Basal Alignment Project
College- and career-ready lessons for use with texts included in basal readers, grades 3–5
Lessons designed to highlight the ELA/literacy Shifts and expectations of college- and career-ready standards
Lessons specifically designed to highlight the ELA/literacy Shifts and expectations of college- and career-ready standards
College- and career-ready lessons for use with texts included in basal readers, grades 3–5
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. Ramona and Beezus, tw…
In this trickster tale, Bear and Hare are involved in a gardening partnership. Industrious, clever Hare makes a deal with Bear— H…
Country Mouse invites her friend, City Mouse to visit her in the country. City Mouse does not enjoy the country and convinces Country M…
Two ants, along with others from their nest, set out to gather crystals for their queen. Initially staying and keeping crystals for the…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. The story is about a …
Most kids collect something. Prudy collects everything! Rocks, stamps, foil, worn-out toothbrushes, pretty paper napkins, tufts of hair…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. A boy and his family …
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. This nonfiction story…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. Chief Sky, the belove…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. Dogzilla is a fantasy…
This is a story about Saruni, a young boy, and his family, who are both consumers and sellers in a market in Tanzania. There are many e…
Beverly Cleary tells the story of a family on a rainy Sunday in a household full of bad moods. Ramona’s father suggests they all …
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. Ruby wants to fit in …
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. In this story, Coyote…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. Elizabeth was very de…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. This is a biography o…
Sarah is nervous about starting a new school and shows it by trying to stay in bed and saying she’s too sick to go to school. The…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. In the story Wings, I…
This informational text describes how paleontologists continue to investigate unanswered questions about dinosaurs. (Houghton Mifflin H…
The folktale “Half-Chicken” is about a chicken hatched with only half a body, one leg, one wing, one eye, and only half as …
Patricia’s Great-Grandmother comes to America as a child from Russia. She creates a quilt that is passed on from generation to ge…
This folktale is about three monks who visit a village filled with unhappy people. The villagers do not welcome the monks, so the three…
Julian meets Gloria, a new girl in his neighborhood. Together they make a wish kite, with wishes fastened to its tail; both wish for la…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. This story is a folkt…
This Informational text focuses on the migration habits of the grasshopper/locust and the gray whale. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journe…
This fantasy tells the story of a wolf who learns to read to gain the respect and friendship of farm animals. (McGraw-Hill Treasures, 2…
“Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest” takes the reader on a journey around the world to various continents found on Earth th…
A little boy loses his neighbor’s dog inside the mysterious garden of Abdul Gasazi, who tells the boy that he has turned the dog …
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. Yunmi's first trip to…
Sarah and Susan are sisters who enjoy spending Sunday afternoons with their great-great Aunt Flossie. Aunt Flossie entertains her great…
Judy Moody is on a mission to save the rain forest. Not only has she chosen to make this her mission, she is also determined to make it…
Glashka uses her innate connection and intuition with nature to help bring together the community in hopes of trying to save the lives …
Despite obstacles in his life such as a family illness and the Great Depression, Uncle Jed achieved his dream of opening a barbershop a…
In this nonfiction selection, an Emperor penguin lays an egg in the bitter cold of Antarctica. The penguin parents battle the harsh env…
A family moves into an unpopulated area. With the ingenuity of one young girl, a town is established and grows. The idea of supply and …
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. A boy named Taro help…
In this story Gertrude Ederle overcomes obstacles, both physical and social, in order to prevail at her lifelong dream of being the fir…
Two students hide in the bathroom in order to avoid taking the math test, eventually telling their teacher they were trapped yb a giant…
This narrative nonfiction story sequences the steps an illustrator follows when creating pictures for a story. The author tells the sto…
This is a Zuni play about an ant in the search to find out who is strongest of all. The ant talks with numerous characters to find out …
A Prince must find a girl who will love him, in spite of his frightening curse. (McGraw-Hill Imagine It!, 2008) This lesson was create…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. This excerpt from a b…
The author, Helen Lester, traces her writing career from the age of three to adulthood. She shares her struggles with writing in elemen…
