Introduce the concept of myths to your class. Using the link to "Myths Around the World," read a story aloud and have learners list characteristics of a myth. Readers then choose their own myths from the site and work in groups to answer...

The final lesson in the Crime and Punishment unit looks at the societal injustices depicted in Dostoyevsky's novel. Scholars examine the schisms between men and women, between wealth and poverty, between religion and skepticism, and...

Are you looking for background information on Cervantes and his Don Quixote? How about a study guide and discussion questions or project ideas? Even journal prompts, tests, and quizzes? A 98-page teaching guide simplifies the quest with...

Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore was selected as one of the 10 Best Books of 2005. A short video provides insight into the many threads that form the tapestry of the prize-winning novel.

The best Russian novel of the 20th century? The narrator of an interesting short video offers reasons why readers should tackle Mikhail Bulgakov's satirical comedy, The Master and Margarita.

Dostoevesky's Crime and Punishment is known as the first psychological thriller and a critique of 19th-century Russian society. The narrator of a hauntingly bleak video sets forth a case for reading the infamous novel.

Politics and theater go hand-in-hand. The 39th video in the Crash Course Theater and Drama series introduces plays from the futurist and constructivist movements, including works from an Italian fascist. A summary of "The Storming of the...

A man's journey of twists and turns comes to life in Homer's Odyssey. Ten years have come and gone, and Odysseus's wife and son still wait for his return after the fall of Troy. Scholars read of Odysseus's eventful return to his palace...

The Dubliners contains 15 short stories all bound in one book. The stories begin with narration by young children, and as they progress, so do the ages of the narrators. The author, James Joyce, focuses most stories on characters that...

Just how do you pronounce Ye? Scholars view a short video clip on Old English to better understand how languages evolved over time. They analyze the word Ye and translate it into today's American English. 

No matter how your day is going, it probably hasn't started out as badly as Gregor Samsa's day. Explore the essentially—and definitively—Kafkaesque story of a man-turned-vermin with a short and straightforward crossword puzzle on The...

Review main characters, story events, and important quotes from Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief. A crossword puzzle with 29 clues gives high schoolers the opportunity to check their understanding and revist Zusak's haunting work.

Feeling powerless in front of authority, feeling out of control, feeling bullied? Feeling Kafkaesque? A short video about Franz Kafka gives viewers insight into the family forces that shaped the life of this famous author.

Dazai Osamu’s short story, “A Sound of Hammering” is the focus of a three-day investigation of modern Japanese literature and life in post-World War II Japan. The events in Osamu’s story mirror those in his own life, and give a...

Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...

Dive into classical Chinese literature with this packet. Provided first is a comprehensive summary and a half-page long historical context of Water Margin. As your class reads the section entitled "Wu Sung Fights the Tiger," pose the...

Explore the implications of the Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. Learners read Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood, participate in classroom discussions about the novel and keep journals in which they respond to...

La Belle et la Bête! Read the original fairy tale with your Francophones and watch a brief clip from the 1940s film version. As an extension, have learners work in small groups or individually to create a comic book representation of the...

Examine the contributions of African-Americans in the worlds of art and literature. Over the course of a few days, young scholars will read and analyze a poem, a short story, and a piece of art. They complete a range of...

Confirm readers' knowledge of Robert Burns and his poetry with this online quiz. Though all questions are multiple-choice, they are a little more in-depth. Receive answers automatically with a click of the mouse!

Students explore world literature through completing several varied exercises. In this compare and contrast lesson students compare and contrast stories and how time and culture impacts the stories.

Hosseini Khaled's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are the anchor texts in a semester-long course that explores Afghani culture and traditions.