Curated OER
Consequences Role Play
Students take on the role of being another person in order to create an appreciation for different people. They fill in the answers to a survey and use the answers to swap papers and pretend to take the role of the other person with the...
Curated OER
Independent Novel Project
Students complete activities for an independent novel project. In this novel project worksheet, students follow the 13 steps to analyze and complete a comprehensive project about a novel they've read.
Utah Education Network
Uen: 2nd Grade Act. 11: Character Sketch
This lesson engages students in describing the main character from Patricia Palacco's book, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother. Students will analyze a picture of the main character and the teacher will write all of the students'...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Story Writing With Arthur
This series of 12 downloadable activities teach students some basics of story writing, using books or videos from the PBS "Arthur" series as a springboard. Activities include creating story maps, asking questions about characters and...
Other
National Writing Project: Collaborating to Write Dialogue
In this lesson, writing partners work together to develop a plot and characters. The lesson emphasizes the use of dialogue to develop the characters and plot of the story.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Serendipitous Character Descriptions
In this lesson, students create a unique character and develop a descriptive paragraph utilizing strong word choice.
Read Works
Read Works: 3rd Grade: Lesson: Identifying Descriptive Language
[Free Registration/Login Required] With this lesson plan, 3rd graders can learn to identify descriptive language. Focused on the book "Mr. George Baker."
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Story Character Homepage
Online lesson which allows for students to create an electronic "Home page," for a specific character when reading a class novel. Students research and create web pages, then present findings to the class.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Become a Character
In this online lesson and activity, learners actually "become" a character from a novel in their analysis of characterization. The lesson uses the Scarlet Letter, but any novel can be used. RL.9-10.3 Analyzing Characters, RL.11-12.3 Auth...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Unique Imaginary Friends
The writer will first create an original imaginary friend, inspired by Ted from Tony DiTerlizzi's wonderful picture book. The writer will then think of an ordinary activity done on a daily basis, like feeding the family dog. The writer...
Other
Barbara Greenwood's Guide to Writing for Children [Pdf]
Barbara Greenwood, a Canadian author of numerous historical fiction books for children, has written this thirty-page writing guide where she explains the process she goes through in constructing a story. She covers such key topics as...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Character Development
This lesson explains how characters develop in fiction writing. W.11-12.3d Sensory/precise lang narratives
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Details and Vocabulary: Using Content Based Vocabulary
In this lesson, students will write a descriptive paragraph regarding an animal and its habitat, or a character in a particular setting. Great cross-curricular usage of vocabulary.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Literature Inspired Writing Lesson: A Time Traveler's Log
Students will read chapter four of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, noting both the time traveler's descriptions of the new world of 800,000 ACE, and the conclusions the main character draws as a 19th century man. Students will think of a...
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "What Size?"
Excellent classroom activities for building students' character. This activity encourages students to use their knowledge and experiences, mathematical skills, and higher-order thinking skills.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Make 'Em Laugh or Cry Or
After sharing chapter 19 of Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls as an example of emotion-evoking writing, the students will write their own detailed and emotional paragraphs. Students can draw from background knowledge of a real...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
After hearing and discussing an excerpt from Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, students will plan to create a unique description of a character that uses memorable actions that "show" a person's character. They will brainstorm verbs that...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Same Setting, Different Moods
In this lesson,writers will examine and discuss techniques that writers use to link moods to setting descriptions (Lord of the Flies by William Golding). Next, they will choose a mood and an interesting setting, and they will imagine a...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: What Got Stolen?
After reading Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement, the writer will plan a scene from a story where a character confronts another character about something that has been stolen. Descriptive details need to take precedence in this scene, as...
Other
Writing World: Four Ways to Bring Settings to Life
A great resource outlining four major ways to make settings appear more real and genuine in fiction. Deals with themes such as motion, experience, mood, and the senses. W.11-12.3d Sensory/precise lang narratives
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Serendipitous Superheroes
In this lesson, SuperHero ABC, a book written by Bob McLeod, and Meanwhile, a book by Jules Feiffer, are used as mentor texts. Students will work in groups and create lists of unique superhero powers that start with different letters of...
EL Education
El Education: Book Trading Cards
This collection of trading cards was created by 5th and 6th graders at Shutesbury Elementary School in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, as part of a choice-based fictional reading project. Each student selected a fiction book that he or she...
Read Works
Read Works: Lesson 1: Actions
In this resource, students will practice identifying and describing the actions of a character. Teachers will model these skills through the use of text and pictures from the story No, David! by David Shannon. Students will then draw a...
Caro Clarke
Loving Your Characters Too Much
This article is the fifth in a series that is designed to help new authors with their new novels. This lesson focuses on your main character and what happens when that character lacks character flaws.