a literary element (such as setting or character) from the story.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 33: Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. [SL.5.2]

Title: Slave Narratives: Constructing U.S. History Through Analyzing Primary Sources
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students research narratives from the Federal Writers Project and describe the lives of former African slaves in the U.S., both before and after Emancipation. From varied stories, students sample the breadth of individual experiences, make generalizations about the effects of slavery and Reconstruction on African Americans, and evaluate primary source documents.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: A Nepalese Village and Your Town: What's the Difference?
Description: This lesson, from Xpeditions, introduces students to some of the cultural customs of rural Nepal and asks them to consider the differences between Nepalese culture and their own. They write letters as if they were Nepalese young people, describing their culture and lifestyle. They then write additional letters that they might send to Nepalese pen pals, describing the similarities and differences between North American and rural Nepalese cultures.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 35: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. [SL.5.4]

Title: Using Snowflake Bentley as a Framing Text for Multigenre Writing
Description: Using Snowflake Bentley as a model, students create a working definition of multigenre text and then use that definition to create their own multigenre piece about winter or another theme.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 34: Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence. [SL.5.3]

Title: Exploring World Cultures Through Folk Tales
Description: Journey around the world with students as they read a Japanese, African, or Welsh folk tale, create a visual depiction of the tale, research the tale's culture, and present findings.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 29: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources. [W.5.8]

Title: Fairy Tale Autobiographies
Description: Students read and analyze fairy tales from several cultures, identifying common elements. Choosing common situations, students write original fairy tales, using picture books as models and a peer review process.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (9) 35: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See Grade 9 Language standards 36 and 38 for specific expectations.) [SL.9-10.6]

Title: Once Upon a Time Rethought: Writing Fractured Fairy Tales
Description: Students read and analyze fairy tales, identifying their common elements. They then write their own fractured fairy tales by changing one of the literary elements found in the original.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 27: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting. [W.5.6]

Title: What's THEMEssage
Digital Tool: Story Cube-Writing and Publishing Student Interactive
Web Address URL: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. [RL.5.2]
Digital Tool Description: Story Cube: Students can summarize the key elements in a story, including character, setting, conflict, resolution, and theme. Students can even identify their favorite part of the story. The finished cube can also be saved, printed, and folded into a fun cube shape that can be used for future reference

Title: Comparing Clouds
Digital Tool: Tagxedo
Web Address URL: http://www.tagxedo.com/
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (3) 18: Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. [RI.3.9]
Digital Tool Description: Tagxedo turns words -- famous speeches, news articles, slogans and themes, even your love letters -- into a visually stunning word cloud, words individually sized appropriately to highlight the frequencies of occurrence within the body of text. (Taken from Tagxedo's website)

Title: Functional Text: It's All Around Me
Digital Tool: Answer Garden World Cloud Tool
Web Address URL: http://answergarden.ch/
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. [RL.5.2]
Digital Tool Description: This digital resource allows the each student in the class to list examples of functional text in order to create a class word cloud.

Title: Find favorite book picks in the Children's Choices.
Description: Students create lists of their favorite books and then the class creates a '' Top Picks'' class booklist. Students can use the Book Cover Creator to create a book jacket for their favorite book.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (8) 26: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. [W.8.7]

Title: Author Lois Duncan was born on this date in 1934.
Description: Mysteries are shared with students for them to solve and brainstorm the attributes of a good mystery. Small groups then compose short mysteries using the Mystery Cube.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 24: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. [W.5.3]

Title: Caldecott-winning illustrator Lane Smith was born in 1959.
Description: Students discuss some of the ways in which illustrations can enhance a story and then become illustrators, using a variety of media.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (3) 2: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. [RL.3.2]

Title: November is National American Indian Heritage Month.
Description: Students explore Native American heritage through the study of pourquoi tales, write their own original pourquoi tales, and use the ReadWriteThink Printing Press to publish them.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (5) 41: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. [L.5.4]