Curated OER
Rudyard Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: Mixing Words and Pictures
Create meaningful illustrations to accompany stories in a web-based art and literacy lesson focused on "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling. The class takes a virtual art safari with the Museum of Modern Art and then discusses how...
Yale University
What Lies Beneath: A Strategy for Introducing Literary Symbolism
“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” You’re never too old for Dr. Seuss and using The Sneetches and The Lorax is a great way to introduce readers to allegories, parables, and literary symbolism. The lessons...
Global Oneness Project
A Day in the Life
We often see other countries depicted in movies, but getting a close look at a typical day in the life of a young person from another country isn't as common. Give your pupils such a look with a resource that helps class members...
Curated OER
Who's Responsible?
Students write short stories. In this defining words lesson, students look up the meanings of responsible and irresponsible and write their own definitions for the two words. Students write two short stories about a responsible pet...
Curated OER
Snowman in Winter Sequence Writing
Students develop a creative snowman using step-by-step stickers. They write a short story about the snowman they have created, explaining the sequence they used to create their snowman. Students present their completed story in front of...
Curated OER
Writing A Character Sketch
Middle schoolers are introduced to how a character sketch is an outline of a character that includes the character's outward appearance, family members, personality, interests, and beliefs. They then think of a character they would like...
Curated OER
Find a Character, Tell a Story
Fourth graders choose a character from a magazine, complete a character sketch, and develop a short story placing this character in a situation. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan which guides them through creating their...
Curated OER
Writing a Children's Book -- Young Authors
High schoolers practice their writing skills by creating a children's book. They integrate five elements of short stories into the narrative. They share their stories with their book buddies.
Curated OER
The Story Project: A Lesson Plan for the Combining Voices Literary Competition
Students analyze Simple Answer, by John Cleaveland, and use this image to inspire a short story. They use both verbal and visual language to help them create the characters and the plot. The lesson plan contains steps that helps the...
Curated OER
Monster Senses
Second graders listen to a story that contains many sensory words to describe an object. They listen a second time using a signal to indicate when they hear a sensory word. They write a short story about a monster using appropriate...
Curated OER
Create a Pet/Monster Creative Writing Activity
Students are instructed to create a monster in a paragraph or even a short story. This activity allows students to work with new vocabulary. It is also a good way to practice using verbs and adjectives in Spanish.
Curated OER
Editing for AP (and Newspaper's) style
Learners edit and revise a news story picked out by the teacher. For this editing lesson plan, students edit in AP style and then revise the story. It should have no errors in the end.
Curated OER
Scrimshaw/Soap Carvings
Students discover scrimshaw art. In this art lesson, students discover the history of scrimshaw and create their own scrimshaw art. Students write a poem, a short story, or a description about the image they chose to make.
Curated OER
Out of the Dust: Questioning Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy is a great way to address the many levels of comprehension. With explanations and examples of each level, you can create questions that focus on knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Curated OER
Illustrating and Writing a Short Story
Students create a drawing of a scene that they have found. In this art lesson, students describe their artwork by writing a short story. Students use their creativity to develop detailed stories about the scene in their work.
Curated OER
Understanding Characters
Young scholars analyzing characters from a story by creating an article about one. In this story analysis lesson, students read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, and pick one character to write descriptively about....
Curated OER
Tall Tales
Students examine the characteristics of tall tales and how exaggerations are used. They create a character that is larger than life, they brainstorm attributes for their character, before writing a Tall Tale. They plan out their story,...
Curated OER
Headline News
Young scholars create stories using words cut from newspaper headlines. They put together words to create headlines and demonstrate creative thinking and creative writing skills.
Curated OER
Drafting
Students engage in the writing process. In this drafting lesson, students research different types of genres to find which they enjoy reading and writing. They review the drama in a story and discuss different story prompts.
Curated OER
Nibble, Nibble, Little Mouse
Students complete activities to analyze points of view in different texts. In this point of view instructional activity, students read Hansel and Gretel and The Magic Circle and discuss the points of view. Students choose a character...
Curated OER
The Mural of the Story
Students write a description of what they believe is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. After reading an article, they discuss the restoration of the mural on its ceiling. They brainstorm a list of important buildings and write a...
Curated OER
Writing with Alliteration
Students read Thank You for the Thistle and understand what alliteration is. In this alliteration instructional activity, students write sentences using alliteration. Students choose a letter of the alphabet and the class writes an...
Curated OER
Creating Characters
Learners examine the methods of effective characterization. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss how emotions, dialogue, actions, and physical descriptions build believable characters. Learners then use the methods of...
Curated OER
Writing Applications: Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics
Twelfth graders rewrite a story in a different format to understand the effects of the author's style. In this writing style lesson, 12th graders read Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and rewrite the...