Have your class explore Buddhist Jataka Tales to compare and contrast them to European fables. After defining fables, Jataka tales, and the elements of each, learners identify themes and patterns for both types of narratives and the...

Students explore story structure. In this multicultural literacy lesson, students discuss common elements of folk tales and then listen to the story Tiger and the Big Wind: A Tale from Africa. Students identify the problem and solution...

Young scholars identify bias in books. In this character education lesson, students read a text and discuss any gender or racial bias which may be present. Young scholars retell and rewrite the story in a fair way.

Students practice biographical writing after completing research on the subject.  In this journalism instructional activity, students read a story of an important person's life and discuss the important moments along the way....

Natasha Wing's story The Night Before Thanksgiving is a great way to incorporate rhyme and literature into the Thanksgiving season. Learners make text-to-self connections, recall main events, and choose post-reading activities...

Students participate in a lesson that focuses on the literature of Korea. "The Name Jar" is read by students to practice some essential reading skills. This would include the recognition of sequence in a story, characterization, and...

Pupils research ancient civilizations, and develop story problems using symbols and coins from those times. They retell these story problems using modern terms and coins.

Kamishibai (paper drama), is a Japanese form of storytelling that uses emakimono (paper picture scrolls), to relay a moral lesson. As part of a series of resources that examine Japanese art and artists, learners watch a video...

Help your middle schoolers identify personal experience narratives in their own lives through telling stories themselves and from family members or other adults. They study personal experience narratives in Swapping Stories and compare...

Students read several fairy tales of Russian origin. They brainstorm common elements of a fairy tale and identify those elements in several examples. They retell a favorite fairy tale through a skit, oral storytelling, a sketch, or a...

After interviewing an immigrant about their voyage to the United States and first impressions of the country, young learners create a fictional series of journal entries and design an iMovie depicting their interviewee's story.

Students use primary sources to compare the early development of corn with current techniques of biotechnology and genetically engineered seeds, and identify plants natural to the Americas and those natural to Europe that were part of...

What's your favorite seasonal tradition? Before viewing a stage production of A Charlie Brown Christmas, language arts students explore the music and literary themes of the story. After they have watched the show, learners compare...

Learners work in co-op groups to create a Reader's Theater production of the story. Students create a flow map that sequences the major events in the story. Learners research the island of Martinique and create a travel brochure...

Youngsters practice retelling a part of their favorite Native American tale to a small group of their peers. Peer partners assess each others performances. To keep comments positive and constructive, consider giving your class sentence...

Students interview, record, and retell school stories of a family member. They research, document, and describe how schools have changed over time.

In this bible study worksheet, students read the story of "The Lost Son" in the Bible to determine what Christians believe about forgiveness. They make a poster, retell the story, and talk about a time when it was difficult to forgive...

Fourth graders analyze the song "Home on the Range" and identify its meaning and setting.  In this timeline and retelling lesson, 4th graders use dictionaries to find definitions of unfamiliar words, create a timeline and retell the...

Students read a traditional story from India and discover how two people can see the event in different ways. Using their own experiences, they examine how each of their classmates is affected by them in how to read a situation. They...

Students trace their own family's migrations and history. They listen to the story, 'Blue ow.' They design a plate which is shared at an open house.

Young scholars are introduced to the idea of traditional oral narratives and divide them into genres. They explore the genres of context, motifs and variants. Each student finds oral narratives in their own lives and practice retelling...

Young scholars listen to the folktale, 'The Blind Men and the Elephant,' and examine the significance of perspective. They listen to and discuss the story, answer discussion questions, and apply the moral of the folktale to real-life...

Students read a read aloud about someone being victimized and discuss what a victim is, a bystander, and an ally. For this role lesson plan, students compare the roles of what each character in the story did and what role they would like...

Young scholars listen to a story about the Seminole Indian tribes. They participate in a teacher-lead discussion of chickees--Seminole housing. They create a chickee book in which they write a description of their belongings in a chickee.