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Worksheet
Curated OER

Character Builder

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Characters in a story are more than a name to remember. Use a character builder worksheet to write out a character's appearance, background, personality, attributes, and story relevance, including whether they are a main or minor...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Anatomy Of A Story: Story Structure

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Somebody. Wanted. But. Then. Introduce your classes to the structure that supports stories with a lesson that teaches readers how to identify the four basic components writers use to craft their tales. After identifying these elements in...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

We've Got Character! Literary Analysis: Characterization

For Teachers 8th - 9th Standards
How authors bring characters to life and make them believable is the focus of a lesson on characterization. Readers closely examine passages from To Kill a Mockingbird and Dreamland Burning, noting details that reveal the character's...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Most Dangerous Game

For Teachers 8th - 9th Standards
Readers of "The Most Dangerous Game" must argue which of Richard Connell's characters is the protagonist or antagonist. The activity begins with scholars reading selected passages from the story and making predictions about who they...
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Lesson Plan
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K20 LEARN

Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 2: Leader of the Pack

For Teachers 9th Standards
The second lesson in the Lord of the Flies unit asks scholars to consider the characteristics of a good leader. After generating a list of these qualities, they annotate a passage from the novel highlighting the leadership qualities of...
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Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

"Three Stones Back": Using Informational Text to Enhance Understanding of Ball Don't Lie

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
"Three Stones Back," a passage from Matt de la Pena's best-seller, Ball Don't Lie, allows readers to practice their close reading skills as they compare the passage to an information text about wealth inequality. 
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Dramatic Perspective in Moby Dick

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A activity on Herman Melville's Moby Dick asks readers to compare the first person point of view of Ishmael in Chapter 1 to Captain Ahab's dramatic monologue in Chapter 37. Readers cite evidence from the chapters to support their...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Characterization in Lord of the Flies

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Readers of  Lord of the Flies hunt down direct and indirect examples of how William Golding brings his characters to life. After instructors guide learners through the process of collecting evidence of these two types of characterization...
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Unit Plan
Farmington Public Schools

British Literature Honors: Beowulf

For Teachers 12th Standards
Whether new to teaching Beowulf or an experience pro, you'll find much to like in a richly detailed unit plan that asks readers to consider how the epic represents the difficulty in defining good and evil but also reflects the changing...
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Interactive
PBS

Satire, Parody, and Humor in Catch-22

For Students 11th - Higher Ed Standards
Laughter is the heart of dark comedy. It makes the unbearable bearable. Joseph Heller crafted his dark comedy Catch-22 to enable readers to laugh at the painful realities and underscore the absurdities of a war where people you don't...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Tracker: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Most deer are born with white spots that disappear as they grow. An interesting novel study for Gary Paulsen's Tracker shares more fascinating facts about the majestic animals. Readers also complete a vocabulary activity, solve anagrams,...
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Study Guide
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Reed Novel Studies

To Kill a Mockingbird: Novel Study

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American fiction writer whose biggest claim to fame was the creation of Tarzan. Using the novel study for Harper Lee's beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, pupils research and list facts about him or another...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

The Tiger Rising: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Tiger, puma, lynx, jackal: which does not belong? Using the novel study for The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo, scholars complete a similar vocabulary exercise. Next, they write sentences explaining why their chosen words don't fit. They...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

There's a Boy In The Girls' Bathroom: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
People travel to Washington, DC from all over the world to take a tour of the White House or catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument. Using the novel study for There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar, scholars research an...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Theodore Boone - Kid Lawyer: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A child lawyer is exactly what people need ... not! With the novel study for John Grisham's Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, pupils use their imaginations to create their own examples of sarcasm. They also research a chosen famous lawyer and...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

A Taste of Blackberries: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Blackberry pie, blackberry cobbler ... what other recipes use blackberries? Scholars hunt for an interesting blackberry recipe to copy and share with friends after using the novel study for A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Surviving the Applewhites: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
The Bradys, the Flintstones, and the Simpsons are some of pop culture's most memorable families. So how do the Applewhites stack up? Using a novel study for Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan, scholars answer text-based...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Summer of the Monkeys: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
There are more than 260 types of monkeys in the world. With the novel study for Wilson Rawls' Summer of the Monkeys, pupils research interesting facts about the banana-loving primates. They also practice exaggeration, write similes, and...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Stuart Little: Novel Study

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Author E.B. White once had a dream about a small boy who acted like a rat, and that is how he conceived of his classic children's novel, Stuart Little. Using the novel study, scholars answer some questions based on their reading. Next,...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

The Summer of Riley: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
The Labrador retriever is America's most popular dog breed. With the novel study for The Summer of Riley by Eve Bunting, scholars learn more about the sweet, lovable animal. Additionally, they write quatrain poems, explore foreshadowing...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Stella By Starlight: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Who were the Ku Klux Klan, and what role did they play in the United States during the Great Depression? Using the Stella by Starlight novel study, scholars research the organization and answer questions relating to Sharon M. Draper's...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Sounder: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Only one character receives a name in William H. Armstrong's novel, Sounder—the dog! With the novel study, scholars explore the author's purpose in the unusual decision. They also write similes, answer comprehension and analysis...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Skink No Surrender: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
The oldest turtle ever recorded lived to the age of 188! As it turns out, two characters from Carl Hiaasen's Skink No Surrender are fascinated by these shelled creatures. Using the novel study, scholars research three types of turtles...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Third Grade Angels: Novel Study

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
A million things to do, a ton of homework ... hyperbole sure does help get the point across! With the novel study for Jerry Spinelli's Third Grade Angels, scholars practice writing their own exaggerated sentences. Additionally, they...