In this work of fiction, Rooster and his eager friends set out to make strawberry shortcake, a recipe from Little Red Hen’s cookb…
This African folk tale explains how many African tales came to be known as “Spider stories.” In this tale, Ananse, the Spid…
When war breaks out in Mulan’s land and her father is drafted into the army, Mulan makes a great sacrifice when she disguises her…
Police Officer Buckle gives safety speeches that no one listens to until a police dog, Gloria, joins him. Because Gloria acts out the s…
In this nonfiction story, readers learn how and why scientists brave the extreme conditions of both poles in order to do research that …
Diphtheria has broken out in Nome, Alaska. Teams of sled dogs carry medicine 800 miles over snow and ice to prevent an epidemic. Everyo…
A young girl raises a dragon on her family’s farm. The young girl takes the dragon to Dragon Island, but returns to the farm with…
Allie has a new basketball. She has a hard time finding someone to play with her because they believe basketball is a boys’ game.…
Juno receives a letter from his grandmother who lives in Seoul, Korea. Even though he cannot read the Korean-language text, she is able…
This historical fiction story takes place in 1932 in the midst of the Great Depression in New York City. Baseball was king and Babe Rut…
In this folktale, the town of Barletta faces destruction until Zia Concetta asks the town’s giant statue for help. With a clever …
Pepita stops speaking Spanish because she is tired of being the neighborhood translator. However, when a disaster nearly occurs, Pepita…
This expository nonfiction text is about how an oak tree may become vulnerable to disease from its bark being damaged by a bear clawing…
This story takes place in the 1930s in the Great Plains region of the United States devastated by a great drought. Leah had been given …
This poem describes the feelings of a girl whose best friend, Hanna, has moved away. The little girl feels that nothing will be the sam…
This realistic fictional story is about Steven and his Aunt Carolyn. The two have always shared a special bond; each time Aunt Carolyn …
Angel Arrellano, a nine-year-old girl from Fresno, CA. spearheaded a campaign to raise money to be donated to the local zoo. Her enthus…
Nine-year old Anthony is proud of his history, culture, and family tradition of Mexican rodeo-style roping and riding. He also enjoys v…
As a child, the author’s father was fascinated by rocks.This interest consumed the young boy as he collected them in all of his s…
Ben goes to the beach and watches a seal being born. Over the next few seasons, Ben develops a special bond with this seal, a bond that…
This nonfiction piece tells about Barbara del Colorado, a village in Costa Rica. People needed a way to make money; a scientist suggest…
This realistic fiction story is about a young boy, Max, who is growing up on a large fruit farm in Chile and how he wants to find a fri…
This lesson includes scaffolded analytical writing tasks that provide examples for teaching Common Core writing. Damon and Pythias are…
Detective Nate the Great searches San Francisco for a lost joke book. He discovers that the wrong place can be the best place to look f…
Life in the Grunt tribe changes when a baby dinosaur hatches from the huge egg that Little Grunt drags home for brunch. (Houghton Miffl…
This fable is about a boy’s search for knowledge. To achieve his goal, the boy barters with characters ranging from a carpet make…
Curt, a young Tewa Indian, and his grandfather, Andy, prepare for Feast Day. They enjoy the good food, beautiful dances, colorful costu…
The students at Riverside Elementary School are excited about a visit from a real author. The class has been reading books by the autho…
This informational, nonfiction selection describes how schools are different in various parts of the world and includes “amazing …
Rosie is a Tibetan terrier whose friendly nature makes her a perfect visiting dog. After a lot of training, she brings comfort to peopl…
“Just Plain Fancy” is the story of a young Amish girl, Naomi, who longs to have something fancy in her life. But when an sh…
“How Animals Talk” is an informational, nonfiction selection describing how various animals communicate or send messages. A…
Benny is nervous about the upcoming talent show. After a talk with her parents, Beany realizes that the most important thing is doing w…
A boy on a family backpacking adventure discovers an amazing waterfall and decides he wants to climb to the top. The boy becomes a lead…
In this poem, Charlie loses access to his favorite activities, panics, and makes an impulsive decision that hurts his sister’s fe…
“The Go-Around Dollar” is a selection that combines two genres: realistic fiction and expository text. It provides an enter…
This informational, nonfiction text introduces the solar system and its many parts – the sun, the eight planets, the satellites o…
Young Jose’ Mendez is a terrific centerfielder but a weak hitter. Jose’ wants his father to be proud of him. When his fathe…
This text explains the nuts and bolts of how different types of coins, bills, and checks; how they are connected; and how your dollars …
Poppa buys himself some new pants that need hemming. The women of his family are too tired to hem the pants before church the following…
