The lesson plans on this page, for students in grades K–8, include complete texts in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each of these booklets contains:
- Prereading activities that prepare students for the content they are about to read
- Sharing questions, which allows students to share first impressions and enables the class to clear up simple misconceptions
- Second reading activities that focus students’ attention on important aspects of a text
- Shared Inquiry™ discussion instructions and questions
- Postdiscussion writing activities
We invite you to take a closer look and try any of the above activities that you feel comfortable with. Then please reach out to contact us using the button at the bottom of this page!
Junior Great Books Series K and 1
These series for kindergarten and first grade are interactive read-aloud programs focused on helping young learners develop three key Shared Inquiry skills—listening, wondering, and sharing. They provide the literature, challenge, and critical thinking elements essential for “best practice” early literacy instruction. This booklet contains two texts for you and your students to explore:
- “Those Shoes,” a story by Maribeth Boelts
- “The Land of Nod,” a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
Junior Great Books Series 2–5
Junior Great Books programs combine high-quality literature, student-centered discussion, and activities that support:
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thinking
- Speaking and listening
- Writing
Download this booklet to find the complete text and activities for “The Gold Coin” by Alma Flor Ada.
Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry for Grades 2–5
The Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry program features thought-provoking nonfiction texts that yield rich questions. Texts explore historical and contemporary issues and align with national social studies and science standards. They also connect to concepts in Junior Great Books literature so that students can meaningfully compare texts across genres and curricular areas.
Junior Great Books Series 6–8
This series, developed specially for middle school, includes:
- High-quality texts in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry: 10 stories, 8 nonfiction texts, and 2 poems at each grade level
- In-depth reading, critical thinking, and writing activities
- Note-taking options focused on author’s craft
- Differentiated instruction for every core activity
- Formal and informal assessment options
- Teacher support and online resources
These sample lesson plans include the complete interpretive activities and texts for one nonfiction selection, “Friends of the Hide” by Timothy Egan, and the poem “At work with my father” by Eve L. Ewing.
Learn More
Would you like to discuss the benefits of Junior Great Books? Your Great Books K–12 partnership manager would love to answer any of your questions and help. We have a wide selection of classroom materials and the perfect professional development offerings to get you started and support you along the way!