The class discusses the different purposes an author has for writing. The focus of the discussion is on writing to tell a true story and writing to give information about a specific topic. There are writing purpose sorting cards embedded...

Help your middle schoolers identify personal experience narratives in their own lives through telling stories themselves and from family members or other adults. They study personal experience narratives in Swapping Stories and compare...

Sometimes it takes a work of fiction to demonstrate nonfictional tragedies and events. George, an escaped slave, describes to Mr. Wilson the hardships of his life in a short passage from Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle...

Second graders examine science non-fiction books in the 500 section of the media center. They listen to Byrd Baylor's, Everybody Needs a Rock, and write a sentence that tells why everyone does need a rock. They illustrate the sentence.

Sixth graders read and write autobiographical sketches, determine the author's purpose in writing, and type paragraphs using WP utilities.

Students identify narrative procedure. In this narrative procedure lesson, students analyze a recipe and visit the website www.ehow.com. Students discuss narrative procedures and answer questions. students make a list of the procedures...

Students explore the lives of other children. In this comparing and contrasting instructional activity, students complete a KWL chart on children around the world and use the Internet to compare and contrast these children using...

Students explore the characteristics of a non-fiction text. In this comprehension lesson, students are led on a guided tour of each text and identify the features of a non-fiction text. Students continue to practice locating features...

Students define "nonfiction" and describe what they view as the best pieces of nonfiction writing. They determine criteria to evaluate whether or not a piece of nonfiction writing is good, and list categories of nonfiction writing.

Young scholars alter a familiar short poem or song with synonyms and antonyms. In this synonym and antonym lesson, students replace the synonyms or antonyms in the text and discuss the changes in meaning. Young scholars share their words.

Students learn to appreciate art. In this early childhood lesson plan, students read about different artists and imitate their style to develop creative thinking, and language and literacy skills.

After a class discussion where learners make predictions about what will happen in a book based on its cover illustration, pupils are asked to compose a written response about an aspect of the story and include some of their own...

To do this engaging and pleasurable activity, your learners should have already read a graphic novel, and produced a piece of writing that can be reproduced into the format of a graphic novel. This exercise provides a script that...

Students consider a variety of well-known proverbs that refer to the weather. They research the scientific validity of these proverbs, conduct interviews about public perception of the proverbs and summarize their findings in writing.

Students evaluate the social effects of inventions and other developments on the lives of ordinary individuals. They create a profile of an individual who might have lived at that time and whose life would have been affected by those...

High schoolers investigate the details of a chosen story of literature. They use a pyramid graphic organizer to record information. The information is used to write a summary of the story. Students use a rubric while writing the summary...

Students construct a small greenhouse and plant lima beans. They read books about plants, tend the lima bean seedlings, observe and record plant growth, taste a variety of plants and maintain plant journals.

Learners read A Tree is Nice and It Could Still Be a Tree. In this tree planting lesson, students compare and contrast private property and common resources. Learners identify the needs of a tree and follow the directions to plan a tree...

Students study the life of John Chapman and compare it with the fictional character, Johnny Appleseed. Students listen to books about Johnny Appleseed, and watch a video and PowerPoint if available. They make a KWL chart, make an online...

Students read and compare Cinderella stories using a worksheet. They write and illustrate original tales with a twist.

Students recreate an "American Idol" contest in which they present their favorite books to their classmates using arguments for and excerpts from the books. Following the presentation, students will be polled and the least popular books...

Second graders complete a KWL chart about libraries. They create a book using writing patterns of a particular author. Students decide criteria for awarding the Second Grade Librarian Award to books in the classroom library, and use a...

First graders reinforce concepts about sun, moon, day, night and sky by playing the Sky Jeopardy game. In the end, 1st graders get to nibble crackers in order to show the different phases of the moon.