"Cocoa Ice" is set in the early 1800s and describes the exchange that occurs when a trading ship from Maine travels to the Caribbean vi…
In this realistic fiction story, young children’s powers of imagination create the town of Roxaboxen filled with houses, building…
This is the Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood. In the story, the mother leaves 3 children home alone as she goes to visit…
A wildlife photographer describes her love for animals and how she took some of her favorite up-close photos of them. (Houghton Mifflin…
This nonfiction text discusses how a fourth grade class at Union Avenue School worked hard to protect the New Jersey shoreline by plant…
In this story, a boy has a dog named Rugby with whom he is great friends. One day a puppy named Rosie joins the family. Rugby does not …
In this tall tale story, deadbeat Shorty Long has to avoid the people to whom he owes money. He tries to trick Widow Macrae out of $4.5…
"Cows in the Parlor: A Visit to a Dairy Farm" is an expository article about the daily running of a dairy farm. Students learn about a …
This informational text describes the ways in which trees are made up of many important parts that grow and change. (Houghton Mifflin H…
A third grade girl named Beany creates a science fair project with her partner, Kevin. Beany is not confident that their project is the…
Sonia, her father, and a group of their neighbors launch a peaceful protest to help 5 deer that have wandered into their city neighborh…
"Jalapeño Bagels" is a story about a young bi-cultural boy named Pablo on a search to find a dish to bring to school for Interna…
Suki's favorite possession is her blue cotton kimono. A gift from her obachan (grandmother), it holds special memories of her grandmoth…
During her first days at school in America, Ut experiences alienation and separation. Later, she finds understanding and acceptance. Wi…
The story explains the life of animals that live in Antarctica. The author describes life for the animals as they wait for summer…
This informational selection introduces the reader to artists that express their feelings and experiences through painting murals in th…
The article gives factual information about the when, where and how the game of basketball began and how it is played. (Houghton Miffli…
The informational text includes text features, such as photographs and captions, to give an overview of information about spiders and t…
The Olympic Games have grown and changed since the first contests were held in Ancient Greece. However, one aspect of the games remains…
This non-fiction article gives information about the Chinese immigrants who came to California in the 1800’s seeking prosperity. …
Sam and Cam own a detective agency. They are contacted by the Bear family, who is upset because their banana pancakes have been eaten a…
“Journey to the Moon” reflects a huge achievement of landing men on the moon. In 1969, three astronauts (Neil Armstrong, Bu…
In this story, Michael Jordan is a very active child. His family helps him to channel his energy into positive activities and eventuall…
After a stormy night, a farmer searching for his lost calf finds a baby eagle that has been blown out of its nest. He takes it home and…
In this story, Dag and his son Axel are at their climbing school in the Teton Mountains when the family dog, Grits, is stranded on Cath…
In this nonfiction article, the author addresses the problems associated with urban sprawl. Urban sprawl destroys animal and plant habi…
Saturdays and Sundays are very special days for the young girl in this story. On Saturdays, she visits Grandma and Grandpa, who come fr…
This selection is written as a Readers’ Theater where the students read the script aloud. The script is written as a fictional tr…
Amber, her brother, and her parents visit Aunt Phoebe, a traveler, collector and storyteller. Aunt Phoebe shares a cloth with th…
In this story, Jangmi moves from her home in Korea to a new home in the United States. At first she is sad about leaving behind her fri…
This selection is a narrative nonfiction story about supply and demand. It gives readers information about the basics of starting…
“Storm in the Night” is a realistic fiction story that looks at the relationship between a grandfather and grandson. …
Before language was written, people from all over the world have recorded their family histories orally. They have used storytell…
In this biography, Amy VanDyken overcomes many challenges throughout her life to become an Olympic gold medalist. (Houghton Mifflin Har…
This text is a reader’s theater with seven parts set in the television studio of a school’s morning news network. The story…
Modern inventions used to make lives easier harm the planet. There are several predictions about how towns of the future will be …
Volcanoes show us how the earth changes. Volcanoes can be made of lava, gases, hot steam, ground-up rocks and melted rock called lava. …
This is the grade 3 version of this lesson for this title. A grade 5 version is also available. A crew of sailors captained by S…
The author explains the complete water cycle and also discusses ocean currents, ocean and lake habitats, and hydroelectricity. He also …
Who ever heard of a girl glassblower? In Mexico, where the sun is called el sol and the moon is called la luna, a little girl called El…