Students examine story elements through teacher read-alouds and independent reading and then use reader-response journals and graphic organizers to prepare for the creation of their own scary stories.

Students read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, demonstrate comprehension of the story by involving themselves in discussions, and analyze the characters in preparation for a class "press conference."

Students identify interesting words from Shakespeare's plays and add them to a classroom vocabulary collection.

Students in grades 4–8 activate prior knowledge and research information about a historic event through fiction and nonfiction literature and exploration of relevant websites.

This lesson teaches students how to revise dull "telling" sentences into vivid, descriptive "showing" sentences.

Students compile a playlist of 10 songs representing a literary character and explain their choices based on the book's dialogue, plot, conflict, and resolution.

Students in grades 5 through 12 read and respond to electronic books by using e-book tools and features, including digital note-taking capabilities.

Past meets present in this lesson in which students practice verb tense when they write personal short stories that they then publish in a flip book.

What's that sound? Students participate in a Directed Listening–Thinking Activity (DLTA) using "The Tell-Tale Heart," make predictions, and respond in the form of an acrostic poem or comic strip.

Vocabulary gumshoes use context clues and semantics to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Students become online authors in this lesson in which they write and post a short story using wiki technology.

Students circle their desks as they analyze their own participation within a small group discussion.

Lights, camera, action, and a bit of mystery! In this lesson, students use mystery props in a skit bag to create and perform in short, impromptu skits.

Students get the inside scoop on a story when they create interview questions and answers for characters in the books they read.

Reading is revamped in this lesson in which students use a multimedia approach to study the books by Seymour Simon.

Students take poetic license when they interpret William Carlos William's poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" to help create a poem of their own.

History has many faces in this lesson in which students read Jane Addams Award-winning books to learn about peace, social justice, world community, and equality.

Was the Big Bad Wolf really all that bad? This lesson encourages students to analyze multiple viewpoints, view texts from different angles, and recognize gaps in narrative.

Students will be the definition of vocabulary experts as they use the skills they learn in this lesson to track, define, and ultimately master unfamiliar words.