Discovering the main idea in fiction is like uncovering buried treasure; one must persevere to locate it, and the reward is priceless. Scholars delve deep into leveled stories using three questions to aid in identifying the main idea. 

Students engage in the process of problem solving with the help of children's literature story of how the whale was trapped and then freed. The story illustrates the power of teamwork and commitment. The students practice the skill of...

Use the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin to teach your third grade class about descriptive writing. Following a teacher read-aloud of the story, the class brainstorms a list of adjectives describing the main character. Students use this list...

Readers make personal connections to Saturday Market by Patricia Grossman and answer comprehension questions while reading the book. Comparing and contrasting the different characters in a Venn diagram leads to a kinesthetic...

Students practice their reading comprehension skills. In this reading skills lesson, students use the R.E.A.C.T.I.O.N. model to identify story elements in books that students elect to read independently.

Here is a lesson plan that gives learners a chance to practice using context clues. They read the story, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Students use different word strategies (base words, synonyms, antonyms) to decode and understand...

How do novels differ from plays? Explore with your class the text features of fiction and drama by reading The Hidden One: Native American Legend and then performing a reader’s theater script based on the story. Class members create a...

Use this comprehensive packet to accompany a study of Missing May by Cynthia Rylant. Starting out with a brief author biography and background information about the novel, this guide includes materials to use throughout the entire novel....

Moving to a new country isn't easy, as Shirley Temple Wong learns in In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. A series of language arts activities carry readers through the novel, addressing the story's themes,...

Readers identify the author's purpose. First, they read a passage and utilize details from the piece to determine the author's purpose. Then they will explain how they arrived at their conclusion. Links to materials are provided.

Introduce your class to fairy tales with this activity. After reading the fractured fairy tale, "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig," third, fourth, and fifth graders write a personal narrative as a response to the fairy tale....

Figures of speech, sensory details, and academic language are all targeted while reading Chapter Two of J. Ferris’ Go Free or Die. First, learners engage in an exercise to practice describing with detail. Then, partners use a...

Students utilize their reading comprehension by analyzing a book with their class. For this children's literature lesson, students read the story The Mitten by Jan Brett and discuss the imagery and characters in the story. Students...

A reading of Pat Street's There's a Frog in My Throat launches a study of figurative language. Using a pocket chart, display one phrase containing figurative language. Class members choose the best explanation from three...

Learners complete activities with the book The Birthday Swap by Loretta Lopez. In this literature instructional activity, students answer pre-reading questions, locate new vocabulary, and read the story. They answer comprehension...

Students write about giving a gift. In this writing lesson students read the book Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco. Students read silently and discuss the story with their classmates. Students write about wanting to buy a gift for...

Students research literary elements of fables. In this literature lesson plan, students analyze literary elements of fables. Students work collaboratively using a jigsaw strategy to analyze literary elements.

Students read and response to the book, Abuela's Weave. In this African-American literature instructional activity, students discuss pre-reading questions, that focus on family traditions and make predictions about the text. Students...

Students recognize synonyms and antonyms. For this reading strategies lesson, students use the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett to make predictions, and correctly recognize synonyms and antonyms.

In this English worksheet, students choose the present simple. Students look at the pictures of the cartoon characters and choose the present simple that fits.

Students are introduced to the culture of a variety of Native American tribes through literature and related activities.

Students present picture books. In this nonfiction lesson students present to their peers nonfiction animal picture books that they have created. Students are assessed on their presentation.

Third graders write their own haiku poem after a lesson on the history and format of a haiku. In this poetry lesson plan, 3rd graders write a haiku with the correct lines and symbols.

Students write poetry in response to Rembrandt's landscapes and portraits. They create accompanying illustrations based on interpretations of Rembrandt's work and present them along with the poems in book format.