Browse lesson plans

The Great Gilly Hopkins: Characterization and prediction

In the final chapters of the novel, Gilly's grandmother learns she has a granddaughter and decides to take Gilly out of foster care. Many of my classroom readers are often dismayed by this unexpected conflict and its outcome. In this lesson, the classroom becomes a courtroom where students predict the outcome of this conflict.

This activity can be used at the end of the novel, but I like to use it after reading chapters 10 and 11 so students can compare the courtroom decision to the end of the novel.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–6 English Language Arts)

By Emily Vann.

To Kill A Mockingbird role-play: A Maycomb pig pickin'

Somewhere near the middle of reading the novel, students start to become confused about characters. This fun role-play activity works especially well just after Chapter 21 and allows students to get to know characters beyond Jem and Scout. It also can be a springboard into further discussions of point of view, theme, and stereotypes.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)

By David Ansbacher.

Oedipus the King reader's theatre

Students will rewrite the Greek tragedy in a modern context in order to review and analyze the plot. This assignment is designed as a final project in a Greek Theatre unit. It is expected that the literature has already been read and analyzed as a class. I have found that this project is an innovative way to review for a unit test on the play and Greek Theatre.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)

Adding emotions to your story

One way to make stories even better is to show emotions and not just tell them. In this lesson, students will use actions, gestures, and facial expressions to act out emotions.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

By DPI Writing Strategies.

The case of the disappearing pitcher plants

This lesson addresses the cause and effect relationship between human interaction and a North Carolina endangered plant species. A role-playing scenario allows students to view the situation from a variety of positions and to collectively arrive at a solution to the problem.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Science)

By Eddie Hamblin.

Cause and effect

Students will identify and interpret cause and effect as expressed in poetry.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)

By Rochelle Mullis.

Interpreting a short story

Students will study the literary genre of the short story and examine how, through writing, an author can comment directly/indirectly on our society as a whole. Hopefully, the students will develop an awareness of the problems/concerns facing our society and an appreciation of how a skilled writer can mirror society's ills and sometimes offer solutions for the problems that plague us.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Regina Johnson.

Issues, we've all got them: Language arts/visual arts integration

Students will learn how to deal positively with social issues important in their lives through personal investigation of social issues addressed in literature and art.

Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and English Language Development)

By Runell Carpenter.

Job interviews: Focus on details

In CareerStart lessons: Grade seven, page 1.5

In this lesson for grade seven, students will develop questions and answers for hypothetical job interviews, and will perform job interview skits for the class.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Guidance)

By Anissia Jenkins.Adapted by Kenyatta Bennett and Sonya Rexrode.

Romeo! Why do you have to be a doggone Montague?

Students will interpret and comprehend Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," Act 2, Scene 2 (the balcony scene) through translating the original text and preparing a dramatic presentation of the scene for the class.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–10 English Language Arts)

By Amanda Rowland.

The scarlet “A”: Role-play in writing

This lesson was created to follow a close reading and examination of Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The plan uses a small group format and rotation schedule. The activities created strengthen students' understanding of an author's use of characterization, while reinforcing reading and creative writing skills.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)

By Tonya White.

Tableaux tour of texts

Students express their empathy for characters and events from books read in small groups by creating tableaux (freeze-frames) of key scenes to present to the class.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)

By Kim Bowen.

The Trial of Hamlet

In this lesson students have the chance to research courtroom procedure to try Hamlet for the murder of Polonius. Then, with some students in the roles of characters from the play, the class will conduct the trial of Shakespeare's most famous anti-hero.

Format: lesson plan (grade 11–12 English Language Arts)

By Ross White.

Word family web

Students play a fun game with spider and fly to build new words using known word families.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Peggy Johnson.

Resources on the web

Children of war

This ARTSEDGE lesson explores the realities and effects of war on children by examining diaries, journals, and letters written by children during times of war. Through class discussion and studying various texts of actual events, students examine the similarities... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 7–9 English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Theater Arts Education)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Using writing and role-play to engage the reluctant writer

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students explore the different characters in the story The Three Little Javalinas and then select one of the characters to write a letter to the author in role. Writing in role allows students to understand... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink