Students select and research an animal that lives in the rainforest of Manu, Peru. They watch and discuss a video, create masks and costumes to role-play various rainforest animals, conduct research, and write a short story of their...

High schoolers identify and gain an understanding of the politics behind the killing of President McKinley, as well as the anarchist movements that continue to exist worldwide. Then they select a form of anarchy and write a short story...

Students explore the meaning of what makes life pleasurable.  In this social awareness lesson, students read an article that states things that people might enjoy doing for pleasure, then complete numerous activities to reinforce...

Students practice their writing skills by creating a children's book. They integrate five elements of short stories into the narrative. They share their stories with their book buddies.

Middle schoolers compare 19th Century short stories to 20th Century sitcoms. They address seven questions as the watch a sitcom for homework and create a web to use for further comparison.

Ninth graders listen to a read aloud of two short stories focusing on literary devices. The write about the settings and realism of the stories, and decide each main character handles the conflict he faces with nature.

Students write a biography. In this biography lesson, students discuss what a biography is and how to write one. They research Mark Twain, answer questions, and write a biography about his life. 

Pupils view a classic movie in class while taking notes. They write a summary/ review of the movie which includes the name of the movie, who wrote it, the characters and a retelling of the story. They include their opinion and how the...

Students read a short selection of a story individually or as a class. On their own, they create a story pyramid for the selection and write a one page summary. They use text from the story for their supporting details. To end the...

Students explore myths in ancient times.  In this mythology lesson, students read or view a video production of a myth to determine specific characteristics of myths. Students work in groups to write a myth that explains an...

Students write and illustrate short stories. They read their original stories to younger Buddy Readers.

Students identify their feelings and learn constructive ways of handling conflict. In this human mental health lesson, students identify their feelings, learn how to tell others about their feelings, and learn how to resolve conflict....

Middle schoolers write a narrative or short story of 500-700 words based on an assigned work of art.

Using a three-column chart labeled "Character," "Action," and "Trait," pupils analyze the traits of several characters from a short story. The lesson is designed for a SMART board, but a teacher could easily do the lesson without the...

Seventh graders write a short reaction to the "Zero Tolerance" policy in regards to students and play guns. They read several news articles about the problems associated with the zero tolerance and students with play guns. They write a...

High schoolers create a "virtual poetry slam." This project can easily be implemented at any grade level where students have created short pieces of personal writing. They write, edit, and revise a short piece of poetry or personal writing.

One of the most important skills in orienteering is being able to read a topographical map. Understanding the contour lines and symbols and the scale of the map will make planning your route so much better. In this lesson, partners get...

To better understand how to compose a clear and well-organized paper, learners read short passages, write summaries, and make colored graphic organizers. This is a fully developed three-day lesson with suggested assessments.

Students explain the purpose of a photo essay, sequence a series of events, and explain the format in creating a photo essay, which includes a caption for each picture. They complete a photo essay as a creative activity.

Students identify words that can be used to describe Mark Twain's character Tom Sawyer. Students explore stage production of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by reading and discussing "An Older (and Calmer) Tom Sawyer". They develop their...

Students examine Shakespearean language. In this word study lesson, students investigate the meaning of words that Shakespeare invented. Students draw and pantomime with the words prior to writing short stories that feature Shakespeare's...

Students add details to their narratives. For this narrative writing lesson, students look at a simple four sentence narrative and add adjectives and adverbs to make it more descriptive. They do this activity whole class, in partners and...

Young scholars write a description of what they believe is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. After reading an article, they discuss the restoration of the mural on its ceiling. They brainstorm a list of important buildings and...

Students define journalism and identify the basic components of a news story. For this journalism basics lesson, students define the word journalism, read a new story, and break it into parts with two major characteristics for each...