ALEX Resources

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Lesson Plans (1) A detailed description of the instruction for teaching one or more concepts or skills. Learning Activities (4) Building blocks of a lesson plan that include before, during, and after strategies to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill. Classroom Resources (8)


ALEX Lesson Plans  
   View Standards     Standard(s): [SS2010] USS6 (6) 3 :
3 ) Identify causes and consequences of World War I and reasons for the United States' entry into the war.

Examples: sinking of the Lusitania, Zimmerman Note, alliances, militarism, imperialism, nationalism

•  Describing military and civilian roles in the United States during World War I
•  Explaining roles of important persons associated with World War I, including Woodrow Wilson and Archduke Franz Ferdinand
•  Analyzing technological advances of the World War I era for their impact on modern warfare
Examples: machine gun, tank, submarine, airplane, poisonous gas, gas mask

•  Locating on a map major countries involved in World War I and boundary changes after the war
•  Explaining the intensification of isolationism in the United States after World War I
Example: reaction of the Congress of the United States to the Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations, and Red Scare

•  Recognizing the strategic placement of military bases in Alabama (Alabama)
[ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
Subject: English Language Arts (6), or Social Studies (6)
Title: The Flu Affects All Walks of Life in Alabama
Description:

This lesson will include a study of several primary sources that detail the 1918 flu epidemic and how it affected a variety of people in Alabama. Students will work in small groups to study different primary sources and will complete graphic organizers specific to the type of primary source. Groups will then share their information with the class and discuss how the flu affected different populations of Alabama. The focus and outcomes of this lesson will meet the Social Studies standard (SS2010(6)) by allowing the students to describe civilian roles during WWI and to recognize the military bases in Alabama.

This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.




ALEX Learning Activities  
   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
Subject: English Language Arts (6)
Title: Cream of the Crop Comprehension: Inferring
Description:

This activity is a graphic organizer that is completed via Google Slides. This graphic organizer is to be used with the ReadWorks passage "Top Crops." The passage can be read as a whole group, in collaborative groups, or individually. The graphic organizer guides students to use the textual evidence in the passage and their own background knowledge to infer why students in the passage like to go to school in the summer. 

This resource was written as part of the ALEX Resource Development Summit. 




   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
Subject: English Language Arts (6)
Title: Images and Inferences: An Introductory Activity for Cream of the Crop Comprehension
Description:

Students will complete this activity using Google Jamboard. In this activity, students will make inferences about four related images. Students will use technology and visual literacy to make inferences throughout the completion of this assignment. This activity is intended as a formative assessment of students' knowledge and to build background knowledge for the ReadWorks passage "Top Crops."  

This resource was written as part of the ALEX Resource Development Summit. 




   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
[ELA2021] (6) 25 :
25. Quote, paraphrase, and summarize information from sources and present findings, following an appropriate citation style, with guidance and support.

Example: MLA, APA
Subject: English Language Arts (6)
Title: Cream of the Crop Comprehension: Invitation to Infer
Description:

This activity is a Google Slides presentation. It is intended to be completed independently. Each slide contains an excerpt from a Readworks passage. Each passage has a different text structure. The students will read each passage. Students will then respond to a text-dependent writing prompt that focuses on making inferences.

This resource was written as part of the ALEX ELA Resource Development Summit.  




   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) 13 :
13. Create and edit digital products that are appropriate in subject and purpose for a particular audience or occasion.

Examples: social media posts, blog posts, podcast episodes, infographics
[DLIT] (6) 35 :
29) Define artificial intelligence and identify examples of artificial intelligence in the community.

Examples: Image recognition, voice assistants.

[ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
Subject: English Language Arts (6), Digital Literacy and Computer Science (6)
Title: Artificial Intelligence: What Is It and Where Is It?
Description:

In this activity, students will explore Artificial Intelligence, develop their own definitions of what AI is, and share examples with their classmates via Note.ly. 

This activity was created as a result of the DLCS COS Resource Development Summit.




