Student Texts
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Our searchable library of short texts offers a diverse mix of stories and perspectives. This multigenre, multimedia collection aligns with the Common Core's recommendations for text complexity and the Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards.

Choose from informational and literary nonfiction texts, literature, photographs, political cartoons, interviews, infographics and more. You can also filter by text type, grade level, subject and topic.

“The leveled texts have really helped me engage students and introduce them to complex topics in a way they can understand.”

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343 Texts

Informational

Emancipation Proclamation

With the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln freed all enslaved people in “rebellious” states, forbid the military from repressing their freedom and sanctioned their military service for Union forces. This decree made emancipation a clear objective of the American Civil War.
by
Abraham Lincoln
Grade Level
Subject
Civics
History
Geography
Social Justice Domain
June 10, 2015
Informational

Declaration of Dependence

As a means to reduce and regulate child labor in the United States, the National Child Labor Committee composed a declaration, citing the current state of child labor and three resolutions to the situation.
by
National Child Labor Committee (A.J. McKelway)
Grade Level
Subject
Civics
History
Economics
Social Justice Domain
December 30, 2015
Informational

Paragraph 175

The German Reichstag passed the following version of Paragraph 175, which imposed harsher legal restrictions and penalties on sexual activity between men, in 1935. With this law came a dramatic increase in the number of individuals facing prosecution for homosexual activity.
by
German Reichstag
Grade Level
Subject
Civics
History
Geography
Social Justice Domain
July 2, 2014
Literature

Saffron Dreams

Although her husband died in the September 11 attack, Arissa is targeted for being Muslim. In this excerpt, she is held up by a group of men who berate her and threaten to kill her until they realize she is pregnant.
by
Shaila Abdullah
Grade Level
Topic
Subject
Civics
History
Geography
Social Justice Domain
July 7, 2014