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Scripting The Great Train Robbery
Take writing prompts to another level in this activity, which allows pupils to create scenes of dialogue based on the 1903 silent film, The Great Train Robbery. Useful for a language arts/history cross-curricular activity, the activity...
Wake County Public Schools
Language
Have your class doing everything from reading literature, analyzing literary devices, identifying independent and dependent clauses, discussing, and writing creatively with the rich resource found here. After a mini lesson on independent...
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Analysis of Character in a Short Story
Ninth graders examine a character from the short story, John Steinbeck's, "Flight." students respond to questions about the story and illustrate the character's journey.
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Poetic Justice: Understanding the Life of a Tethered Dog
The Humane Society provides a lesson in which class members explore the issue of tethering dogs. Through the resources used -- a comic, a poem, and narrative and expository writings -- class members realize that messages can be conveyed...
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So Foul and Fair a Play
Students watch various interpretations of Shakespeare's Macbeth in film. In groups, they examine the setting, characters, music and sequence. They compare and contrast the various films and discuss the differences. They write an essay on...
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Understanding Fantasy
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...
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Catcher in the Rye: Chapters 18-20 Venn Diagram
Well into Catcher in the Rye, when things are looking bleak and your readers may be needing some levity, read the picture book The Perfect Square by Michael Hall. Then use the Venn diagram included to compare how Holden Caulfield and the...
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"Et tu, Brute?" - The Characters, Conflict and Historical context of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Students analyze the Shakespearian play, "Julius Caesar" in this seven lesson unit. Through readings, hands-on projects, and the study of plot development, comparisons are made to the movie and the historical records available.
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PowerPoint Short Story Report
Students make a Microsoft PowerPoint report from a short story read in class. They summarize and paraphrase a short story identifying the six story elements: characters, setting, plot, conflict, solution, tone/mood.
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"Theseus and the Minotaur"
Young scholars analyze the features of myths and legends. They read the myths "Theseus and the Minotaur" and "Orpheus and Eurydice," identify the myth story elements, evaluate each story for the overall theme, describe the characters,...
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Philanthropy in A Christmas Carol
Students explore philanthropy in literature. In this cross curriculum literacy and character development lesson, students read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and note charitable acts described in the story. Students relate story...
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Literary Data Collection Chart
Here’s a matrix that could be used with any literary work. For each assigned passage, readers are asked to record information about characters, setting, vocabulary, literary devices, symbols, tone, mood, etc. In addition, they are asked...
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Short Stories Through Multimedia Presentations
Ninth graders summarize and paraphrase a short story read in class. They identify the six story elements of character, setting, plot, conflict, solution, and tone/mood. Students create a PowePoint presentation that illustrates the...
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Chasing Peter's Wolf
First graders listen to Prokoviev's Peter and the Wolf, relate the story to the music and identify instruments and their representative characters. They examine how music communicates events and images that help the listener to better...
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Text Under the Microscope
Young scholars explore plot, setting, point of view, and theme. In this literary elements activity, students read "The Cask of Amontillado," by Poe and the War of the World script by H.G. Wells. Young scholars identify and define the...
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Acting Like a Bunch of Animals: Fables and Human
The video "The Tales of Aesop" traces for viewers the history of fables and identifies their characteristics. The class then goes to the web site "The Fisherman and the Little Fish" where they examine the classic and a modern version of...
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HyperStudio Book Reports
Fifth graders create a HyperStudio book report after reading a novel. They work in pairs or small groups to design a HyperStudio stack about a previously-read novel. They use a variety of graphic organizers to have Students gather...
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Let's Watch a Story
Fourth graders watch a silent movie and identify the elements of a story. They complete a worksheet attached to the lesson and discuss their answers.
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Photo Essay
Students examine the process of writing a photo essay. They examine and select a personal photo or photo from a magazine, and brainstorm a story that can go with the photo. They identify an emotion to go with their picture, then write...
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Symbol Beneath the Surface in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own"
Young scholars identify the value of symbols in shorts stories and analyze Flannery O'Connor's use of symbolism. In this symbolism lesson, students complete a worksheet about symbols for cars. Young scholars answer questions about...
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Grandfather's Journey
Third graders explore world cultures by reading a children's story in class. In this Japanese heritage lesson plan, 3rd graders read the book Grandfather's Journey and identify the characters, setting and plot that takes place. Students...
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No Regrets: a Poetry Analysis
Learners read a poem and use the TPCASTT strategy for analysis. In this poetry analysis lesson, students journal about their future goals and read John Updike's "Ex-Basketball Player." Learners discuss the purpose of the poem and...
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Evaluate Problem-Solving in the Context of Culture and Time-frame
Learners examine literary elements in non-fiction literature. In this problem solving lesson, students read Rosa Parks, My Story and Beyond the Limits. Learners make oral presentations based on the causes and effects, conflicts, and...
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Charlotte's Web Venn Diagram
Students, together as a class, construct a Venn diagram of characteristics they see in two classmates. Then, they independently create another Venn diagram comparing/contrasting two characters from the story Charlotte's Web. They share...