A Story of Giving

Roald Dahl’s classic World War II short story, “Beware of the Dog” is the focus of a close reading exercise that asks learners to respond to text-dependent questions with evidence drawn from the story. Participants record responses on...

How can reading short stories benefit people? To conclude a unit study of this genre, class members script and film a public service announcement addressing this essential question.

Investigate the beginnings of the detective fiction genre through a discussion and writing assignment related to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Purloined Letter." Class members converse about the elements of the story and then compose brief...

Young readers explore philanthropy and its effects on the public good. They discuss athletes and their examples as philanthropists. They research a sports hero and play "The Match Game" to determine what they know about other sports...

This story is bound to motivate your class. Learners read a story called Elena by Diane Stanley. The story is about a young woman who marries for love but is soon widowed during the Mexican Revolution. She takes her children to...

Giving gifts has been a part of the human experience since modern man walked the earth. Upper graders explore the culture of gift giving in Mayan times through an artistic analysis. They analyze gift giving and palace life as seen on an...

What elements make the short story a distinct genre? After generating a list of common elements and a working definition, class members identify the characters, setting, plot, rising action, crisis, climax, and conclusion in “The Three...

Feeling conflicted? Work out those issues with a language arts lesson on internal and external conflict. Using "The Interlopers" by Saki, class members identify the conflicts between the characters before writing their own short stories...

The story, "The 7 Habits of Happy Kids," is used to inspire learners to create blogs in which they share their short and long-term goals with their peers. This innovative and impressive plan combines today's technology with good...

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” You’re never too old for Dr. Seuss and using The Sneetches and The Lorax is a great way to introduce readers to allegories, parables, and literary symbolism. The lessons...