Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Antonia: Biopoem Writing Strategy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Explore the characters in My Antonia by Willa Cather with a biopoem assignment. Pupils use the provided format to write their poems about any character from the book.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character in a Box

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Partners choose, research, and analyze fictional or historical characters and design character life boxes to represent them. They also compose a rhyme royal, which they understand inductively by deconstructing examples. Based largely on...
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

The Good Earth: Biopoem Strategy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
To gain a better understanding of characters in Pearl Buck's The Good Earth, kids create a biopoem for one of her characters.
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

Touching Spirit Bear: The Literary Mandala

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Even someone with a dark side can make a good decision—and vice versa. Readers explore Cole's traits and decisions in Ben Mikaelson's Touching Spirit Bear and analyze his sunside and...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

All About Me

For Teachers 7th
Students practice biographical and autobiographical forms of writing: autobiography, biopoem, character traits, classmate biography.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Diary Entry (3+)

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students better explain a character after examining their traits as well as trying to write a diary entry from their perspective.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Zero The Hero, Trout The Lout

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use a graphic organizer create a character sketch of Trout Walker from the novel Holes. Using the provided worksheet, students fill in the important character traits of Trout. Worksheet and answer key are provided with the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Cluster

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders practice identifying characters and story elements by creating a character cluster in class.  For this story analysis lesson, 3rd graders discuss the story Snow White and identify the characteristics of the evil witch....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

BioPoem Multicultural Activity For A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students write a biopoem. In this literature and poetry writing lesson, students write a biopoem about the characters in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry following a specific given format. Examples and format are included.
Organizer
Curated OER

The Diary of Anne Frank, Act I: Characterization Worksheet

For Students 7th - 9th
For this The Diary of Anne Frank worksheet, students identify personality traits and give examples from the play to provide evidence to show the trait selected for ten characters.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who am I?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students develop their writing skills by creating a character sketch about themselves. Students read character sketches, view portraits by famous artists, select one personality traits, and affix a mug shot of themselves into a famous...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who am I?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students practice their writing skills by creating a character sketch of themselves. After viewing portraits, they select one personality trait and put their own picture into the painting of their choice. They include a conversation with...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Trumpet of the Swan Character Study

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this literature worksheet, students complete a study of their favorite character from the Trumpet of the Swan. They fill in the name of their favorite character, complete a table with words that describe that character, and use those...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

December

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students create snowflake similes, Kwanzaa plaques, menorah banners, and more for the month of December. In this December activities lesson plan, students also analyze characters in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Knot" the Whole Truth: Writing a Modern-Day Story with a Tall Tale's Voice

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Beyond Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, tall tales can be a great way to teach young writers about word choice and voice in their writing. Using Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee  and the Six-Trait Writing process, they begin to write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Personification Lesson Plans and Resources

For Teachers 4th - 10th
This resource on personification provides three different approaches aimed at different levels. The first, appropriate for upper elementary, provides examples of personification, followed by an exercise that requires replacing a word in...
Organizer
Curated OER

Monster: Compare and Contrast

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Helpful for a unit on Walter Dean Myers' Monster, or any novel that you are teaching, a graphic organizer prompts learners to compare and contrast different character traits. The first box has one set of lines to jot down what two...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rename Fruits, Vegetables and Spices

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students explore fruits and vegetables. In this fruits and vegetables lesson, students study traits of various fruits, vegetables and seeds. Students rename fruits, vegetables and seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You G.O.T. It!

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students complete a T-chart graphic organizer to synthesize and separate information which they have collected.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Relationships

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore relationships between story characters. In this story elements and reading comprehension lesson, students generate character traits of the characters in Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson. Students describe...
PPT
US National Library of Medicine

Genetics in Harry Potter’s World Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
By the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we know Harry and Ginny get married, but what will their kids look like? This presentation introduces viewers to Punnett Squares and how to use them to determine both...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Defining Character, With Help from History

For Teachers 10th - 12th
In a single, soundly-designed class period, high schoolers define good character, think-pair-share about thought-provoking quotes on character (More options would enhance the discussion, worth searching online for other quotes to add.),...
Handout
Gottlieb

Kennings vs. Stock Epithets – A Quick Review

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
Bone-crusher. Troll-wife. Battle-sweat. Blood-worm. What study of Beowulf would be complete without offering readers of this Old English epic poem an opportunity to craft their own kennings and epithets? Provide individuals with a copy...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Scrapbook Teacher's Guide

For Teachers K - 8th
Students analyze a book's characters and create a scrapbook to print and save. In this on line interactive characterization lesson plan, students identify character traits and gain a deeper understanding of a book's characters.