“The Hill We Climb” Poem in English Language Arts

by Katie Auer | Jan 21, 2021 | Language & Writing, Literature, Social Studies Literacy | 0 comments

“The Hill We Climb” Poem in English Language Arts

I am not touching politics here or now with a ten-foot pole, but I will say that the Biden Administration employing a poet laureate, 22-year-old Amanda Gorman, creates opportunities in your ELA classroom to explore the power of poetry and verse to move people’s hearts and not just their minds. It even has the power to give us a unique perspective on history and history in the making, allowing us to see everything from a slightly different (and calmer) angle. I’m sure you’ll think of a ton of ways you can use it. Please let me know how you use it in the comments! I am curious.

The Hill We Climb: written and delivered on Inauguration Day 2021 (January 20, 2021) by Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. It’s a text you can use in your classroom today, tomorrow, and forever. (Also available as a free printable – click here.)

The Hill We Climb

When day comes we ask ourselves,

where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry,

a sea we must wade

We’ve braved the belly of the beast

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace

And the norms and notions

of what just is

Isn’t always just-ice

And yet the dawn is ours

before we knew it

Somehow we do it

Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn’t broken

but simply unfinished

We the successors of a country and a time

Where a skinny Black girl

descended from slaves and raised by a single mother

can dream of becoming president

only to find herself reciting for one

And yes we are far from polished

far from pristine

but that doesn’t mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect

We are striving to forge a union with purpose

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us

but what stands before us

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,

we must first put our differences aside

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms

to one another

We seek harm to none and harmony for all

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:

That even as we grieved, we grew

That even as we hurt, we hoped

That even as we tired, we tried

That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious

Not because we will never again know defeat

but because we will never again sow division

Scripture tells us to envision

that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree

And no one shall make them afraid

If we’re to live up to our own time

Then victory won’t lie in the blade

But in all the bridges we’ve made

That is the promise to glade

The hill we climb

If only we dare

It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit,

it’s the past we step into

and how we repair it

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation

rather than share it

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy

And this effort very nearly succeeded

But while democracy can be periodically delayed

it can never be permanently defeated

In this truth

in this faith we trust

For while we have our eyes on the future

history has its eyes on us

This is the era of just redemption

We feared at its inception

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs

of such a terrifying hour

but within it we found the power

to author a new chapter

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves

So while once we asked,

how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert

How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was

but move to what shall be

A country that is bruised but whole,

benevolent but bold,

fierce and free

We will not be turned around

or interrupted by intimidation

because we know our inaction and inertia

will be the inheritance of the next generation

Our blunders become their burdens

But one thing is certain:

If we merge mercy with might,

and might with right,

then love becomes our legacy

and change our children’s birthright

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,

we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,

we will rise from the windswept northeast

where our forefathers first realized revolution

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,

we will rise from the sunbaked south

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover

and every known nook of our nation and

every corner called our country,

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it

banner ad upper elementary ela resources

Ideas for how to use in ELA:

1) Break the poem up into about 4-5 sections. Have students write a summary of each section in plain English basically interpreting what she is saying literally beyond the figurative language and literary devices. You could even have students do jigsaw groups – break the class into 4-5 groups and assign each group a section. Each group works together to interpret it. At the end, have a representative from each group say their summary (in order would be best).

2) Identify literary devices being used such as simile, metaphor, concrete imagery, allusion, hyperbole, repetition (very popular in political speeches), use of ethos/pathos/logos, etc.

3) Have students explain what a quote means and what it means to them, such as “For while we have our eyes on the future history has its eyes on us.” (Get the printable FREE HERE.)

4) Write down every instance of repetition she uses and evaluate whether it’s more powerful as a result (plus compare to other political speeches such as Obama).

5) Compare and contrast this poem to other political poems, such as the inaugural poems listed below that Amanda Gorman says inspired her to write her poem the way she did.

6) Have students analyze what it was about the inaugural poems below that Amanda Gorman says inspired her. In what ways did the poems inspire her — rhetorically, philosophically, politically, symbolically, (…uh, I could keep going lol)?

