Curated OER
The Song of the Lark
Using the internet, class members research the biography of Willa Cather, view photographs of Red Cloud, Nebraska, and read the novel, The Song of the Lark. They discuss the film, its setting and characters, and explore the importance of...
Curated OER
Scrolling Along
Pupils summarize the important parts of a story, identify the characters, and decide how to picture several scenes that describe the setting and action. They graphically represent the important elements of the story on a fabric book...
Curated OER
Story Web
Use a graphic organizer or story web to show the relationship between plot and character. They note the setting, characters, title, author, conflict, and solution regarding short story or novel they have read.
Curated OER
Fairy Tale Story Planner
Provide your class with a way to plan their own fairy tale. Learners use this graphic organizer to help them plan their own original fairy tale by identifying the setting, characters, conflict, and conclusion for their story.
Curated OER
Compare and Contrast Stories
Compare and contrast up to three stories with this graphic organizer! There are designated squares to capture information regarding the characters, setting, and problems of each story. Which are similar, and which are different? This...
Curated OER
The Rigors of Learning a New Language
Students read an autobiography of a peace corps volunteer studying Chinese. In this cultural acceptance lesson, students compare the dialects of Chinese with English dialects. Students discuss the differences in learning and teaching a...
Curated OER
Write a Story
Here is a great way to explore narrative writing! Learners review a previously constructed story map and identify the characters, setting, and main events in the book Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock retold by Eric A. Kimmel. They...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Clap Your Hands
Read Clap Your Hands to explore new vocabulary with your class. In this three-tiered vocabulary lesson plan, youngsters read the book and identify the plot, setting, and characters. They also define vocabulary terms from the book and...
Curated OER
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Teachers who are about to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with their class may want to check out this PowerPoint. It goes through all of the literary elements present in the book: Characters, Setting, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax,...
Curated OER
Elements of the Narrative Poem: "Casey at the Bat"
Unlike the mighty Casey, you can hit a home run with this worksheet that uses Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s “Casey at the Bat” as a model of a narrative poem. Young fans must identify the characters, the time and place, the sequence of events...
Keys to Literacy
Story Map
Here's a graphic organizer that promotes comprehension by asking class members to record the elements of a story. Using the provided template, readers identify the setting, the major characters, the problems they face, and the solutions...
La Jolla High School
Of Mice and Men: Looking at Themes
Feelings of loneliness and alienation drive the characters in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Use this handout to set your class members up for a lesson on these big ideas. In addition to finding a couple of definitions and...
Emotional & Behavioral Disorders and Learning Disabilities
Narrative Story Elements Matrix
Readers use a story elements matrix to identify the title, setting, characters, point of view, problem, and solution in four narratives. The template could be used to prepare for a compare/contrast exercise.
Prezi
Freyja-"THE CAY" by Theodore Taylor
Use this Prezi to demonstrate how to put together a Prezi about The Cay by Theodore Taylor. This Prezi, created by a student, is made up of six slides that include information about the characters, setting, and plot of the story....
Teacherfiles
Basic Story Map
Here’s an all-purpose story map template that readers can use to keep track of books read for class, of independent reading, and even for stories planned. Users identify the title, author, major characters, setting, and events from the...
Have Fun Teaching
Common Core 1st Grade Workbook
You've found the first grade Common Core jackpot! English Language Arts and Math Common Core standards are addressed in a 74-page packet complete with standard text printables, activities, cut-outs for the classroom, and worksheets.
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
The Backpack Travel Journals
Strap on those backpacks, it's time to travel through history with this literature unit based on the first four books of The Magic Tree House series. While reading through these fun stories, children create story maps, record interesting...
ReadWriteThink
A High-Interest Novel Helps Struggling Readers Confront Bullying in Schools
Paul Langan's novel The Bully is the core text in a six-session unit plan that engages high schoolers in an in-depth examination of bullying and its effects on bullies, victims, and bystanders. The richly textured and carefully...
National Endowment for the Humanities
On This Day With Lewis and Clark
Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they discover the wonders, beauty, and dangers of the American frontier. After gaining background knowledge about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, young explorers use primary...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
We’re a Family: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 3)
Teach your English language learners how to talk about their families with three weeks of lessons. Over the course of the thematic unit, learners pick up new vocabulary so that they can talk about families and relationships, clothing,...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Stories Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
An anthology created for kindergarteners explores classic stories that have been told for generations. Young scholars listen to 10 read-alouds, answer reading comprehension questions, and practice a skill related to the text. Stories...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Kings and Queens Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
A royal read-aloud anthology offers a look inside the life of kings and queens. Songs and stories showcase royal characteristics and story elements and boost reading comprehension skills. Discussions highlight the difference between...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Unit 1: Memoir - Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, is the focus of a unit designed for fourth graders. Scholars begin each lesson with a warm-up, then listen to a read-aloud of a section of the book. Pupils complete word work,...
Curated OER
Interviewing the Players
Students analyze Shakespeare's words through scenes and portions of scenes. They compare the characters' motives and make connections between the text they are performing and the larger context of the play. They participate in panel...