Comparing Texts in Different Genres

Comparing Stories in Different Genres

What do a wizard, a tribute, and a time-traveling tortoise have in common? Turns out—quite a lot. When students learn to compare texts in different genres, they discover how authors tackle universal themes (like friendship, survival, or identity) in wildly different ways. This lesson helps students analyze how genres shape storytelling—and lets them explore it …

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Teaching Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts

Teaching Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts

Firsthand and secondhand accounts are one of those things that are easy to say but a little trickier to teach reading skills. Before we dive in, here’s a little story from my family archives. My dad was a genealogy buff. The kind of guy who had color-coded binders and could connect us to people like Frances Scott Key. …

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World Smile Day Activities

World Smile Day

Do you want to celebrate World Smile Day with your students and make them smile? World Smile Day is a special event on the first Friday in October. It was started by Harvey Ball, the famous yellow Smiley Face creator, to inspire people to smile and share happiness with others. On this day, you can …

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Comparing Stories in the Same Genre

Comparing Stories in the Same Genre

Welcome to part two of our Compare & Contrast reading series! (If you missed part one—comparing themes across cultures—go check it out!) This week, we’re zooming in on stories in the same genre and asking the question: “If two books are both realistic fiction, why do they feel so different?” You’ve likely heard a student …

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Organizing Student Binders

Organizing Student Binders

As an inclusion teacher, I have worked with many teachers. This experience helped me learn many organizational tips from my team teachers. I often feel like a sponge, soaking up ideas and trying them out. Over time, I have begun to use one idea from one teacher and another idea from a different teacher, mix …

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Activities for Elephant Appreciation Day

Elephant Appreciation Day

Elephant Appreciation Day is a special day to honor and celebrate these amazing animals. Observed on September 22nd each year, this day provides a chance for teachers of upper elementary students to engage their students in exciting and meaningful activities centered around elephants. Elephants are the largest land mammals and intelligent, social, and emotional creatures. …

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Bunnicula Teaching Ideas

Bunnicula

One book that fills young minds with imagination, creativity, and mystery is Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by James Howe. This whimsical tale of a vampire bunny and his adventures has captivated generations of readers, offering a perfect opportunity for educators to engage students in exciting learning experiences. In this blog post, I’ve compiled six …

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