Eight Plus One: Stories Lesson Plan

A Birthday Cake of a House

Kind of Activity:

Creative Writing

Objective:

Practice Cormier's technique of using simile or metaphor to convey character information

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B

Structure:

As a class, reread the introduction to “President Cleveland, Where Are You?” You may have students take turns reading paragraphs aloud or give the class some time to read silently. Discuss the author’s notes on the craft of the sentence, “It looked like a big white birthday cake of a house!” After writing that sentence, what changes about the way Cormier writes? In particular, how does it change the way he uses...