Through close reading of "The Waste Land" in its original manuscript form, students will explore how the poem evolved in the process of editing. By reading contemporary letters and reviews, students will be guided towards a more informed...

The outcome of the popular vote for president in 1896 was close. Read about the electoral votes, see maps showing the popular vote for McKinley and Bryan, and follow the chart that shows the votes for all those running for president....

Lesson on the Columbian Exchange and the unintended consequences that resulted. Lesson includes teacher's notes, primary or secondary sources, background, strategies for analysis and Close reading, follow-up assignment and vocabulary.

Lesson from the National Humanities Center explores the doubts, concerns, and misgivings surrounding the development of the Bill of Rights. Primary or secondary sources, text analysis and Close reading strategies, background notes, and...

National Humanities Center lesson explores the criticisms Thoreau makes about a representative democracy form of government. Lesson includes interactive assignments, teacher notes, strategies for Close reading, follow-up and vocabulary.

Lesson on Emerson's views about self-reliance and individualism and how embracing those ideas affects society. Contents include teacher notes, vocabulary, background information, text analysis and Close reading questions.

Lesson on citizen leadership explores the point of view of John Adams on essential qualities of leadership and a new nation. Lesson content includes background, text analysis and Close Reading questions, vocabularyand teacher's notes....

National Humanities Center instructional activity explores an era of progressivism, 1890-1920s, and examines how a scientific approach changed the concept of homemaking. Lesson contents include teachers notes, background, text analysis...

Lesson on how the debate over commercial radio reflected American attitudes toward technological change in the 1920s. Includes teacher notes, background, strategies for text analysis and close reading questions as well as follow-up and...

[Free Registration/Login Required] During these multi-day lessons, students will closely read William Shakespeare's work, The Tempest. Students will analyze characters, plot, and themes. Students will culminate their understanding...

Lesson on how the character of American politics changed between the 1820s and 1850s as a result of growing popular participation. Complete set of resources including primary source material, teacher notes, vocabulary, and strategies for...

This teacher's resource provides opportunities for close reading of Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night. This resource is published by the nonprofit group, Facing Voices of Love and Freedom.

Discover how literary techniques like figurative language, imagery, and symbolism contribute to the overall meaning of a poem. Explore how a poet establishes and builds on a theme and the difference between tone and mood. Through a close...

Explore the impact of transcendentalism on the life of Louisa May Alcott and American society in this video [4:00] from the American Masters film Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind 'Little Women.' Emphasizing self-reliance, civil...

Find close readings, critical interpretations, and personal responses to the works of key 20th-century playwrights and practitioners, including Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Shelagh Delaney, and Timberlake Wertenbaker.

[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] Learn how to synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres and support with...

"See Our Progress" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about students planting a prairie garden in a vacant lot close to the school. TV reporters interviewed the students and took pictures of the garden for the news that evening....

This is a video lesson plan "Reading is fundamental" featuring Shaquille O'Neal. It discusses why critical reading skills are important. A list of learning objectives is provided.

"The History Mystery" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a teacher who made history more interesting by treating it like a mystery. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...

"Read to Learn about City Systems" is a one page, nonfiction passage about government systems and workers that keep people safe including police officers, food inspectors, and water and sewer system workers. It is followed by an...

"I Like Plants" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about a person who loves plants and became a botanist; now she teaches her college students about plants and ecology. It is followed by constructed-response questions...

"Read to Learn about Elections" is a one page, nonfiction passage about government systems and workers that keep people safe including police officers, food inspectors, and water and sewer workers. It is followed by an open-ended...

"Letter to Grandmother" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a family of early settlers who moved west. A girl writes a letter to her grandmother telling her about their new life on the plains. It is followed by...

"Lexington" is a one page, historical fiction, reading passage about soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War. A soldier describes the feeling of being an American. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...