Collection
Storia E-Books Teaching Guides and Activities
Written specifically for Storia, these rich e-reading resources include vocabulary and extension activities, content area connections, reproducibles, and more.
- Grades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12
Included Here:
Teaching Guides and Activities for Nonfiction Books
Bad Pets Storia Teaching Guide
Bad Pets provides an opportunity for students to practice summarizing and to define words through examples. After-reading activities include researching animal intelligence, making a pet graph, and creating a wanted poster for a law-breaking animal.
Big Dinosaurs! Storia Teaching Guide
Big Dinosaurs! provides an opportunity to discuss with students what is fact and what is make-believe about dinosaurs as well as to teach them about the classification of animal characteristics. Students will engage in activities including “building” a dinosaur online and writing dinosaur riddles.
Chasing Lincoln's Killer Storia Teaching Guide
Chasing Lincoln's Killer provides an opportunity to teach the use of primary sources in historical research and the skill of making connections in a sequence of events. Activities engage students in mapping, researching photographs, and taking a virtual tour of Ford’s Theater.
Discover More: Animal Babies Storia Teaching Guide
Animal Babies provides a springboard for class discussions about animal life cycles, main idea and details, and science content-area vocabulary. Students will write a narrative from the point of view of a baby animal, create a counting wall banner, and make an animal baby minibook.
Discover More: My Body Storia Teaching Guide
My Body takes students on a fact-packed, guided tour of the human body. Its fun facts, bright pictures, and easy-to-read text make it perfect for brand-new readers. The book provides a springboard for class discussions about the human body, main idea and details, and science content-area vocabulary. Students will engage in activities that include playing brain games, creating healthy meals, and labeling body parts.
Discover More: Penguins Storia Teaching Guide
Discover More: Penguins book provides an opportunity for class discussions about animal adaptation, main idea and details, and science content-area vocabulary. Activities will engage students in creating penguin fact sheets, penguin graphs, and penguin presentations based on research and creative projects.
Discover More: Planets Storia Teaching Guide
Discover More: Planets will blast students into outer space to explore planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and far-away galaxies. Use this informational book to introduce the solar system and space exploration, integrate knowledge with a compare and contrast matrix, and reinforce key space vocabulary. Activities engage students in writing a space captain’s log, recording the phases of the moon, and imagining an encounter with an extraterrestrial.
Discover More: See Me Grow Storia Teaching Guide
See Me Grow is packed with fascinating facts and photos that provide an opportunity to teach students how to connect the steps in a baby animal’s growth. Activities engage students in graphing baby animal births, comparing a video with text, and writing about their favorite animal in the book.
Henry's Freedom Box Storia Teaching Guide
This Caldecott Honor Book gives students the opportunity to make connections between the text and the illustrations in this powerful true story. Activities engage students in writing a short play based on the book, tracing Henry’s route on Google Earth, and learning how to follow the Drinking Gourd.
Hibernation Storia Teaching Guide
Hibernation provides an opportunity to discuss seasonal changes, to teach cause and effect relationships, and to introduce vocabulary related to hibernation. Activities will get students involved by having them observe animals in their own community, notice seasonal changes on a calendar, and write songs about animals in winter.
I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. Storia Teaching Guide
This captivating biography provides an opportunity for students to learn about a great leader during a troubled time in American history and to practice identifying main idea and details. Activities engage students in listening to the “I Have a Dream” speech, presenting a play about Dr. King, and writing about their own dreams.
I Am Sacagawea Storia Teaching Guide
This captivating biography provides an opportunity for students to learn about informational text features and how to synthesize the information. Activities engage students in mapping, researching, and writing about the Lewis and Clark expedition and its courageous translator, Sacagawea.
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses Storia Teaching Guide
The book provides an opportunity to teach cause-and-effect relationships, the difference between fantasy and fact, and the meaning of idioms. Activities engage students in experimenting with mystery sounds, making a log about their senses, and writing a science report for The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses.
The Many Rides of Paul Revere Storia Teaching Guide
This engaging biography provides an opportunity to teach students how to compare two different kinds of text about the same event—the biographical facts and Longfellow’s poem. Activities engage students in doing a virtual walk of Boston’s freedom trail, making a group recording of Longfellow’s poem, and writing a poem about another American hero.
Monster Plants Storia Teaching Guide
Monster Plants provides an opportunity to teach cause-and-effect relationships in nature, the story structure of an illustrated guide, and content area vocabulary. Activities will engage students in the scientific process and writing informational text.
