K5 Learning
My Little Kitty
Can the small cat catch the rat? Find out in a short passage designed for first graders, complete with four comprehension questions that address details from the text.
Curated OER
Combining with Participial Phrases
Combine participial phrases and creative writing with this lesson, which is equally helpful for writing skills and conventions. After a mini-lesson on participial phrases and reading the picture book Dancing in the Wings, pupils use a...
Fluence Learning
Writing a Narrative: Two Frogs
Three options offer young writers the opportunity to read a short story, answer questions, and write a response. A handy language arts resource focuses on reading comprehension and analyziing the story's lesson: look before you leap.
Curated OER
Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 17
Eighth graders demonstrate their understanding with the final assessment in a literary analysis unit based on Karen Russell's short story, "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." Having prepared for the assessment in the last few...
Teach-nology
The Terrific Taxi
What would you wish for if you were granted one wish? Kids read a story about a taxi that bestows wishes upon its passengers in a short cloze activity. They use ten words at the bottom of the page to fill in the blanks throughout the...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4
Connect with the text using helpful annotation strategies. As your class reads the first section of Karen Russell's short story, "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves," they note important passages that establish character...
Orange County Department of Education
The Glass Slipper Shatters
High school freshmen craft their own definition of honesty. They provide an example from their lives and reflect on the outcomes of their honest behavior. They also identify a time when they may have been dishonest in a relationship and...
Curated OER
What Number?
This simple activity provides a quick review of reading comprehension and vocabulary development skills. By answering the 10 multiple choice questions, learners identify the key elements of the story, and the meaning of vocabulary words.
Curated OER
Reading and Listening for Information
Students practice their reading and listening skills in order to obtains accurate information. In preparation for a Moon, Mars, and Beyond Mission project, they read short stories about planet and moon mythology then answer questions...
Curated OER
Story Literary Elements Worksheet
In this literary elements instructional activity, students read selected short stories and then respond to 5 short answer questions based on the stories.
Curated OER
Batty Math
In this bats worksheet, students click on the link to read a story about bats and then answer short answer questions, take a survey, and create graphs about it. Students complete 4 tasks total.
Curated OER
Friska and Glum
In this Friska and Glum worksheet, students read a story titled Friska and Glum and answer short answer questions about it. Students read 3/4 page and answer 12 questions.
Curated OER
Elements of a Story - Plot, Characters, and Setting
Use this SMART board activity with any short story in your unit plan. The SMART board file contains a step-by-step guide to plot diagrams, including an interactive practice page and an assignment. This resource is beneficial for language...
Curated OER
Hoot Chapter Book Test
If you need a quick reading assessment for Carl Hiaasen's Hoot, use these 20 questions to see how well your learners comprehend the story. The final question prompts kids to write a short essay about the story's environmental...
Curated OER
The Last Lecture: Text Impressions
To pique interest in The Last Lecture, readers are given a list of key terms and ask to craft a story inspired by the terms.
Orange County Schools
Piggybook
Summarizing text is a balancing act between being brief but thorough. You need to be short and to the point, but also cover all the important details, a task that presents a challenge for many young learners. In this lesson based on the...
Curated OER
What If: The Seed Of A Story
Students read and comprehend a piece of fictional writing, analyze how setting, characterization, and plot affect the theme of a story and work in a group to create a new writing assignment. This 5-day plan culminates in students writing...
Curated OER
Story vs. Plot
Students, after reading and discussing the two texts by Flannery O'Connor, "Good Country People" and "Greenleaf," analyze the plot, tone, characters, themes and setting in each story. They write their own short stories dealing with a...
Curated OER
Alphabet Picture Prompt: The Letter A
In this teacher friendly instructional activity, teachers write a word list, short statement, or question and the children use those with the letter "Aa" and pictures of an alligator, ant, and apples as prompts for creative writing....
Curated OER
We Love to Read!
Students find ways to share their favorite books. In this reading strategies lesson, students advertise books, create a top ten countdown, give a video book talk, simmer story stew, make book medals, play name that book, design a...
Curated OER
Beginning, Middle, Ending of Story
In this retelling a story in order worksheet, students write short answers for the beginning, middle and end of a story of their choice. Students compete three parts of the worksheet.
Curated OER
Peg and Hen
Learners navigate a website to practice the short e sound. In this short e sound activity, students read a story on Starfall and complete practice with the short e sound.
Curated OER
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Who would you love to see at your table? Groups research a decade, ranging from the 1840s to the 1960s, read a short story associated with that decade, and plan a dinner party, complete with table set-up and menu. After researching...