November is National Novel Writing Month, so if your young authors are embarking on this journey, be sure they understand plot elements. This collaborative lesson plan fits into the context of the larger NaNoWriMo project; however, the...

Introduce your young thespians to the elements of drama! Key vocabulary helps them through their first week of class. The presentation outlines parts of a script, stage direction, and strategies for reading a script. Tip: The strategies...

Here’s a graphic organizer that permits learners to chart the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution of a story. The PDF file can be customized to work with any narrataive.

Historically, members of the upper class provide plenty of fodder for comedic writers. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is no exception, and a study guide for the classic play discusses some of the Victorian social...

Visualize a plot rollercoaster using this graphic organizer for budding authors. Don't think you're getting the typical five-part plot structure here, though; there are nine spaces for writers to fill in plot elements, assuring they...

Grow an understanding of short story with a well-sequenced plan built around an Academy Award-winning short film. Class members explore the elements of an effective short story, and practice writing their own. They also watch the short...

Do you know the setting of The Count of Monte Cristo? What about the main characters? Explore the elements of Alexandre Dumas' novel with a reading comprehension activity. Kids toss boxes with literary elements written on each side,...

Everyone loves the tales involving King Arthur and his knights. After reading Knights of the Round Table by Gwen Gross, learners draw inferences and conclusions, analyze story elements, and discuss figurative language, including...

Cover Freytag's Triangle and examine Anton Chekhov's "The Bet" in this third lesson plan in a series of fourteen based around short stories. Learners take a quiz and discuss Freytag's triangle. They apply the triangle to "The Bet" and...

Check understanding of plot with a study guide for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Separated into sections, you might split this up into pieces or give it to individuals as a packet. The questions are mostly lower level,...

Students define and interpret the elements found in a short story. Then they identify the elements of plot found in a short story. Students also apply knowledge of plot to an original work of fiction. Finally, they identify the...

Before Hamilton, Lin Manuel-Miranda gained fame with In the Heights. A study guide prepares theater goers for a performance of the musical about a group of friends living in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights....

Eager readers have waited a long time, very patiently, for a set of literary analysis lessons that connect text structure to the work's central idea. As ninth graders continue reading "The Tell-Tale Heart," they focus on the central...

In this Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End activity and progress test activity, students respond to a total of 15 short answer, multiple choice, matching, and fill in the blank questions pertaining to Pirates of the Caribbean - At...

Discuss life in the 1930s in relation to the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, then do a cross-media analysis. Here you'll find background information on film maker John Ford, writer John Steinbeck, and 1930s America. You can compare the...

Test your class on the first five chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird with this basic reading comprehension quiz. Use it to judge whether your learners have been completing assigned reading or not. Class members can receive immediate...

What are the elements of a personal narrative? Get your class talking by reading "The Necklace" and "A Dangerous Game." The lesson plan focuses primarily on defining certain vocabulary terms (like context clues, plot, conflict, climax,...

Middle schoolers in particular will benefit from this simple presentation. Forty slides cover story elements like the protagonist, antagonist, and setting, and literary devices are also included. Some examples are given, but for the most...

Are you reading The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck in your class? If so, this quiz might be useful for you. This is an online interactive quiz that covers the novel's theme, plot, and characters. The quiz refers to the entire novel,...

See how carefully your pupils are doing their assigned reading. This challenging 15-question quiz on Charles Dickens' classic novel A Tale of Two Cities, tests the reader's ability to recall important information about the plot and...

Quiz your class for basic plot understanding, character recognition, and quote recall with this ten-question online quiz. After choosing their answers to the multiple choice questions about John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, learners can...

A writer has the responsibility to defend the less fortunate members of society. At least that was the view of Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables. The novel is the subject of a study guide from Orlando Shakespeare Theater....

In this Touching Spirit Bear comprehension check worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer questions covering chapter 5 of Touching Spirit Bear in order to help them better understand the chapter and the novel.

For this comprehension check worksheet, students define 13 vocabulary words, define 5 literary terms, and respond to 23 short answer questions pertaining to chapter 1 of The Lord of the Flies in order to help them better understand the...