First graders explore, discuss and examine fairy-tale and make-believe stories. They assess two different types of Cinderella stories to surface a broader look at cultural diversity. Students construct a Venn Diagram or a chart of the...

Learners use the Story Grammar strategy to outline the main elements of the story which will help them with free recall and cued recall. The strategy includes: identifying the main characters in the story, recalling where and when the...

Middle schoolers develop a deeper awareness of the use of journals and gather inspiration to begin their journal from their graphic time lines. They explore, ponder, test and illustrate self-expression through daily journal writing. Each...

Students explore how to tell a story through dance. In this dance instructional activity, students watch Swan Lake and choose a story of their own to show through dance.

Second graders investigate realistic fiction, holiday celebrations, making tally charts. In this multi-disciplinary instructional activity, 2nd graders listen to a story about Thanksgiving and one about the Chinese New Year to develop an...

Students discover journalism by writing about themselves.  In this non-fiction writing lesson, students discuss the outline of a personal narrative and write a paper about an experience they've had.  Students reflect on the...

Young scholars take an imaginary vacation at the J. Paul Getty Museum. They participate in six activities while writing, observing and sketching works of art.

Students read two stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne and write an essay comparing plots and themes. In this Nathaniel Hawthorne short stories lesson, students read "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Minister's Black Veil." After a class...

Elementary learners practice reading with expression to understand text better. They identify punctuation marks to see how each sentence is to be expressed with a certain emotion. Then they practice their new skills by working through...

Set the stage for Nightjohn, Gary Paulsen's young adult novel about slavery set shortly before the Civil War, by asking readers to indicate whether they agree or disagree with several statements that are connected to issues...

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is always a favorite for middle and high school readers because it addresses issues that hit home to them, decades after the book is set. Have learners fill out an anticipation guide that encourages them to...

You can keep this printable idea sheet and use when you're in a tight spot. It contains cross-curricular ideas that span every subject while relating to the African tale, "Anasazi the Spider." Learners will act, write, move, count,...

A reading of Whale Journey, a fact-filled picture book by Vivian French, launches a study of the life cycle and migration of three generations of gray whales. The interdisciplinary instructional activity offers opportunities extensions...

Was that supposed to be funny? Scholars analyze The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County to determine if Mark Twain's story is indeed based on humor. Learners work through short response questions, vocabulary, and active reading to make a...

Students are introduced to the proper way to write a biography. As a class, they view examples of the format and what information to include. To end the lesson, they begin to write their biography and develop their voice when writing.

Students explore the short /e/ sound. They practice making the sound, noticing how their mouths move to make the sound. They use letterboxes to spell and write 'e' words. They listen for the /e/ sound in a story and then write their own...

High schoolers write a five paragraph expository theme. They explain in their theme how the story they read qualifies as science fiction. Students write using all the conventions of English correctly.

Students read and analyze the short stories, "In a Grove," and "Rashomon," by Akutagawa. They discuss the samurai warrior culture, watch a short video, take a quiz, participate in whole-group discussions, identify similes and metaphors,...

Students recognize the short vowel e in written and spoken language. Through listening and matching activities, they discriminate the vowel sound /e/ from other phonemes. Students practice using the phoneme and letter in words by writing...

Learners create a classroom story quilt based on a story (or series of stories) read as a group.

Students examine and create their own interpretation of a particular character from the play, King Lear. They read the speeches, write a paragraph about their character, and present a short performance of their scene.

Students complete a graphic organizer reviewing Barb Hoffman's prior lesson," Slave Songs (1840-1876)" as well as listen to and discuss Delta Blues music samples. Students research one Delta Blues singer and write a "color coded"...

Students meet with an older adult to complete a writing assignment. Using a topic suggested by the teacher, they each write a story about their own lives and compare and contrast their perspectives. They share their viewpoints with the...

Students read an article about teenage pregnancy and the story, "A Couple of Kooks and Other Stories About Love," making notes about how the pregnant teens are characterized. They then compare and contrast the views of pregnant teens in...