These are the inaugural poems Amanda Gorman says inspired her:

Robert Frost, who recited “The Gift Outright” at John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration. Frost recited the poem from memory after he was unable to read the text of the poem, “Dedication,” because of the sun’s glare on the snow-covered ground.
Maya Angelou, who read “On the Pulse of Morning” (text; video) at Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration.
Miller Williams, who read “Of History and Hope” (text; video) at Bill Clinton’s 1997 inauguration.
Elizabeth Alexander, who read “Praise Song for the Day” (text; video) at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.
Richard Blanco, who read “One Today” (text; video) at Barack Obama’s 2013 inauguration.

banner ad new products for middle school ela

Link to multimedia version of Amanda Gorman Delivering Her Poem on Inauguration Day 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ055ilIiN4

Also Available as a FREE Printable. CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS NOW

the hill we climb by amanda gorman 2021 inauguralpoem and activities square cover

banner ad new products for high school ela

I HOPE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS ENJOY READING THIS POEM AND DOING SOME FUN ELA ACTIVITIES TO GO WITH IT. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT IDEAS YOU COME UP WITH FOR USING IT, SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!

AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT:

← My Rule #4 for Teaching Middle School Interesting Facts About Chinese New Year →

Black History in ELA blog post for reading and writing about black history feature image

ALSO CHECK OUT MY POST "BLACK HISTORY IN ELA" FOR EVEN MORE FREEBIES & IDEAS!

free ela passage and test "narrative of william w. brown"

AND ANOTHER FREEBIE (COMBINE TEST PREP AND BLACK HISTORY IN ONE STEP)!

Since teaching ELA for 10 years, I’ve been a contracted learning resource and assessment writer while running my store “Loving Language Arts.” I know how to align to standards like the back of my hand, yet I always aim to make resources high-interest to motivate reluctant readers and writers.

Share Buttons

Facebook

Twitter

High School Bundle Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

Free Middle School Practice Test

Free High School Practice Test

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

we sail for america by samuel mcclure ela practice test

Try a Freebie!

be ready to help passage and ela practice test free

Try a Freebie!

why onions make you cry passage and practice test

Try a Freebie!

The 6th Grade Practice Tests Test Prep Workbook “is a high quality, beautifully-aligned resource. It is no-frills, to the point, yet high-interest for students. It is helping us prepare for standardized testing in a hybrid, synchronous, difficult year.”

ReBeckha L.

Sixth Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

Follow Me On Pinterest

How about save this pin to your “Poetry” or “Literacy in Social Studies/History” Pinterest Board so that you can come back to this post again?

3 Differences Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day

by Katie Auer | Nov 7, 2020 | Informational Text, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy | 0 comments

3 Differences Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day

Your students (deep down inside) are wondering what the difference is between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. And those truly inquisitive students are wondering why Veterans Day doesn’t have an apostrophe. Meanwhile, you teachers want them to do some interesting informational text reading that compares and contrasts. That’s why I created this post! AND A FREE 1-PAGE INFORMATIONAL TEXT & WRITING COMPARING AND CONTRASTING MEMORIAL DAY AND VETERANS DAY. I hope it sparks some discussion or writing, or, at the very least, adds meaning to this special holiday. Please let me know in the comments or link up if you have some great ideas too. (I FINALLY got Instagram @lovingela — I’d love to connect there too.)

blog post about the differences between memorial day and veterans day for teachers

There are 3 Main Differences:

1) The main difference is that Memorial Day is a holiday honoring men and women who have died while serving in the military whereas Veterans Day honors all American veterans, living or dead, who have honorably served in the military.

2) They both evolved from different days of observance. Memorial Day was originally known as “Decoration Day,” which originated in the years following the Civil War. The term “Decoration Day” has to do with the fact that after the Civil War, which ended in 1865, and had claimed more lives than any other conflict in U.S. History up until that point, Americans were decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and other items of tribute.

Like Memorial Day, Veterans Day grew out of a movement to honor those who had served in a major war as it was coming to a close. During World War I, on the 11th hour or the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 (thus the significance of November 11), there was an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allied Nations and Germany. This became known as Armistice Day. In 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day (without an apostrophe which I will tell you about soon).

