Explore the fascinating ways in which authors use specific literary devices to create interesting and realistic texts. Using non-fiction articles with the subject of rogue waves, an excerpt from The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger,...

Students, after viewing a variety of three-dimensional objects, illustrate how to decorate a pizza box to store their completed art, homework and craft projects in. They extend their awareness of storage solutions and organizing skills...

In this Diary of a Part-Time Indian comprehension check worksheet, students respond to 21 short answer questions pertaining to pages 159-178 of Diary of a Part-Time Indian in order to help them better understand the novel and the...

In this Diary of a Part-Time Indian comprehension check worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer questions pertaining to pages 104-117 of Diary of a Part-Time Indian in order to help them better understand the novel and the...

Students examine famous African-Americans. In this African-Americans lesson, students research and give an oral report on a famous African-American.

After reading an example of a Cultural Connection about a particular person, class members are asked to think about what this person might experience on a daily basis. They then craft a narrative from the subject’s point of view.

Model for your class how to craft an analysis of a sonnet by examining the literary techniques used, the background of the poet, and critical reviews of the poem. As guided practice, learners are assigned a sonnet, complete a preliminary...

Students recognize and spell sets of words with r-controlled vowels. They become familiar with r-controlled spelling patterns.

Class members use e-mail and the merry-go-round story format to create a science fiction story. Each writer begins by selecting one of three prompts, crafting the introductory paragraph and sending the paragraph to the next person on the...

Tenth graders define the term slang, explaining its various social, historical, and racial contexts, so as to articulate when it can be appropriately used as a means of effective communication. They use their own personal slang lexicon,...

Young scholars compare and discuss characteristics and properties of 2- and 3-dimensional shapes. They construct 3-dimensional paper star figures, imaginatively customizing them with art tools and craft materials. Students analyze their...

In this Diary of a Part-Time Indian comprehension check worksheet, students respond to 32 short answer questions pertaining to pages 135-158 of Diary of a Part-Time Indian in order to help them better understand the novel and the...

In this Durango Street comprehension check worksheet, learners define 5 vocabulary words and respond to 10 short answer questions pertaining to chapter 8 of Durango Street in order to help them better understand the novel and the...

In this Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry comprehension check worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer questions pertaining to chapter 10 of the Mildred D. Taylor novel to better understand the novel and the author's craft.

In this The First Part Last comprehension check worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer questions pertaining to part 2 of the Angela Johnson novel to better understand the novel and the author's craft.

“Hope is a tissue, wiping away your problems and fears.” Use a Definition Poem Web worksheet to model for your class how to craft a free verse poem based on an emotion. After brainstorming topics, groups use the sheet to make comparisons...

An examination of the figurative language in Gwendolyn Brooks’ To Young Readers challenges your writers to think about the richness of language. Ask your class why Brooks says, “Good books are bandages.” This discussion of alliteration,...

Young scholars analyze close readings of poems, looking up words in the dictionary, and discussing the major parts of dictionary definitions, including word origin and parts of speech. They examine sonnets, then compare/contrast their...

Have your pupils just finished reading biographies? Extend their study by having them craft a biography newsletter about the subject of their biography.  Using a word processor, they create, revise and edit their report, and add...

Students examine examples of the qualities of good writing skills and discuss how each of the traits add to the process of good writing. A variety of excerpts from literature provide samples for the exploration.

C.S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength provides the model for using dreams in narrative writing. After a discussion of the purpose of dreams in Lewis’s tale, class members craft a story in which their dreams play an essential role.

Students read and discuss several Pourquoi tales--legends that explain why certain natural events occur. They complete a variety of activities surrounding each tale and then write their own Pourquoi tale.

Students investigate the letters that form the word "clown". They draw the pictures that coincide with each letter. Students use construction paper for a background and then insert the pictures. Then they write the dialogue for the book.

In this Durango Street comprehension check worksheet, students define 2 vocabulary words and respond to 5 short answer questions pertaining to chapter 9 of Durango Street in order to help them better understand the novel and the author's...