The poem Oranges by Gary Soto is about the bittersweet experience of a first date. They walk together to the drug store and girl picks a chocolate that costs a dime. The boy offers to pay for the candy with a nickel and an orange. The boy takes the girl's hand and then releases it so she can unwrap her chocolate, and he can peel his orange. In the darkness of the winter day, the orange burns bright light a fire, much like the love in his heart. In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this story through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

This resource includes two nonfiction texts, a link to a video, and 17 text-dependent questions (including one optional constructed-response prompt for students). Also includes explanatory information for teachers regarding alignment to the CCSS.

A narrator recounts the story of Paul Revere’s ride, which took place in Massachusetts on April 18, 1775. On that night, Revere tells his friend to hang a lantern in the belfry of the Old North Church if the British forces begin to march—one light if they are coming by land, two if they are coming by sea. We know the rest—the minutemen routed the redcoats. He also says that we will hear Revere’s cry of defiance throughout history. In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this history through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

The text begins with a poor fisherman, Kino, his wife, Juana, their baby Coyotito, and the great pearl. When Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, Kino and Juana travel from their village to take him to the nearest doctor. However, they are unable to pay for treatment and are turned away. But once they have a large pearl in their possession, the greedy doctor makes a house call, hoping to get a share of the profits. In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this story through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

This is a lesson guide for "Cat!, Silver and Your World". In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this history through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

Lesson guides for :Concrete, Harlem Night Song" and "The City is So Big". In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this history through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

Lesson guides for "Old Man, Runagate Runagate" and "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind". In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this history through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

This resource contains lessons, Powerpoints, and activities on semicolons, colons, sentence combining, and commas.

In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this story through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

The story Raymond's Run is told through the eyes of Hazel Squeaky Parker, who is the fastest runner in her Harlem neighborhood. She spends the majority of her time practicing for upcoming races and taking care of her brother, Raymond, who is mentally challenged and to whom she is very devoted. In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this story through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 6th Grade Math.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 8th Grade ELA. 

The speaker reflects on the risks and responsibilities of making choices and deciding which road to take. In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this poem through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

“The Secret” tells the story of Henry Cooper, a reporter, returning for the second time to report on the colonies now existing on the Moon. Based on a hunch, he becomes suspicious of a “secret” that may be looming on the Moon. Cooper sets out on a mission to confirm his suspicions, which leads him to discover that life on the moon can be as long as 200 years. Cooper must then decide if this “secret” should be kept or shared with those back on Earth. In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this story through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

This resource contains a Powerpoint on commas, colons, semicolons, as well as worksheets on the correct use of semicolons.

In the magazine article, “The Story of an Eyewitness,” Jack London describes the effects of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. His account describes its immediate aftermath and utter destruction of the city by the ensuing fire. The National Archives article provides a brief third-person account of the San Francisco Earthquake that can be used to compare and contrast first- versus third-person accounts of the same event. In this CCSS lesson, students will explore this history through text dependent questions, academic vocabulary, and writing assignments.

Students are invited to explore the cultural offerings around them "” from architecture to books, dance, fashion, film, food, music, theater, TV and video games "” and write reviews about what they experience. The New York Times models along with advice from current Times critics to help them through the process.

A handout/tutorial on comma usage including the mnemonic device FANBOYS, common sentence inturrupters, and comma splice confusions.