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Peer Editing
Sudents read and critique three of their fellow classmates' science fiction short stories on three consecutive days for mechanics, short story elements, style, and informational elements.
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Reading to Learn
Students complete story maps in this lesson. Students read "The Magic School Bus", and get into groups to choose their story element. Each group shares their information with the class. They then complete a story map for a book read...
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Writing Scripts
Create a classroom full of writers using this innovative technique. The presentation walks learners through the process of writing a script, including identifying the setting, characters, and major events in the story. After reviewing...
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Harry Potter: Study Questions
Elementary learners explore fiction storytelling through partcipating in a survey. They identify the characters, themes and plot of the Harry Potter series while discussing their opinions in class. Learners conduct a survey about their...
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Methods of Characterization
The best stories usually have the best characters and identifying characterization in literature is key to fostering good writing skills. The four most common characterizations are defined in this slide show. Each slide presents a...
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Elements of a Short Story
Students read a short story, The Tell-Tale Heart and create a story map identifying the elements of a short story included in the selection. Students complete an Accelerated Reader test on the selection.
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Character Traits
First graders watch a version of the story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and listen to the book, The Rainbow Fish, and identify the story elements of characters, character traits, setting, problem and solution.
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The Magical World of Russian Fairy Tales
Young scholars read several fairy tales of Russian origin. They brainstorm common elements of a fairy tale and identify those elements in several examples. They retell a favorite fairy tale through a skit, oral storytelling, a sketch, or...
San Francisco Symphony
Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid
Your class can think about the American Old West as they listen for dynamics, articulation, rhythm, and tempo in the Aaron Copland song, "Billy The Kid." They'll explore how Copland uses music to create an image of life for an outlaw in...
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Walk in My Shoes: A Shoe's Perspective
Help learners write a creative story from the viewpoint of a shoe. The teacher brings a variety of different types of shoes to the classroom and each person chooses one. They then write a story from the point of view of the shoe,...
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The Coin and the Fable: Alaska quarter reverse
An Alaskan quarter and a book of fables is what you'll need to start this activity. Learners will use the image of the bear and the salmon found on the reverse side of the Alaskan quarter as inspiration. They will compose a fable about...
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Writing the Essay
Relate the structure of the essay to the structure of a building. The class compares an essay to a building, with the writer being the architect, the introduction being the foundation, and so on. They use the visual representation of a...
California Department of Education
Telling My Story
Entrance essays are the ultimate sales pitch! Show your seniors how to market themselves in the first of six college and career readiness lesson plans. Pupils discover the do's and don'ts of writing personal statements through research,...
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Plot Development
Students identify the elements of plot and write a script with a strong plot. In this plot lesson plan, students identify elements of plot in examples by completing a chart and a graphic organizer. Students then create plots...
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Holes
Students read and analyze the story elements of the novel "Holes" by Louis Sachar. They play a "Holes" matching game, complete a timeline of story events, complete a Cause-and-Effect graphic organizer, conduct research on Louis Sachar's...
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Exploring the Mystery Genre
Students determine the story elements of typical mystery stories including characters and plot structure. They look at vocabulary that is common to mystery stories before reading and responding to mystery chapter books. Working in guided...
Memorial Art Gallery
Learning to Look, Looking to Learn - Sunday Morning
Jerome Myers' depiction of the urban landscape in "Sunday Morning" is the focus of a series of activities that asks viewers to examine how an artist uses the elements of a painting to tell a story. The resource packet includes an...
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Rudyard Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: Mixing Words and Pictures
Create meaningful illustrations to accompany stories in a web-based art and literacy instructional activity focused on "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling. The class takes a virtual art safari with the Museum of Modern Art and then...
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Gift of the Magi Test
High schoolers explore literary elements, plot structure, and story elements. They read "The Gift of the Magi," and identify its theme and elements of the story. Afterward, students discuss the story and take a test over the material...
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Short Stories Word Puzzle
In this word puzzle, students identify thirty four words related to elements of a short stories in a word puzzle. Examples include theme, symbol, rising action, and irony.
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Dear Peter Rabbit
Write dear old Peter Rabbit a letter with this instructional activity. First, youngsters listen to the story Peter Rabbit and analyze the story elements. Then they complete a story map graphic organizer in order to write a...
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Tuck Everlasting Unit
Natalie Babbitt's award winning fantasy, Tuck Everlasting, is the anchor text in a unit plan that focuses on identifying similes, metaphors, imagery, and personification in the text and analyzing how these elements effect the...
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Picturing a Story
Students view slides from the movie "Hoot" and discuss characters, setting and the caption. They identify where in the rise and fall of the plot this scene takes place. They brainstorm elements needed to create a story from a picture....
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Cardboard Weaving
Fifth graders observe artworks of cardboard weaving for their art elements and principles of organization. In this cardboard weaving lesson, student create their own and compare artworks of the past and present. Students self...