My First Biography: Christopher Columbus Storia Teaching Guide
My First Biography: Christopher Columbus provides an opportunity to teach a biography, practice sequence of events, and introduce exploration words. Activities will engage students in mapping, art projects, and exploring their own dreams.
Profiles: The Civil War Storia Teaching Guide
Profiles #1: The Civil War provides an opportunity to teach students how to explain the relationship or interactions between individuals and historical events. Activities engage students in viewing animated battles of the war, taking a journey on the Underground Railroad, and doing a close reading of the Gettysburg Address.
Smart Words: Volcanoes Storia Teaching Guide
Volcanoes provides an opportunity to teach cause-and-effect relationships in nature, as well as, key content-area vocabulary in earth science. Activities will engage students in graphing volcano statistics, reading and retelling a volcano legend, and writing a volcano FAQ.
True or False: Planets Storia Teaching Guide
This engaging science book captures students’ curiosity with 22 true or false questions about the planets. The answers are fun, easy to understand, and leave students wanting to know more. Use the book to introduce students to the solar system, to teach a main idea and details, and to build academic vocabulary. Activities engage students in learning about astronauts, calculating their own weight on different planets, and creating a true or false game.
Welcome Fall: Leaves Storia Teaching Guide
With concise text and bright photographs, this nonfiction book explains the science behind the changing color of fall leaves. Wecome Fall: Leaves provides an opportunity to discuss seasonal changes, to identify main ideas and details, and to introduce science vocabulary related to leaves. Activities will engage students in researching seasonal changes, completing art projects, and exploring their environment.
Who Would Win? Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark Storia Teaching Guide
What would happen if a killer whale met up with a great white shark? Author Jerry Pallotta answers this question with fascinating facts about the two ocean animals. The book provides an opportunity to teach compare and contrast, content area vocabulary, and the topic of predators and prey in nature. Activities will engage students in creating their own “Who Would Win?” contest and writing a compare and contrast essay.
Who Would Win? Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Velociraptor Storia Teaching Guide
Author Jerry Pallotta sets up a prehistoric battle with fascinating facts about the two ferocious dinosaurs. Use the book to teach compare and contrast, content area vocabulary, and the topic of prehistoric predators. Engage students in researching the location of dinosaur fossils, recording a sportscast of the dinosaur encounter, and creating an imaginary super-predator dinosaur.
World War II Heroes Storia Teaching Guide
This riveting collection of true tales introduces readers to World War II through the stories of ten brave heroes. The book gives students the opportunity to explore the theme of heroes, practice summarizing, and examine the meaning of words related to war. Activities engage students in argument writing, creating time lines, and creating an award for heroism.
Teaching Guides and Activities for Fiction Books
The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones Storia Teaching Guide
The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones provides an opportunity to discuss the genre of mystery, teach the skill of making inferences, and develop vocabulary related to suspense. Activities will engage students in magic box math, using Google Maps, and secret code writing.
The 39 Clues: One False Note Storia Teaching Guide
One False Note provides an opportunity to discuss the conflicts that move the plot forward as well as the author’s use of figurative language. Students will engage in activities ranging from listening to Mozart to writing an adventure scene set in their community.
The 39 Clues: The Sword Thief Storia Teaching Guide
Discuss with students how the author uses characterization to develop the themes of deception and trust and how action-packed words are used to develop the mood of danger. Students will engage in activities ranging from researching samurais to writing a script for Reader’s Theater.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Storia Teaching Guide
Sherman Alexie's award-winning novel provides the opportunity for students to analyze character growth through hip but profound text and comic illustrations. Activities engage students in researching Alexie’s Spokane Indian tribe, writing a blog of their opinions about the book, and creating personal narrative comics.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Storia Teaching Guide
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer gives students the opportunity to explore Twain’s themes, his use of language, and his memorable characters. Activities engage students in analyzing a famous Twain quote, researching Twain’s life, and creating a table of contents for their own adventures.
Alphabet Adventure Storia Teaching Guide
This book’s plot provides an opportunity to teach problem and solution and its adventurous verbs will expand students’ vocabulary. Activities engage students in writing an alphabet eBook, creating a music video, and experimenting with alphabetical and other kinds of orders.
The Ant Bully Storia Teaching Guide
John Nickle’s story provides the opportunity to model how to do a close reading to determine the theme of the book and how to choose strong and precise words. Activities engage students in generating questions and finding answers about real ants, performing a dramatic reading of the book, and creating a “Stop the Bully” poster.
