Have you ever read part of a story and had to figure out what the rest was about? Practice making inferences with several short passages and multiple choice questions.

Scholars read an excerpt from the short story "The Bonfire" by Kunikida Doppo as well as a nonfiction passage about handcycling. Next, they answer comprehension-based multiple-choice questions. Additionally, they respond to short-answer...

Working in small groups, scholars look closely at a children's book to evaluate narrative techniques. Next, they complete a Children's Book Scavenger Hunt worksheet to analyze the literary elements of their selected stories. 

Young scholars create a chart to reference when writing new scenes in fiction stories.  In this fiction writing instructional activity, students are exposed to various ways to transition between scenes in their writing.  There...

Middle schoolers write a fantasy story about time traveling back to the time of the Oregon Trail. In this Oregon trail lesson students gather information from their Social Studies textbook about life during the time of the Oregon Trail.

Using the book My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting, Kindergartners will gain an understanding that stories often have solutions. Using Eve Bunting's book as an example the teacher will identify the solution to the story and...

Students write a five paragraph expository theme. They explain in their theme how the story they read qualifies as science fiction. Students write using all the conventions of English correctly.

Students examine websites about realistic fiction. These sites include lists of books that fit into this category and a list of realistic fiction authors. There are also writing prompts to help students write their own realistic fiction...

Sixth graders investigate the constellations. In this constellations activity, 6th graders discover where the constellations are located and the myth associated with them. Students create their own myth and make a slide show about stars...

Students write a fictional story into a comic book format. In this creative writing lesson plan, students analyze example comics and discuss the format. Students create a comic book using imaginary characters that find a solution to a...

The opening of J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit provides a model of how to use rich details to create a setting. After reading the description of Bilbo Baggins’ abode, young writers create their own magical home for a fantasy creature. The...

Read alouds are great ways to build fluency, accuracy, and intonation. Each slide contains part of a story about a haunted house and audio of the story being read aloud by several different children. Whether you use it as a reading...

Challenge your class to find the three purposes for writing. After they read three short passages, kids note whether the author's purpose was to inform, persuade, or entertain.

Students read short biographies on Abraham Lincoln from various artists. Using the texts, they identify the subject of the biography and discuss whether or not illustrations contribute to a biography. They research specific information...

Visit the world of science fiction with this graphic organizer focusing on predictions. Complete the chart to determine the possible positive and negative side effects for two examples of future technology. Then, have writers choose one...

Students listen to tango music and research the country it came from. In this music lesson, students find that tango music comes from Argentina. They listen and dance to the music and then write stories. 

Elementary learners explore fiction storytelling through partcipating in a survey. They identify the characters, themes and plot of the Harry Potter series while discussing their opinions in class. Learners conduct a survey about their...

A clever lesson 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 to...

What do you see? Young reader tap into the visualization process as they listen to or read a fiction story and fill out a graphic organizer. Model this first with a think-aloud, showing scholars how you visualize a familiar story. For...

Help your class see the connection between events in Alex Haley's story "My Furthest-Back Person" with this awesome graphic organizer. Individuals write a brief description of 10 major plot events in a series of boxes. The first and last...

A story about feral girls raised by werewolves will have some interesting character development! Track how the girls and their teachers act, speak, and change with a lesson focused on Karen Russell's "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by...

Take a walk on the wild side with a project about animal habitats. After kids observe a chosen animal in its home, they describe the animal's food and water sources, shelter, and how it raises its young. They then write a short fictional...

Discuss the history of slavery by analyzing historic photography depicting slavery. Learners write fictional stories based on these photographs. This is a creative and motivating way to launch a discussion of these topics. 

Students examine the methods of effective characterization. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss how emotions, dialogue, actions, and physical descriptions build believable characters. Students then use the methods of...