3) One can be observed any day of the week whereas the other can only be observed on a Monday. Whereas Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May, Veterans Day is observed on November 11 each year, even if that happens to be midweek.

Check Out The 1-Page High-Interest Text and Writing Connections That Explains The Differences to Students To Get Them Reading & Writing. NOW WITH A DISTANCE LEARNING VERSION (Google Slides) YET STILL FREE!

free text memorial day vs veterans day compare and contrast with writing

P.S. Veterans day does not have an apostrophe because the United States Department of Veterans Affairs states that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling. They say on their website that it’s “because it is not a day that ‘belongs’ to Veterans; it is a day for honoring all Veterans.” Well, alrighty then!

I HOPE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS HAVE A GREAT VETERANS DAY AND A GREAT MEMORIAL DAY IN ELA!

You know what else students LOVE? These high-interest informational texts and tasks. I went out of my way to make the articles super interesting to upper elementary and middle schoolers by writing about things that interest them. And, guess what? It worked. I keep hearing from teachers how kids get so into these passages. They actually want to answer the questions. They even want to discuss the articles as a group.

middle school informational text passages and ela tasks volume 1

Volume I was so popular with students in grades 6-8 that I just HAD to create Volume II. Kids love them both!

middle school informational text passages and ela tasks volume 2

And now, workbooks for UPPER ELEMENTARY are here!

cover workbook 4th grade informational texts and tasks

5th grade informational texts and ELA practice tests workbook

And now ones for HIGH SCHOOL TOO! YAY!

9th grade informational text passages and ELA tasks workbook

10th grade informational text passages and tasks

Would you like to try a FREE one first?

Yay or nay on daylight saving time opinion passage and task

Living Off the Grid High Interest Text Passage & Task

GIF showing kids who hate textbooks but love using Loving Language Arts resources

Share Buttons

Facebook

Twitter

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

Free Middle School Practice Test

Free High School Practice Test

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

Try a Freebie!

ReBeckha L.

Sixth Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

Follow Me On Pinterest

How about save this pin to your “Current Seasonal Resources” or “Literacy in Social Studies” or “Veterans Day” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

10 Graphic Organizers for Reluctant Readers and Writers

by Katie Auer | Aug 14, 2020 | Digital, Informational Text, Language & Writing, Literature, Science Literacy, Social Studies Literacy | 0 comments

10 Graphic Organizers for Reluctant Readers and Writers

Sometimes it just takes one simple thing to get reluctant readers and writers motivated to start their task. That one simple thing could be a fun, creative graphic organizer. So simple, yet so effective at getting them on board. Here are 10 different graphic organizers that do just that. 10, Wow!!!

1. The Hamburger: Do an internet search and you will find a bunch of these. Some are for 1) planning to write a paragraph, 2) planning to write an essay, 3) planning to write a story, 4) identifying parts of a paragraph, 5) identifying parts of an essay, 6) identifying parts of a story. So many uses for a simple hamburger. Here is one I especially like by timvandevall.com:

2. The Ice Cream Cone: I made these designs using clip art from Erin Bradley Designs. I use them for 1) to organize ideas about ice cream’s scientific properties that are explained in my info text/task lesson “Ice Cream Science,” 2) to write examples of alliteration from Jack Prelutsky’s poem “Bleezer’s Ice Cream,” (such as Cocoa Mocha Macaroni ice cream) or 3) writing ideas for a beginning, middle, and end. Thanks to Erin Bradley, I have ice cream scoops in lots of different colors and 4 types of cones, so the combinations seem endless.

In my FREE Graphic Organizers Pack, you can find these and more!

This is my FREE informational text and tasks lesson “Ice Cream Science” in which students use the organizers:

3. The Book Butterfly: I believe this is from Scholastic, but it is all over the internet, such as on Pinterest. It could be used with a fiction book, but with some tweaks could be used for informational text.

And, here’s what it looked like when it was younger lol:

4. Dogs: I have done a lot of informational texts/tasks and more on dogs. In fact, just today I added a reading analysis lesson honing in on themes “Aesop’s Fables Featuring Dogs“ and this lesson with 5 stories is FREE FOR THE SUMMER. I just think dogs are awesome and draw students putting them at ease. So I made these two graphic organizers using clip art from Dancing Author, Mary’s Clip Art, and Charlotte’s Clips. Students could read any of my FREE high-interest informational texts about dogs and use these to write main ideas and key details. I’ll show you some of my products and then two of the organizers from my graphic organizers pack.

