Activity
Lesson Plansos

Guided Reading Activities with Pizzazz

For Teachers 1st - 4th Standards
Get the most out of your guided reading lessons with this collection of literacy materials. Offering a system for using color-coded tags to mark pages while reading books, as well as an assortment of comprehension and grammar...
Activity
Orlando Shakes

Into The Woods: Study Guide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Fans of musical theater may know the title tune of Into the Woods well, but do they know what the show is all about? A study guide provides information about the classic musical, including details about the characters and a summary of...
Activity
Ideas From Suzi

Guided Reading: Beyond the Basics

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Elevate children's reading comprehension skills with this collection of guided reading resources. From paper dice with basic comprehension questions printed on them to a system for using sticky notes to identify key...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's in the Elements - Lesson Four

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students compare and contrast story elements in two versions of Cinderella.  In this literature elements lesson, students are read two different versions of Cinderella, they identify the characters, plot, and setting, then they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Read Aloud- Literary Elements- Prediction

For Teachers 1st
First graders read two stories.  In this literary elements instructional activity, 1st graders read The Hat by Jan Brett, notice patterns of prediction, identify the setting, problem and solution and compare the story to the book...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plot/Story Problem/Resolution

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students analyze the plot, problem, and resolution of a story. For this story analysis lesson, students read stories and fill out graphic organizers about the plot, story problems, and resolution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Story Setting - The Art Lesson by Tomi dePaola

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
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...
Activity
Curated OER

Book of the Month - A Technology-Integrated Literacy Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write a paragraph predicting what the book is about after viewing the front cover. They are given a copy of the Story Parts Maps, students are explained each story part. Students are explained that they most take notes on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cherokeee Myth: Origin of Strawberries

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read a Cherokee myth about the origin of strawberries. After reading the story, they add another chapter to it and read their additions to the class. Or, as a group activity, they each write a few sentences and then pass...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diary of Anne Frank: Act 1 Scene 1 & 2

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders read act 1 scenes 1 & 2 of the play Diary of Anne Frank. In this Diary of Anne Frank lesson plan, 8th graders discuss how the setting of the play affects the mood of the story and answer short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lively Read of the Tale of Despereaux

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners create a character map of the main characters in The Tale of Despereaux. After reading the text, students create a character chart based on information they gleaned from the story. They use this information to write a letter...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The "Write" Stuff: Strategies and Conventions for Imaginative Writing

For Teachers 6th
A comprehensive and immersive series of lessons that examines various aspects of story development leads learners into writing a narrative of their own. Writers develop an understanding of the writing process as they use the learning...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Help your class find their writing voices with this lesson which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher what they...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Unforgettable...

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Middle and high schoolers remember their most memorable experiences, and then connect their own narrative with an exposition about the topic associated with their experience. This New York Times lesson would be a great addition to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plot Summary for Story Element

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders identify story elements utilizing a plot summary organizer. In this story elements lesson plan, 7th graders discuss the elements of a good story. Students use The Three Little Pigs to practice finding the plot elements....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Themes in Literature - Langston Hughes "Thank You Ma'm"

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study Langston Hughes, "Thank You Ma'am" to discover the elements of plot, character motives and reactions. They express the effects of trust and kindness by writing a reflective personal narrative. They illustrate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

And the Moral of the Story is...

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students discover the parts of a story through the retelling of a fable as well as characters, plot, and setting. This lesson is completed using the program Pixie to create an online storybook.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Story Elements/ Setting

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students practice the story element of setting. In this setting lesson, students listen to the story Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant. They discuss and describe the places that Tulip saw in the story.  
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Narrative Nuts and Bolts

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After viewing slides and reading about child labor, young authors compose an original narrative story. They practice note-taking skills and work to effectively engage a reader by incorporating plot, logical order, complex characters,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The World Around Me

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Combining visual and language arts, here is a resource that prompts middle schoolers to write stories based on pictures of their surroundings. They use digital cameras to take pictures of favorite areas in the school. Next, they choose...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Movies and Entertainment

For Students 6th - 8th
Test your students' knowledge of literary and cinematic genres with this matching instructional activity. Twenty-one terms, such as "thriller," "western," "novel," and "horror," can be matched with their definition. Use this activity as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan 8: Setting and Mood

For Teachers 6th - 9th
What mood does this story evoke? How are setting and mood linked? Young novelists explore the different emotions brought about by writing, starting by journaling things that inspire their own feelings. Examine the word mood, looking into...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Fantasy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Explore fantasy as a genre. After working in small groups to identify literary elements in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, class members share their work and then use the presentations to help them prepare to write...
Activity
Curated OER

Writing/Setting/The Adventures of Tom Sawyer--Map Your Childhood Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write using a strong sense of place. In this Adventures of Tom Sawyer lesson, students discuss the importance of setting to the novel. Students brainstorm five specific locations that contribute to their personal history....