High schoolers journal in response to reading act 1, scene 4 of Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night. In this literature lesson, students read the play, discuss characterization and other literary elements, and create a list of persuasive...

A carefully crafted three-day lesson integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson activates...

Characterized by the five I's (imagination, intuition, idealism, inspiration, and individuality), the Romantic period saw quite a shift in the music and art production at its time. Review this PowerPoint with your class to discuss some...

In this using vivid images worksheet, students identify vivid images and analyze their effectiveness in John Deever's "Mr. John and the Day of Knowledge." Students then write rich images for their classmates to imagine.

Ninth graders examine a character from the short story, John Steinbeck's, "Flight." students respond to questions about the story and illustrate the character's journey.

Students read and analyze the classic Greek tale of "Jason and the Golden Fleece." They compare/contrast the story with modern works of literature and films, answer discussion questions, and retell the story in a modern-day setting.

Young scholars study the settlement of the American frontier through literature. In this literature lesson, students read and discuss works by James Fenimore Cooper, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Willa Cather, and Hamlin Garland. Young...

High schoolers discover the ideas of enlightenment by reading historical poetry. In this philosophical instructional activity, students read poems by Sir Walter Scott and Sergeant Joyce Kilmer while discussing the themes of the writing...

Young scholars examine the concept of heroism in this activity, through personal reflection, group activities and a thoughtful analysis of the documentary, HEROES OF GROUND ZERO. They explore their own understanding of what it means to...

Students consider the structure of folktales. In this writing skills lesson, students list the attributes of folktales that they read in class. Students then complete handouts based on the elements of the tales as well as types of tales...

Students participate in a lesson that covers the genre of narrative poetry. They examine the elements of a narrative poem while focusing upon the characterization. Students compare and contrast the characters while analyzing their...

Class groups examine fairy tales from a feminist and a Marxist perspective, identifying how these tales present gender roles and class/power systems. The groups then script and perform their own tale that uses one of these lenses.

How can you tell if a character is a villain? What about a hero? Work on literary analysis with an engaging language arts instructional activity. After completing an activity about the four types of conflict, learners fill out a...

Students consider female authors and their literature. Working in partnerships, they research and map the life and work of a Nobel Prize-winning female author of their choice. Students write individual letters expressing their thoughts...

Students read several fictional pieces which examine issues of urbanization and rural cultures. They discuss how the place a person lives affects the kind of person they become.

Students are introduced to authors of the South. In groups, they compare and contrast the pastoral and counter pastoral traditions present in some forms of Southern literature. They use a database to examine the covers of the books...

Young scholars discover the group dynamics necessary to produce an American musical in this six day lesson. Themes and characterization techniques are explored during collaborative small group research projects.

In these Canterbury Tales worksheets, students complete a chart of analysis about the pilgrims in the literature. Students also analyze the best and worst pilgrims.

Students examine the horrors of war through literature. In this Vietnam lesson, students read Fallen Angels and participate in discussion groups that focus on characterization and the realism of war included in the novel.

Students read novel Rosa's Miracle Mouse, research assigned years in small groups, and create timelines and Powerpoint presentations detailing interaction between Germany and the United States before, during, and after World War II.

Students interpret and analyze a work of art and write a narrative for the piece of art. In this narrative art lesson, students analyze a work of art and then write a short story 500-700 words long to narrate the art.