After students read a piece of literature, they can study characters by creating a wanted poster. Show and explain to students the point of a wanted poster. You could use a Wild West poster or a police or FBI poster. Explain that these posters feature a picture of a wanted person and a list of his crimes. Assign students a character to analyze and ask them to draw his or her mugshot. Under the picture, students can write why that character might be wanted. For instance, if the character had a negative impact on the story, he is probably wanted for causing problems for other characters. Encourage students to add as much information as they'd like and include a reward that's relevant to the story.
Many elementary students are learning how to summarize. A story timeline activity will help them show others the order in which events in a story happened. Divide students into groups of three or four and give each group a large sheet of white paper. The group should draw a horizontal line on the page and work together to create a timeline of the story's events. On the left side of the timeline, they will write what happened first and continue through the story until the far right, at which they will write how the story ended. If the students are at a lower elementary level, they can instead draw pictures of the story's events. When all groups are finished, have them share their timelines with the rest of the class to see if there are any discrepancies about how groups drew and described their timelines.
Students can use their imaginations to figure out what they would like to add or take out of a story. After students read the text, ask them to rewrite a small scene any way they choose. They can delete or add characters, change the setting or simply change the dialogue. The amount you require from your students depends on their age. Upper-elementary students will likely be able to write an entire paragraph with some dialogue, which perhaps includes new characters. Teach children about how the plot impacts the story and ask them if they would like to change that all. For instance, if the main character experiences a happy ending, you can ask children if they would keep it that way or how they might change the story. Younger students can draw a revised scene if they're still learning how to write. Have them share their revised stories with the class.
After reading a piece, students can imagine that the main character is a real person and write him a letter. In this letter, they can ask him questions about his actions. They should use examples from the story when writing the letter. Students can also praise or condemn the character's behavior in the letter. Instructh them to start with a greeting. The body that follows should include specific examples from the story and the questions the student might have. Students should end by signing their name.