In my FREE Graphic Organizers Pack, you can find these and more!

5. My News Analysis: This looks like a nice, simple organizer for reading news articles.

6. Octo-Defense:

This one works well with finding central ideas in the National Geographic article about the Common Octopus, and more specifically, finding examples of the octopus’s defense mechanisms which the article explains well, making filing out this organizer pretty straightforward! It’s cute too.

7. The Sundae: Again, another simple straightforward one which in this case is used for fiction, but could be adapted for nonfiction or writing, etc. It is from thedabblingspeechie.com.

8. Character Attribute Web: This one is from another blog post I did which shows how to use this to delve into Anne Frank’s character. I like it because it forces you to write evidence instead of general ideas.

In my FREE Graphic Organizers Pack, you can find these and more!

I think it would work really well to analyze the character in “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury since the main character is developed quite thoroughly. So, I am including a link to that FREE lesson as well.

9. Flower Write: This looks like a versatile one that is for writing but could be used for reading or a lesson about flowers. It’s from Super Teacher Worksheets.

10. Roots: And finally, (are you still there?), I like how Cultivating Critical Readers organized prefixes and suffixes for a lesson about roots. I have seen this same concept using a tree and leaves for root words quite a bit. Usually the root word is at the bottom and then the leaves display words made from those roots.

BONUS I almost forgot: This is a great one to organize the thoughts and feelings of a character that you’ve read about or that you are going to write about. The one below is about Anne Frank. Check out the blog post with samples and a template.

Update: Since writing this post, I have created a free related product “Analyzing Characterization 6 Ways With 6 Graphic Organizers” and have written a blog post “Analyzing Characterization 6 Ways With 6 Different Charcters in 6 Stories” so check them out!

blog header analyzing characterization 6 ways in 6 stories with 6 characters

Share Buttons

Facebook

Twitter

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

Free Middle School Practice Test

Free High School Practice Test

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

Try a Freebie!

ReBeckha L.

Sixth Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

Follow Me On Pinterest

How about save this pin to your “Reading” or “Graphic Organizers” or “Pre-Writing” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

character attribute web for reading literature activity pin

10 Great Ways for Students to Research and Present Information

by Katie Auer | Aug 14, 2020 | Informational Text, Language & Writing, Science Literacy, Social Studies Literacy | 0 comments

10 Great Ways for Students to Research and Present Information

This year, when you are looking for ideas that go beyond the boring book report or essay, but you still want students to read informational text and present what they learned, try one of these ten ideas. Trust me, they will be happy with the creative approaches and you’ll be happy when it’s time for them to present them to you and the class, and when it comes time for you to grade them all.

1. A Biography Block (or Block for Any Info)

When I had 90 students research and present biographies, the last thing my students and I wanted to do was listen to lengthy presentations or read lengthy reports. But, by having them make these biography blocks, it resulted in shorter, to-the-point presentations as well as awesome visual displays that could be left all around the room for students to look at. In my free lesson, you will get the template and directions for an easy no-prep lesson. Now, you can also use the block to have students present any other kind of information. When placed around the classroom, students pick them up to admire them and they end up learning something at the same time! Win-win. (& making it = storing memories). Get my FREE lesson that comes with directions and a block template.

Since writing this, I created a new FREEBIE in my store that is the template for the block and pyramid (shown below) in case you want to use them for just about any grade or subject.

2. Brochures for book reports, biographies, destinations, and lots of other things.

There are a lot of people offering free as well as paid brochure templates with great ideas for how to use them. A couple that I liked were a free book report brochure by TPT seller Student Savvy , and a free travel brochure by Literacy in Focus below. They show you how to turn book reports or other English assignments into brochure form instead, which is so much more fun & readable!

travel brochure template for book report or presentation of information

3. Pyramids

Similar to the blocks in #1, the pyramid is a visual display that other students can pick up, admire, and learn something quickly in the process. (Plus, the act of making it gets the info in the student’s brain.) These are a couple examples that go with free WebQuests I made. The WebQuest is the research part and the pyramid is one part of the presenting part. The pyramid template comes FREE with the lesson.

