These are resources we have developed to help make the Common Core practical.
- Text Complexity Tool. A one-page, at-a-glance tool to select appropriate texts, with appropriate text complexity. Free download.
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Common Core ELA Activities: Month by Month Writing, Speaking and Listening Activities Aligned with the Common Core by Darcy Pattison.This group of seasonal ELA and writing lessons is designed to fill in those odd days with fun, easy, lessons which require a minimum of preparation and yet still meet the needs of the Common Core State Standards. We suggest activities for each month, but most activities are flexible enough for any season.
- In the absence of a CCSS database, we provide free scope and sequence charts of these CCSS skills.
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Other CCSS Lesson Plans
- Are Search Engines Objective or Subjective? A Common Core Essay Lesson Plan
- A Veteran’s Day Commmon Core Unit. Great for any patriotic day or unit.
- Finding Nonfiction Texts
- Lexile.com
Register for access to a tool to measure the Lexile reading level of any text. Be aware, though, that an August, 2012 update to the standards means you can use one of six reading level measurement tools, including Accelerated Reader’s ATOS and Flesch-Kincaid. - Finding Books on Grade Level or by Lexile Levels
- 2ndGradeReading.NET Reviews of contemporary, fun books for 420L-820L appropriate for second grade readers.
- 3rdGradeReading.NET Reviews of contemporary, fun books for 420L-820L appropriate for second grade readers.
- 4thGradeReading.NET Reviews of contemporary, fun books for 420L-820L appropriate for second grade readers.
Free curriculum maps, first draft of maps from CommonCore.org.The free curriculum maps are no longer available. Access to the updates maps is $25/person.
Author, blogger and writing teacher Darcy Pattison writes about publishing, fiction and the Common Core. Published in eight languages, Pattison has written how-to-write books, picture books for children, teacher resource books and middle grade novels.
