What is satire, and what are its characteristics? A handy handout provides young satirists with all the information they need to analyze a satire or to craft their own.

Learners analyze the epic poem form and its roots in oral tradition. In this epic poetry lesson, middle schoolers research the epic hero cycle and recognize the pattern of events and elements. Learners analyze the patterns embedded in...

Middle schoolers read a poem and are to write another poem using the words given. They are also to develop a monument and narrative of the bridge and its collapse.

“Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance.” “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” These two views of war, embodied in George Patton’s statement and Lorraine Schneider‘s famous 1966...

Middle schoolers in particular will benefit from this simple presentation. Forty slides cover story elements like the protagonist, antagonist, and setting, and literary devices are also included. Some examples are given, but for the most...

Sixth graders read "Seven Daughters and Seven Sons" and examine aspects of Middle East culture and geography. They define vocabulary from the book and map locations described in the book.

Students examine the evolution of the plot in the novel holes by looking at cause and effect relationships. Using the provided worksheet, students link events in the story and explain how they effected other events and relationships in...

Students examine presentations of problems and reaching solutions in literature. For this writing skills lesson, students read "The Three Little Pigs," and respond to several discussion questions about plot, characters, setting,...

Students explore images of the Klondike and read Jack London's White Fang to become culture and nature detectives. In this novel analysis lesson plan, students analyze the setting of the novel and the ways London portrays...

Fifth graders figure the amount of time before a boiler explode and then the time needed to evaluate an office building in this simulation. They narrate the events as a newscaster would.

Simple discussion of the elements of fiction with a specific section devoted to Freytag's Pyramid (aka "basic plot structure"). A good place to start for gathering information on the structure of narrative.