Text comprehension allows readers to extract or construct meaning from the written word. Students who misread words or misinterpret their meanings are at a disadvantage. Proper instruction can boost students' skills in this key area.

Comprehension strategies are conscious plans - sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading comprehension. The seven strategies here appear to have a firm scientific basis for improving text comprehension.

A Texas librarian shares his strategy of using nonfiction picture books to introduce new concepts to struggling adolescent readers and to build their background knowledge. Once students have been exposed to academic content in easy reading material, they are more confident in making the transition to textbooks.

Each of us, every day, has to contend with multiple messages or texts-in the news, over the Internet, in our workplace, in books, and in conversation. Making sense of these sometimes conflicting messages is critical. But without being explicitly taught how to do so, students can have trouble synthesizing multiple texts-gathering facts without keeping an eye toward the different perspective of each. This Learning Point Associates article offers a case study and guidelines for using multiple texts in the classroom to increase the critical thinking and academic sophistication of older students.

Drawing on New York City teachers' experiences, this article examines three ways to effectively integrate young adult literature into the curriculum: use core texts (usually novels, but also other genres as well) that the entire class read and study together; organize literature study with text sets, allowing students to select from multiple texts to read; and incorporate independent reading into coursework (via Sustained Silent Reading or at-home reading assignments).

Are dark themes in young adult novels harmful or helpful to teens? Students will explore this question and will create an argumentative writing piece based on textual evidence. Videos of the lesson in action, examples of student work, graphic organizers, and a thorough lesson plan are provided.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking? Many of us are aware that we're being tracked when we go online. It's one of the ways our favorite websites and apps know how to recommend content just for us. But how much information are companies actually collecting? And what are they doing with it? Digging into the details can help us make smart decisions about our online privacy and how to protect it. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define online tracking and describe how companies use it. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking to both companies and users. Analyze specific examples of online tracking and take a position for or against them.

How can we challenge our own confirmation bias? Our brains are great at using past experiences to make quick decisions on the fly, but these shortcuts can also lead to bias. "Confirmation bias" is our brain's tendency to seek out information that confirms things we already think we know. Help your students learn to recognize this when they encounter news online, as a way to examine competing opinions and ideas and to avoid drawing questionable conclusions. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define confirmation bias and identify why it occurs. Explore examples of confirmation bias, particularly related to news and online information. Identify strategies for challenging their own confirmation biases.

How can you tell when an online relationship is risky? Having conversations online, without nonverbal cues or being able to see people, can be awkward and sometimes even risky -- with drawbacks from simple misunderstandings to manipulation or inappropriate messages. Help students navigate and avoid these situations before they go too far. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify the types of messages that might cause a red flag feeling for someone. Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to analyze and respond to a situation involving a red flag feeling.

How can we counter online hate speech and xenophobia? As humans, we thrive on social connections and group associations. But this tendency can also lead us to be suspicious of people outside our group. This fear -- xenophobia -- can be overcome by more exposure to people who are different from us. However, the internet can often make this more difficult. Help students recognize this challenge and find strategies for navigating content online. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe the relationship between hate speech and xenophobia. Analyze how the internet has contributed to an increase in hate speech and extremist views. Describe one way to use the internet to combat one type of hate speech.

How can I create a social media presence that represents the real me? Social media gives us a chance to choose how we present ourselves to the world. We can snap and share a pic in the moment or carefully stage photos and select only the ones we think are best. When students reflect on these choices, they can better understand the self they are presenting and the self they aim to be. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe how their curated self may or may not represent their real self. Analyze the benefits and drawbacks of representing different parts of their real self online. Create an avatar that represents both their real and curated selves.

This lesson plan, provided by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), encourages students to evaluate literature in a variety of multimedia formats and answer the question, "Who Am I?," Students are then asked to create their own multimedia portfolios and Web pages to reflect who they are. L.11-12.3 Language Functions/Style

What is the role of digital media in our lives? We often use our phones or other devices without even thinking about it. But paying closer attention to how -- and how much -- we use digital media can help us find better balance in our lives. Challenge students to truly consider how digital media adds to -- or takes away from -- their overall quality of life. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explore the role that digital media plays in their lives. Use the Digital Habits Checkup to reflect on the positive and negative impacts of digital media. Create a personal challenge to improve their digital well-being.

This teaching guide provided by Paul Yee for his book of short stories, "What Happened This Summer", provides a summary of the book, discussion questions and classroom activities. The book explores the issues faced by Chinese-Canadian students in a modern urban high school.

Read a biography of Elizabeth Bishop, an important poet of the twentieth century.

How can you respect the privacy of others online? Tagging friends on social media is a great way to connect with others and capture memorable experiences. But what if they don't want to be tagged? Encourage your students to take responsibility for how they may affect the digital footprints of others. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "digital reputation," and identify examples of social media posts that can have a positive or negative effect. Use the 1-2-3-1 Perspectives activity to consider the causes and effects of posting about others online. Generate a list of questions to ask themselves before posting pictures or information about someone else.

How can I make sure my relationships are healthy and positive? "It's complicated" can describe many of our relationships with others, both romantic and otherwise. Add digital devices and social media to the mix, and things get complicated even further. Help students take the first step toward building healthy and rewarding friendships and romantic relationships, both online and off. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on how their relationships are affected by devices and the internet. Identify the qualities of healthy and rewarding relationships. Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to brainstorm strategies for navigating challenging relationships.

What privacy risks do new technologies present, and how do we decide if they're worth it? New tech, like location services and smart devices, helps make our lives easier and opens opportunities that didn't exist before. But these innovations also come with a cost -- especially to our privacy. Help students consider the benefits and drawbacks of these new technologies -- and decide whether they're ultimately worth it. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify important benefits and privacy risks that new technologies present. Decide whether or not the benefits of new technologies outweigh their privacy risks. Use the Take a Stand thinking routine to consider both the benefits and the risks of new technologies.

Explore the world of British Literature from the Romantic Period. This site focuses on information on the authors of the romantic period, as well as links to their works. Check it out.

How does your social media use affect how you feel? Social media plays a big role in most teens' lives, and research shows that it causes intense feelings -- both positive and negative. But not all media use is the same. There are many benefits that come with both active and passive media use. For better social and emotional well-being, encourage students to become creators of digital media, not just consumers. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on how their social media use makes them feel and how it compares to other teenagers'. Describe how active and passive social media use can lead to positive and negative feelings. Identify action steps to increase their positive feelings when using social media.