The Whole Story

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce’s short story, is used to model how structural moves, the decisions an author makes about setting, point of view, time order, etc., can be examined to reveal an author’s purpose. Groups...

"It was a dark and stormy night . . " Here's a great way to get kids started on their who-done-its—a whole packet of story starters awaits young mystery writers.

People who are not fans of musical theater often cite the (seemingly) spontaneous songs as distractions from the plot. But in most musicals, the songs serve to drive the plot and to provide valuable insight into character motivation and...

Sometimes a whole story can change based on the perspective of the person telling it. Practice identifying and analyzing point of view in various reading passages and writing assignments with a language arts packet, complete with Common...

Close up your unit on Edgar Allan Poe by allowing time for reflection. First, small groups discuss themes of Poe's work. Next, the whole class discusses the characteristics of a great writer and connects this topic to Poe. Finally, class...

Young writers explore sequence of events in this guided practice activity. Based on a reading of "My Trip to Lyme Park," they discuss sequence words and develop the story of a trip to the park using first, then, and next.

Examine culture and the relationship it has to identity with a reading of Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks." Class members read the story and then respond to a series of text-based and discussion questions.

Ease young writers into the process of writing a story with a colorful presentation on story maps. Viewers use the provided sentence frames to craft a sample story as guided practice. They then draft their own stories to share with the...

Practice story analysis in a narrative writing activity. Elementary and middle schoolers analyze a movie's characters, setting, dialogue, and theme. They use these elements and analysis to create a new story about the characters. A great...

Students explore kamishibai stories, Japanese stories told through illustrated picture cards, and become familiar with their form. Afterward, they develop their own illustrated kamishibai story. Students discuss the process of drawing,...