Category: Reading Skills

Welcome to my index blog page, where I share literacy ideas and teaching materials for upper elementary students. I create various resources to help educators teach multiple reading skills to their students.

My blog includes several series, such as “Teaching Types of Conflicts with Movie Trailers,” “Plot Structures,” “Making Connections,” “Story Elements,” and “Figurative Language.” These series make learning engaging and interactive. I also offer resources to teach literacy skills like vocabulary, comprehension, figurative language, and spelling.

Teaching literacy can be challenging, so I give away many free resources that educators can use in the classroom or at home. I want to provide educators with practical, easy-to-use tools to help their students become confident readers.

I hope my index blog page will inspire and motivate educators to use innovative teaching methods and help their students excel in their literacy skills.

Person vs. the Environment Conflict

Person vs. the Environment Conflict

In a person vs. the environment conflict in literature, a character struggles against nature’s forces. A person may be fighting against bad weather conditions such as a hurricane or blizzard, surviving in the wild including the desert or jungle, or against a wild animal. For elementary students, this type of conflict can be explained in …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=4289

Reference Materials Mini Lesson

Reference Materials Mini Lesson

Introducing students to the world of reference materials is crucial in developing their research and information literacy skills. This blog post includes a Reference Materials Mini Lesson with fun activities that help students understand the different types of reference materials and their purposes. Be sure to get the handout. It includes the printables and links …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3943

Text Structures ~ Make Your Own Anchor Chart

Text Structures ~ Make Your Own Anchor Chart

Read definitions of the different text structures including examples and grab the free printables to make this Text Structures Anchor Chart. Text structures are the different organizational patterns nonfiction texts can be written. Which should you teach text structures? Teaching students the basic structures will greatly improve students’ abilities to analyze informational text. When students …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3571

Tone vs. Mood Lesson Activity

Tone vs. Mood

Let’s be honest—teaching the difference between tone and mood can feel like trying to explain the difference between a couch and a loveseat to a room full of energetic fifth graders. They kind of get it… but kind of don’t. That’s where this lesson swoops in like a caped ELA hero to save the day …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3093

Interesting Facts about the American Revolution

Interesting Facts about the American Revolution

Students love discovering surprising details and interesting facts about the American Revolution. These ten quick facts offer a fun way to introduce the era or review key ideas. At the bottom of the post, you’ll find links to a printable version and a foldable timeline organizer you can use in your classroom. Get the handouts …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=2131

Constitution for Kids

Ten Interesting Facts Constitution

Check out these 10 interesting facts about the Constitution for Kids. Then download the foldable organizers to use to teach Checks and Balances, the Preamble, Bill of Rights, and Amendments to the Constitution. Download all handouts from the blog post here. The Constitution for Kids – Ten Interesting Facts 1. Philadelphia Delegates met in Philadelphia …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=469

Ten Interesting Facts . . . Volcanoes

Volcanoes

Are you looking for some interesting facts about volcanoes to use with your students? This list contains many teaching opportunities. Use the charts to help students interpret data. Show students photos of the main types of volcanoes. Do you just want a few interesting details to add to a trivia contest? You can find those …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=346