1) Researching a Dog Breed’s Character Traits and History FREE WebQuest: In this free lesson, students are guided step-by-step (so no prep) tor research dog breeds and input information into a premade Google sheet. Then, they can choose one breed of their choice to present.

2) Researching “Why Do We Need Vitamins and Minerals Anyway?” FREE WebQuest: Students are always hearing about getting proper nutrition but most have no clue even what vitamins and minerals do. This helps them find out. Then, they can each select a different nutrient and present it on a pyramid. That way there are a variety of pyramids around the room teaching everyone about different nutrients.

4. Wax Museum: They do this at my kids’ school every year and it is a huge hit that draws crowds. Students do a biography report with a visual display, then on presentation day, they stand there as if they are wax figures. One option is for people to pay a penny, or quarter, or any amount (as a fundraiser) to get them to talk. They are dressed up like the people, talk like the people, talk about themselves. What a great idea. There is even an option to have it run through an entire school day and have the younger grade students rotate through. All the kids love it! Here is my daughter dressed as John McCain and her friend was Wayne Gretzky (in this modern age of defying gender stereotypes):

5. PowerPoint Presentation or Google Slides: Am I right that we need to train our youth to give good presentations so they don’t bore the heck out of their colleagues in future jobs?! It occurred to me that a presentation would be a good way to present the information about the dog breed from example 3 above. I would have students do these slides: 1) introduce the breed with a picture and give some numbers about its height, weight, lifespan, and point out some physical characteristics, 2) Along with another picture, summarize the dog’s temperament and give around 5 character trait words that describe it, 3) Give 5 interesting facts about its history, 4) Other interesting facts. This would go quite well with my FREE Dog Traits and History WebQuest. By the way, I found over 300 character trait words on one website in the WebQuest. Wow! I think this activity would also work well to explain how something works.

Here is an example of page 1 of a presentation on Pitbulls that would work with the free lesson:

6. Poster (a.k.a. Infographic): Again, keep in mind that just the act of making something with your hands and writing stores the information in your mind long-term and attaches good feelings to it. So, although it might seem like a waste of time and you might wonder what the point is if it is something you are going to throw away, just remember this, as research has proven. Think back to the memories you have of school assignments. The ones you still remember (including the basic information) are the ones you made by hand! Here’s a couple that students can create after learning “The Science Behind Ice Cream” in my FREE ELA or Literacy in Science informational text and tasks:

And this one goes well with my FREE “Why There Are Seasons” informational text & tasks for ELA or Literacy in Science:

7. Interview: This could literally be done or figuratively be done…what I mean is that students could conduct a real interview with someone (in person, by email, by video, by voice recording, so many options) or they could do a fake interview with an actor (brother, mother, friend, so many options). The point is that the questions should be thoughtful and the answers should yield good information. In any case, it should be scripted beforehand (you know, like on “reality” TV lol).

8. Digital Poster (a.k.a. Infographic): In a distance learning situation or when you want students to have the digital option, a digital poster can do the trick. This allows for easy usage of photographs and diagrams that don’t have to be printed, something that is key if there are a lot of graphics. For example, this one is about a popular research topic, the Titanic (man I loved that movie lol). My daughter made it in Google Slides on an 18×12 slide. I remember having students doing this at school by hand, making black and white copies with the copy machine, but this was much more efficient.

9. Collage: Who doesn’t like collages? Nobody. Which kids don’t know how to make a collage? Hardly any. These can be done physically or digitally and are a great way to show a lot of visuals at once. For example, these look intriguing (the one about Lincoln is an Etsy item, but could be done by a student):

10. Video: If this sounds scary, have no fear. Kids are making quick videos about everything these days, so just ask them for ideas. Again, a good option for distance learning.

Share Buttons

Facebook

Twitter

You Know What Else Kids Love?

These workbooks! I made the articles super interesting to kids by writing about things that interest them! AND IT WORKED! I keep hearing from teachers how kids get so into these texts that they actually WANT to answer the questions!

