Curated OER
Out of the Dust: Biopoem
As part of their study of Out of the Dust, readers create a biopoem for one of the characters in Karen Hesse's 1998 Newbery Medal winning verse novel.
Curated OER
My Antonia: Biopoem Writing Strategy
Explore the characters in My Antonia by Willa Cather with a biopoem assignment. Pupils use the provided format to write their poems about any character from the book.
Curated OER
Character in a Box
Partners choose, research, and analyze fictional or historical characters and design character life boxes to represent them. They also compose a rhyme royal, which they understand inductively by deconstructing examples. Based largely on...
Novelinks
The Good Earth: Biopoem Strategy
To gain a better understanding of characters in Pearl Buck's The Good Earth, kids create a biopoem for one of her characters.
Novelinks
Touching Spirit Bear: The Literary Mandala
Even someone with a dark side can make a good decision—and vice versa. Readers explore Cole's traits and decisions in Ben Mikaelson's Touching Spirit Bear and analyze his sunside and shadowside. They identify a symbol that best...
Curated OER
All About Me
Students practice biographical and autobiographical forms of writing: autobiography, biopoem, character traits, classmate biography.
Curated OER
Character Diary Entry (3+)
Students better explain a character after examining their traits as well as trying to write a diary entry from their perspective.
Curated OER
Zero The Hero, Trout The Lout
Learners use a graphic organizer create a character sketch of Trout Walker from the novel Holes. Using the provided worksheet, students fill in the important character traits of Trout. Worksheet and answer key are provided with the lesson.
Curated OER
Character Cluster
Third graders practice identifying characters and story elements by creating a character cluster in class. In this story analysis instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss the story Snow White and identify the characteristics of the...
Curated OER
BioPoem Multicultural Activity For A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Students write a biopoem. In this literature and poetry writing instructional activity, students write a biopoem about the characters in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry following a specific given format. Examples and format are...
Curated OER
Who am I?
Students develop their writing skills by creating a character sketch about themselves. Students read character sketches, view portraits by famous artists, select one personality traits, and affix a mug shot of themselves into a famous...
Curated OER
The Diary of Anne Frank, Act I: Characterization Worksheet
In this The Diary of Anne Frank activity, students identify personality traits and give examples from the play to provide evidence to show the trait selected for ten characters.
Curated OER
Who am I?
Young scholars practice their writing skills by creating a character sketch of themselves. After viewing portraits, they select one personality trait and put their own picture into the painting of their choice. They include a...
Curated OER
Trumpet of the Swan Character Study
In this literature learning exercise, students complete a study of their favorite character from the Trumpet of the Swan. They fill in the name of their favorite character, complete a table with words that describe that character, and...
Curated OER
December
Students create snowflake similes, Kwanzaa plaques, menorah banners, and more for the month of December. In this December activities lesson plan, students also analyze characters in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Curated OER
"Knot" the Whole Truth: Writing a Modern-Day Story with a Tall Tale's Voice
Beyond Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, tall tales can be a great way to teach young writers about word choice and voice in their writing. Using Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee and the Six-Trait Writing process, they begin to write their own...
Curated OER
Personification Lesson Plans and Resources
This resource on personification provides three different approaches aimed at different levels. The first, appropriate for upper elementary, provides examples of personification, followed by an exercise that requires replacing a word in...
Curated OER
Monster: Compare and Contrast
Helpful for a unit on Walter Dean Myers' Monster, or any novel that you are teaching, a graphic organizer prompts learners to compare and contrast different character traits. The first box has one set of lines to jot down what two...
Curated OER
Rename Fruits, Vegetables and Spices
Students explore fruits and vegetables. In this fruits and vegetables lesson plan, students study traits of various fruits, vegetables and seeds. Students rename fruits, vegetables and seeds.
Curated OER
You G.O.T. It!
Students complete a T-chart graphic organizer to synthesize and separate information which they have collected.
Curated OER
Analyzing Relationships
Students explore relationships between story characters. In this story elements and reading comprehension activity, students generate character traits of the characters in Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson. Students describe...
US National Library of Medicine
Genetics in Harry Potter’s World Lesson 1
By the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we know Harry and Ginny get married, but what will their kids look like? This presentation introduces viewers to Punnett Squares and how to use them to determine both dominant and...
Curated OER
Defining Character, With Help from History
In a single, soundly-designed class period, high schoolers define good character, think-pair-share about thought-provoking quotes on character (More options would enhance the discussion, worth searching online for other quotes to add.),...
Gottlieb
Kennings vs. Stock Epithets – A Quick Review
Bone-crusher. Troll-wife. Battle-sweat. Blood-worm. What study of Beowulf would be complete without offering readers of this Old English epic poem an opportunity to craft their own kennings and epithets? Provide individuals with a copy...