Students compare theme and plot in two short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this theme and plot analysis lesson, students read Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil  as well as take notes about the theme...

How do we know how a character was affected by the conflicts they encounter in a story? We use evidence from the text to make assertions about the characters we read about. Third graders practice finding and using evidence in a...

In this language arts worksheet, students use the explanation of conflict to answer the specific questions of examples of the element in the novel.

Using the SMART Board, teacher reviews the elements of a short story while students follow along in their notebook. Continuing with the SMART Board, teacher introduces the definition of plot and the five parts as students take notes....

Students read and analyze "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" for plot patterns. In a plot summary pyramid, they organize the story elements in sequential order. To illustrate plot summary techniques, students cite examples from...

Are you preparing to teach Peter and the Starcatchers? If so, you'll want to take a look at this analysis of the text, which describes plot and literary elements in-depth and explores potential implications related to diversity and...

Young scholars practice identifying points on a coordinate plane, creating charts, and calculating ratios. In groups, students play a "battleship" game where they determine the location of their own fleet and attempt to find the...

Readers practice character analysis by reviewing Gary Soto's short story "La Bamba" with the whole class (anything you've read together will work). They design t-shirts that feature traits and story elements to reveal the nature of a...

Sixth graders explore theme in science fiction texts by examining how plot conflicts are resolved. This resource focuses on Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, but the approach and guiding questions could apply to a variety of texts.

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...

Elementary learners explore fiction storytelling through partcipating in a survey. They identify the characters, themes and plot of the Harry Potter series while discussing their opinions in class. Learners conduct a survey about their...

Young writers get a jump start on story telling by selecting a plot, a setting, and multiple character cards and then use these basic elements to create a tale.

Home in on the quote on this page to explore setting, the author's and character's voices, and plot in Willa Cather's My Antonia. Pupils draw a picture of what is described in the quote, discuss the content, and make connections to their...

Cover the vocabulary and thematic concepts from Lois Lowry's The Giver with an extended reference guide. It includes relevant plot elements, discussions on themes and motifs, and any possible issues arising from your class's...

Shakespeare did more than write timeless literary works—he coined words such as moonbeam, fortune-teller, and even eyeball! A study guide for Henry V introduces key words the Bard first used with a fun vocabulary activity, part of a...

Accompany a reading of Madeleine L'Engle's classic tale, A Wrinkle in Time, with a detailed guide equipped with 15 informative and useful chapters. Scholars discover who the author is, why she wrote the book, and crucial story elements...

Students create a rap using story details.  In this creative writing lesson, students examine the use of rap lyrics to list important details of stories.  They view a video example, and use their notes to create their own raps...

Young scholars solve 3 riddles given by the teacher and discuss how solving a mystery is like solving a riddle. For this language arts lesson, students watch as the teacher records problems in a detective story. Young scholars record...

Introduce your class to drama! You cast each pupil as a different character from a story you have read. They are given a general outline of the scene, act out the scene multiple times, then discuss the weak and strong aspects of each...

Conduct a close reading of chapter 9 of The Cay. Read the chapter again and ask pupils to respond to a list of included text-dependent questions. Finish the class with the provided writing assignment, which asks learners to use textual...

Study story elements with your young learners. Read Goldilocks and the Three Bears and discuss the order of events by making a story panel out of butcher paper. Sentences are given as suggestions for the panel, though you may...

Help your learners map a story with a graphic organizer provided. Four squares for setting, problem, characters, and solution surround the circle for theme. Use this with any story you may be reading to go over important...

Create a classroom full of writers using this innovative technique. The presentation walks learners through the process of writing a script, including identifying the setting, characters, and major events in the story. After reviewing...

Students collect temperatures using a probe and examine data.  For this temperature lesson students complete an activity using a graphing calculator.