Teacher Resources

Lesson plans, online resources, & books for students & teachers.

At The Literacy Site, we hope to foster a love of reading in our children through education and awareness as well as the simple act of providing books to children in need. You and our charitable partners are doing a big part of the work. When you click the "Fund Books for Kids" button and see our sponsors' ads, funds are generated to distribute books for children around the world.

But what of the future? With a good understanding of the practical use and the sheer joy books can provide, our children can do even more to learn crucial skills and to help others around the world.

Help students get involved.

Lesson Plans (click to expand)

Below are a list of lesson plans that are unique to The Literacy Site, created by our caring staff. We hope that students and teachers alike will find these lessons exciting and useful. Feel free to tailor them to your classroom's needs, and spread hope, literacy, and awareness to the next generation.

It's Not What You Say (click to download)
Subject: Language Arts & Communication
Grade Level: Tailor to elementary or secondary

Heroes (click to download)
Subject: Literature & Creative Writing
Grade Level: Secondary

More Teacher Resources (click to expand)

Reading Rockets

Pertinent and engaging information about teaching literacy effectively, as well as book lists, strategies for struggling students, and more.

Smithsonian Education

A rich collection of information for teachers and students. Be inspired by a wealth of innovative and deeply informative resources from multiple subject areas and grade levels, perfect to explore at home or in the classroom.

First Book Literacy Resources

First Book provides book lists, resources for parents, and more.

The CIA World Factbook

A public resource that includes facts and statistics about countries all over the world.

Some Recommended Books for Students (click to expand)

Zen Shorts

(children's picture book) Jon J. Muth. Scholastic Press, 2005
Addy, Michael, and Carl are three ordinary children with an extraordinary new neighbor. When a giant panda named Stillwater moves in next door, he brings with him a fresh and intriguing way to look at everyday life - sharing classic zen stories with his new friends.

Where the Wild Things Are

(children's picture book) Maurice Sendak. Harper & Row, 1963
When a child explores the world of his imagination, a jungle comes to life, and it's filled with monsters.

The Lorax

(children's picture book) Dr. Seuss. Random House Books, 1971.
Classic children's parable. A boy learns the story about the mighty trees and wonderful animals that once lived around his home and the Lorax, a creature who spoke for them. Now the trees and creatures are gone, but the boy is given a gift for the future.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

(children's poetry) Shel Silverstein. Harper Collins, 1974.
Short, fun, irresistible poetry that's all about kids and imagination — from giants to boa constrictors to brothers for sale. Children will get a kick out of these imaginative rhymes.

The Witches

(early-middle) Roald Dahl. Jonathan Cape Publishing, 1983
Real witches exist, and their nefarious leader is unleashing a plot to rid the world of detestable children forever. Can a single boy and his witch-expert grandmother stop them?

A Wrinkle in Time

(middle) Madeline L'Engle. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1962.
Evil is a presence in the universe, and with the help of three unusual ladies, Charles Wallace, Meg, and Calvin plunge headlong into the battle against it. Science mixes freely with emotion in this fantastic tale of one small family that can change the world.

Homecoming

(middle-secondary) Cynthia Voigt. Harper Collins, 1981.
When Dicey Tillerman and her younger siblings are abandoned by their mother, they must find a way to survive and stay together. They walk a long and perilous road in search of a place to call home and a family to call their own.

The Outsiders

(secondary) S.E. Hinton. Viking Press, 1967
The classic story of a boy who lives with his older brother in a city steeped in gang rivalries and prejudices. He fights impossible odds to overcome the darkness around him and become stronger and wiser for the struggle.

Inkheart

(secondary) Cornelia Funke. Scholastic Chicken House, 2003
When Meggie and her father discover that the things that make a good story can also make reality terrifying. Together, they struggle to rid the world of what should have been a fictional evil.

The Chocolate War

(secondary) Robert Cormier. Laurel-Leaf Books, 1986
T.S. Eliot asked, "Do I dare disturb the universe?" At Trinity, a catholic high school, a reign of terror structured by students in control and teachers who turn aside is upset by a single student who dares to act on his personal beliefs.

Some Recommended Books for Teachers (click to expand)

Lives on the Boundary: the struggles and achievements of America's underprepared

(non-fiction) Mike Rose. Random House Books. Collier Macmillan, 1989
Inspiring, touching, and instructive vignettes about teaching literacy with greater understanding and compassion to America's underprivileged.

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56

(non-fiction) Rafe Esquith. Viking Adult, 2007
An eloquent collection of stories and advice from the field about teaching with passion and with compassion to get through to your students.