The Story Map interactive includes a set of graphic organizers designed to assist teachers and students in prewriting and postreading activities. The organizers are intended to focus on the key elements of character (shown at left), setting, conflict, and resolution development. Students can develop multiple characters, for example, in preparation for writing their own fiction, or they may reflect on and further develop characters from stories they have read. After completing individual sections or the entire organizer, students have the ability to print out their final versions for feedback and assessment. The versatility of this tool allows it to be used in multiple contexts.

Visit this interactive tool at: http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/storymap/.

ReadWriteThink Lessons That Use This Tool

Alter Egos and More with Avi’s “Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?” (3-5)
Today’s elementary students bring many experiences with a variety of texts to the classroom: print, music, online literacies, technical reading and writing, and so on. This lesson plan uses students’ knowledge of these new literacies to introduce them to similar literacies of the past.

Behind the Scenes With Cinderella (3-5)
This lesson invites students to explore two different versions of Cinderella and to make connections between story background elements (e.g., setting) and cross-curricular topics (e.g., geography and science). Students use literature and the Internet to research and create a variety of language arts activities to showcase their knowledge.

Collaborative Stories 1: Prewriting and Drafting (K-2)
Students participate in two small-group prewriting activities to gather ideas for a story to be written collaboratively by the whole class. After listening to the beginnings of several children’s stories, students work in groups to brainstorm plot ideas and story beginnings. Students then write a collaborative story on chart paper, working individually or in pairs to add to the story sentence-by-sentence, honing their teamwork skills and playing off each other's writing strengths.

Comparing Fiction and Nonfiction with Little Red Riding Hood Text Sets (K-2)
Beginning with a comparative study of retellings of “Little Red Riding Hood” and modern revisions of the folktale, this literature unit continues with a study of fantasy, realistic fiction, and nonfiction texts. As students explore various depictions of wolves, they gain another perspective of the “villain” in the traditional tale.

Creative Problem-Solving with Ezra Jack Keats (K-2)
Students explore problem-solving in this lesson, which explores the challenges faced by characters in Ezra Jack Keats’ picture books. After reading a variety of Keats’ books, students explore the problems that the characters face and solutions that they choose through classroom discussion, story mapping, and comparison and contrast of several Keats’ books.

Creative Writing Through Wordless Picture Books (6-8)
In this lesson, students develop their own story lines for wordless picture books. Students explore a variety of wordless picture books, develop story lines both orally and in writing, and share their stories with others. Students use an online, interactive Story Map to assist in the development of story lines.

Examining Island of the Blue Dolphins through a Literary Lens (6-8)
This lesson invites students at all English proficiency levels, including English Language Learners (ELLs), to read, discuss, and react to Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins. Students examine Karana’s character development after discussing personal experiences with courage and adversity. Students then look for examples of courage in their community.

Examining Plot Conflict through a Comparison/Contrast Essay  (3-5)
This lesson invites students to identify types of plot conflict in literature. Using excerpts from picture books, as well as graphic organizers, students learn to identify plot conflict as well as the ways that the plot develops in relationship to the conflict. The lesson culminates with a comparison/contrast writing activity.

Exploring Cross-Age Tutoring Activities With Lewis and Clark (9-12)
In this lesson, cross-age tutoring is a catalyst for interaction between high school and elementary students as they explore the journey of Lewis and Clark. Using the book How We Crossed the West and online interactive activities, students synthesize knowledge from collaborative sessions to write and share adventure stories.

Fairy Tales from Life (3-5)
Students read and analyze fairy tales from several cultural backgrounds, identifying common elements. Choosing common situations and working in small groups, students write original fairy tales, following a process method that includes peer review and encourages using picture books as models. The project concludes with class presentations.

Get the Reel Scoop: Comparing Books to Movies (3-5)
In today’s culture, students have many opportunities to view movies based upon literature. Instead of assuming that students will watch the movie rather than reading the book, take advantage of the phenomenon by asking students to compare and contrast books with their movie counterparts and then work in groups to design a readers theater response to the film version.

Imagine That! Playing with Genre through Newspapers and Short Stories (6-8)
Students identify genre characteristics for narrative short stories and journalistic newspaper articles then practice both genres by turning a short story into a news article and an article into a short story.

Inferring How and Why Characters Change (3-5)
One way that readers construct meaning from text is by developing a deep understanding of characters. In this lesson, a short narrative text is used to model strategies for inferring how and why characters change. Students read short stories in small groups and independently to apply these strategies.

