Elementary learners explore the difference between aged characters and young characters in literature. They use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast the attributes given to both younger and older characters in different pieces of...

Young learners explore the antagonist. They retell Hansel and Gretel and identify the witch and the stepmother as antagonists. They then brainstorm common character traits of an antagonist, and then write a paragraph describing...

Connect literature to narrative writing by researching descriptive writing techniques. Elementary and middle schoolers identify the importance of a narrator and voice in the storytelling process. They read writing samples and identify...

Fourth graders use dance moves to perform narratives. In this dramatic performing instructional activity, 4th graders use strong and soft movements to show what character's voice is portraying. Students also use movement to show the...

Negative effects of bullying come to light through listening to the book Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. Class members identify philanthropic acts portrayed in the story and make illustrations to connect them to their own...

Good endings are hard to find. And write. This, the final activity in a six-part series devoted to study of the ingredients of a good story, focuses on crafting endings. Class members draft ideas about what should happen to each of their...

Students examine and discuss different perspectives of the Story of the Three Little Pigs. They write a friendly letter, from the wolf to any other character, using the proper letter format.

Students write story problems which can only be solved with the application of multiplication facts. They write an extra fact that isn't needed to solve. When their partners do the problems, they must cross out the fact that they do need.

Young scholars write a rap song to tell the who, what, and where of a story. In this literature instructional activity, students learn to identify the setting, characters, and plot of a story. Young scholars watch a video and...

Students create a rap using story details.  In this creative writing lesson, students examine the use of rap lyrics to list important details of stories.  They view a video example, and use their notes to create their own raps...

Students explore language arts by creating their own stories in class. In this book making lesson, students read the story City Pig in class and create storyboard illustrations in order to analyze the story. Students utilize these...

Learners write an adventure story about their vacation with a Beanie friend. They select a city, research its vacation possibilities and write about the places that they would like to visit.

Students compose a creative writing piece based on a painting of a mythological scene. In this creative writing lesson,  students write about the scene in the painting and tie in  their original stories into tales from the life...

Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette.  In this creating writing instructional activity, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette....

Fourth graders write from the perspective of a child in the colonial period. In this writing lesson, 4th graders create a fictional character living in the colonial period and write about daily life from their perspective.

Students read the book The Art Lesson by Tomi dePaola and analyze the story. In this setting lesson, students discuss the importance of the setting and how it helps us understand the story. Students answer questions and chart their...

Students review the terms plot, setting, and characters and examine how all of these elements are needed to make a story. They are given parts of stories and they try to identify all of those parts of the story.

Young scholars discuss a narrative work of art, then write stories describing the action and publish their stories and illustrations in books.

Students make a podcast of the stories they have written. In this writing lesson plan, students create creative writing stories based on pictures they receive and then put them into a podcast.

A basic lesson on personal narrative writing is here for you. In it, learners are asked to imagine they're going to share an experience of their own with someone who did not participate in that experience. They verbally tell the story to...

Show your young researchers how to find information, brainstorm a topic, map or outline their own stories, and create rough drafts. This lesson also shows learners how to peer edit, conference with the teacher, and write their final...

Fourth and fifth graders practice the skill of organizing their writing to convey a central idea by sorting 14 facts about the dogwood tree into four categories of facts. The categories, which are written on the board, are; Governmental...

Encourage scholars to retell their favorite short story or folktale, adding personal details to make it their own. After reading their book of choice several times, story tellers retell a tale verbally to their classmates. 

Full truth, or an exaggeration? How can you tell when a storyteller is exaggerating a story? Readers analyze a story told by Hortensia, and identify the exaggerative language she uses. Then, learners write their own narrative story using...