Graphic
Other

Kim's Korner: Graphic Organizers for Writing and Reading

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
What are graphic organizers for reading and writing? Use this site to learn more about these learning tools.
Graphic
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Narrative Pyramid

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Other

Story Arts: Storytelling Activities & Plot Structure Scenarios

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
This collection of storytelling activities-developed by storyteller/author Heather Forest for her storytelling workshops with students, teachers, and librarians-can be expanded by educators into language arts lesson plans to support...
Article
Other

Building Characters With Adversity

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Extensive and very interesting article advising the reader on how to develop characters through adversity.
Article
Caro Clarke

Caro Clarke: Writing Advice: Beginner's Four Faults

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site is a personal site from Caro Clarke. The third installment in this series looks at the four major mistakes made by beginning authors. The main idea of this article is that the author needs to be able to combine dialogue with...
PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Characters and Theme

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson introduces the connection between characters and theme in fiction writing. RL.9-10.3 Analyzing Characters
PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Characters and Setting

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson introduces the connection between characters and setting in fiction writing.
Article
Caro Clarke

Caro Clarke: What Is Conflict?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is the sixth in a series of articles designed to help the new writer with their novel. This article focuses on conflict and how it effects the characters and the plot of the story. W.11-12.3a Narratives
Article
Caro Clarke

Not Stopping the Reader: How to Avoid Stumbling Blocks

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
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.
Article
Caro Clarke

Explaining Too Much: Why More Is Less

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is the eleventh article in a series that is designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on how to eliminate needless information in your novel. The key is to not explain too much about the action.
Article
Caro Clarke

Historical Fiction: Who Rules?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is the fifteenth article in a series designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on the genre of historical fiction and the role of the author. Is the author a researcher or a story-teller?
Article
Caro Clarke

A, B, and C Characters

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
This is the ninth article in a series that focuses on helping the new novel author. This article focuses on what the author calls "A, B, and C Characters," used to describe the different levels of characters.
Unit Plan
McGraw Hill

Glencoe Literature Library: "Heart of Darkness" and "The Secret Sharer" [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore Joseph Conrad's novella, "Heart of Darkness," and his short story, "The Secret Sharer," with the help of this study guide. It provides pre-reading material (author biography, vocabulary, introductory article), reading activities,...
Article
Other

Anthologies online.com: Understanding Theme and Premise

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
AnthologiesOnline.com provides this article Understanding Theme and Premise by Susan J. Letham, which provides tips on how to develop ideas for writing.
Unit Plan
TES Global

Blendspace: What Makes Stories Scary?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A learning module that includes fourteen links to websites, videos, and activities on writing scary stories. Lessons focus on vocabulary, plot and character development, elements of gothic stories, tone and mood, suspense, and more.
Lesson Plan
Organization for Community Networks

Ofcn: The "Real" Fairy Tales

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
This lesson plan was designed to help students develop their imagination and writing skills. Students will have an opportunity to rewrite their favorite fairy tales.
Website
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: O Logy: Stuff to Do: Space Travel Guide

For Students 3rd - 8th
What makes science fiction so exciting? Read some examples of the genre and then create your own science fiction story about space travel. Use the supplied "travel guide" to generate ideas and structure your plot.
Handout
Yale University

Yale University: Elements of the Short Story

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This unit from the Yale University on elements of the short story is designed to develop student comprehension skills, particularly making inferences and generalizing. It also involves students in reading a number of short stories to...
Unit Plan
Other

Literature Unit: "A Day No Pigs Would Die"

For Students 6th - 8th
This site features questions for each of the chapters in Robert Newton Peck's "A Day No Pigs Would Die."
Unit Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Books: Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
This comprehensive teacher's guide for the book "Zathura" by Chris Van Allsburg provides us with an opportunity to examine how writers blend scientific information with a fictional story.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Story Add Ons

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
This is a technology-rich lesson plan which allows students to explore proper language conventions while utilizing portable keyboards for word processing.
Unit Plan
National Endowment for the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts: The Big Read: Wolff: Old School

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Guide to Tobias Wolff's Old School, with historical information, author biographies, discussion questions, and a ten-lesson unit of study including activities, writing exercises, project ideas, and essay topics. A radio show, with...
Unit Plan
McGraw Hill

Glencoe Literature Library: "Shiloh" Study Guide [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 5th
Explore Phyllis Reynold Naylor's "Shiloh" with the help of this study guide, which provides pre-reading material (author biography, vocabulary, introductory article), reading activities, brainstorming ideas, and thought-provoking writing...
Handout
SparkNotes

Spark Notes: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

For Students 9th - 10th
Read a Plot Overview of the entire book of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. Also provided are links to character lists, main ideas, quotes, and writing help.