Reading in the Content Areas
TeachersFirst offers this collection of web resources well suited to teach reading in the content areas, especially in science and social studies classes, but in almost ANY subject area. See "In the classroom" ideas and strategies for teaching reading across the curriculum and find texts to use on the computer, in print, or in interactive whiteboard/projector. Sometimes using web-based texts can be more engaging, and often these are more up-to-date. Practice with these resources is certain to help student mastery of informational texts.
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Groundhog Day Activities - Jennifer Findley
Grades
3 to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): critical thinking (120), holidays (185), puzzles (144), reading comprehension (149), writing prompts (60)
In the Classroom
Have students write a story or journal entry from the perspective of the groundhog. Have your students use a tool such as WriteReader to create and record books reviewed here. Students can sort statements about Groundhog Day into fact or opinion categories. The class can predict whether the groundhog will see its shadow and discuss the implications. There are also math puzzles and a themed reading passage with questions to gauge understanding and encourage critical thinking skills.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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A-Maze-ing Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss Enterprises
Grades
K to 2tag(s): characterization (19), dr seuss (12), plot (14), read across america (9), setting (5), themes (13)
In the Classroom
After reading Green Eggs and Ham, students can play the game to reinforce key story elements like the characters, setting, and plot. Use the game as a group activity where students work together to navigate the maze. This encourages teamwork and helps develop problem-solving skills as students discuss strategies for overcoming obstacles and completing the maze. Teachers can extend the lesson by asking students to write or share what they would do if they were in Sam-I-Am's shoes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wartburg Castle - Wartburg Foundation
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): architecture (72), europe (83), germany (26)
In the Classroom
For German language students, create a vocabulary scavenger hunt using the website's German version. Students can find keywords related to castle features and translate them into English. Challenge students to build a small model of Wartburg Castle using materials like clay, cardboard, or Lego. Assign students to choose another European castle and compare it to Wartburg. Students could use a digital comparison tool like Canva's Venn Diagram Creator, reviewed here. Students can research age, architectural style, historical events, and cultural influence. Have students analyze Wartburg Castle's architectural features, then design their own "modern" version of a castle, keeping some medieval elements.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gruvy Education - William Grube
Grades
K to 5tag(s): artificial intelligence (157), differentiation (91), personalized learning (9)
In the Classroom
Use Gruvy's AI-driven reading comprehension activities to assign students personalized passages at their reading levels. Group students with similar reading abilities or comprehension skills and have them work through the exercises together. After students have practiced various concepts on Gruvy, have them design their own math or reading games based on what they've learned. Students can create questions or scenarios, incorporating Gruvy's topics, and then swap with classmates to play each other's games. Use Gruvy's math games to create a "Math Challenge Day" where students rotate through various stations, each focusing on a different skill (like addition, subtraction, or multiplication).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Proven Techniques to Improve Reading and Writing - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12This engaging interactive...more
This engaging interactive workshop will teach you how to leverage practical strategies and powerful free tools from Microsoft like Reading Coach, Edge/Word Online, and Forms to support your students' literacy development. Whether you're looking to boost reading comprehension, improve writing proficiency, or integrate technology seamlessly into your lessons, this workshop has something for everyone. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Explore strategies for using technology to enhance reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. 2. Discuss approaches for collaborative writing, feedback, and improving writing skills. 3. Develop strategies for creating assessments aligned with literacy standards to gain insights into student learning. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): professional development (402), reading comprehension (149), reading strategies (103), writing (322)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Literacy Chops - Literacy Geeks, Inc.
Grades
3 to 10tag(s): literacy (118), reading comprehension (149)
In the Classroom
Assign individualized reading passages to each student, followed by comprehension quizzes. Have students use their written assignments from Literacy Chops and engage in a peer review session. Introduce weekly writing prompts that align with the writing practice offered by Literacy Chops.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Once Upon a Picture - Sam Daunt
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (120), thinking skills (15), visual literacy (2), visual thinking (7), writing prompts (60)
In the Classroom
Incorporating Once Upon A Picture into classroom activities can amplify any lesson! Utilize Quizlet, reviewed here for vocabulary-building exercises. Teachers can create vocabulary sets based on themes or elements in the Once Upon A Picture images. Try Book Creator, reviewed here for digital storybook creation. Students can draw inspiration from Once Upon A Picture's visuals to craft engaging narratives combining text, images, audio, and video to share with the broader classroom community!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 3tag(s): animals (293), continents (32), darwin (13), ecosystems (76), plants (148), preK (266)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many lesson ideas in the Teachers' Guide to bring this story to life and provide activities that correlate with the book's theme of adventure and exploration. Help students understand the timeline of Darwin's adventure using MyLens, reviewed here to create a timeline that includes the dates of his voyage created using AI or build a timeline as you read the book using ReadWriteThink's Timeline builder tool, reviewed here. Work together as a class to create an adventure story using Book Creator, reviewed here. Add student drawings, voice recordings, and maps to your digital book, then create a link on classroom computers for students to read over and over again!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Speechify - Speechify Inc.
