Curated OER
The Learning Network: Re-envisioning Classic Stories
Readers reflect on enjoyable stories they know, brainstorm criteria that make a story "good," analyze a New York Times article about innovative children's performances, re-envision classics on their own, and peer edit drafts. Use this as...
Curated OER
Writing Myths I
Explain a natural phenomenon in an original myth. After researching the phenomenon they have chosen, young readers use factual information to include in their myth. They find synonyms and new phrases to create vivid images as they write...
Curated OER
The Ultimate Survivor Using Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
What items would you need to survive if you were stranded in a remote place? Using chapter 10 of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, middle-schoolers work through a Six Trait writing activity to create a story about their own survival in a similar...
Curated OER
I Hate to Complain but your Cheese Stinks
Students read and discuss the "fractured" fairy tale "The Stinky Cheese Man". They imagine that they are in the fairy tale and write a letter of complaint concerning the Cheese Man and how he stinks up the town.
Curated OER
Cinderella Stories
Students explore their creative writing skills. In this Cinderella writing lesson, students compare perspective as they read and discuss 2 versions of the "Three Little Pigs." Students then watch "Cinderella" and use their creative...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Origami Geometry
Origami is an excellent way to combine Japanese culture, art, and geometric shapes into one engaging instructional activity! Scholars begin by listening to the story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and learn the origin of the...
Curated OER
Giving with Imagination
Demonstrate gift giving as an act of caring about someone versus gifts for show (or gifts from the purse). Elementary learners practice giving gifts from the heart by creating a poem for someone special to them.
Curated OER
Diamonte Writing
Students discover poetry while practicing their storytelling skills. In this language arts instructional activity, students read diamonte and acrostic poems written by other students on the Internet. Students create their own narrative...
Curated OER
Fractured Fairy Tales
Through reading and writing, learners explore common elements found in fairy tales. After discussing traditional fairy tales, class members listen to The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by John Scieszka, a hilarious retelling of the...
Nazareth College
Creative Writing
Students discuss creative writing—what makes something creative writing? Each learner starts writing a story and after 15 minutes, they pass their story to another who adds to it. After another 15 minutes of writing, the story is passed...
Curated OER
Tall Tales
Students examine the characteristics of tall tales and how exaggerations are used. They create a character that is larger than life, they brainstorm attributes for their character, before writing a Tall Tale. They plan out their story,...
Curated OER
Muggie Maggie
Students read a chapter in a book. For this reading comprehension lesson, students predict what will happen in chapter 2 of Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary. Students write, define and illustrate new vocabulary words and then read and...
Curated OER
Identifying the Theme in a Story
Students recognize Theme through the use of simple, short stories. Using Pro Quest, students begin by researching the literary element, theme, and how it can be identified. They then identify the themes in Aesop's Fables and other short...
Curated OER
Writing tall Tales
Students become familiar with the origins of the tall tale. In this Tall tale technology lesson plan, students complete worksheets to plan a tall tale. Students write their tall tales and put it on the computer in KidPix.
Curated OER
Storyboard for Persuasive Text
Students demonstrate their knowledge of the main elements of a story by creating a storyboard. For this persuasive writing lesson students create storyboards that are intended to persuade a director to make a movie out of the short...
Curated OER
The Story Project: A Lesson Plan for the Combining Voices Literary Competition
Young scholars analyze Simple Answer, by John Cleaveland, and use this image to inspire a short story. They use both verbal and visual language to help them create the characters and the plot. The lesson plan contains steps that helps...
Curated OER
Writing A Summary - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Middle schoolers explore short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In this literature lesson, students read one of his short stories listed and then summarize the story in a written piece.
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
Mummies in the Morning Egyptian pyramids, hieroglyphics
Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...
Curated OER
Introduction Lesson to the Book Where the Red Fern Grows
An excellent lesson plan on the classic book, Where the Red Fern Grows. Learners view the W. Wilson Rawls website and engage in a series of activities generated by the website. They write in their reflective journals, watch a video, and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Introduction to Division
Examine how addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division relate to and are separate from each other. As they listen to the book, The Doorbell Rang, they demonstrate the math described in the story by cutting up paper cookies and...
Curated OER
During Reading Strategy: Literary Newspaper
Add some writing to your class's reading of Cold Sassy Tree! With this plan, readers assume the role of journalist and create a segment of a paper with their peers. Suggested segments are included, and a worksheet dividing the text into...
Curated OER
How Does it End?
Students listen to the first part of a story, use drawing software, such as Paint or AppleWorks, to draw, or write and draw, their own imaginary endings to the story. They practice their mouse and computer navigation skills. They share...
Curated OER
Using Inspiration Software to Explore Characters In Stories
Learners identify characters, their qualities, and examples of their qualities and use Inspiration to organize them in a clear and understandable format. After a lecture/demo, students use the program on the next story by themselves.
Curated OER
Transforming Fairy Tales
Young scholars use technology to write original fairy tales. In this fairy tale lesson, students write their version of famous fairy tales using Alphasmart or computers. Young scholars illustrate their stories.