Mr. Roughton
The Geste of Robin Hood
This isn't your traditional Robin Hood tale! Explore a Middle English ballad with your young historians, and examine the underlying structure and purpose of historical texts.
Mr. Roughton
The Travels of Marco Polo
Were the stories of Marco Polo's travels and interactions with the Mongols actually true? Using an excerpt from the book The Travels of Marco Polo, your young historians will answer guiding questions to discuss the accuracy and...
Curated OER
Classical Dramatic Structure: Resolving a Character's Conflict
How does plot drive a play? Show this 20-slide presentation to describe the different parts of a plot. Basic vocabulary terms are included like climax, turning point, rising action, and denouement. Present this resource before reading a...
Curated OER
Tension: Creative Writing
“Desire + Danger = Tension.” Thus begins a PowerPoint that details how to create tension and maintain the reader’s interest in a story. Although text-heavy, the color-coded slides model how the D + D = T formula functions and the...
Curated OER
"Forms" of Poetry
Poetry isn't all sonnets and rhyming couplets! Introduce your class to three fun types of poetry: shape poems, acrostic poems, and diamante poems. Each type is explained, and an example is provided. Challenge your class to write one in...
Curated OER
Verbals: They look like verbs...but they're not!
Did you know there are three types of verbals? Do you even know what a verbal is? Provide your class with this brief introduction! Participles, infinitives, and gerunds are all introduced, and examples are given. Pair this with a...
Curated OER
Indefinite Pronouns
What type of pronoun is the word someone? What about something? These words (among others) are indefinite pronouns. Use the 14 slides included here to help your class better grasp singular or plural indefinite pronouns. Examples are...
Curated OER
Demonstrative Pronouns
What is a demonstrative pronoun? Help can your class recognize demonstrative pronouns in written work, and it might help them write better! The first three slides introduce the topic and give examples, while the last two offer practice...
Orange County Schools
Piggybook
Summarizing text is a balancing act between being brief but thorough. You need to be short and to the point, but also cover all the important details, a task that presents a challenge for many young learners. In this lesson based on the...
Curated OER
Antigone
This PowerPoint begins by engaging your class in a discussion about tragedies. What is a tragedy, and what tragedies has your class experienced? Then, the typical cycle of a tragedy is explained, and the history of Greek tragedies is...
Curated OER
Of Mice and Men and The Great Depression
Provide a context for Of Mice and Men with a presentation that includes biographical information about John Steinbeck, as well information about the Great Depression and the drought of the early 1930s. The photos of Dorothea Lange,...
Curated OER
Etymology: A Mini-Lesson on Teaching a Word's History
As you're reading The Hobbit with your class, show them the etymology of the word attercop. This presentation would benefit with some additional examples or with a practice slide that offers a list of words from the book that pupils must...
Curated OER
The Hobbit: An Overview of the Book and Author
Readers of The Hobbit will share in the adventure with a brief overview of the life of J.R.R. Tolkien and the publishing history of the tale of Bilbo Baggins and his trip over the Edge of the Wild.
Curated OER
Characters in the Odyssey Book 1
Seven of the characters in Homer's the Odyssey are introduced in this very basic presentation. Viewers meet Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena (among others). Strengthen this presentation by adding pictures or attempting to see what information...
Curated OER
Odyssey Vocabulary English 9
So your class is just about to start the Odyssey. Although you'll undoubtedly help them define vocabulary words in context, present them with this list of nine words to get them started. Each is defined, but consider also providing...
Curated OER
A Tale of Two Cities and Charles Dickens Background
Did you know that Charles Dickens spent time with his family in debtors’ prison? That Dickens had 10 children? That thousands mourned his death? Viewers will find many interesting details in a presentation designed to accompany an...
Curated OER
A Biographical Sketch of William Shakespeare
Need a brief introduction to the life and works of William Shakespeare? Key biographical details of his life, as well as information about the Globe Theater, are presented.
Curated OER
The Writing Process
Ever heard of the Roast Beef analogy (let it set before carving)? Encourage young writers to wait a day before editing their work. This and other tips are featured in a short presentation that focuses on editing and revising writing.
Curated OER
Character Development
Round, flat, dynamic, static, and stock. Introduce viewers to the basic character types with a brief presentation that describes how to bring these characters to life. The presentation concludes with two photos. Ask your writers to...
Curated OER
Tone and Style: The Subtleties of the Short Story
The elements of good writing are the focus of a presentation designed for short story writers. Included is advice from famous writers on how to develop a style, emphasize the tone of a story, utilize the predictable, and maintain interest.
Curated OER
Setting: Location, Location, Location
How does setting affect a story? Designed for story writers, this presentation encourages the viewer to consider the functions of the setting and how the characters can help build the setting. Show this PowerPoint and then give your...
Curated OER
The Short Story
When did short stories first come about? Flip through this six-slide presentation with your class to give them a brief glimpse into the world of the short story. Designed for emerging writers, you could also show this resource to a class...
Curated OER
Developing Your Writing Voice
Developing a distinctive voice is a challenge all writers face. Here’s a presentation that defines the parts of voice (attitude, syntax, diction) and then asks viewers to engage in a series of activities designed to model how to develop...
Curated OER
Editing at the Word Level
Editing at the word level means looking closely at each noun, adjective, verb, and verb in the piece being reviewed. Writers are encouraged to highlight the words they find satisfying in one color and words that fall short with another....