Curated OER
Lesson 3: Voice
Examine the "voice" of Ganwar, a character in "Ganwar Speaks!" from Home of the Brave. Middle schoolers identify and discuss dialect, description, and tone. They then work independently to analyze voice and complete worksheets. An...
Curated OER
Mysterious Plot Problems
Students solve 3 riddles given by the teacher and discuss how solving a mystery is like solving a riddle. In this language arts lesson, students watch as the teacher records problems in a detective story. Students record questions...
Curated OER
Character's Motive
Why do people commit crimes? Middle schoolers investigate characters' motives for committing a crime in a character analysis lesson. First, they read the book Chasing Vermeer and identify the suspects. They then record the details about...
Curated OER
Identifying Symbols
Identify symbols within text and explain what they mean. Sixth graders examine Home of the Brave and identify recurring pictures in the text and discuss what they mean. They then choose a symbol from the text and explain what it means...
Curated OER
Lesson 3: Voice
Explore voice in writing with the story Chess Rumble. After examining the character's voice to understand the character better, sixth graders analyze and discuss the dialect, tone, and descriptive language used. A good way to focus on...
Curated OER
Lesson 4: Analyzing a Plot Conflict
Sixth graders identify plot conflicts and how they are resolved. In this plot conflict lesson plan, 6th graders read the book A Wrinkle in Time written by Madeleine L'Engle and identify the conflicts. There are 4 different conflicts to...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Creative Writing Through Wordless Picture Books
Need help planning ways to creatively teach your students chronological order? Here's a great place to start. While the site is specifically geared toward the middle school student, it is a teaching idea which could easily be adapted for...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Outlining Plot
This video tutorial focuses on outlining plot; it explains that we outline plot as a way to analyze it; to analyze plot, focus on main events and interaction involving main characters. It offers three methods for outlining plot:...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Action/adventure
This slideshow focuses on the genre of action/adventure; it provides background information, common elements, a list of pop culture movies (made from books), three famous literary examples, and an excerpt from a fourth with commentary.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Explain Influence of Setting on Plot Development in Literary Text
In this lesson, students will review two elements of fiction, setting and plot, and learn how the setting influences the plot in stories.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Explain Influence of Setting on Plot Development in Literary Text
This lesson is about the relationship between setting and plot. The setting enhances the story by folding the plot into a place and time that fits perfectly with what is going on; in fact, it is often the setting that makes the action...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Analyze Development of Plot Through Characters in Literary Text
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] Often characters are a driving force behind the plot. In this lesson, students will learn how complex, multilayered characters contribute to the development of a story's plot...
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: English Language Arts: Grade 6: Hatchet
This unit teaches students about survival in the face of grave danger and overwhelming odds. Students will evaluate survival stories to learn about the importance of positive thinking, slowing down to think clearly, problem solving, and...
Ted Nellen
Cyber English (By Ted Nellen): Fiction: Short Story & Novel Fact Sheet
This is a short story or novel fact sheet offered as a Word document or a PDF. It includes places for title; author; URL; list of important nouns, verbs, phrases, and clauses; setting (includes definition); characterization (including...
Yale University
Yale University: Elements of the Short Story
This unit from the Yale University on elements of the short story is designed to develop student comprehension skills, particularly making inferences and generalizing. It also involves students in reading a number of short stories to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Action Words Bring Life to Setting Details [Pdf]
Students learn how to develop their ideas through description and action words through a story scavenger hunt. [PDF]
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Part 1 Reading: Literature: Describe a Setting
Do you know how to find the setting of a story? Learn how to find the when and where a story took place on this site.
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Part 1 Reading: Literature: Retell Events
Retelling a story shows a student's comprehension. Use this site to test your knowledge of how to retell events that happen in a story.
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Structure Within a Story
Learn why structure is important when organizing a story then read an excerpt from the story "Three over Four" to practice how structure helps to develop the story's theme, setting, and plot.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Analyze a Story or History [Pdf]
This graphic organizer can be used to help students analyze a story or a historical event. Students will look closely at the story's characters or people involved in the historical event. Then they will summarize the story or event, and...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Narrative Pyramid
A printable narrative pyramid where students can record information about a story including the character, setting, problem, main events, and solution. Directions on how to use this type of graphic organize as well as lists of teaching...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Empowered Fiction Writers: Generating and Organizing Ideas
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...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Lights, Camera, Action: Interviewing a Book Character
Students get the inside scoop on a story when they create interview questions and answers for characters in the books they read.
University of Victoria (Canada)
The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Plot
This page offers a detailed overview of plot, including its various aspects and use in various types of literary works.