Secondary Classrooms

6 Poems about Community to Supplement Your Reading Curriculum

Planning a poetry unit for your English Language Arts class this semester? Inspire engaging classroom discussions with poems about community. For youth, it’s important that they know where they...

The Giver: Enhance your Novel Study with these Lesson Planning Resources

These high interest poems, news articles, and informational texts are the perfect compliment to a novel unit on The Giver. CommonLit offers over 3,000 reading lessons [https://www.commonlit....

5 Short Poems About Friendship

These five famous poems from CommonLit dive into the complexities of friendship. As educators – and former teenagers – you understand the complexities of relationships and friendships during our students' teenage...

"Coming of Age": A Short Story Unit from CommonLit's 360 Curriculum that is Perfect for the Beginning of 10th Grade

This ELA Unit includes high-interest short stories about growing up from contemporary authors like Jason Reynolds and Lucy Tan that’ll hook your students. What Is CommonLit 360? CommonLit...

7 Literary Texts by Powerful Women Authors

Check out these amazing short stories and poems on CommonLit from authors like Amy Tan and Sandra Cisneros. CommonLit’s award-winning, research-based digital literacy program has hundreds of...

Short Stories To Get Your Students Excited About Reading

These short stories from amazing authors like Gary Soto, Amy Tan, and Ralph Fletcher will help your students fall in love with reading! A love for reading begins with captivating...

6 Texts About Adventure and Independence

Experiencing new adventures is an important part of becoming independent. Trying different things and going new places helps establish teens' sense of self. As educators, it is important to...

7 Exciting Texts About Sports

Middle and high school students are sure to love these texts about different sports! From soccer to basketball to baseball, sports are a meaningful part of many teens' lives....

9 Compelling Texts by Asian American Authors

These meaningful texts by Chinese American Authors are sure to engage your students! It is essential to celebrate the diversity of voices in our classrooms. In order to do so,...

8 Empowering Texts About Protecting the Environment

Our Earth is beautiful, but it is currently facing many challenges. From pieces of plastic dotting our oceans, to deforestation and disappearing species, the problems the Earth faces can often...

7 Twisty Tales for Teens

Middle and high school students will love these suspenseful stories! Many teenagers are drawn to dark and twisty tales. Stories that utilize twist endings to shock the reader shed light...

9 Compelling Poems About Identity

These classic and contemporary poems explore themes of identity and growing up. During adolescence, students begin to question and explore their identities, sense of belonging, and who they want to...

9 Texts to Help Teens Develop Social-Emotional Skills

These articles dig into important topics like happiness, stress, failure, and resilience. Some of the most important learning that happens in middle and high school goes beyond reading, writing, and...

9 Mind-Blowing Texts About Discovery and Innovation

These texts about innovation are sure to get your students thinking creatively! Learning about new inventions and discoveries is a powerful tool to promote creativity and leadership with students. These...

7 Thought-Provoking Texts to Celebrate Spring

These powerful texts about spring will help your students connect with nature. As the days get warmer, new life springs up around us. This time of year provides us with...

Bring Humor to Your Class With These Entertaining Texts

These nine funny and satirical stories are sure to amuse your students! Humor is a powerful literary tool that conveys important messages about life. Reading funny or satirical stories is...

10 Inspiring Texts About Women Who Shaped History

These engaging texts about exceptional women are sure to inspire your students! History often leaves women’s achievements out of the narrative. Women have made tremendous contributions to a variety...

Be Mine! 9 Heartfelt Texts All About Love

Celebrate romantic love with these 9 texts for middle and high school students. Nothing creates drama and excitement quite like the ups and downs of love and heartbreak, so it...

8 Compelling Texts About Unsung Heroes in Black History

Inspire your students with stories of courage, service, and excellence! Often when we teach Black history, we tend to discuss prominent figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, or...

Black Kids Rock! Texts That Highlight the Voices of Black Teens

These twelve engaging texts celebrate the voices of Black kids and teens. It is essential to celebrate the diversity of voices in our classrooms. In order to do that, we’...

11 Seasonal Texts to Kick off Winter

Here are eleven engaging texts about winter weather and holiday celebrations! The holiday season has just begun, and these last few weeks leading up to break can just fly by!...

10 Meaningful Friendship and Conflict Stories for Students

These ten texts will teach students about friendship and conflict in relationships! Adolescence is a time of change. As kids get older, they may find their friendships change with them....

11 High-Interest Texts about Building Community

These 11 engaging texts to help students think about their roles in their different communities! As middle and high school students get older, they are figuring out their place in...

Who We Are: Lessons about Identity for Middle School and High School

Check out these twelve high-interest lessons for middle and high school students about identity! Adolescence is a time of growth and change. Students in middle and high school are...

Meaningful Texts to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrating students’ heritage and opening doors to other cultures can provide some of the most meaningful lessons in the classroom. Hispanic Heritage Month spans from September 15  through October 15...