Becoming Naomi Leon Storia Teaching Guide
This award-winning novel about a young girl caught in the middle of family conflicts provides an opportunity to teach how a character changes and grows as she learns lessons about life and herself. Students will engage in activities including mapping a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, learning Spanish and English cognates, and exploring the meaning of their own names.
The Class Election from the Black Lagoon Storia Teaching Guide
The Class Election from the Black Lagoon provides an opportunity to teach how fears affect the imagination, how an author uses puns and word play, and how character is developed through text and illustrations. Activities will engage students in creative writing, dramatic readings, and word play.
Classic Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy Storia Teaching Guide
Night of the Living Dummy provides an engaging opportunity to teach the genre of thrillers, the literary element of mood, and the use of suspenseful words. Activities will engage students in suspense writing, rating scary stories, and creating their own frightful dummies.
Clifford's Good Deeds Storia Teaching Guide
Clifford's Good Deeds provides an opportunity to teach students to connect illustrations and text, to identify cause and effect, and to explore vocabulary related to helping others. Activities will engage students in creative storytelling, community service ideas, and a personal hero project.
David Goes to School Storia Teaching Guide
With the text integrated into the art, this picture book provides a perfect opportunity for students to relate story details to the accompanying illustrations. Activities engage students in writing speech balloons for characters, performing a mini-play, and drawing pictures of David.
Dear America: I Walk in Dread Storia Teaching Guide
I Walk in Dread tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials through the diary of young Deliverance Trembley of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This dark but fascinating period of American history provides the opportunity to teach students about the power of irrational fear and the importance of understanding culture and beliefs in a work of historical fiction. Activities engage students in researching and reporting on the history of a critical time in our country’s past.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Storia Teaching Guide
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde gives students the opportunity to explore the theme of good and evil and the author’s use of synonymous words. Activities engage students in comparing Stevenson’s stories with other famous legends and reflecting on their own positive and negative traits.
Duck on a Bike Storia Teaching Guide
David Shannon’s Duck on a Bike provides an opportunity to teach students repetitive story structure and the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Activities engage students in writing a make-believe animal story, learning an animal sounds song, and sorting animals into categories.
Elijah of Buxton Storia Teaching Guide
This award-winning book provides opportunities to discuss slavery, the Underground Railroad and the meaning of freedom. Activities engage students in researching the history and culture of a critical time in our country’s past.
Esperanza Rising Storia Teaching Guide
This award-winning novel provides the opportunity to teach students to analyze character through text quotes and to use adjectives to describe character traits. Students will engage in researching the history of farm workers, writing a book blog, and creating a book of personal proverbs.
The False Prince Storia Teaching Guide
The False Prince provides opportunities to discuss the genre of fantasy, to compare and contrast characters, and to explore the vocabulary of deceit. Activities engage students in examining the government of monarchies, researching historical princes, and taking on another viewpoint in fiction.
Freak the Mighty Storia Teaching Guide
This inspirational novel presents the theme of courage, the skill of analyzing conflicts, and the use of imaginative language. Activities will engage students in persuasive writing, researching science topics, and experimenting with figurative language.
Geronimo Stilton: Geronimo and the Gold Medal Mystery Storia Teaching Guide
Geronimo Stilton #33: Geronimo and the Gold Medal Mystery provides an opportunity to teach students how to read text features in a graphically rich text. Activities engage students in researching the Olympics, writing newspaper articles, and engaging in wordplay.
Ghost Buddy: Zero to Hero Storia Teaching Guide
Ghost Buddy: Zero to Hero is a humorous novel that provides an opportunity to teach the genre of fantasy, the skill of problem and solution, and the use of vivid verbs. Activities will engage students in suspense writing, historical research, and dramatics.
Gregor the Overlander Storia Teaching Guide
Gregor the Overlander begins the saga of eleven-year old Gregor’s quest to save the creatures of the Underland and to fulfill the prophecy of becoming the brave warrior leader. This compelling and adventure-filled story, written by Suzanne Collins, provides the opportunity to teach the fantasy genre, the skill of analyzing setting, and the use of connotative language. Activities will engage students in mapping the Underland, researching underground animals, and creating their own imaginative world.
Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture Storia Teaching Guide
This compelling fantasy story provides an unusual opportunity to analyze characterization through animal characters and to use context clues to understand the rich vocabulary of the book. Activities will engage students in learning the science behind flight, researching owl species, and creating their own owl character.
