Fiction & Non-fiction Paired Reading Passages

Fiction & Non-fiction Paired Reading Passages Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

Paired Text Lessons and Resources Grade 4
Paired Passage Practice and theExtended Response Question

K-12 Paired Texts & Question Sets - ReadWorks best searchable paired reading passage resource

American History

NONFICTION	FICTION
Senator Barack Obama: The American Promise (excerpts from acceptance speech)--or pair this with the speech by Obama on election night, or with a reading about the Civil Rights Movement.	The Train Ride—Barack Obama's Election Night (4th Grade Fiction)
Pioneer Families 3rd Grade     5th Grade	Pioneer Diary (Historical Fiction) 3rd Grade     5th Grade
Valley Forge (5th Grade)	Soldier's Letter (5th Grade Historical Fiction)
American Explorers (5th Grade)	Traveling with Lewis and Clark (5th Grade Historical Fiction)
Traveling West (6th Grade)	Stopping in Denver (6th Grade Historical Fiction)

Chicago History

NONFICTION	FICTION
Pioneer Families 3rd Grade     5th Grade	Pioneer Diary (Historical Fiction) 3rd Grade     5th Grade
After the Chicago Fire: Choosing a Park (3rd Grade)	Letter from Chicago (3rd Grade Historical Fiction)
Chicago Changes 3rd Grade     5th Grade	Letter to Grandmother (Realistic Fiction) 3rd Grade     6th Grade
Chicago Streets 3rd Grade     5th Grade	Changing Our Street (Realistic Fiction) 3rd Grade     5th Grade
Chicago Changer--Jane Addams (8th Grade)	External link: "Angelo's Saturdays" (Chicago History Museum)
Native Americans in Checagou (6th Grade)	Potawatomi Prairie (6th Grade Historical Fiction)
Changing Chicago (Reversing the River--7th Grade)	My Father's Miracle (reversing the Chicago River--7th Grade Historical Fiction)

Current Events

NONFICTION	FICTION
Landing on the Hudson (6th Grade)	The Hero (6th Grade Realistic Fiction)

Science

NONFICTION	FICTION
Prairie Ecology (4th Grade) Changing the Prairie (4th Grade)	The Prairie (4th Grade Realistic Fiction)
Learning about the Solar System (4th Grade)	The Astronaut's Diary (4th Grade Realistic Fiction)
Nutrition Lesson (6th Grade)	The Food Change (6th Grade Realistic Fiction)

American History
NONFICTION FICTION
Senator Barack Obama: The American Promise (excerpts from acceptance speech)--or pair this with the speech by Obama on election night, or with a reading about the Civil Rights Movement. The Train Ride—Barack Obama's Election Night (4th Grade Fiction)

Pioneer Families
3rd Grade 5th Grade
Pioneer Diary (Historical Fiction)
3rd Grade 5th Grade
Valley Forge (5th Grade) Soldier's Letter (5th Grade Historical Fiction)
American Explorers (5th Grade) Traveling with Lewis and Clark (5th Grade Historical Fiction)
Traveling West (6th Grade) Stopping in Denver (6th Grade Historical Fiction)

Chicago History
NONFICTION FICTION
Pioneer Families
3rd Grade 5th Grade
Pioneer Diary (Historical Fiction)
3rd Grade 5th Grade
After the Chicago Fire: Choosing a Park (3rd Grade) Letter from Chicago (3rd Grade Historical Fiction)

Chicago Changes
3rd Grade 5th Grade
Letter to Grandmother (Realistic Fiction)
3rd Grade 6th Grade
Chicago Streets
3rd Grade 5th Grade
Changing Our Street (Realistic Fiction)
3rd Grade 5th Grade
Chicago Changer--Jane Addams (8th Grade) External link: "Angelo's Saturdays" (Chicago History Museum)
Native Americans in Checagou (6th Grade) Potawatomi Prairie (6th Grade Historical Fiction)
Changing Chicago (Reversing the River--7th Grade) My Father's Miracle (reversing the Chicago River--7th Grade Historical Fiction)
Current Events
NONFICTION FICTION
Landing on the Hudson (6th Grade) The Hero (6th Grade Realistic Fiction)
Science
NONFICTION FICTION
Prairie Ecology (4th Grade)
Changing the Prairie (4th Grade) The Prairie (4th Grade Realistic Fiction)
Learning about the Solar System (4th Grade) The Astronaut's Diary (4th Grade Realistic Fiction)
Nutrition Lesson (6th Grade) The Food Change (6th Grade Realistic Fiction)
DEVELOP CONTENT COMPETENCE AND COMMON CORE LITERACY ABILITIES

Guides to Scaffold and Assess Student Learning

Comprehensive Nonfiction Reading Questions

Concise constructed response provide immediate data--and opportunities for feedback.

Graphic Organizers to Guide/Assess Nonfiction Reading
Nonfiction Reading Strategy Pre-Assessment

Common Core Constructed Response Organizer

Student Reading/Writing Guides

Nonfiction Reading Resources One Page Readings with Graphic Organizers Focused on Specific Skills to Support Common Core Standards 1 and 2

Use video shorts to kick-start your paired reading activities! Use graphic organizers and question stems to compare two genres or literary ideas. Select two videos to compare and contrast, analyze and discuss with your class.

How do I Flip My Classroom? Blended Learning Resources

Blended Learning and Flipped Classroom Resources

Blended learning or Flipped Learning is a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through delivery of content and instruction via digital and online media with some element of student control over time, place, path, or pace.While still attending a “brick-and-mortar” school structure, face-to-face classroom methods are combined with computer-mediated activities. A lack of consensus on a definition of blended learning has led to difficulties in research about its effectiveness in the classroom
Sean Taylor Reading Sage Youtube Channel

Reading Sage: Flipped Poetry Lessons with Music and Lyrics
The flipped English classroom or flipped English lessons are a form of blended learning in which high school students learn new content online by watching video lectures, usually at home, and what used to be homework ...

Reading Sage: Flipped English Class | Special Ed High ...
Flipped teaching or a flipped classroom is a form of blended learning in which students learn new content online by watching video lectures, usually at home, and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done ...

Reading Sage: Project-Based Learning | Flipped CLASS | PBL
Is a flipped class and projects based learning possible in today's publisher driven, top-down curriculum model and austere school reform mentality we find ourselves working in? Giving teachers the power to make real ...

Brain Breaks Brain Teasers Math Riddles
Student Brain Breaks Math Puzzles, Logic Puzzles, Math Riddles And Brain Teasers
Reading Sage: Top 10 Presentation Teacher Apps 2014
... for Non-Designers · Create infographics & online charts | infogr.am · Visual.ly: Gallery | Create Infographics · Screen Cast O Matic · Screen Cast O Matic is a Great Downloadable App for Creating Flipped Classroom Content ..

Reading Sage: Reading Boot Camp: "The Daily Schedule"
Flipped Classroom Weekly Reading Homework: Homework Reading Ideas: The Great Robot Race: Weekly Reading Assignment #1. Read the short wiki article below about DARPA'S Grand Challenge and then watch the PBS ...

Reading Sage: Story Starters Writing Prompt
Free PDF Story Starters for all GRADES! Use this free collection of Illustrated Stories Starters to teach writing in a fun imaginative way even to reluctant writers. The Story Starters help teach the foundations of story, plot, literary ...

Reading Sage: Story Starters for Kids | Printable Picture ...
Free PDF Story Starters for all GRADES! Use this free collection of Illustrated Stories Starters to teach writing in a fun imaginative way even to reluctant writers. The Story Starters help teach the foundations of story, plot, literary ...

Reading Sage: Kids Read Alouds | Best Free Read Alouds
Online Story Time By Barnes and Noble is a great free read aloud website to rediscover new and classic children's literature. A great collection of vivid illustrated childrens classics read by the author. A The Very Hungry ...

Reading Sage: Brain Break Reading Games
Brain Break Reading Comprehension Games | Free Printable Brain Break Games | Reading ELA CCSS Literacy Games Literary Elements, Text Features and Parts of Speech | Smart Board Games The Legendary Lands Sky ...

Reading Sage: CCSS Math Games | Math Facts Dice Game
CCSS Math Games Grade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 | Free Printable CCSS Math Games | Dice and Card Games to Practice Math Facts | Teaching Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division Math Facts to Kids With Games ...

Reading Sage: Free Reading Board Games Grade K-12
Reading Comprehension Board Games. Posted by The Reading ... "The Legendary Lands" STEAMPUNK Reading Comprehension Game! ... FREE Teacher Made Reading Comprehension and CCSS Vocabulary GAMES!

Literary Elements Games online - Reading Sage - Blogger
Literary Elements Games online|CCSS ELA Literary Elements Using games to reinforce knowledge of Literary Elements is a fun way to prepare for CCSS ELA content and PARCC and Smarter Balanced. Knowledge of ...

Reading Sage: Reading Comprehension Board Games ...
Reading Comprehension Board Games Grade 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10! Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary board games are a great way to build, strengthen, and develop reading and language arts skills.

