Expose your class to Waiting for the Biblioburro, narrative nonfiction that will act as the bridge between ficiton and informational texts to come. Class members do a close reading of the text, looking at excerpts instead of the whole...

Analyze characters and stories to identify stereotyping. Learners will examine the concept of character gender to evaluate bias in classroom story books. They are asked to read a story or play and change the gender of the character to...

Connect to real-world experiences by having your primary learners create an award certificate based upon literal and inferential information from a story. They present the award to a character from a story and explain the criteria used....

Begin class with a short comprehension quiz and review and then move into a new genre: two-voice poems. The activity provides information about this type of poetry as well as a video example made by eighth graders that you can show your...

Read this twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Dusty Locks and the Three Bears by Susan Lowell. Kindergartners listen, predict, and discuss the story. They then participate in a dramatization of the story and draw a picture...

Third graders read the story "Sam and the Lucky Money". Individually, they identify new key terms from the story. In groups, they examine the setting and discuss how it relates to the plots and characters. To end the lesson, they read...

Pupils pronounce key phrases during a story. They discuss the story setting and the roles of the characters. They explain the problems the main characters face.

What is the difference between myths, legends, and folktales? From greek mythology and creation myths to heroes and heroines, here is a nice series of lessons for providing your kids with solid foundational knowledge about myths.

Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin! Upper graders and middle schoolers read the story The Three Little Pigs and other tales related to the story from various points of view. They use the Internet to find more stories...

Pupils explore literary classics by reading The Legend of King Arthur. In this legendary story lesson, students read the story The Legend of King Arthur and identify the main characters and how they will reenact the story. Pupils discuss...

Fourth graders explain the hardship of economic limitations in Westward Expansion . They describe the effects of fluctuations in supply and demand. They put themselves in the place of pioneers hoping to build a homestead.

Students examine the way they react to characters and text. They write respones to different media tests. They are required to bring in a photograph and create a mini-biography for homework.

Learners examine speech difficulties by reading a children's book in class. In this children's literature instructional activity, students read the story Hooway for Wodney the Wat, and analyze the characters, story and the bullying that...

Here’s a reading strategy that can be used with any text. Class members examine portions of a novel, and make predictions about the theme or subject matter of the book. Although designed for Christopher Paul Curtis’s Newbery Medal...

Students create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition instructional activity, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In...

Ninth graders explore the definition of integrity through a class discussion. They provide positive/negative examples from the story and their own experiences. Students determine character traits by analyzing the dialogue in a short...

Students use the internet to gather information about Greek Mythology. They discover the role of the snake and shamrock and the history of St. Patrick's Day. They compare and contrast their culture to another.

Students examine the concept of osmosis in relation to dehydration. They identify the function and structure of semi-permable membranes. They predict how certain processes can affect the characteristics of an organism.

Students explore agriculture by participating in a role-play activity. In this farm to fork lesson plan, students ask and answer questions as though they were a specific plant about to be eaten. Students write responses to critical...

Eleventh graders discover the importance of the fortune teller in Shakespeare's Macbeth. After watching two interpretations of the play, they examine and compare the portrayal of the character. They create their own modern adaptation of...

Students examine how sedimentary rocks are formed.  In this rock lesson students research different rock formations and different types of rock. 

Third graders are introduced to new vocabulary associated with slavery and the Underground Railroad. In groups, they use the vocabulary to identify the various ranges of freedom and create their own vocabulary webs. To end the...