ALEX Learning Activities: 4

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ALEX Classroom Resources  
   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
[ELA2021] (6) 10 :
10. Determine subject, occasion, audience, purpose, tone, and credibility of digital sources.

Examples: online academic journals, social media, blogs, podcasts
[ELA2021] (7) 2 :
2. Evaluate how effectively an author uses structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, cause and effect, and substantiated or unsubstantiated claims and evidence, to achieve a purpose.
[ELA2021] (7) 10 :
10. Assess subject, occasion, audience, purpose, tone, and credibility of various digital sources.

Examples: online academic journals, social media, blogs
[ELA2021] (8) 2 :
2. Make complex inferences from the structure and content of a text, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, cause and effect, and substantiated and unsubstantiated claims and evidence, to draw logical conclusions about the author's perspective.
[ELA2021] (8) 11 :
11. Analyze digital texts to determine subject, occasion, audience, purpose, tone, and credibility.
[ELA2021] (9) 12 :
12. Interpret digital texts to determine their subject, occasion, audience, purpose, tone, and credibility.
[ELA2021] (10) 12 :
12. Interpret digital texts to determine subject, occasion, audience, purpose, tone, and credibility.
Subject: English Language Arts (6 - 10)
Title: Tune-up: Evaluating Evidence | Skills on Demand
URL: https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/evaluating-evidence-interactive-lesson/skills-on-demand/
Description:

In this short practice, students review how to determine whether the evidence that backs up a claim in a reading is sufficient, relevant, and credible and practice evaluating example passages.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
[ELA2021] (6) 23 :
23. Use an audio or audio-visual source of information to obtain the answer to a question.
[ELA2021] (7) 30 :
30. Read and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines to determine how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content organization.
[ELA2021] (8) 29 :
29. Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines to determine how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content organization.
[ELA2021] (9) 7 :
7. Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines to determine how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content organization.
[ELA2021] (10) 7 :
7. Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines to determine how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content organization.
[ELA2021] (11) 8 :
8. Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines and explain how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content and organize information.
[ELA2021] (12) 8 :
8. Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines and explain how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content and organize information.
Subject: English Language Arts (6 - 12)
Title: Environmental Watchdog Group Monitors Pollution in China | PBS NewsHour
URL: https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/3e8b8878-d484-402a-b5f7-35d662d16d43/environmental-watchdog-group-monitors-pollution-in-china/
Description:

Students watch how a Chinese watchdog group is protecting the environment with this video and educational resources from PBS NewsHour from December 7, 2015. After, students read an informational text related to the video and respond to open-ended questions. This resource provides students with the opportunity to make inferences, summarize, and cite what the text says explicitly. The resource also includes domain-specific vocabulary. 



   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (2) 27 :
27. Identify the text structures within literary and informational texts, including cause and effect, problem and solution, and sequence of events.
[ELA2021] (3) 24 :
24. Identify the text structures within literary and informational texts.

a. Explain how the structures, including comparison and contrast, sequence of events, problem and solution, and cause and effect, contribute to the meaning of the text, using textual evidence.
[ELA2021] (4) 23 :
23. Evaluate how text features and structures contribute to the meaning of an informational text.

a. Identify and describe the structures within a text, including description, comparison and contrast, sequence, problem and solution, and cause and effect.

b. Interpret information from text features in both print and digital formats.
[ELA2021] (5) 24 :
24. Determine and evaluate the effectiveness of digital and print text features and structures, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, and cause and effect.

a. Identify various text features used in diverse forms of text.

b. Compare and contrast the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in multiple texts.
[ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
[ELA2021] (7) 2 :
2. Evaluate how effectively an author uses structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, cause and effect, and substantiated or unsubstantiated claims and evidence, to achieve a purpose.
Subject: English Language Arts (2 - 7)
Title: Text Structures
URL: https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/ela/images/Text%20Structures.pdf
Description:

Text structures refer to the way authors organize information in text. Recognizing the underlying structure of texts can help students focus attention on key concepts and relationships, anticipate what is to come, and monitor their comprehension as they read.