Gus Gets Scared Storia Teaching Guide
Gus Gets Scared teaches young readers a lesson about the excitement and fears of trying new experiences. The book provides an opportunity to teach students how to “read” illustrations and how to identify story elements. Activities include retelling the story, playing an opposites game, and creating book covers.
Hi! Fly Guy Storia Teaching Guide
Hi! Fly Guy is the first in Tedd Arnold’s funny series about the amazing and irrepressible Fly Guy. The book provides an ideal opportunity to teach young students how to identify story elements including characters, setting, and plot. Activities engage students in learning about real flies, retelling the story, and creating their own amazing pet.
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic Storia Teaching Guide
This riveting historical story provides an opportunity to discuss the conflicts that move the plot forward, as well as, the author’s use of figurative language. Students will engage in activities ranging from tracing the Titanic’s route to creating a frontpage newspaper report of the Titanic’s sinking.
The Itsy Bitsy Spider Storia Teaching Guide
Use this colorful and surprising version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider to teach students how to retell a story with sequence words and how to listen for rhyming words. Activities engage students in learning more about spiders, making a spider web, and creating a variation on the traditional song.
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg Storia Teaching Guide
This award-winning book provides an engaging opportunity to teach historical fiction, summarizing, and content-area vocabulary. Students will participate in activities ranging from interacting with a website about the Underground Railroad and Civil War to writing a tall-tale about their own mostly true adventures.
Noodles: I Love School! Storia Teaching Guide
This simple book carries an important message for students who are fearful about school and provides an opportunity to teach story parts to beginning readers. Students will engage in such activities as making a mini-book about school, drawing a dog, and writing a group story about Noodles.
Out of the Dust Storia Teaching Guide
Karen Hesse’s award-winning novel provides an unforgettable reading experience told in free verse against the backdrop of a desperate time in American history. Students will engage in activities including researching the history, geography, and art of the Dust Bowl.
Ready, Freddy! Tooth Trouble Storia Teaching Guide
This humorous story about a first grader’s growing pains provides opportunities to discuss the challenges of growing up, the text structure of problem and solution, and the power of vivid verbs. Activities will engage students in counting teeth, reporting on animal teeth, and drawing their own toothy smiles.
Rules Storia Teaching Guide
This sensitive yet humorous book is the recipient of many awards including a Newbery Honor Medal. Rules provides great discussion starters for upper elementary students about friendship, compassion, and the challenges of disabilities. Activities engage students in math, art, and technology projects, as well as writing a book review with their own star rating.
Swindle Storia Teaching Guide
Gordon Korman’s fast-paced adventure novel is ideal to teach students how to analyze the sequence of events in a plot and how they are connected. Activities engage students in researching great swindles in American history, practicing baseball card math, and creating a collectible card for their own futures.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bat! Storia Teaching Guide
Use There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat to teach cumulative story structure, sequence cue words, and multiple meaning words. Activities will engage students in creative language play, fluency practice, and rhyming games.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves Storia Teaching Guide
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves provides a perfect opportunity to teach cumulative story structure, nonsense rhyming, and sequence of events. Activities will engage students in creative language play and cumulative story writing.
TOON Books Storia Teaching Guide
TOON Books provide rich opportunities to teach students to make inferences from illustrations, to integrate information from text and pictures, and to enjoy the enduring genre of comics. After-reading activities engage students in creative writing, reader’s theater, and storytelling.
Vietnam: I Pledge Allegiance Storia Teaching Guide
This first book in the Vietnam series provides the opportunity for students to identify story elements and analyze the theme of friendship and war. Activities engage students in researching the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, studying editorial cartoons, and writing their own pledges.
War Horse Storia Teaching Guide
Told from the point of view of a brave war horse, this award-winning book provides opportunities to teach historical fiction, summarizing, and domain-specific vocabulary. Students will engage in activities ranging from writing from the point of view of an animal to researching World War I to taking a quiz that compares their personalities to those of animals.
Zen Shorts Storia Teaching Guide
Jon J Muth’s remarkable book provides the opportunity to teach students to apply the valuable lessons from the story to their own lives—and to also see relationships between the illustrations and the story. Activities engage students in retelling the stories, watching webcams and videos about pandas, and writing a note to Stillwater, the Zen panda.
- Subjects:Reading, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary
