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Creating Supporting Characters
Supporting characters need detail and characteristics just like a main character. Keep your budding authors entrenched in detail as they write their novels. This lesson plan focuses on developing supporting characters using personal...
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Let's Make a Snowman
In this literacy activity, students practice writing their own story with the help of the picture dictionary and matching them to the new story.
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Lesson: Communication Through Clothing
As we all know, some clothing has a way of letting us know a little something about the person wearing it. Kids explore the idea that clothing can be a form of communication and artistic expression. They analyze a Native American textile...
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Elmer by David McKee
Students explore individual differences. In this literacy and self-esteem lesson, students listen to the story Elmo by David McKee, then describe what characteristics make Elmo special. Students complete a T chart showing how Elmo looked...
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My Shadow
In this writing instructional activity, students read a story starter which asks them to recall a time they saw their shadow. Students write the story and illustrate it.
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My Pretend Friend
For this writing worksheet, learners read a story starter which asks them to tell about a real or pretend friend. Students write the story and illustrate it.
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My Toy
In this language arts worksheet, students write about a personal story of sharing toys. They recall the story and then draw an illustration of it.
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Dorothy Strait
In this language arts worksheet, the story starter says that Native Americans like to dance when they come together. Learners write and illustrate what they like to do when they are with friends.
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My Alphabetical Autobiography
Design a pictorial autobiography using the letters of the alphabet. For each letter, writers select visual images that represent life events and interests. Younger writers add words or sentences of explanation while older writers narrate...
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What Kind of Vessel Are You?
This is a strange question; but what kind of vessel would you be and why? After examining images of a large Inca jug, the class sets to writing a creative narrative that answers that very interesting question. They start by researching...
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Experience This!
What would you do if you had to go to school all day every day? Tillie tackles this problem in Sharon Creech’s A Fine, Fine School. After a discussion of how Tillie got the principal to change his ways, brainstorm with your class...
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Create a Holiday for Your Favorite Hero
Students create a holiday for a hero. The person may be someone in history who is not currently honored with a holiday, another famous person, a family member, a friend, or someone else they admire.
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Beanie Baby Biographies
Learners write a biography for their favorite Beanie Babies and then share their biography out loud. A simple, yet effective idea! Everyone loves their Beanie Baby!
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This is Me
For this literacy learning exercise, students draw a picture of themselves and then compose a sentence that is descriptive of who they are.
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Tate's Birthday
In this language arts worksheet, students use the word bank in order to create a story related to a birthday suprise.
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Planting Seeds
In this literacy learning exercise, learners use a word bank to create a story about planting seeds.
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Oregon Trail Art
Learners describe events that happened on the Oregon Trail and in the daily lives of Native Americans by writing a narrative essay of a family traveling through Nebraska based on Thomas Hart Benton's paintings.
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The Goat in the Rug
Students write a personal narrative about something they produce at home. (examples: make a sandwich, clean room, set table, do homework). Students should remember to mention different types of resources and intermediate goods used.
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Social Studies: Shaking the Family Tree
Create family trees while reading "Little House in the Big Woods." After examining Laura Ingalls Wilder's family tree, compare it to a real tree's roots and branches. Conclude with interviewing family members and decorating family...
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Pastimes
Learners define and discuss personal pastimes, listen to the story Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, discuss owling as rural pastime, demonstrate comprehension by writing responses to story, and discuss how climate and geography often determine...
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Delicious Descriptive Adjectives
Students write out recipes with different adjectives then share them with the class.
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The All About Me Poster
Students discover the literary genre of biographies. In this creative writing lesson, students write about their own life experiences and personal stories. Students create a poster about their lives, a biographical...
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Picture Prompt: Skunk
In this writing worksheet, students examine a picture prompt showing a skunk and some garden friends. Students write a story about the picture.
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Observation Skills
First graders observe a spider and write sentences about what they see the spider doing. In this writing lesson plan, 1st graders draw what they see, then make an edible spider out of marshmallows and twizzlers. A fun, delicious lesson...