As a class, young writers learn how to develop a strong supporting character. They think and discuss a good friend they know, they use that friend as a basis for a potential supporting character. They create a supporting character as a...

To gain a better understanding of characters in Pearl Buck's The Good Earth, kids create a biopoem for one of her characters.

Ninth graders explore the meaning of the term philanthropy.  In this Social Studies instructional activity, 9th graders research examples of people that represent good citizens.  Students create a skit that demonstrates a...

Students explore philanthropy through literature. In this service learning lesson, students consider character traits as they read Seedfolks. Students record their notes regarding the characters in the story of a community garden in...

Third graders practice identifying characters and story elements by creating a character cluster in class.  In this story analysis lesson, 3rd graders discuss the story Snow White and identify the characteristics of the evil witch....

Encourage respect, responsibility, and caring within your classroom with a collection of lessons that spark dialogue and self reflection. To address character traits, lessons touch on topics such as staying safe in the...

Part of growing up is differentiating between good and bad habits; developing the positive and eliminating the negative. This resource on  life skills can be adapted to almost any age group. Class members participate in multiple...

Creating a good main character is a must when writing a creative narrative or novel. Elementary aged writers create main characters for the novel they are writing. They first use themselves as a models, then create a character as a...

Teach your upper graders how to use an idea web to develop a topic for writing. After reading a variety of stories about friendship (a list of stories with the theme of friendship is included), model using an idea web. Class members...

One of Aesop's fables begins with a lesson about cooperation and teamwork. Scholars listen carefully, taking note of the moral of the story. The class discusses their findings and why working with others makes work easier. Learners share...

Whether you are planning a unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, or simply want to improve your pupils' descriptive writing, this lesson could be a good addition to your class. Using the Six-Trait Writing process, pupils...

What makes a fairy tale a fairy tale? Use a 27-page packet to supplement your next fairy tale unit. With sequencing activities, story map worksheets, character analyses and story elements graphic organizers, and fairy tale highlight...

A lesson showcases the character trait of integrity. Scholars define the term, discuss how having integrity means being trustworthy, that one can choose to have integrity, and the significance of looking at situations from other...

Is Yuki a selfish character? Analyze her motivation and behavior during a unit on Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori. Readers fill out two sides of a graphic organizer with reasons why or why not she is selfish, and then come up with...

Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this citizenship lesson, students collaborate to compile a list of the top ten traits of good citizens. Students then discuss random acts of kindness and create a plan to share kindness...

Third graders participate in a variety of activities in order to promote the concept of being a good citizen. The foundation of this unit is found in the character trait of respect for self and others in society.

Students participate in cross-curricular activities and readings to become familiar with the works of Brian Jacques. In this heroes lesson, students discuss the character traits of legends and how their characters develop through events...

Students explore, explain and experience the importance of good character traits in everyday life by assessing the challenging journeys traveled on the Oregon Trail. They study the daily accounts of perseverance and courage along the trail.

How can you tell if a character is a villain? What about a hero? Work on literary analysis with an engaging language arts worksheet. After completing an activity about the four types of conflict, learners fill out a character map about a...

Young scholars explore American history by reading biographical text in class. For this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students research the famous inventor by reading assigned text and answering reading comprehension questions afterwards....

Explore voice in writing with the story Chess Rumble. After examining the character's voice to understand the character better, sixth graders analyze and discuss the dialect, tone, and descriptive language used. A good way to focus...

Describe yourself or a character from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with a biopoem activity. Using the provided format, kids write their own characteristics or the character traits from the novel to create a poetic portrait.

Helpful for a unit on Walter Dean Myers' Monster, or any novel that you are teaching, a graphic organizer prompts learners to compare and contrast different character traits. The first box has one set of lines to jot down what two...

What are the important character traits of a good military leader? Individuals ponder this question before reading Orson Scott Card's science fiction novel, Ender's Game. After individuals rank a series of qualities,...