This informational material will provide students and teachers with background knowledge related to these structures:

This document provides a definition, graphic organizer, transition words, and guiding questions for each type of text structure.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) 1 :
1. Identify and explain an author's rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.
[ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
[ELA2021] (6) 5 :
5. Evaluate the development of central and supporting ideas in recorded or live presentations by examining the speaker's rhetorical choices regarding point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
[ELA2021] (6) 23 :
23. Use an audio or audio-visual source of information to obtain the answer to a question.
[ELA2021] (7) -4 :
R3. Use digital and electronic tools appropriately, safely, and ethically when researching and writing, both individually and collaboratively.
[ELA2021] (7) -3 :
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
[ELA2021] (7) 7 :
7. Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writing in which the development, organization, style, and tone are relevant to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

a. Write narratives to convey a series of events incorporating key literary elements, establishing a clear purpose, using narrative techniques (dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection), and sequencing events coherently (chronological and/or flashback).

b. Write informative or explanatory texts with an organized structure and a formal style to examine ideas or processes effectively while developing the topic and utilizing appropriate transitions, precise vocabulary, and credible information or data when relevant.

c. Write an argument to defend a position by introducing and supporting claim(s), acknowledging alternate or opposing claims, and presenting reasons and relevant text evidence from accurate and credible sources.
[ELA2021] (7) 11 :
11. Compare and contrast the effectiveness of techniques used in a variety of digital sources to generate and answer literal, interpretive, and applied questions and create new understandings.
[ELA2021] (8) -6 :
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
Subject: English Language Arts (6 - 8)
Title: Investigating the Holocaust: A Collaborative Inquiry Project
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/investigating-holocaust-collaborative-inquiry-416.html
Description:

In this unit, students explore a variety of resources—texts, images, sounds, photos, and other artifacts—to learn more about the Holocaust. Beginning with journal writings and a picture book to introduce the central issues, the unit focuses on student-centered inquiry. Students explore a range of print and non-print resources through extensive online inquiry activities. Progressing from individual work to a group learning project, the unit culminates in publishing the group's findings in topic-based newspapers. 

The lesson includes complete lists of picture books, read-aloud books, reference texts, and online sites and collections that allow teachers to customize the activities to fit the available resources and students' specific research interests.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (6) -6 :
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
[ELA2021] (6) 2 :
2. Make inferences and draw logical conclusions from the content and structures of informational texts, including comparison and contrast, problem and solution, claims and evidence, cause and effect, description, and sequencing.
[ELA2021] (6) 8 :
8. Participate in collaborative discussions using information from a source.
[ELA2021] (6) 13 :
13. Create and edit digital products that are appropriate in subject and purpose for a particular audience or occasion.

Examples: social media posts, blog posts, podcast episodes, infographics
[ELA2021] (7) -6 :
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
[ELA2021] (7) 1 :
1. Evaluate the contributions of informational text elements, including categories, point of view, purpose, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.
[ELA2021] (7) 14 :
14. Create and edit digital products that are appropriate in subject, occasion, audience, purpose, and tone.
[ELA2021] (8) -6 :
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
[ELA2021] (8) 13 :
13. Create and edit digital products that are appropriate in subject, occasion, audience, point of view, purpose, and tone.
Subject: English Language Arts (6 - 8)
Title: I've Got It Covered! Creating Magazine Covers to Summarize Texts
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/covered-creating-magazine-covers-1092.html
Description:

Students can improve their comprehension of content area textbooks by summarizing chapters in the form of magazine covers. The lesson begins by asking students to examine a magazine and discuss the ways in which the magazine cover's headlines and graphics express the main ideas of its articles. They then review a chapter in a content area textbook and use an interactive tool to create a magazine cover that summarizes the textbook information. This process enables students to form connections and create visual representations to share information. Although the focus is on informational texts, this assignment could potentially be expanded to include other types of text as well.



ALEX Classroom Resources: 5

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