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

Free Middle School Practice Test

Free High School Practice Test

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

Try a Freebie!

ReBeckha L.

Sixth Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

Follow Me On Pinterest

How about save this pin to your “Researching and Presenting” or “Presentations in ELA” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

blog post 10 ways to research and present information in ela

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Reading Literature Lesson

by Katie Auer | Aug 6, 2020 | Digital, Literature, Social Studies Literacy | 0 comments

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Reading Literature Lesson

I like to get students excited about reading literature by having them do a fun activity to go with the story. This is especially true when the book has sad or “heavy” subject matter related to war. So, to get them excited about reading the short novella Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, I let them make origami paper cranes of their own. First, I have them read background information about World War II events that relate to the story and an interview of a survivor. That’s the “heavy” part. Then, I have them read the story, which is sad but also enjoyable and inspiring. After all that is when I have them make the paper cranes, which they really enjoy.

blog header Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes free literature activity

Good news! I found a free copy online. It is still under copyright, though, so I am not going to print it or post it. You, as teachers, however are entitled to fair use to use it for education purposes (but not post or sell). Access it here: PDF of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Scholastic Book cover Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Here is how I would teach the book (but there are many options found on the web):

1) Learn about and then give students some basic background information on the bombing of Hiroshima by the United States that was an attempt to end World War II. Here are a couple good places for you as the teacher to read about it so you can summarize it for your students:

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/08/hiroshima-nagasaki-atomic-bomb-anniversary/400448/
https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1945/hiroshima.htm
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/activities/teaching-content/world-war-ii-remembered/
Make sure to have students read an interview with a Hiroshima bombing survivor, such as this one: https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/interview-survivor-hiroshima-bombing

2) Read the book to students or have the students read the book. Have them answer questions about each chapter. You can find reading comprehension questions free online on several websites, such as this one: https://www.pghschools.org/cms/lib07/PA01000449/Centricity/domain/262/2014%20ela%20curriculum/6th%20ELA/Grade%206%20Sadako%20Teachers%20Guide.pdf

3) Have them make paper cranes. The instructions are in the back of the book usually, or you can find some good ones online for free, such as: https://monkey.org/~aidan/origami/crane/index.html

Follow Me On Pinterest

How about save this pin to your “Reading Literature” or “Activities for Literature” or “Novellas” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

sadako and the thousand paper cranes free reading lesson activity pin

Labor Day in ELA

by Katie Auer | Aug 6, 2020 | Informational Text, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy | 0 comments

Test Prep

Digital Resources

Informational Text

Literature

Writing

Language & Grammar

Science/ Technical Subjects

Holiday/ Seasonal

History/Social Science

Labor Day in ELA

You're curious about Labor Day and, deep down inside, students are too. Here are a few interesting facts about Labor Day to satisfy your curiosity, and, if you are a teacher, to share with students so they can reflect on it through writing, discussion, or further reading. Plus a free lesson that includes a passage, poem, and writing!

1) The second half of the 1800s was a dismal time for American workers. Workdays were often 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Wages were generally low, working conditions were often unsafe, and child labor was common. This led to the labor movement in the late 19th century/early 20th century, during which time Labor Day came about.

2) The labor movement began in the late 1800s when labor unions were growing more prominent and vocal. There were many unions such as those for jewelers, carpenters, cabinet makers, printers, bricklayers, etc. Large organizations such as the American Federation of Labor joined many of the smaller unions into one large powerful group. Labor Day came about during the labor movement.

3) Ten years prior to Labor Day becoming a national holiday, the first Labor Day parade took place in New York City on September 5, 1882. Approximately 10,000 workers took it upon themselves to take the day off without pay and join in a parade that showcased all of the different unions and then ended with a massive picnic, fireworks, and dancing. Annual celebrations in September have taken place ever since. Around this same time in the late 1800s, many cities and some states recognized Labor Day as a holiday. It usually took the form of a parade and festivities. It was a day when workers could take the day off to relax with their families. But the federal government needed some convincing.

4) President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894, a couple of weeks after a major strike and boycott had crippled railroad travel nationwide. Some say it was an apparent bid to appease American workers.

