National Endowment for the Arts
Reader Resources: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A handy guide offers high schoolers support as they read the American novel, The Great Gatsby. Complete with a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a timeline of the Roaring Twenties, discussion questions about the novel, and more, this...
Curated OER
Mildred Taylor: Understanding the Author of "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry"
Students complete various activities related to the analysis of the novel "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry." They create a collage of words and images of what it was like to live in the South in the 1930's, conduct Internet research, and...
Curated OER
A Pixie Biography Report
Students practice biographical writing after completing research on the subject. In this journalism lesson, students read a story of an important person's life and discuss the important moments along the way. Students utilize...
Maine Content Literacy Project
Understanding Theme
The ninth in a fourteen-lesson series, this plan marks a sort of midpoint in a unit devoted to the study of short stories. Pupils learn about theme and work on their short story projects by adding to their blogs, checking in with the...
Curated OER
Biography
In this biography interactive worksheet, students learn about the genre of biography by reading 2 paragraphs. Students answer 7 questions about the text. This is an online interactive activity.
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Author Background/Investigation
Learners research an Accelerated Reader author and write a two page report summarizing relevant information about the author. They include personal data, professional data, and at least one quote from someone who has read one of the...
Whitewater Valley Railroad
Teaching and Learning with The Polar Express
Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take...
Reed Novel Studies
To Kill a Mockingbird: Novel Study
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American fiction writer whose biggest claim to fame was the creation of Tarzan. Using the novel study for Harper Lee's beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, pupils research and list facts about him or another...
PBS
The Diary of Anne Frank
While designed to supplement a viewing of the PBS Masterpiece Classic The Diary of Anne Frank, this resource can also serve as an excellent informational text and activity source for your students on the historical context and timeline...
ReadWriteThink
Robert Frost Prompts the Poet in You
A great poem begins with an idea, an image, or an event that evokes a feeling. Middle schoolers read biographical information about Robert Frost and then identify details in three of his poems that reflect his life. Using suggestions...
Curated OER
George Winter Lesson Plan 3
Bring language arts and U.S. history together in this lesson, which prompts middle and high schoolers to gather biographical information about Abraham Lincoln. They compare and contrast information written about his childhood and discuss...
Curated OER
Painting Portraits with Words
Students examine how an exhibition of an author's writings can become a portrait or biography of that author . They work in small groups, analyzing various poems by Yeats.
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Poet Naomi Shihab Nye
Students read and analyze poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye. They define stereotypes, view and discuss a video interview with Nye, present an oral reading of a poem, and write a persuasive letter to an author.
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Behind the Cover
Students develop questions they would have liked to ask an author about their written works. They read an article about their forefathers and research a back story to a written work of their choice. They create posters to illustrate the...
Curated OER
Autobiography
In this autobiography form worksheet, students complete a book analysis for an autobiographical book. Students must know the title, author, and difference between a biography and autobiography. Students must be able to answer several...
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His Story/Her Story/Your Story
Students read a variety of biographies to gain insight on the experiences of an African-American's life. Individually, they try to determine the time period it was written and compare the event with ones that occured in their own lives....
Curated OER
Mark Twain, Volume 1
Students read and answer questions about the life of Mark Twain. In this biography lesson, students read about the life and work of Mark Twain. Students complete a worksheet about the reading.
Curated OER
Famous People
Students listen to short biographies of famous individuals and discuss what it means to be famous for something. They write a short autobiography stating why they are a famous first grader. They take turns being interviewed by the rest...
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Famous Kansans
Fourth graders research famous Kansans. In this language arts instructional activity, 4th graders select a famous Kansan and write a persuasive nomination for inclusion in a Hall of Fame.
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E.B. White
In this biography activity, students read a short passage detailing the life of author E.B. White. Students then answer 6 questions about the passage they have read.
Curated OER
Total English Upper Intermediate: Talking About Books and Stuff
In this upper intermediate writing sentences worksheet, students compete 6 sentence starters, describe books, and take notes about books.
Curated OER
The Other Side of Paradise
Eleventh graders explore the life and writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald. They examine the youth culture of the 1920's and compare it to their own. They practice using some of the biographer's or archivist's tools for studying a person.
Curated OER
Judging a Book by Its Cover
Students explore the relationship between the form of books and the content inside. For this book exploration lesson, students use a piece of their creative writing as inspiration; they author a written book and design a cover that...
Curated OER
People behind the Civil Rights Movement
Students identify the people actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement. In this United States History activity, students watch the video "Eyes on the Prize" then participate in a class discussion about the video. Students also...