K5 Learning
Race Cars
Do you ever get nervous before a big event? A pair of race cars discuss their nerves before tomorrow's race in a reading activity that includes five comprehension questions.
Carnegie Library
Creative Writing: Middle School Lesson Plan
Enhance a unit on historical fiction with an engaging writing lesson. Learners bring the Industrial Era to life as they compose their own historical fiction pieces based on primary source images of Pittsburgh steel workers.
Reed Novel Studies
The Janitor's Boy: Novel Study
The perfect plan can easily backfire. Jack, in The Janitor's Boy, thinks he has the perfect plan to get back at his father. Little did he know he would end up being sentenced to help his father. Scholars read about Jack and his...
Brooklyn College
Irony, Sarcasm, Satire
Irony, the discrepancy between what is expected and what occurs, is the focus of a reference sheet that provides young writers with models of this literary device.
Curated OER
Through the Forest and Home Again: Maps Help Us Find Our Ways
Students read Little Red Riding Hood, focusing on her path home to Grandma's house. In this language arts and geography lesson, students perform a reader's theater, re-creating the walk home and possible routes that could have been...
Curated OER
Cinderella - Digital Storytelling
Pupils analyze four versions of the Cinderella story. In this fairy tale analysis lesson, students read four versions of Cinderella and work in groups to identify the plot for each. Pupils illustrate the stories and use Movie Maker...
Curated OER
Narrative Writing
Students create a studenT book based on their knowledge of writing stories. They must complete a pre-writing activity and provide illustrations for the book.
Curated OER
Creative Autobiography
Students brainstorm and outline ideas for their autobiography. They begin composition of it as well. Students create a timeline of important events to help them get started and discuss the elements of a what makes a good story.
Curated OER
Most Wanted Villians
Students review the characteristics of various characters in fairytales. As a class, they review the story details and create a concept map using a software program. They create their own wanted poster of the villians in the fairytale to...
Curated OER
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Young scholars examine the life and works of Theodor Seuss Geisel. In groups, they compare and contrast the stories, characters and illustrations he used. They complete a book review on one of the books and share them with other...
Curated OER
Memoirs and Personal Essays
Learners can then pinpoint problems the characters experience and interview their parents to see if they too may have once faced a similar problem. Interviews with family members can be recorded by students in their home language.
Curated OER
Just "Who" are the Three Little Pigs?
Fourth graders use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast various versions of the story The Three Little Pigs. They write a Cinquain, and then act out their version of the Three Little Pigs in a skit.
Curated OER
HyperStudio Book Reports
Fifth graders create a HyperStudio book report after reading a novel. They work in pairs or small groups to design a HyperStudio stack about a previously-read novel. They use a variety of graphic organizers to have Students gather...
Curated OER
One Thing Leads to Another
Students analyze the storytelling methods in wordless books. In this visual storytelling lesson, students write a story that correspond to a specific wordless picture book. Students create their own wordless picture book...
Curated OER
Patterns and Literature
Students create their own patterns. They discuss the reasons why Easter eggs are used in Easter celebrations. They also identify the elements of literature.
Curated OER
Characterization
Students read the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. In this character traits lesson, students read the book and identify character traits. Students draw pictures of a character from the book and describe the character traits.
Curated OER
Dramatizing Tam's Slipper
Students investigate the Japanese version of the Cinderella tale. In this fairy tale lesson, students read Tam's Slipper and construct a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the tale with the American version.
Curated OER
Language Arts: A "Perfect" Lesson
Pupils read "Be A Perfect Person in Just three days," and participate in a host of activities. Connected to technology, they use online sources to create word searches and puzzles from vocabulary words. In addition, students create...
Curated OER
Lessons of the Indian Epics: The Ramayana
Students read a version of Ramayana and explore the elements of the epic hero cycle. In this Ramayana analysis lesson, students retell the basic narrative of the Ramayana and identify the main characters. Students identify elements of...
Curated OER
Main Events in Fiction
Young scholars complete a literature analysis of fiction texts to study elements of fiction. In this fiction analysis instructional activity, students read various fiction texts and examine them to learn about fiction elements. Young...
Curated OER
Create An Ending
Students create a new ending for a familiar story that stand alone with a clear beginning, middle and end. As a class, students review a familiar text focusing on plot and character development. In small groups, students work...
Curated OER
Storytelling
Students compose a story and tell it to the class. In this storytelling lesson, students work in small groups to create an illustrated story. Students are given a checklist of elements to include in the...
Curated OER
Loving Literature
First graders, after having "Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman read to them, participate in group discussions or independentally work to analyze a spreadsheet to identify essential elements in the story and graph their data. In...
Curated OER
Focus On Figurative Language in Prose
Students examine the use of literary prose in the story, "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed." In this literary prose instructional activity, students investigate the use of imagery, metaphor, and simile in the story. They tell how author's...