Teacher Resources

In this module students learn and practice close reading strategies to help increase their understanding of how to approach challenging and complex texts. This skill helps prepare them for success in college and careers. This self-paced module is aligned to Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts.

This module contains several interactive features. Watch the Learn How to Use this Module tutorial to familiarize yourself with these features.

Please review the Accessibility page for all of your students.

Module Information

  • Grade band: 9 - 10
  • Readability level: Lexile level 1050 - 1335
  • Focus Standard:
    MCCRS-RI.9-10.1 & RL9.10-1 - Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • Skills:

    • Understanding the purpose in reading.
    • See ideas in a text as being interconnected.
    • Look for and understand systems of meaning.
    • Engage in a text while reading.
    • Go beyond “surface” reading or skimming.
    • Formulate questions and seek answers to the questions while reading:

    • Analyze short passages and excerpts.
    • Focus on the text itself.
    • Reread deliberately.
    • Read with a pencil.
    • Notice things that are confusing.
    • Discuss the text with others when possible.
    • Respond to text-dependent questions.
  • Vocabulary: Visit the Glossary page or click on words highlighted within the module for a narrated definition

Student Resources for this Module

In this module students will download the following worksheets for annotation.

The following websites are linked to from this module:

"Hope" is the thing with feathers poem worksheet
Students are not instructed to submit this worksheet, however, you may request that they do so.

Tale of Two Cities Graphic Organizer
Students are instructed to submit this organizer. Refer to the Tale of Two Cities Graphic Organizer Sample Responses document for sample responses.

Using This Site

This lesson is built for use on classroom computers and tablets. If you have access to a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or an interactive whiteboard in your classroom, you may complete the lesson in your classroom. Otherwise, you will need to schedule time to use your school's computer lab. For technical specifications, see below.

Some activities on this site may include videos and narration, so you may want to have headphones available for students working at individual stations. For best results in viewing the videos and interactives, you should have a high-speed, stable Internet connection.

This lesson may contain PDFs for students to complete. They can print the PDFs and fill them out by hand, or download the files and fill them out on the computer. Most or all portions can be filled out online. Please check with your Instructional Technology Specialist for instructions on downloading the PDF. (Note that to complete the PDFs on the computer, you will need a viewer, such as Adobe Reader, that supports forms.)

Technology

This site is an Internet-based activity, and it was built to run on the following computer operating systems and browsers:

  • Windows 7 or Newer: IE 8, 9, 10, 11; Current version of Chrome; Current version of Firefox
  • Mac OS 10.7 or Newer: Current version of Safari
  • iPad2/iOS6 or Newer: Current version of Safari
  • Android 4.0 or Newer: Current version of Android browser
  • Chromebook: Current version of Chrome

Users running Internet Explorer 8 will not be able to use the highlighter tool. Instead, teachers should consider partnering students for a brief discussion.

Visit the Accessibility page for detailed information on the site's accessibility features.