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (157), listening (94), text to speech (20)
In the Classroom
Use Speechify as a helpful tool to increase reading comprehension, support English language learners, and help students with dyslexia and other special needs. Upload tests, worksheets, and other assessment documents to support students who have materials read to them. Share Speechify with parents and students for use at home. When sharing Speechify, consider making a short tutorial video using Free Online Screen Recorder, reviewed here to demonstrate how to create a free account, where to find the dashboard, and how to upload and view reading materials.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Whodunnit? - Bringing a Little Mystery Into the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 8tag(s): book lists (165), mysteries (20)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the book suggestions and lists to find mystery books to include in your classroom library and as a designated mystery reading center. Integrate reading mystery books and stories with other content areas to discover mysteries waiting to be solved. For example, ask upper elementary students to investigate primary sources by completing activities provided on H.S.I. - Historical Scene Investigation, reviewed here. Create mystery stories on any subject to share with students using one of the many artificial intelligence (AI) tools available to educators. ReadTheory Passage Generator, reviewed here generates reading passages for all grade levels based on your prompt. When teaching about the Civil War, try a prompt asking for text about the mysteries of the Civil War and select a grade level. After generating a story that "looks good," ReadTheory generates editable comprehension questions to accompany the text delivered to your email inbox.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: 5 Strategies for Building Content Area Literacy - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12Content area literacy...more
Content area literacy is the ability to use reading and writing to acquire information in a subject area. It involves general literacy skills, content-specific literacy skills, and prior knowledge of content. This interactive workshop will explore five technology-integrated strategies that will enhance content-area literacy across the curriculum, focusing on supporting the needs of diverse learners to ensure an inclusive and equitable learning environment. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Explain the definition and benefits of content area literacy; 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the five strategies presented for their students' learning needs and goals; and 3. Plan hands-on, engaging activities that will help students develop content area literacy skills. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): literacy (118), professional development (402), reading strategies (103), teaching strategies (42)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Twinkl
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), creative writing (123), game based learning (184), interactive stories (21), writing (322), writing prompts (60)
In the Classroom
Engage students by introducing your Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen tasks with the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse official trailer at the bottom of the page. Discover activities for learners aged 5-16 years. Fuel your student's interest with these entertaining, curriculum-aligned, Spider-Man activities! Use one of the writing prompts for a creative warm-up activity. Play interactive games on computers as a part of daily station rotations. Free downloadable activities include occupational therapy, fine motor skills, writing prompts, reading comprehension passages, interactive games, and math activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Supporting Language Learners with Book Creator - Book Creator
Grades
K to 12tag(s): multimedia (47), writing (322)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many ideas and suggestions shared in Supporting Language Learners with Book Creator to create books and learning opportunities for students in any language. Book Creator includes a built-in language translator for ten languages. If you need additional translation help, download and use Microsoft Translator for Education, reviewed here, or Google Language Tools, reviewed here to translate virtually any language. Provide additional language learning opportunities by asking students to create books in English and their native language and make them available by sharing them on your class website or Google Classroom. Encourage students to read their books in their native language and discuss their culture as they learn from each other.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Achievery - AT&T
Grades
K to 12tag(s): blended learning (36), coding (89), digital citizenship (89), engineering (127), environment (245), equations (118), geometric shapes (135), graphic design (49), internet safety (112), literature (218), map skills (57), measurement (123), media literacy (107), narrative (15), numbers (119), operations (72), order of operations (28), problem solving (224), remote learning (54), Research (85), social and emotional learning (97), spanish (108), STEM (287), substitutes (26), writing (322)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for lessons in many content areas to engage students using popular video clips. All lessons are created as remote learning activities making them easily adaptable for both in-class and out-of-class assignments. Easily find activities to differentiate instruction for different student ability levels by browsing options below or above the student's current grade level. Many lessons include worksheets in PDF format, turn these activities into a digital format by taking a screenshot of the document, then save as the background on Google Slides, reviewed here. Add text boxes in the appropriate place on the slide for students to add responses. Use Pear Deck Flashcard Factory, reviewed here, to create flashcards for students to practice the vocabulary highlighted in each lesson.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: 3 Cool Tools That Support Growth in the K-8 Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Want to use an...more
