Category Archives: Independent Practice

This is material either specifically designed for or appropriate to use for what is more commonly known as “homework.”

A Lesson Plan on the Crime and Puzzlement Case “Kidnap”

OK, moving right along on this Friday morning, here is a lesson plan on the Crime and Puzzlement case “Kidnap.”

I open this lesson, after the fractiousness of a class change, with this Cultural Literacy worksheet on the idiom “bee in one’s bonnet.” You’ll need this PDF of the reading and questions that drive the case. Finally, here is the typescript of the answer key that solves the case.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Jerry Seinfeld

While I have to assume that Seinfeld remains in syndication, new episodes left the airwaves long ago; in fact, the last episode was broadcast over 20 years ago on May 14, 1998. Since he remains something of a global cultural icon, this reading on Jerry Seinfeld and its accompanying vocabulary-building and comprehension worksheet might remain of interest to students.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Word Root Exercise: Para

Here’s a worksheet on the Greek root para. It means, variously, beside, beyond, abnormal, variation, and assistant. If you’re serving a special needs population, chances are you’re working with a paraprofessional who works in parallel with you. And if you’re teaching science, especially, you know and probably even use paradigm in your classroom.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Cultural Literacy: Armenian Massacre

Because the events it records have been in the news lately, or perhaps belatedly might be the better adverb here, this seems like a good time to post this Cultural Literacy worksheet on the Armenian massacres of 1915. Many historians regard this as the first modern genocide; it certainly set a grim tone for the bloody twentieth century.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Measles

Here is a reading on measles and its accompanying vocabulary-building and comprehension worksheet if for some reason you can use them.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

The Weekly Text, November 18, 2019: Five Worksheets on the Homophones Sight (n), Site (n/vt), and Cite (vt)

This week’s Text is a set of five worksheets on the homophones sight (noun), site (noun and transitive verb), and cite (transitive verb). These are very commonly used words in the English language. For some learners, these are easily confused. Part of the reason I wrote this was to help students who needed to learn to cite sources for research papers. I took it as an opportunity to do some vocabulary building. These are short exercises for opening a class period after a transition.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Miniskirts

Because teenagers struggle to imagine a time when the miniskirt was risque apparel, this reading on miniskirts has tended to be a high-interest item in my classrooms. This vocabulary-building and comprehension worksheet accompanies it.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Cultural Literacy: Anorexia Nervosa

I have other materials related to the topic, but if you need something quick to introduce it, this Cultural Literacy worksheet on anorexia nervosa might be suitable.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Word Root Exercise: Omni

OK: I have a couple of minutes before my presence is required elsewhere, so here is a worksheet on the Latin word root omni. It means all. You find it at the roots of many English words, including omniscient and omnipotent,  which is why this post gets a philosophy tag.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Cultural Literacy: Stalinism

Finally, on this suddenly chilly Tuesday afternoon, here is a Cultural Literacy worksheet on Stalinism that ought to be useful in a number of places in the high school social studies curriculum.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.