Pennsylvania Department of Education
Using Literary Elements to Compare Fiction Texts
Learners explore language arts by reading and reflecting on literary examples. For this fiction writing lesson, students read several different cultural versions of the story "Cinderella" and discuss their interaction with the story and...
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Cooperative Jigsaw Expert Report of Fables
Students research literary elements of fables. In this literature lesson, students analyze literary elements of fables. Students work collaboratively using a jigsaw strategy to analyze literary elements.
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Sum Stuff
Students are introduced to informational text. Students explore nonfiction as a genre. They identify the components and text structure of text nonfiction. Students read a nonfiction passage and write a summary of the passage.
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The Malnourished Paragraph
Learners revise writing to improve style, word choice, sentence variety and subtlety of meaning after rethinking how questions of purpose, audience and genre have been addressed. They recognize the importance of details in writing.
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Coyote and Anansi
Students explore the structure of folktales. In this coyote and Anansi lesson, students discuss the attributes of folktales as they read versions of tales featuring coyote and Anansi. Students collaborate to write and perform their own...
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Science Meets Artistry: the Work of Cai Guo-Qiang
Students discuss and examine the work of artist Cai Guo-Qiang. In this art lesson, students analyze how cultural and historical factors impact the visual arts.
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Identifying Differences Between Fiction and Nonfiction Books
Students explore the differences between fiction and non-fiction book. For this genre study lesson, students read examples of fiction and non-fiction and identify the characteristics of each genre. Students list the characteristics on a...
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Comparing Characters Across Two Short Stories
Ninth graders listen to a read aloud of two short stories focusing on literary devices. The write about the settings and realism of the stories, and decide each main character handles the conflict he faces with nature.
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When Court Cases Get Appealed
Students read and analyze two functional documents. They predict outcomes using prior knowledge and documents. Students draw conclusions about how court cases are appealed. They list the parts of a court case.
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Harriet The Spy
Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...
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Comparing or Contrasting Two Books
Pupils compare two pieces of literature. In this literary comparisons instructional activity, students read 2 books that they personally select and then compare and contrast the literary elements of each in a comparative essay.
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The All About Me Poster
Learners discover the literary genre of biographies. In this creative writing lesson, students write about their own life experiences and personal stories. Learners create a poster about their lives, a biographical...
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The Tale of Despereauz
Fourth graders read text and draw inferences or conclusions about the text. In this reading lesson, 4th graders discuss their opinions on what was read and state why they think that way to a partner.
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Come On, Rain!
Students read and analyze the story. In this language arts lesson, students read Come on, Rain! and examine how mood and tone are created, the use of figurative language and the characteristics of the genre. Students research the...
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Hats
Students listen to a read aloud of "Hats, hats, hats," by Ann Morris focusing on the variety of hats. They play a file folder game categorizing hats from the book.
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A Book a Day Will Keep the Teacher Away
Students work in cooperative groups to read a book in a day. Each group is assigned a portion of the book to read and uses the jigsaw learning strategy to review the book as a whole class.
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"you Can't Order a Poem Like You Order a Taco": an Introduction To Poetry
Learners explore what poetry is and certain aspects within it. They write their own knowledge and perceptions of poetry and the expand that knowledge and experience through listening to, reading, and writing poetry and exploring poetic...
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Growth and Development
Young scholars read the folktale, "The Magical Stone", and discuss questions imbedded in the instructional activity.
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"Et tu, Brute?" - The Characters, Conflict and Historical context of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Students analyze the Shakespearian play, "Julius Caesar" in this seven lesson unit. Through readings, hands-on projects, and the study of plot development, comparisons are made to the movie and the historical records available.
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Break the Pentomino Code!
Students read and analyze the book, Chasing Vermeer. They discuss the main story elements, analyze how pentominoes are important to the story, use a pentomino code to decipher a message, and create a secret code of their own.
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Time Travel
Students investigate the concept of time travel and quantum physics. They complete a Webquest, read excerpts from the book, 'The Time Machine,' play an online time traveler game, and read and evaluate newspaper articles about time.
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Comparison of Multicultural Literature
Students read and compare/contrast three different cultural versions of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Using handheld computers, they read eBook versions of each version, complete a BooksLog, and write and illustrate a modern version...
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Comparing Fairy Tales
Learners read and review common fairy tales and come up with a list of characteristics from them. The Teacher models filling out either a compare & contrast graphic organizer comparing two fairy tales.
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Disease and Culture through Literary Time
Students select books to read that include disease as a plot or theme component. They fill out a matrix for the disease in their novel and write a five-paragraph paper about their book. Students use the rest of the week's classes to...