Lights, Camera, Action: Interviewing a Book Character (6-8)
After reading a novel as a group, students prepare a television talk show that uses the characters from the story as the acting characters on the show. Students develop interview-style questions and answers for a character in the novel, and then act out the interview in class.

Literacy Centers: Getting Started (K-2)
As a teacher engages in individualized guided reading activities in the classroom, what does the rest of the class do? This lesson provides a starting point for creating Literacy Centers in the primary classroom. The centers are easy to launch and provide students meaningful, independent learning experiences.

Literature as a Catalyst for Social Action: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges (3-5)
Students are invited to confront and discuss issues of injustice and intolerance reading a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts.

Literature as a Jumping Off Point for Nonfiction Inquiry  (3-5)
Text sets focus on one topic or subject area, yet include texts of many genres. In this lesson, after reading a novel, here Tuck Everlasting, students choose a topic related to a theme in the novel and work cooperatively to learn more about that topic using a text set. Students will have an opportunity to read and explore many genres, while learning through the content areas.

Memories Matter: The Giver and Descriptive Writing Memoirs (6-8)
Using The Giver, students will discuss the importance of having a recorded history of humanity. This understanding provides context for descriptive writing of students’ own history in a lesson that integrates personal writing, research, and response to literature.

Once Upon a Fairy Tale: Teaching Revision as a Concept (6-8)
Students sometimes have trouble understanding the difference between the global issues of revision and the local ones of editing. In this lesson, students use fractured fairy tales to enhance understanding and then practice revision and editing as separate activities when they write their own versions of other fairy tales.

Once Upon a Time Rethought: Writing Fractured Fairy Tales (3-5)
Using prior knowledge of the genre, students identify common elements of fairy tales. Next, they read and analyze fairy tales, using a story map. The information from the graphic organizer will assist students as they rewrite one of their favorite fairy tales, changing one of the literary elements.

Planning Story Characters Using Interactive Trading Cards (3-5)
Writers often make plans for their characters' development before writing stories; trading cards are a popular culture text that appeal to students and can have valuable literacy applications. This lesson introduces students to the idea of understanding and planning characters for a story using an online Character Trading Cards tool.

Press Conference for Bud, Not Buddy (6-8)
This lesson is designed for middle school students reading Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis. The lesson encourages students to use higher-level thinking and discussion skills, as well as to take on the perspectives of different characters. The activities are interactive, and focus on comprehension skills.

The Children’s Picture Book Project (9-12)
In this lesson students evaluate published children’s picture storybooks. Students then plan, write, illustrate, and publish their own children’s picture books.

The Solution Square: Strategies for Conflict Resolution (3-5)
This lesson uses literature as a springboard for conversation about friendship and conflict resolution. Students reflect on the strategies that good friends use to resolve conflict and role-play strategies for problem solving.

Thrills and Chills! Using Scary Stories to Motivate Students to Read (6-8)
Use the popular Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine, or any popular scary story, to motivate even the most reluctant readers to read for enjoyment, explore story elements, and create scary stories.

Thundering Tall Tales: Using Read-Aloud as a Springboard to Writing (3-5)
This lesson uses the Coretta Scott King Award book Thunder Rose to reinforce the common elements, or text structure, of tall tales. Reading this literature selection aloud supports students as they produce original tall tales for a culminating activity.

Using Picture Books to Teach Characterization in Writing Workshop (3-5)
Students explore the concept of character development through focused experiences with picture books. As they learn about the connections between reading and writing, students find ways to apply the information they learn to revisions of their own writing.

Using Picture Books to Teach Plot Development and Conflict Resolution (3-5)
Students explore the concept of plot development and conflict resolution through focused experiences with picture books. As they learn about the connections between reading and writing, students find ways to apply the information they learn to revisions of their own writing.

Using Picture Books to Teach Setting Development in Writing Workshop (3-5)
Students explore the concept of setting through focused experiences with picture books. As they learn about the connections between reading and writing, students find ways to apply the information they learn to revisions of their own writing.

Using Writing and Role-Play to Engage the Reluctant Writer (3-5)
In this lesson, students use dramatic role-play to further engage their literacy skills. By exploring the characters in a story and writing in role, students use creative means to support their learning and understanding of the writing process.

Zines for Kids: Multigenre Texts About Media Icons (3-5)
Using ReadWriteThink.org online tools, students write short pieces in a variety of genres about a favorite media icon. After working with each tool, students print out their work and assemble the documents into their own zines.