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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Identifying Types of Irony Using "The Gift of the Magi"

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is the classic example of irony in literature. Teach young writers about the ways irony can engage their readers with an activity in which they write scripts using dramatic irony, situational irony, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Irony in "The Gift of the Magi"

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Use O. Henry's ubiquitous tale of love and poverty to explore irony. After reading the story, middle schoolers identify examples of all three kinds of irony in the story. With partners, they brainstorm original examples of irony. Then...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

Irony in Short Stories

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars read three texts and analyze the dialogue of the characters to find examples of humor and irony that contribute to their characterization. They then walk through the writing process to create a final essay.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"The 1,000,000 Pound Bank Note" by Mark Twain

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Compare real events from Mark Twain's life to events in the story. Middle school readers identify point-of-view, its purpose, and its reliability by citing two examples. They describe the tone of the story using four examples and...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

“The Story of an Hour” Extension Activities: Teacher’s Guide and Notes

For Teachers 8th Standards
Enhance and extend instruction of "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin with one or all of these ideas. You might want to cover characterization and summary, or improve understanding of context clues and irony. You can cover any...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Civic Awareness Through Artistic and Literary Forms

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Interpret current events using editorial cartoons and other print media. Middle schoolers explore the meanings of literary and artistic terms such as satire, irony, and caricature. They visit internet sites to develop an understanding of...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Curated OER

"The Story of an Hour" Lesson 2: Teacher's Guide and Notes

For Teachers 8th Standards
After reading background information about Kate Chopin, pupils complete their shared reading of her short story, "The Story of an Hour."  Participants then consider the irony of the ending.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Shopping Spree

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Scholars demonstrate the ability to evaluate authors' use of literary elements such as metaphor, simile, personification, imagery, and onomatopoeia. They are provided with a checklist and must shop for poems that contain the poetry terms...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Merlyn Education and Climate Protection Project

Short Story Lesson Plan: "Ghostwriter" By Kyle Downey

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Frankenstein, Mr. Data, Hal, and DEFCON, the computer featured in Kyle Downey’s tale, “Ghostwriter,” all illustrate the dangers of creating intelligent life. After reading Downey’s story, class members craft their own narrative in which...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Curated OER

Convince that Jury (Inspired by Roald Dahl's

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What happened to a murder case when the police eat the murder weapon? After reading Roald Dahl's dark and ironic short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," students write a persuasive essay to convince a jury that the wife who killed her...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Pre-Reading Vocabulary Activities Using "The Gift of the Magi"

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
The rich language of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is only appreciable if you understand the words. A short instructional activity reviews 13 words from the story and prompts class members to apply each word and its definition to...
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Lesson Plan
Novelinks

The Little Prince: Concept/Vocab Analysis

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Focus on the literary elements of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince with a concept analysis sheet. With suggestions and explanations for many of the book's concepts, vocabulary, and other issues that may arise in instruction,...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Tea with Penelope: A 2-Point Perspective of the Edenton Tea Party

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A brief introduction to Penelope Barker sets the stage for a discussion about political cartoons and the persuasive technique used to create them. A graphic organizer aids scholars in the analysis of a piece of work using a 2-point...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Monkey's Paw - Be Careful What You Wish For: Foreshadowing

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
W. W. Jacobs' horror story, "The Monkey's Paw," is used to introduce foreshadowing. As they advance through the story, young readers make predictions about what might happen next and how the story might end. Pairs work through the story...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Where I'm From: Poetry

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
We carry memories of where we're from; tweens and teens can capture these memories by first listening to several memory poems and then crafting their own. They analyze literary devices other poets use, brainstorm a list of images they...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Motivations In "The Gift Of The Magi": Motivation In Characters

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
O. Henry's short story, "The Give of the Magi," launches a study of what motivates people to act as they do. Class members identify what they believe are the motivations of the characters in O. Henry's tale and then craft a one-page...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Literary Devices

For Teachers 8th Standards
Eighth graders identify figurative language and poetry in this literary analysis lesson. Using Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll and a YouTube video for "The Walrus and the Carpenter," young readers complete a literary device...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rural Life During the Great Depression: A Year Down Yonder

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
“Anyone who thinks small towns are friendlier than big cities lives in a big city.” Mary Alice, the fifteen-year-old narrator of A Year Down Yonder, is forced to leave Chicago and spend a year with her Grandma Dowdel in a small rural...
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Lesson Plan
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Wake County Public Schools

Language

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Have your class doing everything from reading literature, analyzing literary devices, identifying independent and dependent clauses, discussing, and writing creatively with the rich resource found here. After a mini lesson on independent...
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Lesson Plan
National WWII Museum

Dr. Seuss and WWII

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What famous children's author and illustrator created World War II political cartoons featuring such subjects as fascism, the war effort, discrimination, and the dangers of isolationism? The who in this story is Dr. Seuss, and what...
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Lesson Plan
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies

Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: African Americans in Revolutionary Times

For Students 5th - 11th
What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and  Black...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Political Cartoons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students analyze and interpret political cartoons, then use this knowledge to create their own.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fighting Fire With Satire

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Truman Capote: Other Voices, Other Rooms

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars read and analyze Truman Capote's autobiographical short story, "A Christmas Memory." They discuss writing styles, conduct Internet research on Truman Capote, write a book review, and write a short story based on one of...

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