The metaphor of a pot of soup and a series of colorful templates remind young writers of the elements that make for a rich story. Pepper the plot with carrot/character, potato/point of view, corn/conflict, tomato/theme, and season with...

Extend your study of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton with an essay. Pupils can choose one of the three prompts provided on this page and write about either characterization, conflict, or theme. Each prompt includes a brief definition of the...

Record the plot elements of The Cay on this worksheet. Pupils note basic information about the book and answer questions about the introduction, point of view, character, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of...

Use this writing prompt and brainstorming page to help your pupils prepare to write their own myths. Individuals must choose a natural event to explain, come up with a protagonist and an antagonist, determine a setting, and think of a...

Outline the plot of any story with a versatile graphic organizer. Class members record the title and author or the text and then work on filling in boxes for characters, setting, conflict, important, events, resolution, and themes.

Part-three of this six part series begins with a dramatization of a battle between Indians and Muslims which led to the dawn of the Mughal Empire. Unlike other Muslim rulers in India, the Mughal leader was a devote Sufi and had a deep...

A lesson on the literary elements necessary for a story, this energetic slide show might be just what you are looking for! Cover the following terms: foreshadowing, protagonist, conflict, characters, setting, climax, setting, point of...

Introduce the genre of the short story to your class. You can make a handout out of this resource or develop extensive notes from the information included. Cover development, characteristics, types, and elements of the short story, with...

Your health class reads two biographical stories: one about a girl who has allergies and the other about a girl who has asthma. They watch a quick cartoon on the KidsHealth website about immunity and take the related online quiz. You...

Students discuss feelings and explore how to recognize how they are feeling.  In this exploratory lesson students discuss conflict and ways to resolve problems. 

Students identify their feelings and examine constructive ways of handling conflict.  In this conflict lesson students discuss how to communicate their feelings and resolve conflicts. 

Middle schoolers in particular will benefit from this simple presentation. Forty slides cover story elements like the protagonist, antagonist, and setting, and literary devices are also included. Some examples are given, but for the most...

Tenth graders explore narrative poetry. They analyze sections of a poem and present to groups. They compose their own narrative poems using pictures as prompts. They exchange their poems and analyze their classmate's poem.

Students read the story of an aspiring African prince whose life is ruined by conflict, jealousy, and greed. They explore problem solving and apply these strategies to their own lives. Students compare characters and themes using a...

“Rikki-tikki-tavi” provides an opportunity to model for readers how to use background information to enrich understanding of a story. Class members observe animal behavior, listen to biographical background on Rudyard Kipling, study...

If you're looking for a simple presentation to introduce your class to the most basic of plot elements, consider using this one. Basic terms like plot, plot chart, exposition, climax, etc. are introduced and defined. Pair this with a...

Setting and conflict are the focus of an image-rich presentation that asks viewers to imagine the story behind the picture. Each principle is illustrated with examples from published stories. Practice exercises are included in this...

Use this presentation before studying a short story or having your class craft their own. Twelve slides introduce story elements like setting, conflict, point of view, plot, characters, and theme. Examples are not provided, so consider...

Study characterization, plot, setting, and symbols in William Golding's Lord of the Flies with a thorough reading guide. It provides reading comprehension questions for each chapter, as well literary devices, symbols, and character...

Learners prepare for and participate in a debate and mock trial regarding laws broken during the Boston Tea Party. Several primary documents and a homework chart are included.

What are the elements of a personal narrative? Get your class talking by reading "The Necklace" and "A Dangerous Game." The activity focuses primarily on defining certain vocabulary terms (like context clues, plot, conflict, climax,...

Examine the Hundred Years' War. Budding historians view a video on Joan of Arc to discuss her qualities of courage and bravery. They respond to the video and discussion in their journals and write in the perspective of Joan of Arc. 

This reading guide poses questions at the beginning, middle, and end of the reading of Ethan Frome. Readers focus on the setting, conflict, and resolution presented in the novel. 

All stories contain themes. Examine the theme of an assigned story (the activity suggests To Kill a Mockingbird). Your class can either read a story or watch a DVD to analyze the main theme of the story. They identify terms such as...