"How come there's no ending?" After a close reading of Frank R. Stockton's tale "The Lady, or the Tiger?" in which scholars examine each of the main characters' conflicts and motivations, writers craft their own ending using textual...

Teach young scholars how to determine the theme of a story, an insight the author wants to share with readers, with a lesson that uses Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" as an anchor text. Learners examine the internal and external...

Prepare readers of Arthur Miller's The Crucible for a timed, in-class essay assessment with seven graphic organizers that ask individuals to note conflicts, both internal and external, characters' actions, possible...

Capulets and Montagues. Sharks and Jets. Nortenos and Surenos. Gradwitzes and Znaeyms? Hector Hugh Munro's short story "The Interlopers" invites high schoolers to consider the causes of conflicts and reflect on what it takes to resolve...

To regulate emotions in a conflict it is first necessary to be able to identify those emotions. To that end, class members engage in a series of activities, watch a series of videos, and compete worksheets that help them understand and...

Good questions can help focus readers' attention on the elements writers use to add depth to their stories. The questions on this worksheet do just that and encourage readers to think critically about a story and author's purpose.

Conflicts arise when underlying needs are unmet. An engaging video introduces viewers to nine basic human needs. Then, through a series of videos, worksheets, and activities, class members learn that by focusing on interests and needs,...

The second instructional activity in the Lord of the Flies unit asks scholars to consider the characteristics of a good leader. After generating a list of these qualities, they annotate a passage from the novel highlighting the...

Introduce positive social skills and friendship to young learners with this wonderfully designed eight-lesson unit. It includes several activities to help learners identify positive attributes, build empathy, and understand...

"Immoral!" "Scandalous!" When published in 1899, Kate Chopin's The Awakening was not well received. The novel traces the tragedy of Edna Pontellier, who rebels against the strictures placed upon her as a woman and mother....

Plan on using Gone with the Wind as a reading selection? Here's a packet of prompts for activities and assessments.

Somebody. Wanted. But. Then. Introduce your classes to the structure that supports stories with a instructional activity that teaches readers how to identify the four basic components writers use to craft their tales. After identifying...