Ghost stories are the hook suggested in this proposed unit to engage reluctant readers. 

Socratic seminars are a great way to encourage the development of critical thinking, speaking, and listening skills. And Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a perfect text for such a seminar. Use the questions in the packet to...

Thirty-six pages familiarize scholars with the story and vocabulary of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. After reading and listening to an abbreviated version of the holiday tale learners show what they know about the sequence...

Fourth graders interview community members for a newspaper, design a business brochure, write a disappearing ghost story, and try their hands at monoprinting. This series of three lessons combines art, journalism, and creative writing....

Should Hamlet avenge his father's death? Is the ghost telling the truth or is it trying to trick Hamlet? Is Hamlet's inconsistent behavior a ploy or is he really insane? Something really is rotten in Denmark, and with the help of the...

Immerse your class in Dickens's London and classic story of A Christmas Carol. Here, a SMARTboard presentation and WebQuest build background of the setting for the novel (or the play A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley.) Learning about...

Discover how writers express identity in their writing. Learners explore how issues of identity surface in the literature of minority writers. Scholars watch a video, read and discuss biographies, conduct research, engage in creative...

What skills do storytellers employ to bring to life the characters and events in their tales? After listening to a recording of a Haitian folk tale, class members consider how tone of voice, pace, and gestures can be used to enliven a...

Students illustrate pages of a book.  In this famous historical icon lesson, students are read a story about Mohandas Gandhi, illustrate the pages in small groups, assemble a class book to read to younger students, and act out a...

Introduce language learners to William Shakespeare's Hamlet with an interactive that presents a short, animated version of key scenes from the tragedy. Also included is a game where pupils match the image of a character with their name,...

Students make a mirror after reading the story The Ghost Catcher. In this The Ghost Catcher lesson plan, students answer comprehension questions and make a mirror out of foil and paper plates.

Students rewrite the beginning of a story. In this writing lesson, students read stories from Spooky South by S.E. Schlosser in order to gain exposure to different ways to begin a story. Then, students chose one of the three techniques...

Are you afraid of what goes bump in the night? Talk about the supernatural with your English language learners to find out their beliefs while practicing speaking skills. Learners read three different viewpoints on the paranormal...

Second graders read the story The Ghost Cather and complete activities related to the book. For this language arts lesson plan, 2nd graders complete comprehension questions, art projects, and more.

Step into the shoes (or sandals, perhaps?) of Odysseus, a member of his crew, or another character featured in Homer's enduring classic, The Odyssey. and send a letter back telling the world your side of this great adventure story.

Ask your class to go back into the text to find the answers to these nine short answer questions that focus on a chunk of Wilson Rawls' novel. The questions require pupils to recall plot points and think about why certain events happened...

Why are some people such good story tellers? Help youngsters demonstrate the art of storytelling. They start off by listening to a story and sharing what they noticed about the storytelling that made it exciting. Then, they study a story...

Students examine the narrative forms and tales unique to the U.S.-Mexico border. They discuss the possible sociological meanings of these stories, and then write their own versions to demonstrate that they explain the forms.

Students engage in study of plot and setting with the reading of many familiar texts. They identify the plot and setting with the help of a worksheet. The teacher works with the class for scaffolding and helps them to recognize the...

Students complete vocabulary and reading activities for Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist. In this reading and vocabulary lesson, students review vocabulary for the text and read sections of the story. Students answer questions for each...

Students read Hamlet. They read again and hunt for a word that appears 4 times. They identify the word "like" and define it. Volunteers act out the scene and they discuss the uses of the word like. They discuss the senses and reality in...

Students study Japanese folkart traditions and culture through storytelling, class discussions, and a creative project. The project involves students creating drawings of a pre-selected folktale and putting them together in a class book.

This annotated bibliography and list of websites are valuable resources for any study of the Holocaust and/or of Elie Wiesel's Night.