Want to use an engaging and challenging learning platform to bridge content knowledge gaps for your students? Come to this session to learn about three tech tools that will help you reach every student at their level. Teach Your Monster to Read, CommonLit, and GeoGebra will help find and fix missing skills in Reading or Math. Learn how to leverage these free, adaptive online tools to improve student outcomes. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn about content area tools to use in the classroom to bridge knowledge gaps; 2. Understand how to use assessment data to guide intervention; and 3. Collaborate with other participants on ways to use these tools in instruction. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): professional development (402), reading strategies (103)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Easy and Engaging Projects for Your Reading Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12Tired of giving students...more
Tired of giving students the same language arts assignments? Want to switch things up? Join us to look at a few quick and easy ways to refresh your lessons and gauge student comprehension using authentic assessments. Learn to use technology to create an environment that allows students to share important connections they have made between what they have read and their personal lives, other texts, and the world around them. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn authentic ways to assess reading comprehension; 2. Explore tools for quick and easy in-class reading projects; and 3. Create a project sample for use in your instructional setting. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): Formative Assessment (75), professional development (402), reading comprehension (149)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Sway Cool Reading - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12Good readers take...more
Good readers take breaks to process what they're reading. Learn research-based strategies to use Microsoft Sway to guide comprehension. Helping students become aware of reading comprehension strategies allows them to manage their learning and empowers them to read strategically. This is especially helpful in a flipped or blended learning model. Join us and learn how to put Sway into action in your classroom! As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn three active reading comprehension strategies; 2. Understand where these strategies fit in the instructional cycle; and 3. Plan for the use of Sway during reading instruction. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): blended learning (36), flipped learning (9), Microsoft (80), professional development (402), reading comprehension (149), reading strategies (103), remote learning (54)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: TeachersFirst Exclusives that Spark Curiosity in the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Explore four free...more
Explore four free TeachersFirst exclusive resources that spark curiosity and support classroom instruction. Let TeachersFirst help you save time and assist you with creating engaging learning experiences for your students. Enhance reading comprehension across content areas with our library of pre-made virtual field trips that immerse students in literature and build context and interest in the characters and their journeys. Support geography and mapping skills in grades 2-6 with the weekly episodic adventures of Geo and Meri. Build cross-cultural understanding and practice digital writing weekly with XW1W. Explore a web-based, interactive infographic of the Battle of Gettysburg designed to raise questions and invite connections for students in grades 5-10. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the importance of context within instruction; 2. Explore four curricular support resources that can be used to spark curiosity and discussion in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of a TeachersFirst exclusive, web-based resource in your lessons. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): professional development (402)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How to Write a Visual Essay - Virginia Kearney
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): essays (21), persuasive writing (58), video (262)
In the Classroom
Visual essays are the perfect way to engage students. Share the ideas and examples found on this site to inspire students and introduce the concept of a visual essay. Ask students to use their own images or use images from a free site such as Unsplash, reviewed here. Use visual essays in any content area. For example, after reading a novel or story, ask students to create an essay using images and music to retell the story or to analyze a character. In science class, use a visual essay to tell the story of physics concepts or as a journey through different landforms in social studies. Have students create an essay to tell the story of a journey through a continent or during a historic event such as the Civil War. Google My Maps, reviewed here, is an excellent tool for creating interactive maps to include with visual essays. For final projects, moovly, reviewed here, is a very easy to use video creation tool for creating and sharing students' visual essays.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BeeLine Reader Collection - Reading is Fundamental
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): independent reading (86), multilingual (70), reading comprehension (149), reading strategies (103), Special Needs (55), Teacher Utilities (169)
In the Classroom
These BeeLine Reader PDFs are an excellent addition to the already valuable reading materials found at Reading is Fundamental - Literacy Central, reviewed here. Be sure to bookmark this site to find leveled reading passages with the enhanced function of BeeLine Reader. These PDFs are wonderful to share with ENL/ELL and Special Education specialists to use with their students. Remember, all teachers are reading teachers. Share this tool with your science, social studies, and math teachers, too!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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