Students read and analyze the twelve short stories in the novel "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." They create their own detective that has to solve a new kind of crime, and write and edit a short story with their original detective as...

Eighth graders explore manners by writing short stories. In this chivalry code lesson plan, 8th graders identify the traits of chivalry and explore the history of chivalry in England. Students complete a chivalry worksheet and write a...

Water conservation and management is the focus of this lesson plan. Pupils identify the need for being "water wise" in society through research and discussion. and present their findings in many different formats (short story, poetry, or...

Students discuss the earliest form of writing, pictographs and view several examples. They then create their own hieroglyphics and write a short story using them. They then create and label a timeline including methods of writing prior...

Students examine and discuss art objects from the Silk Roads. They analyze images of artifacts, create a word map, and develop and write a short story or poem based on the slides viewed.

Students write their own version of "Peter and the Wolf". They explore the characters and the instruments that represent the characters. They use graphic organizing software to brainstorm ideas for characters and story lines for...

Young scholars discuss character types and their qualities. They select two characters and write about their dress, speech, habits, attitudes and beliefs. They write a monologue as the characters presenting a moral theme.

Young scholars spend the lesson identifying the location of the fifty states and the capitals. Using a software program, they retrace te outline of each state numerous times. To end the lesson, they write a story about a state and city...

Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine how the clearing of rivers such as the Red River helped to boost the Arkansas economy of the mid-1800's. They listen to a story called, "Mary and the Red River Raft," then conduct research on...

Learners practice writing surprise endings to their short stories. After listening to the beginning of a short story, students make predictions about the story's surprise ending. They write their own short story with a surprise ending...

Students evaluate jazz music and a jazz music performance. They collaborate and create an improvised group short story. They improvise a musical piece on found objects.

Young scholars examine the characteristics of an adventure story. Students write an adventure story of their own based on a true personal experience. After drafting their story, young scholars use a word processor to write, edit, and...

Seventh graders practice sequencing the events in a story they have read. After reading a short story, 7th graders sequence the events of the story using a timeline. Their timeline is used to create a summary paragraph of the story...

Students listen to a broadcast with two stories on a radio that deals with Viking legends: The Building of the Wall and a creation story similar to Genesis. They discuss each story, write a short scene from one of the stories and then...

Ninth graders identify story elements utilizing a plot summary organizer. In this plot summary lesson, 9th graders discuss the elements of a good story and listen to the story of the three little pigs. Students complete a group plot...

Young historians explore the underground railroad and life as a slave during the Civil War. After internet research, they discuss the hazards of travel as a slave and the benefits of freedom. Individually, learners write a short story...

Students discuss human emotions and mental health. For this mental and emotional health lesson, students write a short story regarding the "think and share" choice. Students include emotion, the connection between feelings and conflict...

A reading of Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter opens a discussion of justice and fairness. Using a Venn diagram and an Idea Wheel graphic organizer, class members consider the similarities and differences in these two terms. They then...

After reading Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (and possibly shedding a few tears), middle schoolers work on their own sixteen-word poems with a Six Trait writing activity. They focus on word choice in this activity to capture an...

Incorporate technology into a literature lesson with an innovative language arts lesson. Middle schoolers read an electronic version of original stories or fairy tales, and after determining the point of view, rewrite the tale from...

Invite your young writers to take the reins with writing dialogue. Using two characters of their own creation, kids work with partners and then individually to write short conversations.

Difficulties with brain injuries still continue today. After reading Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science, class members read a series of modern personal essays about brain injuries and choose an essay to compare...

Bring up the topic of world hunger in your class with two emotional videos. The short films are about a program for educating and feeding children around the world. Class members talk about poverty and pay close attention to the...

Scholars discuss the concept of a barrier with a short passage on Jackie Robinson. The writing process begins with a paragraph and several other sentences about Robinson's unique traits that made breaking a barrier...