5) Presently, according to the United States Department of Labor, "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

But wait, there's more! Have your students read this highly informative, highly interesting 2-page informational text passage all about Labor Day with a classic literary poem celebrating American workers AND writing extensions - ALL FOR FREE! NOW IN DISTANCE LEARNING FORMAT ALSO!

square product cover labor day in ela reading and writing

Grab the free lesson which includes a two-page informational text passage, a classic literary poem by Walt Whitman, AND writing extensions - ALL FOR FREE!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

WebQuest Practice Tests! THIS ONE "THE HISTORY OF SCHOOLS" IS FREE!! It gets students reading multiple authentic sources and answering ELA questions in a self-grading online test!

WebQuest Practice Test #1 The History of Schools GIF

And there are over 10 WebQuest Practice Tests to choose from (or buy the bundle) in which students get deeply engaged in reading multiple cross-curricular authentic sources that all revolve around different themes! Try them out! They're self-grading for goodness sake!

WebQuest Practice Test #5 Home on the Range -Life in the 1800s GIF

Share Buttons

Facebook

Twitter

You Know What Else Kids Love?

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

Free Middle School Practice Test

Free High School Practice Test

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

Try a Freebie!

ReBeckha L.

Sixth Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

Follow Me On Pinterest

How about save this pin to your “Literacy in History/Social Studies” or “Current Seasonal Resources” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

Labor Day Reading and Writing in ELA Pin

Next Entries »

Share Buttons

Facebook

Twitter

“The Hill We Climb” Poem in English Language Arts

These are the inaugural poems Amanda Gorman says inspired her:

Link to multimedia version of Amanda Gorman Delivering Her Poem on Inauguration Day 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ055ilIiN4

Also Available as a FREE Printable. CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS NOW

I HOPE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS ENJOY READING THIS POEM AND DOING SOME FUN ELA ACTIVITIES TO GO WITH IT. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT IDEAS YOU COME UP WITH FOR USING IT, SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!

Share Buttons

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

How about save this pin to your “Poetry” or “Literacy in Social Studies/History” Pinterest Board so that you can come back to this post again?

Related posts:

3 Differences Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day

There are 3 Main Differences:

Check Out The 1-Page High-Interest Text and Writing Connections That Explains The Differences to Students To Get Them Reading & Writing. NOW WITH A DISTANCE LEARNING VERSION (Google Slides) YET STILL FREE!

I HOPE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS HAVE A GREAT VETERANS DAY AND A GREAT MEMORIAL DAY IN ELA!

Share Buttons

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

How about save this pin to your “Current Seasonal Resources” or “Literacy in Social Studies” or “Veterans Day” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

Related posts:

10 Graphic Organizers for Reluctant Readers and Writers

Update: Since writing this post, I have created a free related product “Analyzing Characterization 6 Ways With 6 Graphic Organizers” and have written a blog post “Analyzing Characterization 6 Ways With 6 Different Charcters in 6 Stories” so check them out!

Share Buttons

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

How about save this pin to your “Reading” or “Graphic Organizers” or “Pre-Writing” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

Related posts:

10 Great Ways for Students to Research and Present Information

1. A Biography Block (or Block for Any Info)

Share Buttons

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

You Know What Else Kids Love?

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

How about save this pin to your “Researching and Presenting” or “Presentations in ELA” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

Related posts:

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Reading Literature Lesson

Here is how I would teach the book (but there are many options found on the web):

You Might Also Like:

Share Buttons

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

How about save this pin to your “Reading Literature” or “Activities for Literature” or “Novellas” Board so that you can come back to this post again?

Related posts:

Labor Day in ELA

But wait, there's more! Have your students read this highly informative, highly interesting 2-page informational text passage all about Labor Day with a classic literary poem celebrating American workers AND writing extensions - ALL FOR FREE! NOW IN DISTANCE LEARNING FORMAT ALSO!

Grab the free lesson which includes a two-page informational text passage, a classic literary poem by Walt Whitman, AND writing extensions - ALL FOR FREE!

Share Buttons

Subscribe

We'd love it if you subscribe to our mailing list! You'll receive a FREE informational text once a month (your students will love)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Subscribe