Scholars learn about the Hero's Journey as they read Ray Bradbury's "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." They analyze the story's structure and narrative techniques. Finally, they write summaries of the text's central idea and use their...

A printable narrative pyramid where students can record information about a story including the character, setting, problem, main events, and solution. Directions on how to use this type of graphic organize as well as lists of teaching...

The goal of this activity is for students to learn how to tell a story in order to make a complex topic (such as global warming or ozone holes) easier for a reader to grasp. Students realize that the narrative impulse underlies even...

Contains plans for three lessons that teach a reading comprehension technique called the prediction strategy, where students predict what will happen in a story before reading. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional...

This lesson is an introduction to a unit on personal narratives including the characteristics of a personal narrative: tells a story, events are in chronological order, and it has characters, setting, and plot. Click next at the bottom...

Learn about different hooks to use when writing a good introduction including: telling a story, providing interesting background information, setting up a contrast, and using a combination of approaches.

This site provides information about characters, plot, and setting of several different pieces of literature. It offers links to activities and tests on topic such as analysis and evaluation, creation and production, drama, novels, and...

Use this graphic organizer to compare or contrast ideas, things, or texts. This is a great cross-curricular tool to use for both reading strategies and prewriting.

This is the eighth article in a series that focuses on helping the new novel author. This article looks at how the author can avoid creating stumbling blocks that disrupt the flow of the novel.

Text of the short story "The Pimienta Pancakes" by O. Henry, a story set in the Old West. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)

Students will use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, and events by working with partners to ask and answer questions about the text.

This lesson can be completed in a whole group or small group setting. After reading the book "P.W. Cracker Sees the World," the students will complete an inquiry project that connects social studies/geography to what they read in their...

Text of the short story "Parker Adderson, Philosopher" by Ambrose Bierce, which is set during the American Civil War. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)

This activity includes primary sources from the official records of the U.S. District Court at Boston that tell the story of William and Ellen Craft, a young couple from Macon, GA, who escaped to freedom in Boston in 1848. Students will...