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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.
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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....
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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,...
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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.
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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.
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The House on Mango Street & Woman Hollering Creek & Other Stories - Essay Questions
In this literature worksheet, students respond to 3 short answer and essay questions about the works of Sandra Cisneros. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the stories at the bottom of the page.
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Fantasy Stories
Students create fantasy stories. In this creative writing lesson, students write a fantasy where they can use characters that they have read about in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
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Creative Writing Story
In this creative writing activity, students consider the stories they are writing as they respond to 6 short answer questions designed to help them shape their stories.
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Grandfather Tang's Story
Students construct tangram patters. In this geometry lesson, students read the book Grandfather Tang's Story and visit various websites to practice covering figures with tangrams. Students attempt to construct animal shapes using puzzles.
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Miss Nelson is Missing! Love Two Teach
In these reading and math skills worksheets, students complete a series of activities for the story Miss Nelson is Missing! Students create a missing poster, a Venn Diagram, a story map, activities for multiplication, addition,...
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Comparing Themes and Plots
Students compare theme and plot in two short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this theme and plot analysis lesson, students read Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil as well as take notes about the theme...
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Lady of the Tomahawk: Your Story to Tell
Students put themselves in the role of a historical person and have to write a short story of dramatic dialogue about an event or person that has NOT been depicted in a work of historical fiction yet. This person is Hannah Dustin. A...
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Analytical Essay
What is an analytical essay? Introduce this type of thinking to your young writers. First, discuss what it means to analyze something. Then, identify the different components of an essay and what details are embedded in each component....
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Writing by Committee
Students write short stories of three paragraphs. They focus on the story elements of introduction, body, and conclusion. They exchange papers so that three different students author the stories.
Film English
To This Day
Bring bullying out into the open with an involved lesson surrounding the animated version of Shane Koyczan's spoken word poem "To This Day." Class members discuss images related to bullying and watch the video without sound. They write a...
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Perspectives in Writing
Learners consider various perspectives in writing and write a short story. They view a painting and discuss its theme and the idea of personification as perspective. Choosing three different viewpoints, they write a story about the...
Film English
Pay It Forward
Centered around a film about giving to others freely, this plan incorporates collaborative work, discussion, and kindness. A still from the film starts off the plan as well as the prediction process. Class members then watch the film and...
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"Voicing" - A Believable Account with "The Glory Fields" by Walter Dean Myers
Dr. Seuss and Walter Dean Myers team up to cover the topic of prejudice. Using The Sneeches (about the culture clash between star-bellied and bare-bellied Sneetches) and The Glory Fields (about a boy coming to America on a slave ship),...
Film English
Make It Count
Where would you go if you were to take a trip around the world in 10 days? After a discussion about famous inspirational quotes, pupils view a short film that shows a trip around the world in 10 days paired with these quotes. Class...