Literature Lesson Plans

Working in groups, young historians review a war poem written by Stephen Crane. After reviewing the poem, they present an oral interpretation of the poem and hold a panel discussion about their analysis. The panel is made up of five or six experts who present on literature, the author, and a moderator.

Practice grade-level reading comprehension with this lesson, in which middle schoolers read different examples of Native American literature. They discover different cultures while examining their own, and answer questions related to the readings. Use this lesson in your American Literature unit, or as a way to assess reading comprehension.

Using the novel, Bridge to Terabitha, along with this literature guide, readers will be able to analyze and respond to each chapter of the novel.  Through independent practice, small group work, and class discussion, will allow learners to gain an insightful understanding of the themes presented in the novel.

Shiloh activities and response to literature are the key focus areas of this literature guide. This time saving guide will allow readers to focus on each chapter in an in depth way. Activities that reinforce literary analysis and word meanings are listed by chapter, helping you plan your unit most efficiently.

Learn more about the Civil War. Young scholars will choose a novel based on the Civil War to learn more about the viewpoints of that time period. They will then discuss the roles of the members of a Literature Circle and then participate in various discussion and writing activities following the novel they choose. Book title suggestions and handouts are included in this activity.

Help your middle schoolers respond to literature by using this literary critique activity. They will discover critique strategies as they employ their knowledge of literary elements to role-play the part of a literary critic reviewing a selected piece of literature. They will also learn to use persuasive strategies throughout this 9 part activity.

Explore the concept of literature circles with your class.  Form cooperative groups and select a novel of interest to begin.  Readers will read and respond to the novel as a group, recording answers together and individually. Each group member will have a role to play and objectives to meet.

Have your class discuss the signs of an impending tsunami using literature. Learners read The Big Wave and discuss the actions taken by the villagers. They role play using scenes from the book. They answer questions and complete a worksheet.

Fourth and fifth graders explore literature genres. They will work in small groups and are assigned one genre to investigate. They then create a poster about that genre, including the characteristics and examples of books from the genre. Finally, they will participate in a scavenger hunt around the library to find examples. In the end, they can do a quote sort to show what they know.

With a reading schedule, literature question page, and supplementary list of literary activities, this book report form would be an excellent addition to your junior high or high school class. The activities in the lesson lend well to class assignments or an individual report, depending on skill level. The lesson is designed for homeschool, but would be fine in any class setting. Though it mentions Cyrano De Bergerac, the format is not novel-specific.