Scholars learn about the Hero's Journey as they read Ray Bradbury's "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." They analyze the story's structure and narrative techniques. Finally, they write summaries of the text's central idea and use their...

This resource provides a lesson plan to teach students about the elements of a story.

This lesson plan offers a step-by-step procedure for teaching students how to identify story elements and to summarize a story. It explains how to use a "Who Am I" activity, as well as a linkage activity in identifying characters and...

The goal of this activity is for students to learn how to tell a story in order to make a complex topic (such as global warming or ozone holes) easier for a reader to grasp. Students realize that the narrative impulse underlies even...

Information and examples of different ways the setting of a text can affect the characters and character development. (Published: Sept. 29, 2016)

This intervention, which is based on Schema Theory, emphasizes linking previous knowledge structures (schemata) with reading materials. A pre-reading technique (see "My Story Map") provides a framework that directs students' attention to...

This lesson is an introduction to a unit on personal narratives including the characteristics of a personal narrative: tells a story, events are in chronological order, and it has characters, setting, and plot. Click next at the bottom...

A printable narrative pyramid where students can record information about a story including the character, setting, problem, main events, and solution. Directions on how to use this type of graphic organize as well as lists of teaching...

This is the text of the short story "A Bird in Hand" by George A. Birmingham, a story set in England in the early 1900s.

At this site, families can work together to create a unique family tree. Its special design allows you not only to record names of your family members but also to describe their likes and dislikes, how they used their leisure time, where...

Read the full text of the short story "A Gentleman Friend" by Anton Chekhov about a penniless woman who visits a man she met in a cafe with the goal of asking to borrow money.

Text of the short story "The Pimienta Pancakes" by O. Henry, a story set in the Old West. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)

"Under the Clock" takes place in 'Five Towns' which is the setting for many of Arnold Bennett's stories. It is a pottery manufacturing town in English midlands. Read the full text on this site.

"An Unfair Advantage" takes place in 'Five Towns' which is the setting for many of Arnold Bennett's stories. It is a pottery manufacturing town in English midlands. Read the full text on this site.

This is the eighth article in a series that focuses on helping the new novel author. This article looks at how the author can avoid creating stumbling blocks that disrupt the flow of the novel.

This is the text of the short story "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov. Imprisoned for life or ending life - which is the more humane? The lawyer truly believes in life at any cost so the banker sets a wager.

Students will sequence story events with the teacher and read an emergent reader in a guided setting. The chosen book, "Pilgrims and Wampanoag: Together They Were Better", has high use of sight words and high levels of picture support...

This lesson is part of a week-long unit. It focuses on the pre-reading phase of guided reading. It aims to activate prior knowledge, preview vocabulary, and set a purpose for reading. This book deals with a very sensitive issue that most...

Lesson that helps students understand why rules are needed. Students discuss the story Know and Follow Rules by Cheri J. Meiners, compare the rules in the book to rules at home and at school, and develop a list of rules for the classroom.

Read the full text of "Behind the Line: A Story of College Life and Football" by Ralph Henry Barbour. The story is set in the year 1900.

Learn about different hooks to use when writing a good introduction including: telling a story, providing interesting background information, setting up a contrast, and using a combination of approaches.

Use this graphic organizer to compare or contrast ideas, things, or texts. This is a great cross-curricular tool to use for both reading strategies and prewriting.

This is the text of the short story "Belhs Cavaliers" by James Branch Cabell, a fantasy tale set in England in 1210.

This activity includes primary sources from the official records of the U.S. District Court at Boston that tell the story of William and Ellen Craft, a young couple from Macon, GA, who escaped to freedom in Boston in 1848. Students will...