A video leads off this activity on fables, introducing the class to this important form of traditional storytelling. The group defines fable and hears an explanation of the origin of this type of folk tale. They summarize the story they...

Sixth graders write a creative story and turn it into a digital storybook. In this digital storytelling lesson, 6th graders write a creative story, illustrate the story, and then use computer technology to turn their story and...

Students study and participate in a Native American traditional learning experience--storytelling. They read legends and choose a legend to tell and illustrate.

Eighth graders retell stories to peers and the entire class. In this storytelling lesson, 8th graders research short stories and select a short story to retell. Students rewrite the stories in their own words and tell it aloud.

Ninth graders explore the power of media in culture and Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence. In this nonviolence and media instructional activity, 9th graders analyze Gandhi's nonviolent methods for social change and discuss the media's...

Students create a children's book version of the Japanese folk story "Momotaro Boy of the Peach" and present the story to elementary students. In this children's book instructional activity, students design their book to explain Japanese...

Eighth graders read Las Christmas and discuss their own cultural traditions. In this holiday traditions lesson, 8th graders write their personal story about a tradition or holiday memory. Students complete all stages of writing in...

Young readers use graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams and story maps, to analyze a variety of folktales and the elements of a story. They use writing, sequencing activities, and creative art to identify the morals learned from a...

Middle schoolers discuss the story The Pied Piper.  In this reading comprehension lesson, students participate in a variety of activities designed to enhance and further their understanding of the story.  Middle schoolers...

Oral history has brought a multitude of lessons, stories, and factoids to our current knowledge of the past. Let us continue to use oral history traditions through a lesson that encourages pupils to discover and appreciate...

Second graders practice the necessary steps that should be taken in order to create a story from scratch. They brainstorm as a class in order to come up with different ideas. Students write a story that includes a plot, characters, and...

Eighth graders explore storytelling by listening to a reading of a classic poem.  In this language arts instructional activity, 8th graders listen to an audio recording of Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart.  Students...

Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...

Young scholars read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific...

Learners explore the attributes of fables. In this literature lesson, students read several fables and identify the moral lesson, characterization, and figurative language in each. Learners then retell their favorite fables in their own...

Students investigate the history of Mali. For this African cultures lesson, students research the impact of Sundiata Keita as king of Mali, recognize the significance of historical Malian festivals, and create character masks to be worn...

Students create a book about The Great Depression in West Virginia.  In this West Virginia history lesson plan, students visit the West Virginia State Museum, answer questions about West Virginia history, and create a book entitled...

The stories of the Silver People, the West Indies immigrants hired to work on the Panama Canal, come to life in a lesson about the building of the Panama Canal. Groups research why the canal was built, how it was build, the working...

Young scholars brainstorm all the possible scenarios that would help them tell a story in detail with the whole class and with partners. They create web outlines to create a name story and then illustrate it with creative grammar usage...

Make oral presentations electric and magnetic! As the conclusion of the study of electricity and magnetism, class members are assigned to bring to life items or people associated with these topics. Speaking as the person or object,...

Students read and compare excerpts from The Odyssey and The Adventures of Telemachus. They create an original story based on a secondary character from The Odyssey as well as a sketch of one of the pivotal scenes from the story.

Students work together in groups to research a Native American legend. They present the information they gathered in a format they chose. They write their own legend based on their research.

Eighth graders research Native American legends involving the sun, moon, and stars and compare them to the origin of present day knowledge. They create a written report and make an oral presentation of their findings to the class.

Young scholars explore flamenco music through research into the lives and movements of the Gypsies of Andalusia. They adopted th music of Spain and added their own strong rhythmic sense and drama.