Reading

Source: Infoplease Famous Firsts by African Americans (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

This site presents a vast array of articles and images on a host of subjects .(check Browse tab)  Students can read about African American History,  History and Timelines, Contemporary Issues and Facts, Biographyies and Special Features, Holidays, Education and Awards With the information, students create a timeline of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. In this assignment, students read about Famous Firsts by African Americans.

Source: Pixabay by QuinceCreative (License: Creative Commons 1.0)

Students use web sites for department stores to find product information for similar products in order to compare prices and qualities of products at different stores so that they can make wise buying decisions.

Source: https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/anne-frank-one-hundreds-thousands#sect-thelesson%22_blank%22 (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

This lesson invites you to supplement your students' reading of The Diary of a Young Girl by connecting the diary to the study of history and to honor the legacy of Anne Frank, the writer, as she inspires your students to use writing to deepen their insights into their own experiences and the experiences of others.

In the class activity, students look at a series of maps to gain an idea of the territorial changes in Europe after World War I up to the beginning of the defeat of Germany. They complete a map intended to show the speed and reach of Germany's wartime expansion. Then students share information about the German occupation in some European countries, which they then compare to the situation in the Netherlands. Lastly, students analyze a map.

Source: My Books-Unlimited Library App (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

In this activity, students use a free iPad app to read a book they or their teacher select. Students read assigned chapters and highlight new vocabulary and important information. During a class discussion, students are able to refer to their highlighted notes. Students are then asked to look up new vocabulary words and write a short synopsis of the chapter.

The Free Books – Unlimited Library – The Ultimate Ebooks And Audiobooks Library In Your Pocket app by Digital Press Publishing provides notes, highlights, bookmarks, and dictionary support. The upgraded version ($$) includes audiobooks; however, the student is not able to see the printed text while listening to the audio.

Source: 4Tests GED Practice Test page (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

A free online practice test site for the 2014 GED test with the 4 sections of the GED provided by Barrons Educational Series. It includes an explanation for the right answer.

Source: Kellogg Foundation (License: Creative Commons 2.0)

 

Students will read about Dolores Huerta and learn how to develop vocabulary by using Visuwords

Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

In this activity, students learn about the history of Women’s Suffrage through the exploration of primary sources. The American Memory Collection’s Classroom Materials section features lesson plans, themed resources, primary source sets, presentations and activities, and collection connections. The Presentations & Activities section offers media-rich historical content or interactive opportunities for exploration to both teachers and students.

Source: Money Management International (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

Money Management International has a dedicated site for Financial Literacy month (April), encouraging sound use of one’s finances throughout the year with Thirty Steps to Financial Wellness, which includes resources and worksheets to get organized and make a financial plan. The steps include:

1. Commit to Change
2. Assess Your Finances
3. Clear out the Financial Clutter
4. Set yourself up for Success
5. Get copies of your Credit Reports
6. Clean up your Credit Report
7. Make your Money Count
8. Identify your Starting Point
9. Review your Debt Situation
10. Set your Priorities
11. Set SMART Financial Goals
12. Set short-, mid-, and long-term Goals
13. Pay down your Debt
14. Expect the Unexpected
15. Secure your Financial Future
16. Make a Committment
17. Save for your Goals
18. Follow where the Money Goes
19. Identify and Document Fixed Monthly Expenses
20. Identify and Plan for Periodic Expenses
21. Document your Spending
22. Indentify ways to Reduce Spending
23. Save Money on Groceeries
24. Start an Open Dialogue
25. Document your Desired Spending
26. Protect yourself by Performing Financial Check-ups
27. Understand the Cost of Credit
28. Assemble a Financial Team
29. Appreciate the Benefits
30. Keep Moving Forward

For this activity determine how much time and how many steps you want to include, divide the class into pairs/groups to investigate each step, write a summary/report and present to the class.

Source: https://sheg.stanford.edu/history-lessons/pocahontas (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

In this activity, students use primary sources to answer the question of whether Pocahontas saved John Smith’s life.

Screenshot of the Reading Like a Historian lesson on Pocahontas

The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features sets of primary documents modified for groups of students with diverse reading skills and abilities. U.S. History consists of the following Units:

• Unit 1: Introduction
• Unit 2: Colonial
• Unit 3: Revolution and Early America
• Unit 4: Expansion/Slavery
• Unit 5: Civil War and Reconstruction
• Unit 6: The Gilded Age
• Unit 7: American Imperialism
• Unit 8: Progressivism
• Unit 9: World War I and the 1920s
• Unit 10: New Deal and World War II
• Unit 11: Cold War
• Unit 12: Cold War Culture/Civil Rights
• Unit 13: Late 1900s and Early 2000s

Source: The Free Dictionary (License: CC0/Public Domain)

Use the online dictionary, The Free Dictionary as a stepping off point for developing research skills and expanding students' vocabulary and knowledge base through exploration of word of the day, today's birthday, this day in history, today's holiday and article of the day.

TheFreeDictionary.com site has many features including Word of the Day, Daily Grammar Lesson, Article of the Day,  This Day in History, Today's Birthday, Quotation of the Day, Today's Holiday, Idiom of the Day and Grammar Quiz. Word games include Hangman, Spelling Bee, Match Up and WordHub.

Source: Snopes.com (License: CC0/Public Domain)

 

While learning about urban legends, students practice reading skills, summarizing and paragraphing in speaking and writing, and hone their abilities to view media critically. Students use Snopes, a site dedicated to fact-checking news stories, past events and urban legends, to read and take notes on an urban legends. 

Source: http://themoonlitroad.com/the-black-dog/ (License: CC0/Public Domain)

 

Although there are many stories on the main website, this lesson focuses on the one titled, The Black Dog.

Source: NPR's This I Believe (License: CC0/Public Domain)

If you listen to NPR radio, you may hear both famous and unknowns discussing their core values and beliefs on weekly broadcasts of the radio spot “This I Believe,” a take-off on Edward R. Murrow’s original 1950s radio show. The site is an archive of all the modern broadcasts accompanied by the original print essays and contains a searchable database of thousands of other essays on numerous topics ranging from patriotism, to family, to sports. Each short essay that has been broadcast on NPR has a “Listen” link to hear the authors read their essays, which provides a listening component for the ABE student. The audio can be the basis for exercises on note-taking, listening for main ideas, supporting details, and cloze (listening for missing words).

Source: Working the Web for Education Tom March (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

In this activity, Students will read and discuss a current issue: Rise of the machines: Philippine outsourcing industry braces for AI. The emphasis is on critical thinking. Students will read, consider and discuss the future of Technology and its impact on jobs.

The Tom March Web site contains videos, political cartoons, and pictures that encourage students to think critically. 

Source: https://votesmart.org/education/classroom by https://votesmart.org/education/classroom (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

Students learn about the legislative branch of government in this activity. They learn the number of the House and Senate district where they live, the names of the senator and representative who represent their district, the votes of a senator or representative on current issues in the state legislature, and become familiar with the Vote Smart Web Site and how it can be used to obtain information.

Wolffram Alpha is a search engine that compares anything. In this activity students will work on using comparatives.

Source: Wonderopolis (License: CC0/Public Domain)

 

Use this online mini-lesson—which contains reading, vocabulary, listening, conversation, and more—with intermediate or advanced students when teaching about the topics of health, injuries, accidents, health care, and medical emergencies.