Curated OER
Commercials
Young scholars observe as the teacher demonstrates how to use a digital video camera. They experiment with the camera to get to know its features. Finally they create a video commercial and edit it, inserting sounds, titles and other...
Curated OER
Character Comparison: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Fourth graders compare and contrast Fudge and Peter, two main characters from "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing". They use a software template to analyze and compare the characters in a rough draft, edit their work and then produce a...
Curated OER
Pictorial Portfolio
High schoolers develop a pictorial portfolio of important assignments, projects and activities through their high school years. They use a camera and decide what makes a good photograph. Students organize their photographs into a...
Curated OER
Silent Spring
Students read background information about Rachel Carson found on the listed website links. They analyze and answer questions about her work and how it is linked to science then they research pesticide usage and alternative methods.
Curated OER
Creating a Landmark Calendar-An Enterprise for Your School
Students scrutinize the steps necessary to produce a school calendar featuring local architectural sites and landmarks.
Curated OER
Colors Crackle, Colors Roar
First graders engage in a reading of poems in colorful language. They become with the interrelation of using Spanish and English words interchangeably in a text. The lesson also builds multicultural appreciation for young students.
Curated OER
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush: Native American Life
Students read," The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" by Tomie dePaola and discuss the way legends are passed down orally. They then create their own legend and illustrate it on a simulated "Buffalo Skin" made from brown paper.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Teaching Elements of Personal Narrative Texts
This resource presents instructional writing practices that support content-area learning, with specific strategies for teaching the thinking skills, processes, and knowledge needed to effectively write personal narrative texts. Some of...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Comics in the Classroom: Introduction to Narrative Structure
Contains plans for four lessons that teach students about narrative plot structures by using "The Three Little Pigs" fairy tale or a similar story. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Writing Narratives
Notes, a PowerPoint presentation, two videos, a song, an exercise, and a game help students to understand how to write a narrative. Elements of a narrative as well as the use of figurative language and sensory images are introduced and...
Other
Writing World: Four Ways to Bring Settings to Life
A great resource outlining four major ways to make settings appear more real and genuine in fiction. Deals with themes such as motion, experience, mood, and the senses. W.11-12.3d Sensory/precise lang narratives
Quia
Quia: Narrative Structure Elements
This reading resource provides vocabulary words with definitions. All words are related to the elements of narratives. A link to associated review activities is included.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Change the View: Retell a Narrative Through Different Eyes
Read a short story by Kate Chopin titled "The Story of an Hour." Review the elements of a narrative and the point of view of the narrator. Then, create the final product of the module, a narrative written from a different point of view.
Other
Fiction Writing Tips: Creating a Vivid Setting
Some excellent guidelines to consider when evaluating your setting in a short story or novel. Discusses the importance of setting, some examples, as well as practical advice in setting your story. W.11-12.3d Sensory/precise lang narratives
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Story Writing With Arthur
This series of 12 downloadable activities teach students some basics of story writing, using books or videos from the PBS "Arthur" series as a springboard. Activities include creating story maps, asking questions about characters and...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Narrative Pyramid
A printable narrative pyramid where students can record information about a story including the character, setting, problem, main events, and solution. Directions on how to use this type of graphic organize as well as lists of teaching...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: High School Personal Narrative Example
This two-page essay provides an example of a personal narrative (Click on View Printable Version). Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Autobiographical Narrative Example
This four-page essay provides an example of an autobiographical narrative. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Taking the Mystery Out of Writing a Mystery
This mystery-writing activity focuses on the structure of a short story and the elements of a mystery in particular. Students complete the entire writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Students...
Love To Know Media
Your Dictionary: Lesson Plans on Writing Short Stories
This lesson focuses on teacher preparation of lesson plans before attempting to teach young scholars to write short stories. It includes questions to ask yourself, ideas for activities, and a sample lesson plan.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Empowered Fiction Writers: Generating and Organizing Ideas
Do your young scholars' minds go blank when they confront a blank piece of paper? Speedwriting can help them get started with writing as well as come up with topics to write about. They can then incorporate their key ideas and phrases...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Rolling With the Animals
After reading Duck on a Bike by David Shannon, the writer will plan an original story where an animal (other than a duck) finds itself in a human mode of transportation (other than a bike). Three other animals will react to the unusual...
Capital Community College Foundation
Guide to Grammar and Writing: The Narrative Essay
Need help picking out the elements of a narrative? Check this site out from Capital Community College, and you'll see some background information, a sample essay, and directed questions to ask yourself about a text. W.9-10.3 Narrative,...
Caro Clarke
Describing Your Characters Through Their Actions
This is the tenth in a series of articles designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on how to develop characters through their actions instead of simply relying on dialogue and description of thoughts. W.11-12.3d...