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Teachers See the Truth but Wait: Teaching Short Stories with Literature Circles
Students use literature circles to analyze four short stories from the Realms of Gold, Volume 3. In this literature circle lesson, students are assigned a role in the literature circle to improve their critical thinking skills for...
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The Tell - Tale Heart
Learners read The Tell Tale Heart and practice critical analysis while reflecting on its underlying meanings. In this reading activity, students make predictions, monitor their own comprehension and adjust their reading accordingly....
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Frog Principal Lesson Plan
Learners read the fractured fairy tale, The Frog Principal by Stephanie Calmenson and compare it to the original version in order to gain deeper understanding of the fairy tale genre. In this fairy tale activity, students identify and...
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Lesson Plan for Waiting to Waltz: A Childhood by Cynthia Rylant
Sixth graders examine the elements of writing poetry. In this creative writing lesson plan, 6th graders discuss a book of poetry in the setting of Appalachia. Students incorporate childhood experiences into the development of visual and...
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Magical Creatures
Students investigate entertaining characters within stories. In this writing lesson plan, students review nouns and adjectives and discuss magical characters. Students ask themselves questions about their selected characters and...
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Design a Book Jacket
Students analyze the book jackets of books and then design one based on the typical characteristics of book jackets.
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What Makes the Writer Write?
Students study Charles Dickens's Great Expectations to gain insight into a classical piece of fiction and to explain how writers respond to social conditions. They also consider how that response is important today.
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A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Students read and perform William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. In this Shakepeare play activity, students read the script for the play and practice the simplified version of the play.
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Narrative Strategies
Sixth graders explore strategies authors use to make characters and setting seem real to readers. They develop characters and describe setting in original narratives. Students read myths and determine common themes found in myths from...
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Cuentos
Students revise Spanish mystery stories. They sequence the events from a group's mystery story and suggest revisions for the setting. They revise their stories using the suggestions from classmates and describe characters in folktales....
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Establishing a Point of View in Narratives
Fourth graders investigate the concept and take the opportunity to both identify and to construct point of view in narratives. Additionally, 4th graders practice identifying and sequencing main events.
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Beehive Award Nominees for Children's Fiction 2005-06
Students visit links about Utah's Beehive Award. They investigate which books received nominations and read reviews about them. They explore other sites to participate in various games and activities.
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W.W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw" Theme
Students identify the theme of "The Monkey's Paw" and relate it to prior knowledge. In this "The Monkey's Paw" lesson, students discuss fate and coincidence and debate which one controls destiny. A test is chosen as the...
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Narrative Literature Response Letters
Third graders write endings to a story that has already been written. They offer alternative endings in their version. The instructional activity includes a rubric that is to be given to the students in order that they know the...
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Giving An Oral Book Report
Students study techniques used to give an oral book report. They read their book, plan their thoughts, and write their report. Students present their book report to the class.
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Oedipus Wrecks
Young scholars explore the concept of the 'tragic hero' and how such characters are relevant in theatre, literature, and history.
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The Battle of the Experts
Students view the "Smoking Gun" video as an illustration of someone claiming to be an expert who really is not one. They discuss the fact that some experts also come with biases and personal agendas. Students research experts from...
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The Memory Play in American Drama
Learners take a closer look at a memory play. In this American drama lesson, students read Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie and analyze it as a memory play. Learners discuss the linear and non-linear aspects of the play prior to...
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Reading Contract
For this reading worksheet, students write the title of a book they plan on reading and how they will share what they have read once they are finished. Both teacher and student sign the agreement.
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Folktale Unit: The Emperor and the Kite
Students read the story of The Emperor and the Kite examining new vocabulary and working on comprehension skills. They examine how to summarize the story after reading it.
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The Land and the Water
Third graders read "The Land and the Water," a fictional short story and an article about John F. Kennedy, Jr. and compare and contrast fictional tragedy to a non-fiction tragedy. They fill out a Venn diagram and write an essay using...
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Myth Connections
Ninth graders present tales and myths in the oral tradition. They discuss the African method of telling a story where each member of the group tells a part of the story. They make up a composite hero and write a story that describes...
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Missing May
Students listen to the first couple chapters in the book, Missing May by Cynthia Rylant and then sketch or write about a character or the setting, using words and phrases from the book as guides. They then discuss the chapters using the...
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Happy Birthday Hans: How To Celebrate International Children's Book Day
Honor Hans Christian Andersen while encouraging young readers with enjoyable projects and activities.