+
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Clifford El Gran Perro Colorado: Grande O Pequeno? Lo Podemos Clasificar Todo!

For Students Pre-K - K Standards
Encuentre lo que es similar y lo que es diferente mientras exploran objetos.
+
Handout
City University of New York

Cuny Brooklyn: Literary Terms

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Site gives definitions of many literary terms including "characterization."
+
Interactive
British Council

British Council: Learn English Kids: Voyage of the Animal Orchestra

For Students Pre-K - 1st Standards
Use this story of the shipwrecked animals in the orchestra to focus on plot, characters, and sequence of a story. Included are assessment activities and flash cards.
+
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement:narrative and Persona in the Poetry of Robert Frost

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using Frost's famous poem, "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" as an example of narrative poetry, students explore the artistry and significance of the narrative poem. In addition, this lesson plan provides suggestions for writing...
+
Lesson Plan
American Forum for Global Education

American Forum for Global Education: Introducing Myself & Others

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Lesson plans teachers can use to promote self-understanding, cultural understanding, and the interconnectedness of people and cultures.
+
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Nature/national Geographic: Flora's Background and Motivation

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about what motivated Flora, a woman from the city, to move to the African bush in this short video from Nature/National Geographic. This is one in a series of three videos about Flora's life. [7:00]
+
Website
NPR: National Public Radio

Npr: Lying, Cheating, Stealing

For Students 9th - 10th
A four part NPR series on contemporary ethics, one part talks starts with whether one should eat a grape in the supermarket without paying for it, and then expands the topic. The second part is corporation/business ethics. The third is...
+
Handout
Yale University

Yale University: Elements of the Short Story

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
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...
+
Graphic
Writing Fix

Writing Fix: Same and Different Ways of Thinking [Pdf]

For Students 1st - 9th Standards
A graphic organizer for students to use when comparing the thoughts of two different characters. A blank organizer and a completed sample are provided.
+
Lesson Plan
Writing Fix

Writing Fix: Fairy Tales in New Settings

For Teachers 1st - 9th Standards
After reading Bubba, The Cowboy Prince by Helen Ketteman, the writer will first choose a fairy tale that he/she is very familiar with. Next, he/she will choose a completely different setting (time and place) for their story. The writer...
+
Lesson Plan
Writing Fix

Writing Fix: Other Bad Cases to Write About

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
After reading A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon the writer will plan an original story where an unusual affliction affects a character and is eventually solved. The students will use strong and memorable details as they convey their...
+
Graphic
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]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
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...
+
Graphic
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Identify and Infer Character Traits[pdf]

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Students will identify character traits directly and inferentially with the help of this graphic organizer. Students will summarize their findings after completing the graphic organizer.
+
Graphic
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Evaluate Decisions [Pdf]

For Students 5th - 9th
A nonfiction graphic organizer is available to help students evaluate decisions of people. Students will analyze how characters interact and develop throughout the course of a nonfiction text.
+
Activity
Other

Writing Is Exciting!

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students and teachers can use this site to find detailed information on effective and creative story writing.
+
Unit Plan
The English Teacher

Teacher2b.com: Notes for "To Kill a Mockingbird"

For Students 9th - 10th
Review notes for the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
+
Unit Plan
Other

Literature Unit: "A Day No Pigs Would Die"

For Students 6th - 8th
This site features questions for each of the chapters in Robert Newton Peck's "A Day No Pigs Would Die."
+
Graphic
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Identify and Infer Character Traits[pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
A poster offers guiding questions to help students with identifying character traits. Guiding questions are also provided to help them support their inferences about the character traits.
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Book Report Alternative: Examine Story Elements Using Comic Stri

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Comic frames are traditionally used to illustrate a story in a short, concise format. In this lesson, students use a six-paneled comic strip frame to create a story map, summarizing a book or story that they have read. Each panel retells...
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Lights, Camera, Action: Interviewing a Book Character

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers get the inside scoop on a story when they create interview questions and answers for characters in the books they read.
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Planning Story Characters Using Interactive Trading Cards

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Students use trading cards to examine fictional characters in a story.
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Get the Reel Scoop: Comparing Books to Movies

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Students compare a book to its film adaptation, and then perform readers theater of a scene from the book that they feel was not well represented in the movie version.
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Using Picture Books to Teach Plot Development and Confict Res.

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Students read picture books to explore the concepts of plot development and conflict resolution. They first learn about the connections between reading and writing, and then revise their own writing. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4
+
Primary
Bartleby

Bartleby.com: King Richard Ii

For Students 9th - 10th
This site has some famous quotations from William Shakespeare's play "King Richard III". Use the next link to find more quotes.