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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

The Underneath: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Do you have a place that makes you feel safe and secure? Ranger, a hound in The Underneath, finds his new friend, a calico cat, and her safe place—underneath a porch. Scholars complete sentences using vocabulary from the novel as they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Pigman: Problematic Situation

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What would you do? To prepare readers for the death of Mr. Pignati, one of the characters in Paul Zindel's The Pigman, individuals complete a problematic situation worksheet and then compare their responses to others in their group.
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Lesson Plan
Student Achievement Partners

Eleven

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Turning 11 comes with a range of emotions. Explore those emotions by reading the short story "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros. Readers analyze the main character's reactions to the events of her day. Then, they write an essay describing what...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Johnny Tremain: Novel Study

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Scholars read Johnny Tremain to see how Johnny's terrible accident helped him become a part of history. Learners write two poems, analyze characters by matching descriptions, and create...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing a Personal Letter Using the Short Story "Eleven"

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Challenge your class to connect to the text of "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros with this activity, which prompts them to write a personal letter from the main character's point of view. The story, prompt, and letter template are all included...
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Lesson Plan
Novelinks

The Good Earth: Biopoem Strategy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
To gain a better understanding of characters in Pearl Buck's The Good Earth, kids create a biopoem for one of her characters.
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

The River: Novel Study

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Some experiences are worth living again. At least, that is how government researchers feel about Brian's survival experience in the woods. The River is a sequel to Brian's adventures in Hatchet. Scholars read about the troubles Brian and...
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Lesson Plan
Free Library of Philadelphia

Resources for Ghost Boys

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Jewell Parker Rhodes, the author of Ghost Boys, wanted to bring the historical legacy of Emmett Till and the current topic of racial prejudice into today's young readers' mindsets. Use a reading guide and set of discussion questions to...
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Unit Plan
Internet Archive

Daz 4 Zoe

For Teachers 7th - 9th
It is rough trying to make your way through Romeo and Juliet with young readers. The language can set up barriers that prevent conversations about the conflicts and themes. Robert Swindells Daz 4 Zoe is similar in structure and theme,...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Three Skeleton Key: Elements of Literature

For Students 6th - 8th
Rats! How are they described in "Three Skeleton Key," and what happens to the characters in the story? Study the vocabulary and the story with these worksheets. Learners complete pre-reading activities, study vocabulary, complete...
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Handout
Novelinks

Tunes for Bears to Dance to: A Letter for Henry

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Readers of Tunes for Bears to Dance to are asked to write a personal letter to Henry, the main character in Robert Cormier's young adult novel, offering Henry advice about whether he should do as Mr. Hairston wants.
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Worksheet
Prestwick House

The Giver

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
The world in Lois Lowry's The Giver is one without pain or suffering. Similiarly, your classroom review of the novel can be painless with a simple and straightforward crossword puzzle that covers characters, details, and setting details...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

We've Got Character! Literary Analysis: Characterization

For Teachers 8th - 9th Standards
How authors bring characters to life and make them believable is the focus of a lesson on characterization. Readers closely examine passages from To Kill a Mockingbird and Dreamland Burning, noting details that reveal the character's...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Defining Conflict Using "The Interlopers"

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Feeling conflicted? Work out those issues with a language arts lesson plan on internal and external conflict. Using "The Interlopers" by Saki, class members identify the conflicts between the characters before writing their own short...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of Words in Charlotte's Web

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
"How can a few good words save a pig's life?" Posed with this question, your ELD students explore E.B. White's Charlotte's Web in a meaningful, valuable way. By analyzing specific word choice from the book, especially the excerpts...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a PowerPoint:Based on The Giver

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Are you reading Lois Lowry's The Giver in your language arts class? Have your young readers create a PowerPoint presentation about their life, and how they connect to the lives of the characters from the novel. They present information...
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Worksheet
La Jolla High School

Of Mice and Men: Looking at Themes

For Students 7th - 10th
Feelings of loneliness and alienation drive the characters in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Use this handout to set your class members up for a lesson on these big ideas. In addition to finding a couple of definitions and...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

“Everyday Use,” Alice Walker: Questions for Discussion

For Students 8th - 9th
Should treasured family heirlooms be used or preserved? This resource provides readers with an opportunity to examine the actions of characters in Alice Walker’s short story, as well as their own sense of heritage. The questions could be...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a Book on Tape

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Learners of all ages record themselves reading their favorite books with accuracy and feeling. They must read with sound effects and consider the audience for whom the tape is being made. They are assessed based on the quality of their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Running Out of Time: Problematic Situation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
What would you take with you if you were traveling on your own to a different place? A different time? Pupils decide individually and then in groups what the main character of Running Out of Time should take on her trip. Coming to a...
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Organizer
La Jolla High School

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: Character Sketches

For Students 6th - 9th
Cover character development and indirect characterization in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck with a graphic organizer. Class members search through the text and fill out a box for each character. The activity provides some notes for...
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Worksheet
La Jolla High School

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: Sketching a Portrait--Characterization

For Students 6th - 9th
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is known for rich character development. Expose your class to indirect characterization and all that it involves with this worksheet. Learners look at quotes, determine what method of characterization is...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Surveying Salinger with Dialogue and Disillusionment

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Find creative ways to teach Salinger's stories by focusing on dialogue, cultural context, and characterization.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Separate Peace: Chapter 11 Reading and Study Guide

For Teachers 7th - 12th
To better comprehend the novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, learners define 3 vocabulary words, define 1 literary term, and respond to 10 short-answer questions. This resource refers only to Chapter 13 of the book.