This scripted activity suggests using the journalist’s five W’s (who, what, when, where, why) to teach readers how to summarize a story and to how to distinguish between significant and supporting details. A template and rubric are...

A video leads off this activity on fables, introducing the class to this important form of traditional storytelling. The group defines fable and hears an explanation of the origin of this type of folk tale. They summarize the story they...

Elementary learners identify the main elements of story structure and form questions to summarize their reading. They listen as the teacher reads a story and then write questions to determine (1) main characters, (2) setting, (3)...

Scholars review prior knowledge before completing a hands-on simulation of the rock cycle. They write stories or songs summarizing their simulations to demonstrate mastery.

Students read and discuss the short story, "The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm," by Mark Twain. They assume the role of the main characters in the story and write a humorous letter of complaint using a business letter format. They...

Students summarize a children's book relating to farm animals. They act out the events of the book with stick puppets they create. Students experience the concepts of dialogue and role play.

Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples. ...

Students research current events and simulate a newscast of a current news story. They watch the evening news and write a summary of a story of interest, conduct Internet research and complete a worksheet on a current event, and...

Students read Ruthanne Lum McCunn's Thousand Pieces of Gold and as a class, discuss the Chinese practice of foot binding. They work in groups to read further about how women of different cultures attempt to conform. They write about...

Young scholars explore foreign cultures by reading a story in class. In this Hispanic history lesson, students read the story Radio Man by Arthur Dorros and identify the times discrimination is used in the story. Young scholars discuss...

Scholars write letters as if they were someone who heard the story of John Brown's raid. The resource, a standalone, covers information from primary sources that is important to West Virginian history: the Harpers Ferry Letters.

Have fun with history and turn your kids into news reporters of the past. Each group will research, script, and deliver a news report on a historic event they are studying in class. They'll identify the main characters of the historical...

Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling activity, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.

Students, after reading a variety of books, choose one book to analyze story events and summarizes them in one illustration for a book jacket cover. They gather information about bas-relief sculpture and use that technique to create a...

Fourth graders study the Civil War. They examine online photos that are connected to Indiana's role in the Civil War. They choose one of these photos and in a story circle, tell a story about it. They tell who is in the picture, what...

Young scholars examine Gandhi's Salt March. In this peace and tolerance lesson, students discuss the Salt Tax Levy that was imposed in India. Young scholars then debate how the Indian National Congress should have handled the issue.

Fifth graders investigate the qualities of a good reader by participating in a role play with the provided scripts. They focus on the five main strategies of good readers -- predicting, clarifying, questioning, summarizing, and...

Second graders practice asking the 5 W questions by reading a Boxcar Children book.  In this journalism lesson, 2nd graders read a single story from the Boxcar Children series and answer the 5 W's about each specific chapter....

Students investigate the horrors of World War II by participating in a role-playing activity.  For this holocaust lesson, students read handouts describing the atrocities committed against the Jews in Germany during the mass...

Students, working individually and in teams, research life in their community during the civil rights era. They take part in a role-playing discussion about civil rights issues based on their research, and create individual and group...

Young scholars examine a poster of Brown v. Board of Education and discuss what the important details are. They read the story behind the poster and court case. They role play different sections of the case such as the court case or...

Twelfth graders analyze the ethical and moral decisions made by people during the Holocaust. They role play a situation placing them in an ethical delima. They must make a choice and defend it to their peers. Readings and test...

Fourth graders apply their understanding of the elements of plot structure and conflict to cooperatively create storyboards and speak effectively as they present their products. They create storyboards for some of the classic Disney...

Learners participate in a game-like format to identify characteristics of genres. They categorize stories into genres bases on story summaries after a class discussion of the characteristics.