PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Literary Elements and Techniques Collection
These animated shorts introduce or review literary elements and techniques like theme, setting, figurative language, characterization, and conflict. They can be used when students are just learning how to identify the most commonly used...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Write Literary Text That Develops Interesting Characters
A learning module that teaches students how to write an literary text with good characterization in four lessons: Introduction, Two Types of Characterization and Two Types of Characters, Choosing Your Characters, and Your Turn.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Writing Literary Text With an Engaging Story Line
A learning module that teaches students how to write an engaging literary text in six lessons: Introduction, The Narrative Hook, Setting, Conflict, Plot, and Ending.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Autobiographical Narrative Example
This four-page essay provides an example of an autobiographical narrative. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Elements of Literature: Style Chart [Pdf]
A brief organizer in which students can analyze a given selection's writing style. Includes sections on diction, figures of speech, images, and sentence structure.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Use Easy Nonfiction to Build Background Knowledge
A Texas librarian shares his strategy of using nonfiction picture books to introduce new concepts to struggling adolescent readers and to build their background knowledge. Once students have been exposed to academic content in easy...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Lesson Plan for Nonfiction Comprehension: Skimming Text
Build comprehension by developing reading strategies for use with nonfiction text. This lesson focuses on teaching students to recognize text elements as clues to help them quickly locate key information in text.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Prose Poetry Paragraphs
Inspired by the vignettes of Sandra Cisneros, students will write about a familiar thing from their lives. Students will use the style of prose poetry to describe something familiar around their home, school or neighborhood. The final...
abcteach
Abcteach: Middle/high School Reading Comprehension
[Free Registration/Login Required] Here one can generate several reading comprehension activities for middle or high school students with material ranging from biographies to non-fictional content.
E Reading Worksheets
E Reading Worksheets: Genre Worksheets
This learning module provides remediation with identifying genre of books and various texts. Practice with capitalizing nouns is provided with through worksheets, an online site, and a video tutorial. .
E Reading Worksheets
E Reading Worksheets: Genre Activities
This learning module features "genre" as the topic for PowerPoint presentations, lessons, and quizzes. Numerous projects with the "genre" theme are available for further exploration as opportunities for more in-depth investigations.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Nonfiction Reading Strategy Assessment [Pdf]
This inventory provides questions to determine the habits that students use when reading nonfiction pieces. This inventory may be used at the beginning of the year or prior to beginning a unit that involves the reading of nonfiction texts.
The English Teacher
The English Teacher: Teaching the Analysis of Non Fiction
A form used by an English teacher to help students understand and analyze nonfiction literature. Very helpful ways to classify information. It can be modified for different grade levels.
Other
Eduscapes: Themes & Literature Circles
This site provides guidance in creating literature circles based on cross-curricular themes that will help to improve literacy. The site emphasizes both theory and practice, with lots of practical suggestions.
Other
Kid Bibs: Effective Use of Textbook Features
Here, parents and teachers can find tips for helping young readers understand the expository writing found in textbooks.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Guided Reading/listening Ques: Nonfiction[pdf]
This graphic organizer will assist students with taking notes connected nonfiction content. After taking notes with the graphic organizer, students will ask guiding questions listed on the sheet.
Other
Literature Circles: Lesson Plans and More
What are the major roles in literature circles? Check out this site to learn more about the individual roles needed to form a literature circle. Includes links to various reading handouts and lessons.
BBC
Bbc Bitesize: Higher English
This site provides information about characters, plot, and setting of several different pieces of literature. It offers links to activities and tests on topic such as analysis and evaluation, creation and production, drama, novels, and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Grammar and Literature Through Digital Storytelling
In this lesson students create digital stories in cooperative groups using multimedia tools to demonstrate comprehension of the elements of grammar, literature, and technology introduced in the lesson. Students become actively involved...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Nonfiction Pyramid
A printable pyramid for use with nonfiction texts while students identify the main ideas and supporting details within a text. Students also determine author's purpose and key vocabulary words. Directions on how to use this type of...
Other
Suny: Conventions of Writing Papers About Literature
A professor's excellent explanation of how to write a professional sounding essay. Covers all aspects of an essay, and detailed examples give information on exactly how to write the essay.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Book Reviews, Annotation, and Web Technology
Contains plans for six lessons that ask students to write group book reviews after reading texts in literature circles. Students also learn about research and documentation as they put together their reports. In addition to objectives...
Quia
Quia: Elements of Literature: Rags to Riches
Answer the 15 questions in this game about literary elements for the prize of fame and fortune. Java is required.
Quia
Quia: Rags to Riches: Literary Elements
Show off your knowledge of literary elements by playing this game. Just answer 15 questions correctly, and be the big winner.