Unit Plan
Curated OER

Life's Lessons: Survival of the Fittest

For Teachers 8th
Students analyze Jack London's use of anthropomorphism to identify the importance of adaptability in life. In this literature lesson, students use the novel The Call of the Wild to identify key elements in survival. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wrapped in Mystery

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders can identify five basic elements that most mysteries contain. They put the elements of mystery into a graphic organizer they can follow. They construct meaning after reading Poe's short story and identify or infer the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carson McCullers: Loneliness and Frustrated Love

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the themes of loneliness and frustrated love in the work of Carson McCullers. In this theme analysis lesson, students complete a comparison of patterns in the novels of McCullers as a part of a theme analysis.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students write an essay comparing The Hobbit to The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. In this The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring lesson plan, students compare the plot, theme, writing styles, and other elements in the two...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Cyrano de Bergerac Nose His Terms

For Teachers 7th
Students use the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" to identify and analyze drama vocabulary, literary terms and elements of fiction. They write an original version of scenes from the play and develop a character analysis for the lead.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Parts of a Story

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this story worksheet, students read about different story elements such as setting, characters, plot, and theme. Each element is illustrator by a cartoon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching Story Elements: Jack and the Beanstalk

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students define fictional story elements. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read Jack and the Beanstalk and view an included SMARTboard lesson. Students use the SMARTboard to match the story element terms with the specific...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Tales from Arabia

For Teachers 3rd
Students read about Scheherazade and Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp. In this literature/writing lesson, students understand the excitement of foreign places as the setting for a story. Students rewrite their own version of Scheherazade.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Fiction

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners write a science fiction story.  In this science fiction lesson plan, students read selections of science fiction and compare them to supernatural stories from the Bible.  Learners identify themes and discuss elements...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Science Fiction

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders read a variety of science fiction short stories. Using the text, they identify the components that make it science fiction and a well written piece of literature. They record their observations and share them with the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imagining Your Science Fiction Short Story

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders brainstorm ideas for their own science fiction story. Using worksheets, they sketch the plot and setting for their story. They create appropriate characters and develop their interactions among each other. They share...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Space Fiction

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners visit web sites with information on space fiction and collect information for their stories.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Come On, Rain!

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Learners read and analyze the story. In this language arts lesson, students read Come on, Rain! and examine how mood and tone are created, the use of figurative language and the characteristics of the genre. Learners research the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compare and Chart the Stories

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Elementary schoolers engage in a literature study. They make comparisons of two different versions of a story using a graphic organizer. Using the text and pictures elementary schoolers investigate three elements from the story. Then,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Time to Read

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify how the literary elements of theme, point of view, characterization, setting, and plot illustrate the effects of a certain disease on a community. They identify the aspects of the book that are specific to the...
Unit Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

How to Write a Memoir

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Who are we and what shapes our identities? Seventh graders work to answer this question as they learn how to write a memoir. Full of non-print resources and supplemental texts that range from fiction to non-fiction, scholars write their...
Lesson Plan
Pace University

Genres in Literature

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Enthusiastic readers take part in a book club unit that focuses on genre, particularly historical fiction, fantasy, and adventure. Over the course of 10 days, groups read a variety of stories and choose leveled activities from a learning...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compare and Contrast Two Settings in One Text

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Look for the signal words! Scholars get both instruction and practice comparing and contrasting. Although it is completely scripted, it can also serve as a detailed outline. Demonstrate this as you read a passage (included) and search...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Crafty Literature Projects to Lure Language Arts Learners

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Recognize National Arts and Crafts Month with language arts project ideas to inspire creative learning.
Unit Plan
Film Foundation

The Day The Earth Stood Still: The Filmmaking Process

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
How are films made? As part of their study of film, middle schoolers investigate the pre-production, production, and post-production process and consider the role of the director, the screenwriter, production designer, cinematographer,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parts of a Story

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students read a short fiction book and demostrate comprehension by identifying the main characters, setting, conflict, theme, and summarizing the main points. They organize the information in Inspiration and create a powerpoint to show...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing and Contrasting Fiction and Nonfiction Using Graphic Organizers

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction selections. In this writing skills lesson, students use different forms of graphic organizers to compare "The Three Little Pigs," to Wiesel's Night.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identifying Plot Conflicts

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders identify plot conflicts in the text. For this plot conflict lesson, 5th graders read Dogs Don't Tell Jokes and recognize examples of character vs. self and character vs. character. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Edgar Allen Poe And The Art Of Composition

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers evaluate several works by Edgar Allen Poe based on the criteria in his essay, "The Philosophy of Composotion" Their analysis is documented using a graphic organizer. Learners begin the pre-writing process for their own...