Students discover writing strategies authors use to enhance characters.  In this character writing activity, students are read the Knuffle Bunny books by Mo Willems and analyze the story, characters and settings as they listen....

Action! Delve into character development in the play Fences by August Wilson, setting the stage for learners to analyze character nuances. Thespians choose a scene from the script, responding with a written account of the...

The pop movie Moulin Rouge was based on the opera La Boheme. Learners watch the last 30 minutes of each musical to compare and contrast social opposites. They'll first discuss the social differences of the main characters and how those...

Students create masks from the Italian Renaisance theatre and use them in one-act plays they write. they analyze the role and development of theatre in world cultures.

Students imagine that they are casting directors for a student story-turned-movie, and assess considerations for making the book's characters as accurate, interesting, and fun as they are in the original piece.

Students analyze language arts by reading a book in class. In this book report instructional activity, students must read one of five selected books including 1984 and Lord of the Flies. Students prepare a two page report and create a...

Students discover Mexican culture by reading and cooking.  In this Central American History instructional activity, students read the book Holy Mole, and analyze the story by answering questions about plot, characters and even sound...

Students read and analyze the works of Shakespeare. In this "Much Ado About Nothing" lesson, students deicper the play and research Shakespeare's works. Students create a quiz based on his life and re-enact a scene from the play.

Students explore language arts by analyzing a children's book in class. In this vocabulary lesson, students read the book Slowly, Slowly, Slowly... by Eric Carle. Students identify the characters, setting and plot of the story before...

Young scholars act out a section of the book Gentle Annie that is depicted in Chapter 4. They discuss the character position taken by each of the characters in the scene. They write a persuasive letter to one of the characters.

Students analyze the language and characters in the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. In this Shakespeare play lesson, students read section of the play and discuss the speech of Benedick and Claudio. Students record the speech...

Students analyze a chapter from the assigned book they are reading.  In this reading comprehension lesson, students read chapter four from Freckle Juice by Judy Blume, and discuss the main character, Andrew.  Students complete...

Students use Ernest J. Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying to investigate the reality of legal segregation. In this segregation lesson, students work in groups to study the books characters and how their classification affected the rights they...

Third graders complete book reports. They are given the following jobs; chef, who organizes them into genres; maître d', who calls students to share the menu; and waiters/waitresses, who take orders for books from customers, pass out...

Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students experience literature and participate in a simulation that examines discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes.

Fourth graders act out a mock fairy tale trial. They use a fairy tale like "The Three Little Pigs", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "Hansel and Grete"l, and/or "Little Red Riding Hood".

Fifth graders read Dear Mr. Henshaw and identify the character trait of self-respect as exhibited by Leigh throughout the story. They evaluate the author's use of letters to tell the story and discuss how the story would be different if...