IPDAE
Themes in Short Stories
"What is the theme of this story?" The very question can spark fear in the minds of readers and incinerate confidence. Here you will discover an exercise that shows how writers use the tools of setting, plot, conflict, and...
K5 Learning
The Blind Men and the Elephant
Sometimes it's necessary to view the whole picture before making a judgment about a small part. Read a short story about five blind men who try to identify an elephant by feeling different parts and coming to their own conclusions....
Curated OER
Recognizing Elements of a Short Story
In this short story elements activity, students recognize the elements of short story by reading the sentences and selecting the correct story element. Students complete 10 online questions.
Writing Educators Symposium
Asking the Right Questions
It can be difficult to find the theme of a book or story if you don't know the questions to ask. Teach your kids to discern the universal theme in works of literature with a set of activities that promote critical thinking and...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Jan Brett
Prepare to teach Jan Brett stories by taking a look at this teacher resource, which includes text-based questions, writing assignments, discussion ideas, and vocabulary practice for 18 different stories.
Curated OER
Tyler's First Game
This activity, focusing on comprehension and vocabulary, provides a way for students to practice test-taking skills. Student read a short story and answer the 10 questions that follow.
K12 Reader
Point of View: Who Is Telling the Story?
See how famous books of literature have different perspectives with a short worksheet. After reviewing the difference between first and third person points of view, learners look over six passages from various novels and decide...
Curated OER
A Descent into the Maelstrom: Fun Trivia Quiz
If you're teaching "A Descent into the Maelstrom" by Edgar Allan Poe, this short quiz tests basic understanding of the story. Learners respond to 10 multiple-choice questions and can receive immediate online feedback.
Curated OER
Miss Nelson is Missing! Love Two Teach
In these reading and math skills worksheets, pupils complete a series of activities for the story Miss Nelson is Missing! Students create a missing poster, a Venn Diagram, a story map, activities for multiplication, addition, subtraction...
Scholastic
Folk and Fairy Tale Readers: The Princess and the Pea
Enrich a primary grade unit on fairy tales with this printable version of the classic story "The Princess and the Pea." With a simple story structure and a blend of short and long sentences, this is a great resource for developing the...
Curated OER
The Meanest English Teacher Ever
Upper graders will use a reading comprehension worksheet about the meanest teacher to practice comprehension. They will read a 5 page story titled The Meanest English Teacher Ever and answer 4 comprehension questions about it.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Surprise!: Extra Support Lessons (Theme 2)
Surprise! is the theme of a unit covering such topics as consonants, blending, short vowels sounds, high frequency words, and number words. The unit's lessons also include teachable moments covering story structure, illustrations,...
Teach-nology
Making My Swimming Pool
If you'd always wanted an expensive swimming pool, how would you make the money to build it? Kids read a short passage about a quest to create a dream swimming pool, and use a list of words to fill in eight spaces throughout the...
Music Publishers Association of the United States
I Made It. I Own It. Please Don't Steal It.
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,...
School Specialty
The Tortoise and the Hare - Drawing Conclusions/Predictions Outcomes
Does the fastest one always win the race? Look deeper into The Tortoise and the Hare with a set of discussion questions for before, during, and after reading the story.
All for KIDZ
Giraffes Can’t Dance Concepts: Giraffes Can't Dance
Teach young children that with a little perseverance and the help of a good friend, anything is possible. This two-part lesson series based on the book Giraffe's Can't Dance starts with a shared reading about Gerald and...
Teach-nology
The Skating Moose
What would you do if you saw an ice-skating moose? Kids read a short, entertaining passage and use a word bank to fill in the blanks using context clues.
Teach-nology
Language Arts Activity - Cloze
Using context clues is an important skill when mastering reading comprehension. A cloze activity prompts learners to read each sentence in a short passage and fill in the blanks, based on what the rest of the sentence says.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Family and Friends: Extra Support Lessons (Theme 4)
Family and Friends is the theme of a unit offering extra support lessons. Follow each lesson plan's teach, blend, guided practice or practice/apply routine to reinforce concepts such as clusters, responding to reading, drawing...
English Worksheets Land
That Darn Cat!
Read about the darnedest can in two fables adapted from Aesop's Fables. Readers answer three reading comprehension questions that prompt them to compare and contrast animal characters in the two stories.
Curated OER
The Pianist
Do you play any musical instruments? Consider using this question to interest readers in this short passage. Then, have them read the passage and answer the multiple-choice questions that follow.
Starfall
The Big Hit
In this reading instructional activity, students practice reading words with short /i/ by making an eight-page booklet. Students read the story about a tin man who plays baseball.
Teach-nology
Gary the Skateboarding Gorilla
Skateboarding fans will love to read about Gary the gorilla, who loves his red skateboard! As kids read the short passage, they fill in the blanks with words from the word bank at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Log Canoes: A Chesapeake Bay Tradition
In this reading comprehension instructional activity, learners read a story about log canoes on the Chesapeake Bay and examine the dialogue between characters. Students use the dialogue between the characters to answer five short answer...