Interactive
Curated OER

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

For Students 8th - Higher Ed
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to an essay question based on Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Students may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the bottom of the page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Around the Room Short Story

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Collective story writing is a great way to reinforce the concept of story elements and collaborative learning. Young writers discuss story elements such as, setting, character, action, climax, conclusion, foreshadowing, dialogue, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Good Man is Hard to Find

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scholars, in groups, read and analyze the short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery O'Connor. They present their findings tot he rest of the class and then connect the various themes discussed to outside material, events...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduce Vocabulary: Clap Your Hands

For Teachers K - 3rd
Read Clap Your Hands to explore new vocabulary with your class. In this three-tiered vocabulary lesson plan, youngsters read the book and identify the plot, setting, and characters. They also define vocabulary terms from the book...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Story Elements

For Students 2nd - 4th
In this literature companion worksheet, students respond to 6 short answer questions regarding story elements about a story of the choice.
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Lady of Shalott Theme of The Supernatural

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
In this poetry analysis worksheet, students read comments about the mysterious and fantastical mood of Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott." Students then respond to 4 short answer questions based on the poem....
Lesson Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Drawing Conclusions Based on Literary Elements

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students compare versions of Cinderella and draw conclusions based on the story elements identified. In this literacy comprehension and story elements lesson plan, students read several versions of Cinderella, complete a "Comparing...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Brown Bagging with Short Stories

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students participate in a study of short story elements, applying their knowledge and understanding to a selection of short stories.  In this short stories lesson, students read five short story selections, identifying conflict,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Details, Details: How Choices Reveal Character, Setting, Tone, and Theme. (Analyzing and Interpreting, Making Inferences)

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students respond to works of art. In this art interpretation lesson, students examine images of art while using concepts they learned as they read literary pieces. They detail the setting, characters, and the mood and theme of the works...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elements of Messages

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine media messages. In this media awareness lesson, students analyze political cartoons and identify the literary elements they incorporate. Students also use the Media Elements Handout to identify the elements in other...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Tell Stories

For Teachers K - 5th
Young readers bring characters to life by working in small groups to script and perform stories that contain a community concept. Detailed questions and activities are outlined for the class. Consider having your groups create...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
Unit Plan
Cleveland Metro School District

Novel Lesson for The Giver

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Lois Lowry's The Giver is one of the most engaging and thought-provoking works of literature in the middle school curriculum. Round out your novel unit with a collection of reading activities, comprehension questions, memoir and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identifying Themes in Children's Literature

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Identifying themes in literature is the focus of the language arts lesson plan presented here. Learners read short pieces of fiction and practice the skill of identifying the themes present in each one. The bulk of the activity consists...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where

For Teachers K Standards
Kindergartners identify where a story takes place. In this literature instructional activity, learners take a picture walk and discuss how pictures can provide clues to the location of the story. They then illustrate where a new story of...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Considering "Charles": Pictograms, Annotations, Reading Strategies, And Multimodal Responses

For Teachers 8th Standards
Shirley Jackson's short story, "Charles," provides middle schoolers with an opportunity to practice their close reading skills. Using the provided list of prompts, scholars read and reread the story, then create a multimodal response to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching Peace through Literature and Song

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Negative effects of bullying come to light through listening to the book Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. Class members identify philanthropic acts portrayed in the story and make illustrations to connect them to their own...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Most Dangerous Game

For Teachers 8th - 9th Standards
Readers of "The Most Dangerous Game" must argue which of Richard Connell's characters is the protagonist or antagonist. The lesson begins with scholars reading selected passages from the story and making predictions about who they...
Lesson Plan
Minnesota Literacy Council

Grapes of Wrath and Pronouns

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Many regard John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath as the great American novel. The lesson plan combines a variety of strategies, including partner work, independent practice, creative writing, grammar instruction, and small group...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Monkey's Paw - Be Careful What You Wish For: Foreshadowing

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
W. W. Jacobs' horror story, "The Monkey's Paw," is used to introduce foreshadowing. As they advance through the story, young readers make predictions about what might happen next and how the story might end. Pairs work through the...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Mood and Tone at Owl Creek Bridge: Mood and Tone

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Two versions of movie trailers for the film Mary Poppins launch a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious lesson about how mood and tone impact a reader's experience of work. Using the provided list, readers identify the words that create the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Literary Devices

For Teachers 8th Standards
Eighth graders identify figurative language and poetry in this literary analysis lesson. Using Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll and a YouTube video for "The Walrus and the Carpenter," young readers complete a literary device...
Organizer
Curated OER

Fiction, Poetry, and Drama Part 1

For Students 5th - 8th
Similar to a textbook, this resource includes multiple texts, plenty of explanation, lots of practice, and several graphic organizers. Use all of the materials, or pick and choose from such texts as "The Circuit," "Shoes for Hector,"...
Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

The Homework Machine: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Do opposites really attract? The D Squad in The Homework Machine includes of a quad of opposites. The group, made up of a teacher's pet, a geek, a class clown, and a slacker, make use of a machine to do their homework. In response...