Read Works
The Tone of a Poem
Tone and poetry are closely tied. Show your class how to determine the tone of a poem by noting your reactions and marking lines that bring out feelings. Next, work as a class to work through a second poem. Finally, have individuals read...
Curated OER
Analyzing Relationships
Fifth graders analyze the relationships among characters in a story. In this language arts instructional activity, 5th graders read Maniac Magee and discuss how the relationships between the characters change throughout the story.
Curated OER
A Story of Philanthropy
Help your class define philanthropy and recognize philanthropic activities. Ask them to identify examples of philanthropy in literature and explore the philanthropic deeds of themselves and others. To wrap up, create a class display with...
Curated OER
The Beet Goes On
Root vegetables inspire the series of activities included here. Class members participate in activities related to language arts, social studies, science, visual art, and math. At first, the long list might feel overwhelming; however,...
Curated OER
Just Lookin' For a Home
What is a boll weevil? Your class can find out that and more by following the activities included here. Pupils read an article, sing a boll weevil song, add to the song with their own original lyrics, illustrate the song, study the...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Personifying Abstractions
Students learn about personification and how to use it to when writing about abstract nouns. Finally, students write poems using the nouns they have chosen and personifications they have developed. Teacher and student instructions are...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Elements of a Story Interactive
Explore different ingredients, or elements, that go into stories and make them so much fun. Read the story, "Cinderella," and look at all the different pieces of the tale to see how they all fit together.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Common Themes in Literature
This tutorial focuses on common themes in literature, beginning with a slide show discussing 11 different, common themes and literary examples. This is followed by a 11-minute YouTube video with students acting out common themes in...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Themes in Literary Texts (English 6 Reading)
Learn how to infer the implicit theme in a work of fiction, distinguish theme from topic, and make complex inferences using textual evidence.
Read Works
Read Works: Bridge to Terabithia 5th Grade Unit
A Grade 5 literature study unit for the novel "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson. The concepts covered include cause and effect, character, genre, plot, predicting, and theme.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Elements of Poetry
Discover how literary techniques like figurative language, imagery, and symbolism contribute to the overall meaning of a poem. Explore how a poet establishes and builds on a theme and the difference between tone and mood. Through a close...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Literary Elements and Techniques Collection
These animated shorts introduce or review literary elements and techniques like theme, setting, figurative language, characterization, and conflict. They can be used when students are just learning how to identify the most commonly used...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Storytelling With Words and Pictures
For this interactive lesson, learners learn the basics of how stories are structured, gain vocabulary about storytelling elements, and explore how the arts, specifically drawing, can be a valuable way for students to tell stories.By the...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Create a Book (Grade 3 6)
Students will illustrate and write their own story.
University of Oregon
Pizzaz, Creative Writing & Storytelling: Diamante Poems
This PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling) lesson plan will engage students in writing diamante poems. Examples of diamante poems are provided. A template is also included as a graphic organizing support for students.
University of Oregon
Pizzaz, Creative Writing & Storytelling: Headline Poems
This PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling) lesson plan will engage learners in writing headline poems.
University of Oregon
Pizzaz, Creative Writing & Storytelling: Limerick Poems
This PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling) lesson plan will engage students in writing limerick poems. An example of a limerick poem is provided. A template is also included as a graphic organizing support for students.
University of Oregon
Pizzaz, Creative Writing & Storytelling: Name Poems
This PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling) lesson plan will engage students in writing personal poems. Examples of personal poems are provided. A template is also included as a graphic organizing support for students.
University of Oregon
Pizzaz, Creative Writing & Storytelling: Up and Down Poems
This PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling) lesson plan will engage students in writing up and down poems. An example of an up and down poem is provided.
University of Oregon
Pizzaz, Creative Writing & Storytelling: Creative Writing via Basket Stories
This PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling) lesson plan will engage students in creative writing about items found in a basket. Examples of creative writing are provided. Examples of springboard ideas are included.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Prose Poetry Paragraphs
Inspired by the vignettes of Sandra Cisneros, students will write about a familiar thing from their lives. Students will use the style of prose poetry to describe something familiar around their home, school or neighborhood. The final...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: 5th Grade Narrative Prompt: School Scenes in "Slow Motion"
This exercise was designed to serve as a pre-writing activity for one of their three designated fifth grade practice prompts for the state writing exam. The prompt is: Think about a time when something special or unusual happened at...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: The Color of Love: Reflecting on Colors and the Images They Evoke
In this lesson students will create a poem based on the images evoked by certain colors.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Poems to Bug Your Reader: Develop a Poem About Invertebrates
In this lesson students create a short poem utilizing the best word choice regarding an invertebrate.