Reading Sage: Vocabulary Games
Alien Vocabulary Game (Tier 3 Testing Words) (or Chutes and Ladders) Use this free tier 3 academic vocabulary game to build test readiness. The game is designed to be a fun way to build academic vocabulary using a game ...

Reading Sage: Top 10 Digital Presentation Tools
Digital story telling and presentations are a key element in meeting the CCSS ELA standards. Teachers and students can use the free digital presentation tools to enhance reports, flip lessons, enrich content, and create

Reading Activities | Grade 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8
Empressr is the best and original browser based rich media presentation and storytelling tool. Prezi Prezi is a cloud based presentation software that opens up a new world between whiteboards and slides. The zoomable ...

Reading Ideas for Boys
Empressor Tell your story anyway you like. Add photos, music, video, and audio, and share it publicly or privately in an instant. Empressr is the best and original browser based rich media presentation and storytelling tool.

Blooms Taxonomy Math Question Stems
Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives within education proposed in 1956 by a committee of educators chaired by Benjamin Bloom who also edited the first volume of the standard text, Taxonomy of ...

Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) | Bloom's Taxonomy vs ...
The Common Core Standards are the cornerstones of the Smarter Balanced and PARCC assessments, Webb's Depth of Knowledge (scale of cognitive demand) and Blooms Revised Taxonomy (levels of intellectual ability) ...

Reading Sage: Blooms Taxonomy Questions Stems for ...
Although named for Bloom, the publication followed a series of conferences from 1949 to 1953, which were designed to improve communication between educators on the design of curricula and examinations. It refers to a ...

Student-Friendly Bloom's Taxonomy Question Stems
Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives within education proposed in 1956 by a committee of educators chaired by Benjamin Bloom who also edited the first volume of the standard text, Taxonomy of ...

STAAR Practice Test Questions 2015

STAAR Practice Test Questions Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and Grade 11 EOC Exit Level Practice Test Items

STAAR Practice Tests Grades 3–8 Assessments

GRADE	STAAR TEST FORMS	STAAR ANSWER KEYS
3	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics
4	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics |2014 Writing	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Writing
5	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics |2014 Science	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Science
6	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics
7	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics |2014 Writing	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Writing
8	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics |2014 Science  2014 Social Studies	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Science | 2014 Social Studies

 

GRADE	STAAR TEST FORMS	STAAR ANSWER KEYS
3	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics
4	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Writing	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Writing
5	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Science	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Science
6	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics
7	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Writing	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Writing
8	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Science  2013 Social Studies	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Science | 2013 Social Studies

GRADE	SAMPLE QUESTIONS
3	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics
4	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics | 2011 Writing
5	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics | 2011 Science
6	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics
7	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics | 2011 Writing
8	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics | 2011 Science | 2011 Social Studies

 

Grades 3–5 Spanish Assessments

GRADE	TEST FORMS	ANSWER KEYS
3	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics
4	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Writing	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Writing
5	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Science	2014 Reading | 2014 Mathematics | 2014 Science

 

GRADE	TEST FORMS	ANSWER KEYS
3	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics
4	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Writing	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Writing
5	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Science	2013 Reading | 2013 Mathematics | 2013 Science

GRADE	SAMPLE QUESTIONS
3	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics
4	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics | 2011 Writing
5	2011 Reading | 2011 Mathematics | 2011 Science

 

End-of-Course Assessments

The links below open PDF versions of STAAR EOC released tests.

CONTENT AREA	TEST FORMS	ANSWER KEYS
English Language Arts	2014 English I | 2014 English II	2014 English I | 2014 English II
Mathematics	2014 Algebra I	2014 Algebra I
Science	2014 Biology	2014 Biology
Social Studies	2014 U.S History	2014 U.S. History

CONTENT AREA	TEST FORMS	ANSWER KEYS
English Language Arts	2013 Eng I Reading | Eng I Writing 2013 Eng II Reading | Eng II Writing 2013 Eng III Reading | Eng III Writing	2013 Eng I Reading | Eng I Writing 2013 Eng II Reading | Eng II Writing 2013 Eng III Reading | Eng III Writing
Mathematics	2013 Algebra I | 2013 Algebra II 2013 Geometry	2013 Algebra I | 2013 Algebra II 2013 Geometry
Science	2013 Biology | 2013 Chemistry 2013 Physics	2013 Biology | 2013 Chemistry 2013 Physics
Social Studies	2013 U.S History | 2013 World Geography |2013World History	2013 U.S. History | 2013 World Geography 2013 World History

CONTENT AREA	SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Reading	2011 English I | 2011 English II |  2011 English III
Writing	2011 English I | 2011 English II |  2011 English III
Mathematics	2011 Algebra I | 2011 Geometry | 2011 Algebra II
Science	2011 Biology | 2011 Chemistry | 2011 Physics
Social Studies	2011 World Geography | 2011 World History | 2011 U.S. History

Students Learn Programing Code Free

Students Can Learn Programing Code with Disney's Elsa and Anna of Frozen | Students learn how to write computer code free online! 

