Upper Elem/Middle/HS Teachers

[morecoffeeplease]

Hi everyone!

I'm in my final few months of my graduate program for special education and I've been placed in an urban high school (dc) for my "internship". I'm not sure the right word for it. I'm not taking over all day like a student teacher but I am teaching lessons and leading classes for the next three months.

Anyway, my students are all 10-12th grade but are all reading on a 2nd-4th grade reading level. Does anyone have online resources for high interest, low readability American History or US Government reading passages? I've been placed into a social studies classroom and these are the classes he teaches. Basically, I'm looking for one page passages that we can use to teach the main concepts and from those articles, work on comprehension and reading strategies. The lower the reading level, the better. 

I was thinking about buying a reading a-z account but those would be printable books and the teacher (and school) I work with, tries to do everything computer and web based. He's really innovated and I'm trying to go out of my comfort zone and expand from what I am used to. 

Also, any resources you love for graphic organizers that would also be at a lower grade level? He mentioned he doesn't have many graphic organizers and he's always searching for more so I'd love to put some together for him.

Thanks everyone!

[morecoffeeplease]

To add: I'm in my elementary placement today so I won't be around my phone but I can respond tonight :-)

[georgeglass]

www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/?utm_term=.1423b1ff549d

newsela.com/articles/#/rule/latest

www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-news-websites-for-students

[morecoffeeplease]

Sept 5, 2018 16:18:30 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/?utm_term=.1423b1ff549d

newsela.com/articles/#/rule/latest

www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-news-websites-for-students

Thank you! These are great. In my rush this morning to post before the school day, I typed articles but meant reading passages. Do you know of any good online resources for high interest, lower reading level passages?

[georgeglass]

Sept 5, 2018 16:53:40 GMT -5 morecoffeeplease said:

Sept 5, 2018 16:18:30 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/?utm_term=.1423b1ff549d

newsela.com/articles/#/rule/latest

www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-news-websites-for-students

Thank you! These are great. In my rush this morning to post before the school day, I typed articles but meant reading passages. Do you know of any good online resources for high interest, lower reading level passages?

Nope, but I can ask around tomorrow!

[morecoffeeplease]

Sept 5, 2018 16:55:18 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

Sept 5, 2018 16:53:40 GMT -5 morecoffeeplease said:

Thank you! These are great. In my rush this morning to post before the school day, I typed articles but meant reading passages. Do you know of any good online resources for high interest, lower reading level passages?

Nope, but I can ask around tomorrow!

Thank you! I tried searching around today and everything I've been finding is really high level. I was hoping there'd be some type of resource to teach topics like the American Revolution, Civil War etc. for high school kids but written at an elementary reading level. 

[UMaineTeach]

I have used the print books from High Noon and don’t really know anything about this e-version, but here’s a link www.highnoonbooks.com/HNB/hnb_app_page.tpl

Free teacher account on Epic. I know that they have a wide selection of nonfiction, but again haven’t used it too much because my kids are bad about using the app without just watching off topic videos or flipping pages as fast as they can.
www.getepic.com

Reading A-Z has an app, but I don’t know how high it goes. I think it’s pretty little kid. www.learninga-z.com/site/products/kidsa-z/overview

Ed helper can be helpful sometimes, other times it’s a pit of useless. But they have hi-lo history passages. I’d check for factual accuracy.
worksheets.edhelper.com/special_education_unitedstates_history.htm

You could probably turn passages from anywhere into PDF and share with them on Google Classroom or similar platform.

The school should probably look into spending serious money and get a special education focused history curriculum. Better than piecemeal passages. Such as, www.proedinc.com/Products/AGS3124/ags-united-states-history--curriculum-class-set.aspx?bCategory=SS or www.attainmentcompany.com/curriculum/l/social-studies

But not your job to deal with that situation.

[morecoffeeplease]

Thanks UMaineTeach

I will pass on that information to the teacher I'm working with. However, it isn't easy to get admin/dc to pay for things. But maybe he can make a convincing argument.

[nsl]

NewsELA (newsela.com) is a wonderful resource for these types of things, and you can adjust the Lexile level of each article very easily to account for a student's learning needs. Some of the features are paid subscription-only, but most of it is available with a free account.

[morecoffeeplease]

Sept 6, 2018 17:28:37 GMT -5 nsl said:

NewsELA (newsela.com) is a wonderful resource for these types of things, and you can adjust the Lexile level of each article very easily to account for a student's learning needs. Some of the features are paid subscription-only, but most of it is available with a free account.

Thank you!!!

I'm so glad I asked here. Thanks everyone!

[sugarbear]

I would also check out Common Lit.

[spedrunner]

newsela.com for sure, great articles, you can choose students reading level
readworks.org, also a great site

Also look into learning ally which reads aloud to the students (audio book form) I have all of my students use it and it is so helpful

Additionally google chrome has great resources such as speech to text, grammerly, read/write app, etc, tons tons TONS of resources

[auroraloo]

Also, readworks.org lets you adjust levels like NewsELA

[erbear]

Newslea is a great site. You can get articles on a bunch of topics on a variety of reading levels.