Learning With Literature

Storm Boy is the 8th in a series of classic Australian children’s fiction literature units. I taught this unit 2 years ago and it was very popular. It is a short novel but very entertaining. The 1980s movie version is a classic and still holds up very well today. (Look out for the picture story book version with brilliant illustrations by Robert Ingpen and a more recent one out now. Also the recent movie.) This has proven to be a big seller. check out some of the other units in this series. Many

For Halloween just for my US friends and at a modest $2.00 (I'd say a weeks worth of learning) download this fun ( I think) unit on Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. (Reading tasks, loads of craft ideas and templates, writing ideas, graphic organisers etc) There are a lot of versions of the story around including the original text, picture story books, graphic novels and of course the Disney cartoon. Download and enjoy. Also check out my Horror unit and horror craft unit, Woman in

A Blooms Taxonomy unit plan for Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. This unit includes craft and creative writing responses, graphic organisers, samples and photos of student learning, puzzles and more.

My unit for The House With the Clock in its Walls. This unit consists of reading and writing tasks, creative tasks and graphic organisers. This has been used with grade 4-6 this year and was very popular. (student work samples are provided)

This is a unit plan (teaching ideas) for The Watertower . It is a 1994 children's picture book by the prolific multi-award winning Australian author Gary Crew and illustrated by Steven Woolman. This gothic science fiction story takes place in a small rural town called Preston. The book explores bizarre fantasy and raises more questions than answers. A thought provoking picture book which Gary Crew is renowned for. Also included are teaching ideas for another of Crew’s book ‘The Windmill’. (Also

A collection of creative and research activities to support talented and prolific Australian author Paul Jennings collection of 'twisted' short stories from his book called 'UNCANNY' All of these tasks have been road tested with grade 4-6 children and along with the weird tales were part of a popular theme on 'offbeat' Australian short stories (also refer to my free unit for Gary Crew's 'The Water Tower')

Some free (Yes free!) tried and tested activities for Where The Wild Things Are. this has been updated to include loads of fun activities and teaching ideas fior some of sendak's books. Still for free....for my mates.

Reading and Writing activities for Paul Jenning's Uncanny, Undone, Unreal and Unbelievable combined. Over 100 pages of reading, writing ideas, art activities, graphic organisers and more.

Elementary student level unit for Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure tale, The Black Arrow. Writing, reading and craft activities for this underrated and often forgotten adventure classic. I taught this to grade 4-6 students while reading them an abridged version of the book. Photos of their work samples included.

Blooms Taxonomy literature unit for The Hound of the Baskervilles. Includes graphic organisers, writing ideas, reading activities, craft ideas and more. Also includes teaching ideas for some of Doyle's best short stories including the Speckled Band and Silver Blaze...ALSO a bonus teaching ideas plan for The Sign of Four.

This year is the 26th year of the National Simultaneous Storytime in Australia. 2.2 million participants joined the event in 2025 from more than 16,600 locations last year. Every year, a picture book created by an Australian author and illustrator is chosen for a free nationwide reading event unlike any other. This year its Luna Roo. Millions gather in schools, libraries, homes, preschools and bookshops to read the same story, at the same time, out loud, together. All schools need to do is buy a

A Blooms Taxonomy literature unit plan for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tales of adventure ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘Kidnapped’. Kids love pirate tales and ‘Treasure Island’ is still by far the best of its kind. Kidnapped initially dismissed as a ‘boys own adventure’ tale is exciting, frightening and in the end a satisfying story of a wild land torn apart by invasion, rebellion and bigotry. There are loads of versions of the book and DVDs that make these 2 books a great ‘literary package’ (Also

It was the clock that spoke next, startling them with his flat brass voice. "I might remind you of the rules of clockwork," he said. "No talking before midnight and after dawn, and no crying on the job." "He's not on the job," said the seal. "We're on our own time now." "Toys that cry on their own time sometimes cry on the job," said the clock, "and no good ever comes of it. A word to the wise." -- The Mouse and His ChildThis is a unit plan for Hoban's classic. This unit features reading, writin

Ahhhhhhh......Halloween. I can take it or leave but there’s no doubt that kids love it (and so do the department stores, publishers and sweets manufacturers, although not as much as previous years- at the time of writing this anyway. Maybe it hasn’t taken off here as they hoped it would, here in Australia.) I try to do a Horror literature theme every year, 2025 was no different and I’ve tried to time it around Halloween for the last few years. (Check my site for The Woman in Black, Classic Horr

This is a Blooms taxonomy literature unit for Tim Winton's Blueback. It contains writing/art ideas, reading tasks and graphic organisers.

Fun activities for early years students based on Franklin the turtle. You will need 3 titles for some of the tasks (Franklin is Lost, Goes to School and Secret Club) but lots of other tasks don't need the books. This unit includes art ideas, writing tasks and graphic organisers. I've used it with grade 1 and they loved it. (Photos of their work included) It is also ridiculously cheap!

#betterthanchocolate Poe | Poe | Poe This is my new Gothic Horror unit featuring Edgar Allan Poe (Tales of Terror) to be downloaded onto TPT. This unit not only includes a Blooms literature unit plan for three of Poe's greatest tales (The Murder in the ru Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum) but also contains teaching ideas for Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, Bram Stoker's The Jewel of the Seven Stars and also Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Thi

This is a unit plan for the spooky and funny novel Lockett and Wilde (Ghosts of the Manor) . Lots of activities that you can do while reading the book as a novel. My grade 3-6 students enjoyed this unit.

Julia Donaldson's Cave Baby is a fun book and this unit provides reading, writing, craft and graphic organisers for it. Great introduction to prehistoric life for young students (You could even do it in conjunction with older students doing Stig of the Dump which I have a unit for on TPT too.) This is a fun unit which my early years students enjoyed.

This is a Blooms Taxonomy unit designed for primary aged students using what I think is Conrad's most accessible work. There are some abridged versions of the book as well as the old Classics Illustrated comic. (The movie is good but they changed the ending. I'd only watch selected parts of it.)This unit isn't designed for older students studying the original texts but there are some activities they might enjoy. I've used this unit with grade 4-6 last year and they enjoyed it.