Students examine the human cost of war on both sides of the Civil War. Using the internet, they research the role of women on the homefront and the impact the war had on families. They also read the novel "Across Five Aprils" and discuss...

High schoolers study "The Ebb-Tide", an original drama based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson."The Ebb-Tide", like many of Stevenson's works, is a nautical adventure combining mystery, murder and memorable char

What is a story impression? Learn about the strategy with the first page of this two-page resource. Before reaching chapters 21-24 in Canyons, readers use a list of words (taken from these chapters) to predict what is going to happen....

Develop readers’ awareness of the visual power of language with a guided imagery exercise. Set the stage and create the mood with dim lights, soft music and potpourri. Then read the provided section of Bud, Not Buddy. Next, invite...

Chapter nine of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath provides the text for an exercise that asks readers to think deeply about the items the Joads left behind and what these items might represent.

What kinds of questions could be asked with different pieces of literature? Use QAR questions to help your middle schoolers develop the skills to find information in a text. Thorough directions, a text excerpt, and a set of reading...

To reinforce recognition of vocabulary words drawn from Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, readers engage in a vocabulary bingo game.

Sad, depressed, miserable, inconsolable, forlorn: so many synonyms have a lot of variety with their connotations. Through the guided imagery activity, writers explore the use of connotation and its influence on imagery and description by...

Explore the concept of yin and yang with this resource. On the first page, learners study a picture of George Bush. Then, have learners choose a character from The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. After brainstorming adjectives and choosing...

How do your learners react in conflicts with authority figures? Help them begin Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club with an activity about different conflicts that kids can run into with their parents. Each scenario prompts learners to rank...

Readers of Robert Cormier's Tunes for Bears to Dance to are asked to consider the morality of the central character's actions

To better understand the conflict between Amir and Hassan, two characters in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, readers assume the voice of one of the boys and craft a letter to the other that explains his feelings and concerns.

What does it mean to be alone and isolated? What would you do if you were all alone in a strange place? Kids ponder these questions as they prepare to read Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

In this reading worksheet, students answer 10 essay questions and 16 vocabulary questions pertaining to the history behind the events in Lois Lowry's Number the Stars. This page is intended to be used with a historical information...

Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...

There's nothing like the Wild Wild West! Scholars investigate the American Frontier through the eyes of Kit Carson. To complete the first installment of a three-part series, they use presentations, a short video, and primary and...

The Hunger Games. Maximum Ride. Why is so much of young adult literature so dark? What is the appeal of dystopian literature to young readers? The six activities in this resource ask kids to reflect on some of the reasons this genre has...

Students participate in a demonstration designed to illustrate how easily and quickly a person can be conditioned to respond to external stimuli. Students look at numerous ways in which conditioned behavior affects their day to day...

Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...

Students participate in a game based on bullying. For this social justice lesson, students read Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and discuss the mistreatment of African-Americans in the book. Students then relate the treatment...

Learners listen as the teacher demonstrate how easily and quickly a person can be conditioned to respond to external stimuli. Students are encouraged to look at numerous ways in which conditioned behavior affects their day to day...

Students distinguish events that occur in the fantasy and real world by drawing a fantasy line.

Students make connections with the book Because of Winn-Dixie through writing.  For this writing lesson, students pretend to be the main character and write a letter to her mother, using very descriptive language.  Students...

This lesson focuses on the short story "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin which takes place in Louisiana during one hour at the turn of the 19th century. Chopin uses local color and various forms of irony to tell the story. The text is...