Standard #: LAFS.6.RL.1.3 (Archived Standard)

This close reading lesson focuses on identifying theme in the short story, "The Scribe" by Kristin Hunter. The lesson incorporates information on the Great Depression and allows students to make a cross-curricular connection between history and language arts. Students will define unfamiliar words using context clues, analyze story elements, and identify stated and implied themes.

Students gain a deeper understanding of characters from a novel they have read by creating charts linking characters' actions with the characters' traits. Then they explore adjectives that describe character traits using a variety of resources. Next, students use their analysis of the characters and their knowledge of adjectives to create descriptive lists for three other characters from the point of view of one particular character. Finally, they play a game in which the class tries to identify which character is described by the students' adjective lists. This activity is effective using any story with rich characterization.

The objective of this lesson is to review and reinforce the elements of a short story. The importance of the conflict is emphasized to show how it fuels the action of the story to keep it moving toward the resolution. The setting and characters are also important elements that affect the plot. The students will use a variety of illustrations, sentence descriptions, and quotes from the story to portray the action chronologically in a plot diagram. The students will also write a paragraph explaining how the conflict drives the plot toward the resolution using support from the text.

After students read James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," they will write a narrative of a daydream to add to the text using narrative techniques and incorporating multimedia elements.

The goal of this three day exemplar is to give students the opportunity to use the reading and writing habits they've been practicing on a regular basis to explore the historic Great Fire of Chicago. By reading and rereading the passage closely combined with classroom discussion about it, students will explore the historical truths related to poverty, city construction, and city services that led to the disaster. In this reading, students learn about historical disasters, but they may not fully comprehend causes or how human actions, nature, or even luck contributed to them, rendering history a flat subject to be memorized rather than explored. When combined with writing about the passage and teacher feedback, students will better understand the dangers inherent in cities and the government role in mitigating that danger.

In this lesson, students will study the short story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling. Students will analyze the confrontations that drive the story's plot, noting what happens and who is involved, how Rikki's character is developed through each confrontation, and how each confrontation helps develop the plot. A copy of the story is included with the lesson, as well as a text discussion guide for teachers, comprehension questions, a vocabulary key, a graphic organizer and key, and an optional rubric for the summative assessment. 

In the second part of this 2-part tutorial series, you'll analyze the plot of Cinderella in order to review the parts of the plot diagram. 

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch "Understanding Plot: Part One."

In the first part of this two-part tutorial series, you'll learn about the parts of the plot diagram. In Part Two, you'll use this information to help you analyze the plot of the story of Cinderella.

Make sure to complete both parts of this series. Click HERE to view "Understanding Plot: Part 2."

Learn how characters' actions and responses develop the main characters and advance the plot during key events in the beginning of the novel Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli with this interactive tutorial.

Read a story called “A Crooked Election" and learn to describe how the plot of a story unfolds in a series of episodes. In this interactive tutorial, you will also explore how the characters change and evolve throughout the plot of a story.

This is a complete unit covering The Lightning Thief. It includes a chapter by chapter study with a strong emphasis on vocabulary and detail.

In this tutorial from ReadWriteThink, you will learn about the hero's journey, an ancient story pattern that can be found in texts from thousands of years ago to newly released Hollywood blockbusters. This interactive tool will provide you with the background of the hero's journey and give you a chance to explore several of the journey's key elements. Also, you can use the tool to record examples from a hero's journey you have read or viewed or to plan out a hero's journey of your own.

In this tutorial from ReadWriteThink, students will use a set of graphic organizers to focus on the key elements of literature, such as character, setting, conflict, and resolution development for the text they are reading. After completing individual sections or the entire organizer, the student will also have the ability to print out the final versions for feedback and assessment.

This unit plan uses the book "The Bully" by Paul Langan, which is from the Bluford series, to teach tolerance. There are a plethora of resources and activities including graphic organizers, reflective journals, and reader's theater. Students work together to gain an understanding of the effects of bullying and an awareness of this important issue.

This is a sixth grade unit on the mystery novel Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen. Students will analyze characters, study the plot, and make predictions in this forensic-themed unit. This unit includes a complete packet with graphic organizers, a pacing guide, and an assessment with answer key and possible student responses.

In the second part of this 2-part tutorial series, you'll analyze the plot of Cinderella in order to review the parts of the plot diagram. 

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch "Understanding Plot: Part One."

In the first part of this two-part tutorial series, you'll learn about the parts of the plot diagram. In Part Two, you'll use this information to help you analyze the plot of the story of Cinderella.

Make sure to complete both parts of this series. Click HERE to view "Understanding Plot: Part 2."

Learn how characters' actions and responses develop the main characters and advance the plot during key events in the beginning of the novel Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli with this interactive tutorial.

Read a story called “A Crooked Election" and learn to describe how the plot of a story unfolds in a series of episodes. In this interactive tutorial, you will also explore how the characters change and evolve throughout the plot of a story.

In this tutorial from ReadWriteThink, you will learn about the hero's journey, an ancient story pattern that can be found in texts from thousands of years ago to newly released Hollywood blockbusters. This interactive tool will provide you with the background of the hero's journey and give you a chance to explore several of the journey's key elements. Also, you can use the tool to record examples from a hero's journey you have read or viewed or to plan out a hero's journey of your own.