Students write a short story set in a selected period of history. They conduct research on a selected period of history, write and edit a rough draft of their short story, and submit a final draft of their story that includes details...

Students read the book, The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System, and discuss the planets visited by the characters in the book. They write journal entries from the viewpoint of E.T., writing letters home describing his travels in...

Students consider a variety of well-known proverbs that refer to the weather. They research the scientific validity of these proverbs, conduct interviews about public perception of the proverbs and summarize their findings in writing.

Students listen to several Japanese stories and write their own Japanese-style stories, which they share with the class.

Students explore fantasy through The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  In this literature lesson, students investigate character analysis through book comparisons.  Students read The Hobbit and one other book by J.R.R. Tolkien and...

Fourth graders are taught how to outline a fictional narrative essay. They review the definition and structure of narrative essays. Students use the activity to brainstorm specific ideas for narrative essays. They are given a...

Students read a book from the Dear America series and contrast different points of view. They respond to the book either by participating in a literature circle or completing a journal entry. They compare and contrast two books or a...

Students discover police procedures by filling out crime reports.  In this government lesson plan, students discuss the benefits of historical reports pertaining to criminals and victims.  Students listen to an officer of the...

Students examine what makes a tragic hero and whether Captain Ahab fits the criteria.  In this literature lesson, engage in group discussions and examine Captain Ahab from the novel Moby Dick. They will then engage in a debate...

Students explore writing techniques by comparing fiction vs. non-fiction. In this literature analysis lesson, students read stories from Aesop's Fables and compare the themes and characters to stories from their own life. Students...

Learners analyze the genre of detective fiction through stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Anna Katherine Green. In this detective fiction lesson, students read "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Second Bullet." Learners read the summaries and...

Students, while reading a novel together in class, jot in their journals any connections to their own lives they can make between the text and self, text to text or text to the world. Various themes are connected to open more doors to...

In this fact and fantasy worksheet, students write some true and false statements about their summer activities. Students write 8 statements.

Fifth graders utilize the library in order to find the answers to three questions about The Revolutionary War. For this writing and library skills lesson, 5th graders pretend they are a Spy, and write the answers in a fictional letter to...

Students identify the key events in a fiction book. In this literacy instructional activity, students read the book Harry and the Lady Next Door and work in pairs to discuss the main events of each chapter to develop a short summary.

Students learn how to read a short section and parepare a sentence to share with the group. Students listen to the reading of expository text, restate, in sentence format, one fact learned from that text, and produce a report.

Young scholars identify the key features of printed non-fiction texts.  In this deciphering texts lesson, students watch a video clip of a news program and a children's program to compare presentations. Young scholars also identify...

Students practice the skill of summarizing in writing the content of a passage or text and point out the main points in the story. They revise their skills on note-taking that they took the semester before and fine tune them more...

In this writing worksheet, students learn that authors create books aimed at a particular audience of a certain age and interest. Learners read the names of 10 kinds of books and write the name of someone they think would enjoy it, and why.

Time for a story! Learners of all ages enjoy listening to stories, so read them some common fables and have them work cooperatively to create a fable.  Differentiate for varying ability levels by providing sentence frames, graphic...

Class members create a PowerPoint presentation showing artifacts they would include in a time capsule. The artifacts and explanations reflect personal hobbies, grooming choices, school life, etc. A great way for class members to...

A clever activity designed around an apple awaits your learners. Descriptive words are used to explain what they believe is inside a bag while using their five senses. Young scholars read the story The Apple Pie Tree and are introduced...

Students read historic or contemporary fiction that is set in and around castles. Then they build castles and characters to use in retelling stories, demonstrating their understanding of fiction texts and period architecture. Students...

Students read both fiction and nonfiction books with desert themes. Then they write desert stories and reports, reviewing texts for information to include in writing. Students also design desert scenes with details and setting elements...