Worksheet
Curated OER

Story Problems

For Students 2nd
In this number sentence instructional activity, 2nd graders, working with a partner, read a short story, ask 6 questions relating to the story and then write 6 number sentences to answer each question.
Worksheet
Curated OER

You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover… But Can You Judge a Book by Its First Line?

For Students 7th - 9th
In this literary prediction worksheet, students predict the topic, genre, setting, characters, and interest level of a book based on its first line. They research the title and author of the book using the line. They write a short story...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young scholars explore life as a pioneer in the late 1890's. In this appreciation of history lesson plan, students read excerpts from My Antonia. Young scholars create presentations about life and culture in Nebraska.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Maine Content Literacy Project

Understanding Theme

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The ninth in a fourteen-lesson series, this plan marks a sort of midpoint in a unit devoted to the study of short stories. Pupils learn about theme and work on their short story projects by adding to their blogs, checking in with the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scrambled Stories

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Character development, setting, and plot? Sounds like the makings of a good narrative story. Young authors read and analyze several narrative examples, and then they use what they know to pen an original composition. They work both in...
Lesson Plan
Maine Content Literacy Project

Introduction to Literacy Criticism

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As learners continue to examine a short story of their choice, they take some time to look at analysis completed by others on the same story. In the eleventh lesson in a series of fourteen, pupils explore various sites for literary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gift of the Magi

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Test the true meaning of giving - and irony - with this lesson plan about "The Gift of the Magi." Using textual analysis, details, and text organization, middle schoolers make predictions about future events in the story and determine...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Purloined Letter

For Students 9th - 12th
These questions about Poe's The Purloined Letter focus on publication and outside sources along with details of the story. Hopefully this story is not a mystery to you!
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz Quiz

For Students 11th - 12th
Can you imagine an entire mountain consisting of a solid diamond? It is possible, though a bit farfetched in The Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is meant to be a satire about wealth and greed; the quiz asks...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Literary Analysis of The Minister's Black Veil

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Explore the short story "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. First, read the short story and take notes on specific uses of the elements of writing such as characters, setting, plot, similes, personification, metaphors,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strip-Teasers: A Collaborative Writing activity

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young writers engage in a fun writing activity. They write three different sentences on three strips of paper. Then they get into groups of three, and take a look at all nine sentences that have been written. Their task is to write a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

STORY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH JAPANESE ART

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders create a story to explain the art object being studied. The story displays students knowledge of writing conventions, elements of a short story, literary conflict, and the use of descriptive text.
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Learning About Opioids

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Feeling high is not the only side effect of abusing prescription opioids. Middle and high schoolers learn more about specific painkillers, including Fentanyl, Oxycodone, and Clonazepam, as well as their common brand names and extensive...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The News Behind the Story

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What a fun way to analyze plot, setting, and character. Learners review story elements, read a short fictional story, then turn the events of that story into a headlining news paper article. Not only does this lesson engage critical...
Worksheet
Curated OER

How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes: a Legend of the Iroquois

For Students 5th Standards
Have you ever wondered about a chipmunk's stripes? Read a short passage featuring the Iroquois legend about the chipmunk and his stripes, and answer five comprehension questions about the plot, the theme, and the unfamiliar...
Worksheet
K5 Learning

Ann and Frank

For Students 3rd - 4th Standards
Challenge your third and fourth graders to look deeply into a text with a reading comprehension activity. After learners finish the short passage, they answer four questions that range in levels of difficulty and analysis.
Lesson Plan
Independence Public Library

Unmasking the Truth Behind the Red Death

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
"The Masque of the Red Death" provides readers with an opportunity to research and plan a presentation about a topic related to Edgar Allen Poe's classic short story. 
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Monkey's Paw - Be Careful What You Wish For: Foreshadowing

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
W. W. Jacobs' horror story, "The Monkey's Paw," is used to introduce foreshadowing. As they advance through the story, young readers make predictions about what might happen next and how the story might end. Pairs work through the...
Lesson Plan
Music Publishers Association of the United States

I Made It. I Own It. Please Don't Steal It.

For Teachers 3rd - 4th Standards
Explore the world of copyright law with a variety of activities to instill the importance of respecting creative property. Scholars watch an animated tale then take part in a grand conversation detailing the video's main idea, details,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Story About Tom

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
In this reading worksheet, students read a short story about a boy and what he likes. Students answer 4 questions, then write a story about themselves.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shizuko’s Daughter: Unsent Letter

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Have you ever wanted to tell a character what you really thought of him or her? Use a instructional activity based on Kyoko Mori's Shizuko's Daughter to encourage learners to write a letter in response to a character's...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Essay Outline Template

For Students 7th - 9th
The strength of this essay outline template is its specificity. By the time your young writers fill in the requested information, they are well on their way to compiling their multi-paragraph essay. Learners craft topic sentences,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing a Short Story - Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners use the information they wrote about on the topic they chose in studying About Weather. They then write a short story using the information choosing a theme, setting, characters, and the plot.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classic Short Stories- Locked Room Settings

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read the short story "The Problem of Cell 13" and examine the plot devices that build suspense. In this lesson students create their own short story using the same locked room setting.

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