Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Train [Pdf]
"The Train" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a child's first train trip to Grandma's for the summer. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes:...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Traveling With Lewis and Clark [Pdf]
"Traveling with Lewis and Clark" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about traveling with Lewis and Clark on their expedition and the hardships of winter and food shortages they endured. It is followed by constructed-response...
The Best Notes
The Best Notes: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
This is an online study guide/notes for the futuristic novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley including author information, literary elements, chapter-by-chapter summaries/notes, study questions, and analysis.
The Best Notes
The Best Notes: Alas Babylon by Pat Frank
This is an online study guide/notes for the apocalyptic novel Alas Babylon by Pat Frank including author information, literary elements, chapter-by-chapter summaries/notes, study questions, and analysis.
The Best Notes
The Best Notes: The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
This is a complete online study guide/notes for the novel The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton including author information, literary elements, chapter-by-chapter summaries/notes, study questions, and analysis.
Caro Clarke
Not Stopping the Reader: How to Avoid Stumbling Blocks
This is the eighth article in a series that focuses on helping the new novel author. This article looks at how the author can avoid creating stumbling blocks that disrupt the flow of the novel.
Caro Clarke
Explaining Too Much: Why More Is Less
This is the eleventh article in a series that is designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on how to eliminate needless information in your novel. The key is to not explain too much about the action.
Caro Clarke
Caro Clarke: Description: What's It For?
This is the twelfth article in a series that is designed to help the new novel writer. This article focuses on how to effectively use descriptions in any writing.
Other
Literature Unit: "A Day No Pigs Would Die"
This site features questions for each of the chapters in Robert Newton Peck's "A Day No Pigs Would Die."
Caro Clarke
The Art of the Unspoken: Saying More by Describing Less
This is the thirteenth article in a series that was developed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on how good descriptions aren't necessarily connected with a lot of words, good descriptions are clean and to the point.
Other
Write4 kids.com
This site provides a great deal of information on writing children's stories. Contains "Advice, instruction, insider tips, insight and inspiration."
Other
K 3 Learning pages.com: Fairy Tales
This site provides links to elementary information about Fairy Tales. You will find lesson plans, poems, songs, activities and more when you delve into these resources. Some links are no longer available.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Ender's Game
Shmoop's study guide for Orson Scott Card's science fiction novel, Ender's Game, includes chapter summaries, character descriptions, explanation of themes, and analysis of various elements in the novel. It also offers study questions and...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Setting and Conflict
This lesson explains the relationship between setting and conflict in fiction writing.
Caro Clarke
Caro Clarke: Writing Advice: Beginner's Four Faults
This site is a personal site from Caro Clarke. The third installment in this series looks at the four major mistakes made by beginning authors. The main idea of this article is that the author needs to be able to combine dialogue with...
Other
Official Site of Gary Soto
This site provides a brief biography of author, Gary Soto, and includes links to his current works.
Other
Building Characters With Adversity
Extensive and very interesting article advising the reader on how to develop characters through adversity.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Analyze Development of Plot Through Characters in Literary Text
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] Often characters are a driving force behind the plot. In this lesson, students will learn how complex, multilayered characters contribute to the development of a story's plot...
Other
America Dept. Of State: Outline of American Literature [Pdf]
This online book presents an overview of American literature chronologically. Eras and movements are explained and biographies of significant authors are provided. This is a good way to understand the background and influences of...
Read Works
Read Works: Plot 3rd Grade Unit
[Free Registration/Login Required] A series of four lesson plans designed to teach learners to predict problems and solutions in fiction text and to identify the relationship between problems and character conflicts within a story....
Grade Saver
Grade Saver: Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee
This is an online study guide/notes for the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee including author information, literary elements, chapter-by-chapter summaries/notes, study questions, and analysis. The play is a...