Student Handouts
Book Report Template
Help your youngsters frame their thoughts and begin to organize notes for their next book reports. This template includes space for a book citation, author background, synopsis, and critique
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Write Your Own Screen Play
Students critique the transition of "Holes" from a novel to screenplay and consider how the details in a book are brought to life in a movie. They then choose a scene in a book and transform it into an original script after brainstorming...
PBS
Writing a Historical Poem
Students conduct field research of a historical site in order to discover a more complete understanding of a time period. They choose one particular historical figure and write a short poem about the site from the historical person's...
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Writing Novelettes
Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette. In this creating writing instructional activity, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette....
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Book Party
Learners compile a list of titles and authors worthy of having their own festivals, then research and write proposals outlining the activities for a specific book festival. They write analytical letters from the perspective of the author...
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Book Discussions via Web 2.0
Pupils discuss books they read via web 2.0. and create a wiki and podcast that will present the audience with their select a book by a popular teen author and write a short script about the book. Students and type the critic of the book...
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Writing Traits Instruction
Learners assess and critique a wide variety of writing samples for each of the traits of writing strands from literature, composition writing, reading and assessment tools. They create and design a descriptive definition piece of writing...
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Small Group Shared Writing
Students discuss elements of effective writing in small groups. They work together to critique individual and group writing focusing on including supporting details.
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A Study of Plants
Using a variety of multi-media resources, your high schoolers become familiar with the parts of plant and create a story about plants using vocabulary learned during their research of plants. Completed stories are published using the...
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Book Smarts
Young scholars identify the ideas and themes that are most significant in a work of literature, then propose ways to visually represent these themes through art.
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Voice Lessons
Students visualize examples of sentence structure by creating patterns with Lego blocks. They apply terms of voice and syntax by critiquing others' writings as well as revising their own writing pieces. Revision is the key within this...
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Undercover-ed
Have your class engage in critical-thinking activities using this resource. Learners discuss a variety of topics they think get too much, or too little, attention from the press. They analyze why these topics are over or underrated....
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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...
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Critical Ways of Seeing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Context
Students complete a unit of lessons examining the cultural context of the novel, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' They write a critique of the novel, compare/contrast two published critiques, and explore various websites.
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Creating Our Newspapers
Students write newspaper articles in groups to form a class newspaper. In this newspaper lesson plan, students share their work with another group who critiques it.
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Using the Table of Contents
Students critique a table of contents to find information in a book. Students locate their text books and then locate the table of contents in each one. Students research purposes for the table of contents in books.
National First Ladies' Library
We're off to see the Wizard!
Young scholars explore the process of play and movie making from books. They study the basic elements of drama and write and produce a play based on a chosen theme. Students explain the basic elements of a play by looking at "The...
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Greek Mythology: Cultures and Art
Students examine literary arts. In this Greek mythology lessons, students read Greek myths and select characters from the myths to study. Students create watercolor illustrations of the characters, write short stories about the...
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Literary Wizardry
Learners discuss what they already know about the Harry Potter series. After reading an article, they examine a critic's reaction to the latest book in the series. As a class, they brainstorm what parts of their school day could use...
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Make a Switch: Let There Be Light
Students research a notable painter and use his or her work as inspiration to create a functional light switch plate. In this art lesson, students find an artist whose work is appealing to them to research and critique. Students then...
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Personal Peace Symbols
Eleventh graders produce a work of art that symbolizes peace and their experiences with it. In this peace symbolism lesson, 11th graders sketch symbols associated with peace view art examples of peace images. Students complete a...
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Other Countries
Students select a country and conduct research on the culture, population, geography, and government of their country. They conduct research using the Internet and a variety of resource books, and write and publish a report that...
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Shakespeare and Macbeth: The Story Behind the Play
Students read Shakespeare and Macbeth: The Story Behind the Play by Stewart Ross. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the play and Shakespearian culture. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing,...
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College Research Skills: Evaluating Reliable Online Sources
Students analyze Public Art in preparation for college discussion, research, and writing, and create their own artistic creations. In this art and college prep lesson, students develop an original research question to explore an art...