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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Showing not telling writing

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
How do good writers exhibit emotion in their work without using an emotion word (angry, sad, happy, etc.)? This plan offers learners model texts that describe an emotion without using an emotion word. A well-formatted writing activity is...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Improving Your Writing

For Students 7th - 8th
As a writer, how can you show your audience a certain character is showing a certain emotion? Use this worksheet to practice giving detailed descriptions of your characters and their feelings. Writers complete a chart that lists seven...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

THE WORD WEAVER WRITERS WORKSHOP - Character One Description

For Students 4th - 5th
In this character development worksheet, learners write the characteristics of the first character in the story they are reading. They note the characters name, age, appearance, favorite things, and other important details.
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Activity
Curated OER

Seedfolks Final Writing Assessment

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Wrap up a study of Seedfolks with a final essay. Writers can draft their essays by following the steps and filling in the organizer provided here. The packet begins with a prompt, includes a few basic requirements, and provides an...
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Lesson Plan
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Scholastic

Quick as a Cricket Lesson Plan

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd Standards
Teaching young learners about similes is easy as pie with this primary grade language arts lesson. Following a class reading of the children's book, Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood, young readers learn the definition of a simile as...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Same Setting, Different Moods: Voice and Word Choice Using Lord of the Flies

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Whether it's dark, delightful, or somber, set the mood with William Golding's Lord of the Flies. High-schoolers practice descriptive writing by creating the appropriate mood for an original scene, starring one of the book's main characters.
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Unit Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

Out of the Dust

For Teachers 6th Standards
The Grapes of Wrath may be the most famous novel set during the Dust Bowl, but what other stories cover the same time? The unit focuses on the Karen Hesse novel Out of the Dust. Learners keep a timeline of the Dust Bowl, maintain a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing a Personal Letter Using the Short Story "Eleven"

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Challenge your class to connect to the text of "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros with this activity, which prompts them to write a personal letter from the main character's point of view. The story, prompt, and letter template are all included...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Story Pyramids

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young writers generate descriptive words. They use pictures of various landscapes (from books, magazines, or the Internet) and complete a story pyramid. The pyramid (included here) asks to describe the main character, the setting, and...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Carnegie Library

Creative Writing: Middle School Lesson Plan

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
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. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Characterizations: Indirect and Direct

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Connect literature to narrative writing by researching descriptive writing techniques. Elementary and middle schoolers identify the importance of a narrator and voice in the storytelling process. They read writing samples and identify...
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Worksheet
Warren County Public Schools

Small Group Discussion Questions

For Students 3rd - 7th Standards
Support a class reading of the novel Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor with this series of discussion questions. Covering a variety of topics from character and setting to historical accuracy and symbolism, these questions challenge...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Scrapbook Teacher's Guide

For Teachers K - 8th
Students analyze a book's characters and create a scrapbook to print and save. In this on line interactive characterization lesson plan, students identify character traits and gain a deeper understanding of a book's characters.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Illustrating Character Traits

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students define character traits. In this character trait lesson, students work in small groups to create an illustrated character trait sheet. They include the trait, a definition, a matching illustration, and use the word in a sentence. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a Playbill!

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore the various elements found in the advertisement of a dramatic experience. Playbills are created that reflect the plot without revealing the climax of the play. Costumes, set construction, and character description...
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Website
University of North Carolina

Qualifiers

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
A lot of writers really struggle very much with adding a lot of qualifiers and intensifiers in their writing. Part of a larger series to improve writing skills, a handout on the topic provides tips to help reduce a reliance on these...
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Activity
Scholastic

Dr. Seuss Extension Activities

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd Standards
Extend the exhilarating learning experience of Dr. Seuss with five activities designed to reinforce literacy skills—site word reading, dialogue writing, story mapping, and more! Featured stories include The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who, The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dear Diary

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Work on narrative writing with this lesson, in which middle schoolers analyze the characters from a selected piece of literature and write narrative diary pieces as the character. They work to understand the point of view of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tales From Around the World

For Teachers K - 4th
Students read stories. For this culture lesson, students read stories from different regions around the world. Students look for each region on the map and listen for interesting cultural details in the story. Students then discuss the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animation Pre-Production

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Does your class love reading cartoons? Use their talents and interests to examine the process of writing a story they wish to tell through a cartoon. They develop the beginning, middle, and end of a story based on their original...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shakespeare 2000

For Teachers 12th Standards
Young thespians can try their hand at writing a script and acting out a scene, while gaining a deeper understanding of the universal topics presented in Shakespeare's wide array of plays. Begin the lesson by conducting a compare and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Narrative Writing--The Hobbit

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Hobbits, dwarfs, wizards, trolls, and goblins. Readers track these fantastic creatures through J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit noting passages of character description and habitats. Using specific passages from the novel, class members craft...
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Organizer
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Australian Centre For the Moving Image

Dreamworks Animation Character Design

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Dive into animation creation using Dreamworks® animated films. Compare and contrast characters, wonder and ponder why the plot is so important, and think of background and themes as your creativity unrolls onto paper.
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Lesson Plan
Beyond Benign

Intended Occupants

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Here's a lesson you can really build on! Middle schoolers describe the occupants of an imaginary house during a character-building lesson. They create a cast of characters who share living space and provide details about their attitudes,...