Teachers and students can learn computer code/computer programing in an hour of fun free code training online with code.org. Free computer code classes for teachers and students. EVERY Hour of Code organizer will receive 10 GB of Dropbox space or $10 of Skype credit as a thank you. Details

Teach computer science in your classroom by signing up for an account. Teacher Sign Up! My first hour of code! http://learn.code.org/c/54204025

Last year hundreds of organizations joined together to create fun introductions to programming for all to learn. This year the goal is to get 100 million participants from all across the globe. Learn more at

http://hourofcode.com/

Code Programing Resources

Learn | Code.org
Learn the basic concepts of Computer Science with drag and drop programming. This is a game-like, self-directed tutorial starring video lectures by Bill Gates, ...
‎Angry Birds - ‎Code.org - ‎Beyond One Hour - ‎Sign in

Code.org - Hour of Code: Maze #1

Code Avengers: learn to code games, apps and websites
Learn how to code games, apps and websites with fun and effective interactive games. HTML, CSS and JavaScript tutorials are for beginners.

Tynker | Coding for kids
Tynker makes it fun and easy to learn computer programming. ... Give kids the freedom to create their own games and learn at their own pace, with Tynker online ...

Try an Hour of Code - Tynker | Coding for kids - Tynker ...
Tynker makes it fun and easy to learn computer programming. Get started ... Build your own versions of classic arcade games. ... What is the Hour of Code?

Codecademy: Learn to code
How can coding help you? Hear how Tommy went from knowing nothing about code to building one of Time's '50 Best Websites' after learning with ...

10 places where anyone can learn to code | TED Blog
If college courses seem a little slow, consider Code Racer, a “multi-player live coding game.” Newbies can learn to build a website using HTML ...

Top 10 Websites to Learn Coding (Interactively) Online
Code Avengers has a gradual approach to interactive learning. ... your learningjourney, but it's a perfect site to learn basic game programming effectively

CodeCombat - Learn how to code by playing a game
Learn programming with a multiplayer live coding strategy game. You're a wizard, and your spells are JavaScript.

Finnish Handicraft

Finnish Formative Handicraft to Build Character and Social-Emotional Intelligence and a Growth Mindset | Wisdom of the Hand! 

Finnish Paper Snowflake

Educational sloyd's "Käsityö" purpose is formative in its design, and it is thought that the benefits of learning handicrafts "Käsityö" in a public school setting builds character and resilience in children! Educational Sloyd develops self-reliance, encourages moral behavior, improves judgment, perseverance, and an understanding of quality, encourages students to internalize high standards, and develops greater intelligence and industriousness.

"Some aver that a course of scientific training in handicraft gives a boy or girl a new zeal for school work to such an extent that the progress of such a pupil is not only equal but often exceeds, that of pupils whose attention is concentrated on a literary curriculum. If this is true, even to the extent a pupil under these conditions holds his own, he has the additional advantage of having learned to use his hands, and his education, as a result, is "all-sided." It has been said that "the true aim of education is the development of all the powers of man to the culminating point of action: and this power in the concrete--the power to do some useful thing for man--this must be the last analysis of educational truth" The Pedagogy of Educational Handicraft by T.W. Berry:1909

Sloyd (Slöjd), also known as Educational sloyd, was a system of

My Handicraft Station 

handicraft-based education started by Uno Cygnaeus in Finland in 1865. The system was further refined and promoted worldwide, including adoption in the United States, until the early 20th Century. A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft, and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid materials, paper, plant fibers, etc. Usually the term is applied to traditional techniques of creating items (whether for personal use or as products) that are both practical and aesthetic.

Hand Knitting 

Formative handicraft is a must do daily classroom activity that inspires a love of learning and teaches what is truly important in life, Curiosity, resilience, craftsmanship, perseverance, and character! Social-emotional intelligence and emotional resilience is created with ease using formative handicraft lessons that will inspire and motivate all students to thrive and strive.  Finnish School Schedule