Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching Imagery with Gary Paulsen

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners read excerpts from memoirs written by Gary Paulsen as examples of how to write a narrative piece. They identify figurative language used and then they write a memoir of their own that contains imagery and figurative language.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Read Aloud/ Narrative Analysis

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read passages of Koya's Cousin Del before answering questions in a discussion setting. They listen to a variety of musical pieces before detailing how the music makes them feel in a short piece of writing. They share their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Journal Writing: Daily Activities

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students use present tense verb endings by describing his/her routine daily activities, demonstrating verb endings. They listen to teacher's description, taking notes. They write their own journal entries about their own daily routines.
Activity
Shoop English

Literature Terms Activity

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Designed to be used with an independent reading book, this activity provides practice with identifying and explaining literary terms. While they read, individuals find instances of literary devices and elements in use in their books....
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

The Little Prince: Anticipation Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Begin your unit on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince with an anticipation guide that addresses the novel's themes. Kids read ten statements that discuss love, friendship, and growing up, and determine whether or not...
Unit Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

From Courage to Freedom: Frederick Douglass's 1845 Autobiography

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study slavery from the perspctive of an American slave. In this Frederick Douglass lesson, students complete the suggested pre-reading and post-reading activities included for Douglass's autobiography, Narrative of the Life of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Markers

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students read the "Chicago Tribute Markers of Distinction," and pick one famous person to write about. In this creative writing worksheet, students write about this person's home. Additionally, students pretend that 100 years from now, a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dear Diary

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students analyze a piece of writing by creating diary entries based on a character.  In this reading comprehension lesson, students read an assigned book with their classmates and create a sketch of what they believe the main...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Iditarod Experience Journal

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students use online race updates of the Iditarod race and musher information to create a journal that one of the racers might have kept while participating in the race between Anchorage and Nome.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Telling My Story - Oral History

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students determine the importance of the process behind creating an oral history. In this oral history lesson, students determine how to ask important questions in an oral history interview. They practice interviewing each other and...
Writing
Starfall

My Shadow

For Students K - 2nd
In this writing instructional activity, students read a story starter which asks them to recall a time they saw their shadow. Students write the story and illustrate it.
Writing
Starfall

My Pretend Friend

For Students K - 2nd
For this writing worksheet, learners read a story starter which asks them to tell about a real or pretend friend. Learners write the story and illustrate it.
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Bums in the Attic

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a study about the life of young girl in the book "Bums In The Attic". They read the narrative story while considering the first person point of view. Students write a journal that analyzes the author's style of writing.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oregon Trail Art

For Teachers K - 6th
Students describe events that happened on the Oregon Trail and in the daily lives of Native Americans by writing a narrative essay of a family traveling through Nebraska based on Thomas Hart Benton's paintings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrations

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders answer questions after listening to the the story "Celebrating Life Around the World" and verbally identify three ways in which people celebrate special occasions. They then make two verbal connections from their own...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Using Different Types of Sentences

For Students 4th - 5th
In this types of sentences worksheet, students use a variety of sentences to make their writing interesting. Students complete three activities to help them with different sentences.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Traits: Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Lensey Namioka’s Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear provides an opportunity for young readers to observe how writers bring their characters to life. Each class member selects a character to trace through the novel, recording...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Summer of the Swans

For Teachers 4th - 6th
The Summer of the Swans, by Betsy Byars, is a 160-page chapter book about a family going through a difficult time. Complement your reading of Byars' book with this detailed outline of each chapter. Every section includes comprehension...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Uncle Sam Wants You!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine several narratives exploring attitudes to World War II involvement at the time. They develop their own opinions and write a fictional personal narrative to record their observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Themes in Literature - Langston Hughes "Thank You Ma'm"

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study Langston Hughes, "Thank You Ma'am" to discover the elements of plot, character motives and reactions. They express the effects of trust and kindness by writing a reflective personal narrative. They illustrate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pastimes

For Teachers K - 4th
Students define and discuss personal pastimes, listen to the story Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, discuss owling as rural pastime, demonstrate comprehension by writing responses to story, and discuss how climate and geography often determine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Characterization Activity

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Oskar Schell's narrative about his expedition to find out more about his father serves as a model for writers who are crafting their own narratives. Class members choose two characters from the novel and collect examples of the methods...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Learners read the novel, "The Giver", and test their comprehension through the game Jeopardy. Then students research individual rights of different cultures and write a summary of their findings. Learners develop a personal timeline of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who am I?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students develop their writing skills by creating a character sketch about themselves. Students read character sketches, view portraits by famous artists, select one personality traits, and affix a mug shot of themselves into a famous...