Curriculum Corner
Fairy Tale Unit of Study
What makes a fairy tale a fairy tale? Use a 27-page packet to supplement your next fairy tale unit. With sequencing activities, story map worksheets, character analyses and story elements graphic organizers, and fairy tale highlight...
Curated OER
Ollie the Own Says: WHO
Scholars examine the strategy of making a story map or outline to identify the main elements of a story. They discuss the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a story, in an outline form. As a class they read a short story, answer the...
Curated OER
Story Mapping
Help your learners map a story with a graphic organizer provided. Four squares for setting, problem, characters, and solution surround the circle for theme. Use this with any story you may be reading to go over important...
Curated OER
Fairy Tales
Once upon a time are four words most children are familiar with when reading a fairy tale. But do they know that fairy tales are a great way to learn the literary elements of reading and writing? Use a thorough fairy tale unit...
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Just the Facts, Ma'am
Elementary learners identify the main elements of story structure and form questions to summarize their reading. They listen as the teacher reads a story and then write questions to determine (1) main characters, (2) setting, (3)...
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Map It Out
Explore how illustrations add to a story. Young learners will look at picture books to see how the pictures tell the story. They create illustrations to go with a chosen story, and then flip the activity so they have to write a story to...
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
Mummies in the Morning Egyptian pyramids, hieroglyphics
Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...
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The 1:1 Transition: What to Read Before You Implement
Capitalize on the wisdom, experience, and recommendations of those who have blazed the 1:1 trail.
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Kid Maps: Reading and Creating Maps with Human Characteristics
Students look at maps. In this map lesson plan, students listen to the book My Map Book by Sara Fanelli and they see the difference between human characteristics (buildings, etc.) and natural characteristics (rivers, etc.)....
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As the Kids Come and Go: Mapping a Classroom
Map the classroom with your kids to help them understand how maps work and how to read them. The lesson plan starts off with a story about animals living and moving around the globe, and then kids create maps of their classroom to show...
Keys to Literacy
Story Map
Recording the key elements of a story (title, setting, characters, problem, ending) on a story map graphic organizer provides primary readers a chance to practice identifying these elements and promotes reading comprehension. The...
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Lively Read of the Tale of Despereaux
Learners create a character map of the main characters in The Tale of Despereaux. After reading the text, students create a character chart based on information they gleaned from the story. They use this information to write a letter...
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Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Map for Me: An Original Story
Students read Blackbeard and brainstorm their knowledge of maps. In this language arts and geography lesson, students use landmarks on their playground to review north, south, east and west and discuss the compass rose. Students read...
Curriculum Corner
Fiction Organizer
Teach your youngsters about the elements of plot with this handy graphic organizer. Pupils note down the main character, the setting, the problem, and the solution of any fictional story they read.
Curriculum Corner
Book Study: The Polar Express
All aboard! Pair a reading of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg with a set of literacy activities. The packet of worksheets includes task cards, sorting activities, a synonym match, comparing and contrasting activities, writing...
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Reading to Learn
Students complete story maps in this lesson. Students read "The Magic School Bus", and get into groups to choose their story element. Each group shares their information with the class. They then complete a story map for a book read...
Curated OER
The Nature of Haiku Poetry
Students brainstorm elements of nature art prints and photos. They identify the syllable count of Haiku and take a nature walk. They write Haiku poems while practicing the use of simile, alliteration, metaphor, and analogy to describe...
Cassandra Reigel Whetstone
Farmer McPeepers and His Missing Milk Cows
Pair your reading of Farmer McPeepers and His Missing Milk Cows with the questions and activities provided here. Learners answer questions about the text, create story maps, put together brochures, relate math to the story, practice...
Film Education
The Jungle Book
Accompany a viewing of Disney's live-action feature film, The Jungle Book, with a packet equipped with several activities focused on story elements. Scholars discuss and complete diagrams and charts about the movie's characters, setting,...
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Making a Map
Students are introduced to maps by examining the various types and practice using a key to find information. They each create their own map with a key and graph information. As a class, they read the story "Henny Penny" and share their...
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How Do I Get There? Planning a Safe Route to School
One much-needed skill for young learners is direction giving. Have your class plan and draw a safe route for them to travel from home to school. They will also draw places and items that are in between home and school in order to build a...
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Theatre Lesson Plan: Finding Your Way
Second graders identify story elements in familiar stories from their lives. In this story elements lesson plan, 2nd graders act out familiar activities by following directions. Students read a story and discuss the story elements....
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Watershed Tourist
Students recognize and categorize different bodies of water. In this watershed and water environments lesson, students "Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean." Students define the different bodies of water and sort from smallest to...
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Sequencing / Story Events
Young scholars read a story and use sentence strips to order story events. In this sequencing lesson, students learn new vocabulary words centered around the story Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, preview the story, make...