Pennsylvania Department of Education
Analyzing Literary Elements in Literary Nonfiction
Fourth graders identify the literary elements of a nonfiction text. In this literary elements lesson plan, 4th graders read the text Piano Starts Here--The Young Art Tatum and fill in a chart that includes the events from the book....
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Sharing the Joy of a Garden
Students see that a garden is a place where an individual can go for inner peace and solitude. They discover that a garden is to be shared. Students describe the importance that a garden has to the environment and lives of individuals...
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Dan, the Flying Man Comes to Our Town
Students listen to a read aloud of "Dan, the Flying Man" and complete a class re-write of the book highlighting what the main character would fly over if he flew over their town. They may keyboard their entry into the class book.
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1st and 3rd Person
Sixth graders listen as the teacher describes the difference between the 1st and 3rd person. They then search through their literature books to find a story written from a 3rd person perspective and discuss why the story is in third...
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There's a Monster in My Closet!
Learners create their own monsters that exist in their imaginary closets and decorate their environment. They then write a short story to describe their illustration using a prompt.
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A Little Mystery and Intrigue in Writing Short Detective Stories
Pupils read and analyze the twelve short stories in the novel "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." They create their own detective that has to solve a new kind of crime, and write and edit a short story with their original detective as...
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"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe
High schoolers read and analyze the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe. They take notes while reading the story, select an element to analyze, and write an essay about the characters, theme, or the setting.
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Using Picture Books to Teach the Holocaust
Students compare a photo of a child's room during the Holocaust to their room. In this WWII lesson, students read picture books and evaluate the roles of characters in the book. Students create either a poster about the roles, a movie...
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Finger Fun
Students study the art forms of printmaking and pointillism. They create a picture using their hands and fingers to create shapes and sizes. They add detail to create characters. They discuss their pictures as a class.
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Chinese Dynasties
Students explore several Chinese dynasties and research various topics including papermaking, calligraphy, and Lu Hou. They also demonstrate how to use an abacus and create several math problems to solve with it. Choosing a dynasty,...
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We Need More Than Money
Students identify examples of private resources. In this philanthropy lesson, students read the book A Chair for My Mother and identify the private resources the characters used in the text. Students name private resources that can help...
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Thinking About Money
Students explore the concept of a personal budget. In this philanthropy lesson, students use a Venn diagram to compare 2 stories in which the main characters spend money in different ways.
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Trustworthiness
Sixth graders evaluate trustworthiness in others. In this character education instructional activity, 6th graders brainstorm items that are trustworthy, and then list attributes of trustworthy friends. Then students read a story to...
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To Be or Not to Be: A Marriage of Civil War Descendants
Young scholars examine primary documents related to the burning of Chambersburg during the Civil Way. In this Civil War era history lesson, students study numerous primary documents relating to the burning of the town of Chambersburg....
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Story Elements/ Setting
Students practice the story element of setting. In this setting lesson plan, students listen to the story Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant. They discuss and describe the places that Tulip saw in the story.
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My Family and Other Animals: Larry's Idea
In this my family and other animals: Larry's Idea worksheet, student answer 22 questions about the story, Larry's Idea, match characters, put events in order, and rewrite sentences.
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A Moroccan Fairy Tale vs. European Folk/Fairy Tale
Second graders explore world geography by reading two different fairy tales. In this cultural storytelling lesson, 2nd graders read Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and the Moroccan story The Girl Who Lived with the Gazelles. Students...
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Fairy Tales
Class groups examine fairy tales from a feminist and a Marxist perspective, identifying how these tales present gender roles and class/power systems. The groups then script and perform their own tale that uses one of these lenses.
PB Works
George Washington’s Socks: Short-Answer Questions Chapters 1-9
Build a literature unit around the book George Washington's Socks with this series of short answer questions. Broken up in two- and three-chapter increments, these reading comprehension questions allow young readers to demonstrate...
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Graphic Organizer Collection: Character
In this collection of graphic organizers for a literature unit, students will complete 22 different graphic organizers on the topic of character development. For example, this collection includes character analysis and various attribute...
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Julius Caesar Act I Pre-Reading Characterization Worksheet
In this Julius Caesar worksheet, students determine character traits of Julius Caesar and Brutus from quotations given. Students are given 13 quotations about or by Julius Caesar and 8 quotations about or by Brutus.
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Being a Good Citizen
First graders discuss citizenship. In this being a good citizen instructional activity, 1st graders complete a worksheet identifying characteristics of a good citizen. Students draw a picture then use a flip camera to capture good...
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Tales From Around the World
Young scholars read stories. In this culture lesson, students read stories from different regions around the world. Young scholars look for each region on the map and listen for interesting cultural details in the story. Students then...
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A Separate Peace: Chapter 10 Reading and Study Guide
In this comprehension check worksheet, students define 3 vocabulary words, define 2 literary terms, and respond to 10 short answer questions pertaining to chapter 10 of A Separate Peace by John Knowles in order to help them better...