One study, covering the last 25 years, reports that undergraduates in college complete about 30 percent of assigned work. Would it be surprising--in these days of DVRs, Internet, texting, email, and video games--if high school and middle school students' homework completion rates were even less? What are teachers to do? Comprehension strategies, such as cooperative learning and differentiated instruction, can help students better understand social studies texts, historical documents, and other substantive materials. By integrating these proven methods, teachers can help the diverse learners in their classrooms to advance. To demonstrate various methods, the author will use the historical theme of civil rights, but any topic can be substituted. These activities have students delving into assigned readings through discussion, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation while supporting and challenging all learners and keeping them actively engaged. (Contains 2 notes.)