8th Grade Historical Literacy consists of two 43 minute class periods. Writing is one 43 minute block and reading is another. The teacher has picked themes based on social studies standards, and a read-aloud novel based on social studies serves as the mentor text for writing and reading skills. More social studies content is addressed in reading through teaching nonfiction reading skills and discussion.
Standards reflect CCSS ELA, Reading, and Social Studies Standards.

Adventure Book Club - The Boxcar Children
By: Rose Wehrman - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Copyright 2018 by Rose Wehrman under Creative Commons Non-Commercial License. Individuals and organizations may copy, reproduce, distribute, and perform this work and alter or remix this work for non-commercial purposes only.

NEBRASKA HONORS PROGRAM CLC EXPANDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITY CLUBS INFORMATION SHEET:
Name of Club: Adventure Book Club

Age/Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Number of Attendees: (ideal number) 8 or fewer

Goal of the Club: (learning objectives/outcomes) Jumpstart critical thinking skills, improve literacy, and encourage students to engage with books

Resources: (Information for club provided by) The Boxcar Children, various Pinterest ideas

Content Areas: (check all that apply)

☐ Arts (Visual, Music, Theater &Performance)
☒ Literacy
☐ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering &Math)
☐ Social Studies
☐ Wellness (Physical Education, Health, Nutrition &Character Education)
Outputs or final products: (Does the club have a final product/project to showcase to community?) Building a boxcar diorama/dog toys donated to animal shelter/completion of book

Introducing your Club/Activities: This Adventure Book Club engages students with the community, each other, and reading.

General Directions: Read The Boxcar Children and integrate hands-on activities to help students connect to the story, think critically, and build interdisciplinary skills.

Tips/Tricks: Watch for when students start to become disengaged. Have an intentional activity prepared for when this happens.

Resources for building literacy and reading fluency with beginning level adult learners. These two short stories were originally created for a beginning level class of adult Somali women. The stories are set in a familiar context and are designed to help the readers learn the names of rooms and features in an apartment or house. Additional activities for language extension are included after both of the stories.

It is a vital skill to learn to respond to what we read. Teach students the important skill of sharing books by creating a book report with this simple lesson plan. There are a variety of options for students to choose from and a rubric attached.

BookSpring, a 45 year old early literacy non-profit in Austin Texas, is providing rich digital content base on its time-tested educator kits online for families through 52 Weekly Themes for ages 3-5 and 6-8. Each week, a new theme related to early childhood curriculum is released with a video prompt to activate prior knowledge from Bibi the Butterfly, followed with a series of curated digital books in browser-based and downloadable pdf form. These resources are followed with reflection questions, suggested follow up activities, and additional resources to extend the learning at home. The materials are offered under a Creative Commons By-Share Alike license and available in both Spanish and English. The themes start in August 2020 and are planned to be completed in August 2021, and will be sustained online indefinitely. Plans for Toddler units (24-36 months) and older children (9-12) are being considered for future development. No log in is required, but donations are welcome and eligible as charitable contributions for the U.S. IRS. Aligned to multiple subjects in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for grades K-3, as well as the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (not currently available on OER for alignment) https://tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education/texas-prekindergarten-guidelines

The students will work on a book report project that will display their knowledge of the plot, conflict, characters, and literary elements of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

FVR, or maybe SSR to you, is a research-proven strategy; in exchange for a just a little planning and investment, it pays huge dividends to language acquisition, no matter the level of the learner. We'll explore the basics and beyond about what makes the most successful FVR programs work, preparing you to implement free, voluntary, reading in your classroom.Dr. Janet Eckerson, University of Nebraska, Kearney

ReadTheory is a reading comprehension program which enhances reading and reasoning skills. In addition to sharpening these skills, learners become more comfortable using technology skills on various devices.

Learners will learn about Read Theory and its benefits, and then get a chance to use it in class.

General Description:This guide teaches academic reading strategies and skills, English vocabulary, dictionary skills, and language competencies in the context of reading John Lewis' Walking with the Wind. The book guide is intended for English language learners to assist them in reading, discussing, and comprehending the text. 

Before students begin reading The Outsiders, they will work in groups to research the setting and historical background of the novel.

The purpose of this lesson is for High Intermediate to Advanced adult ESOL students to learn new vocabulary, practice reading, and hone their conversation skills while learning about the use of the penny in the United States.

This is a reading guide that can be used in conjunction with Open Stax Sociology 2e textbook.

Students pick a character from their favorite novel and create a speech telling about themselves and the novel they are in.

After reading the short story, “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury, students will collaborate on a set of questions that ask them to analyze the themes, plot, and characters of the story. Next, students will work on a creative project that will apply the elements of the story to real life skills.

A digital resource for creating short stories, picture books, comics, and poetry. This website also has literature available for students to read. There are included lessons and challenges for students to complete.

I wrote a short Reader's Theatre skit for Valentine's Day that practices vocabulary skills

The primary sources in this set can
be used for inquiry-based learning exercises
and projects. Each document falls under the
umbrella topic of voter education, and students
are encouraged to annotate in the margins in order
to support the development of document analysis
and critical thinking skills. Suggested projects that
make use of this set’s primary sources are also
included for the educator as a springboard for
research-based projects.