Using one of Soto's stories, students take part in share stories about their families, describe their street/neighborhood, or compose an acrostic poem using the Acrostic Poems interactive tool.
Gary Soto, poet and children's writer, was born on this date in 1952.
Afterschool and Summer Reading with LGBTQ Content
Motivate your middle school reader with books that include LGBTQ characters.
Let's Go On A Poetry Walk!
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you're surrounded by brilliant shades of green! Observe and collect sensory images from nature and use the sights, sounds, smells, and textures to create original nature poetry.
Go Wild with Webcams!
Can't make it to a zoo? After reading a book about apes, observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many Webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world.
Star Light, Star Bright: Reading and Writing about the Nighttime Sky
Children watch the nighttime sky come alive as the read a book about fascinating elements in the night and write a poem/story about the things they learn!
TeenTober?!? Learn about this month-long celebration.
TeenTober is a nationwide celebration hosted by libraries every October and aims to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services helps teens learn new skills, and fuel their passions in and outside the library.
Bill of Rights Day is observed.
Students identify a students' rights issue and explore the ways in which the Bill of Rights does protect and does not protect students.
Comic Creator
The Comic Creator invites students to compose their own comic strips for a variety of contexts (prewriting, pre- and postreading activities, response to literature, and so on).
Story Map
The Story Map interactive is designed to assist students in prewriting and postreading activities by focusing on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution.
Plot Diagram
The Plot Diagram is an organizational tool focusing on a pyramid or triangular shape, which is used to map the events in a story. This mapping of plot structure allows readers and writers to visualize the key features of stories.
Word Family Sort
This online activity helps students recognize word patterns by having them sort a series of words into short-vowel word families.
Printing Press
The interactive Printing Press is designed to assist students in creating newspapers, brochures, and flyers.