This winter-themed lesson plan, which incorporates the book Tree of Cranes by Allen Say, teaches students about Japanese traditions and customs. They will review the basic elements of a narrative story, and then write their own narratives about a special event or moment in their life.

Syllable vowel sounds change when followed by the letter R but also reveal regular spelling patterns. This lesson plan extends student understanding of R-controlled vowels with activities built to strengthen spelling and editing skills.

Get your magnifying glasses—it’s time to play text detective. In this lesson, students will learn the importance of reading comprehension and making inferences while learning to correctly label the 5 Ws within a text.

Are the stories the same or different? You decide! Use this lesson with your students to practice comparing the story elements in two fictional stories written by the same author.