Students need to have lots of opportunities to share their opinions based on text. For this lesson, the teacher will read the story, Jack and the Beanstalk, multiple times before the students create their opinion. The detailed process of...

Welcome to Martha's STEM Stories! STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. You may already know that doing STEM means testing ideas, collecting data, making calculations, and drawing graphs and charts-but you...

A close reading of "The Yellow Wall-paper" employing the analysis of such literary concepts as setting, narrative style, symbol, and characterization. Students will write an essay discussing what the story suggests about middle-class...

Do your students' minds go blank when they confront a blank piece of paper? Speedwriting can help them get started with writing as well as come up with topics to write about. They can then incorporate their key ideas and phrases into a...

Working on higher-level thinking skills with your readers is made easier with this lesson plan. You will have your students connect with and analyze a mystery story at their grade-appropriate level. Lesson plan, printable worksheets, and...

In a multisession lesson plan, students read The Bully in stages, discuss the story events and issues related to bullying, and complete graphic organizers to help them organize story information. As students read, they write reflective...

This instructional activity, which can be adapted to fit with any picture you choose, works for students of all levels.

The "Telling Their Stories" lesson plan guides students through the era of enslavement through the lens of those who chose to flee as a form of resistance. Using the Freedom on the Move database of runaway ads, this lesson centers on the...

Contains plans for two lessons about circular stories like those of Laura Joffe Numeroff, who is known for the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie." Students read stories with circular plots as models before composing their own. In...

Literary response and prediction are the focus of this lesson plan. Knowing story structure is an important skill for literary analysis, and this gives teachers a way to help students develop this skill. Includes links to web resources,...

A writing instructional activity using the R.A.F.T. model and the short story "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst. Students take on the role of attorneys and write persuasive speeches for the jury proclaiming the narrator's guilt or...

Online instructional activity which uses Hansberry's "Raisin in the Sun" to teach the concepts of symbolism and theme in a dramatic work. Students learn the importance and significance of these terms as they study this work and other...

In this online lesson and activity, students actually "become" a character from a novel in their analysis of characterization. The lesson uses the Scarlet Letter, but any novel can be used. RL.9-10.3 Analyzing Characters, RL.11-12.3 Auth...

In this lesson, students will interact with the book Hedgie's Surprise by Jan Brett and create a Readers Theatre performance. Students will engage in interacting with story elements during before, during, and post-reading activities.

Students will make a photo story book using Flickr pictures.

Contains plans for a lesson about predicting the outcomes of stories based off their first lines. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to PDF handouts and sites used in the lessons as well as...

Online lesson which allows students to create a graphic in understanding a given story/piece of literature. Students create this graphic in groups and then present to the class, offering explanations as to their understanding of the...

This activity introduces young scholars to the comprehension technique of previewing. Students use anticipation guides to preview and predict stories and work in small groups.

Interactive lesson which allows students to determine the perspective or point of view of a story character by imagining actually spending a day in their "shoes." Based on Atticus's statement in "To Kill a Mockingbird." W.11-12.3, 3a,...

This lesson plan explores Curious George in relation to images conveying character. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.

Comparing and contrasting works and looking for underlying themes and messages are at the heart of this multicultural lesson plan. Provides links to several background resources, and suggestions for assessment.

Contains plans for short lessons that introduce the use of Venn Diagrams to kindergarten learners. Uses interactive Venn Diagram exercises to make the concept easy to understand. In addition to objectives and standards, this...

Reading unit plan focusing on picture books. It contains ten days worth of teaching suggestions that use a variety of reading strategies including modeled as well as independent reading and writing. Also includes five printable...

Recent incidents of plagiarism, or suspected plagiarism by former academics and by news reporters, make this a hot topic. This activity, based on a NewsHour story on the topic could lead to lively discussion and inquiry in the classroom....