Curated OER
Fictional Narrative Writing in Mathematics
Fifth graders discuss variety of fictional writing genres and connect each to familiar story that has been read, use creative and analytical skills to develop original piece of fictional writing that incorporates math skill, and share...
Curated OER
Break the Pentomino Code!
Students read and analyze the book, Chasing Vermeer. They discuss the main story elements, analyze how pentominoes are important to the story, use a pentomino code to decipher a message, and create a secret code of their own.
Curated OER
Chocolate Chaos
Second graders demonstrate the ability to examine the elements of a story (theme, plot, setting, mood) and characters, by discussing and writing about each. They have fun with chocolate related activities and enjoy reading about some...
Curated OER
Guideline for Book Reports -- Southern Literature and the Old South Myth
Students are introduced to the guidelines for giving their book report on Southern Literature. With a partner, they work together to develop a catchy phrase to grab the reader's attention. They must also include whether the book is...
Curated OER
"The Westing Game" Activities and Lesson Plans
You can use a novel, such as "The Westing Game", to teach reading concepts and skills in a way that keeps students interested.
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Analysis of the Tuck Everlasting and The Birchbark House Text Exemplars
Looking to introduce some text-based questions into your ELA lessons? Practice the kinds of skills the Common Core demands with the seven text-based questions and the essay prompt provided here. Designed to be a three-day lesson, day one...
Curated OER
Students Information And Interest Survey
In this personal information instructional activity, students fill out this form to give details about their personal history, prior experiences and preferences. This could be used for information gathering or as an icebreaker activity.
Lesson Planet
New Books for Black History Month
Suggested books to help students better understand African American history.
Curated OER
Historical Background of Nightjohn Lesson Plan
Eighth graders use first-hand slave narratives that show conditions of slavery. They paste text into Appleworks and publish with a picture clipped from web sites. They create a group account of life during slavery to prepare for reading...
Curated OER
Time Travel
Students investigate the concept of time travel and quantum physics. They complete a Webquest, read excerpts from the book, 'The Time Machine,' play an online time traveler game, and read and evaluate newspaper articles about time.
Curated OER
Guideline For Book Reports
Students are introduced to the guidelines regarding their upcoming book report. As a class, they brainstorm opening statements to grab the reader's attention and what type of information to present. They must include an evaluation of...
Curated OER
Authors of the Past and Present
Learners research a chosen author. In this authors lesson, students pick one author from the list provided, do research, and write a paper.
Curated OER
Bon Voyage - Literature Travel Unit
Eighth graders locate and interpret information about the culture of another country using multi-media tools. Students read and interpret literature about characters and cultures from a foreign country. Students create a travel guide...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Everyone Loves a Mystery a Genre Study
Contains plans for lessons that teach about the mystery story genre, including its story elements and vocabulary. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the lessons as well as...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Hound of the Baskervilles 1: Meet Sherlock Holmes
Students investigate the iconic and much-beloved character of Sherlock Holmes, as well as the mystery genre, in this excerpt from Masterpiece's 2002 version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. As students are introduced to Holmes, they use...
Harold D. Underdown
Writing Mysteries for Children's Magazines
An excellent resource for anyone looking to write in the literary genre of mystery, especially for children. Includes helpful information and tips for writers on topics such as publishing and content.
Other
Mystery Net: Edgar Allan Poe
Biography and analysis of the writing of Edgar Allan Poe. Examines Poe's contribution to the mystery genre. Also provides the text of several of Poe's writings.
Other
Mystery Net: The Fun Way to Learn in the Classroom
This online resource is for any teacher planning on using mysteries in the classroom. Includes lessons, links, and reasons to use mysteries in the classroom.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Expository Escapade: Detective's Handbook
Working on higher-level thinking skills with your readers is made easier with this lesson. You will have your students connect with and analyze a mystery story at their grade-appropriate level. Lesson plan, printable worksheets, and...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: The Hound of the Baskervilles
View, read and discuss Conan Doyle's tale, "The Hound of Baskersvilles," and compare and contrast the story with the film. Explore the genres and elements of mystery and suspense that are present, and analyze characters, especially...
Georgetown University
Georgetown University: Edgar Allan Poe (1809 1849)
This site is a professor's guide for students. This guide features information on how to distinguish between Poe and his narrators in his stories.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Hound of the Baskervilles
This is a collection of three media galleries from MASTERPIECE: "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle. It introduces the famous character of Sherlock Holmes and the mystery/horror genre.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Gothic Undercurrents: Edgar Allan Poe
This biography features Edgar Allan Poe who introduced the genre of horror and mystery to literature in the nineteenth century with stories such as "The Raven."
Other
Database of Award Winning Children's Literature
This is a phenomenal resource. It allows the user to create a reading list of quality children's literature based of choices such as reading level, type of book, genre, ethnicity, gender, etc. In addition, one can determine if a book won...