Novelinks
The Lightning Thief: Problematic Situation Strategy
In the novel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Percy is faced with a major decision. After reading, chapter 19, discuss the decision-making process Percy took, what he decided to do, and what your...
Curated OER
Irony
What are the three types of irony? High schoolers engage in a lesson about the use of irony while reading O.Henry's short story "Gift of the Magi." They'll discuss rising action, climax, and resolution in the text before highlighting the...
Curated OER
Meaty Words
Headlines from newspapers launch a discussion of image-rich, meaty words. Just as headline writers choose vivid vocabulary to attract readers, young writers develop headlines that capture the essence of a passage from a book they are...
PB Works
George Washington’s Socks: Short-Answer Questions Chapters 1-9
Build a literature unit around the book George Washington's Socks with this series of short answer questions. Broken up in two- and three-chapter increments, these reading comprehension questions allow young readers to demonstrate their...
Curated OER
I am Special and You are Special Too - Project Children L.E.A.D.
Eighth graders recognize what makes them special through class participation and discussion of rap music, writing a poem about themselves, and designing their own special hat while working in groups.
Curated OER
The Swiss Family Robinson Teacher's Notes
Guide young readers through the classic novel The Swiss Family Robinson with this collection of activities and worksheets. From basic spelling and grammar practice, to reading comprehension skills, this resource will enhance children's...
Curated OER
Tales of Edgar Allen Poe
Analyze the writing of Edgar Allen Poe by reading and then writing in a similar style. Budding authors learn about the life of Poe and read one or more of his famous works online. Partner groups create an original piece of writing using...
Curated OER
Peace Education | Wreath or Tree Craft
What is peace and what does it mean to our society? To understand why peace is celebrated and what character traits or concepts relate to the action of peace, learners engage in a discussion, story time, and a craft project. The lesson...
abcteach
Literature Circles Planner
Here is a literature circle activity for students to plan an effective group meeting. Instructions are given to answer 10 questions. This form may be used for every book the group reads.
Curated OER
Primary Sources and Protagonists: A Native American Literature Unit
Introduce your middle schoolers to the lives of past Native Americans. First, learners work together to put photographs in a sequence. Then, using their sequence, they create stories to share with the whole class. No matter how old your...
Curated OER
Agriculture Awareness Through Poetry
Whether you are viewing a landscape painting of a farm, examining a still-life portrait of a bowl of fruit, or reading a descriptive poem about cultivating food, you can't deny that agriculture plays a major role in visual and language...
Scholastic
Connecting with Ruby Bridges
When Ruby Bridges entered an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960, she also entered history. Scholars consider what the experience must have been like for the young girl using two books that document her experience as well as a double...
K5 Learning
The Blind Men and the Elephant
Sometimes it's necessary to view the whole picture before making a judgment about a small part. Read a short story about five blind men who try to identify an elephant by feeling different parts and coming to their own conclusions....
Curated OER
The Seven Continents Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using Google Earth.
For the Teachers
Story Strips Sequencing
What happens next? Work on story sequence with a lesson that prompts kids to put a story back in order. Additionally, they discuss what would happen if one event was missing from the sequence.
Curated OER
Irony in Poetry and Prose (Fiction and Non-fiction Texts)
Middle and high schoolers examine the impact of irony in poetry and prose. In this figurative language lesson, they read instructor-selected literature and identify uses of irony. Then they discuss how irony enhances literature.
Curated OER
The Little Red Hen
Students analyze a classic children's story by discussing it with their peers. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read The Little Red Hen, and discuss ways the hen takes care of his responsibilities. Students utilize Clip...
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Getting To Know You
Students prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package includes ten lessons from the American Literature series, each covering a different reading selection. Pre-reading and response activities are included for each...
Curated OER
Foot Book Lesson Plan
Students measure items using non-standard units of measure. In this measurement instructional activity, students listen to Dr. Seuss', The Foot Book, before using oak tag feet to measure items. They use a large foot and a smaller one to...
Curated OER
Novel Lesson 6 (Closing Lesson)
Students examine the horrors of war through literature. In this Vietnam lesson, students read Fallen Angels and participate in discussion groups that focus on characterization and the realism of war included in the novel. This is the...
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That Reminds Me
Learners investigate various forms of literature using drawings, sentences, and class discussion. They pick the text to look at to keep student interest. The teacher helps the students use appropriate reading level books. They complete a...
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Learning About Safety with Clifford
Students explore discussing stories with their children. They read and discuss Clifford's Sports Day and identify connections between the book and their daily lives. They simulate discussing the book with their children and note...
Curated OER
The Handmaid's Tale - Essay Questions
In this literature worksheet, students respond to 15 short answer and essay questions about Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Harriet The Spy
Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...