Students explore plot, setting, point of view, and theme. In this literary elements lesson, students read "The Cask of Amontillado," by Poe and the War of the World script by H.G. Wells. Students identify and define the...

Give your class a deeper understanding of the context and meaning behind early American song lyrics. By reading the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle" and  "Revolutionary Tea," high schoolers will practice analysis by examining the...

Discussing great works of literature with peers is an excellent way to both comprehend and celebrate reading! Learners work in literature circles during a unit on Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, and share paragraphs that...

Two exercises boost scholars' knowledge of a onomatopoeia with excerpts from famous poems. In exercise one, participants circle onomatopoeia words. Exercise two challenges writers to choose three words to use in an...

Readers listen and critically read fictional prose to answer prediction questions at designated stopping points, and then they give a summary of the short story. This lesson is ideal for English language learners developing English...

After learning the main ideas of the Decadent movement, students work in small groups to read and translate poems by the French poet Charles Baudelaire using basic etymology skills. They then read the accurate English translations to see...

In this listening comprehension worksheet, learners listen to the teacher read the poem entitled, "Annabel." As the teacher is reading the poem, the students are called upon to answer the 41 comprehension questions included on the...

In this online interactive reading comprehension activity, students respond to 12 multiple choice questions about Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Students may submit their answers to be scored.

Students read The Tell Tale Heart and practice critical analysis while reflecting on its underlying meanings. In this reading lesson, students make predictions, monitor their own comprehension and adjust their reading accordingly....

Students examine the impact of sound devices in poetry. In this poetry lesson, students read the listed poems and identify uses of hyperbole, simile, metaphor, imagery, and personification. Students discuss how sound devices enhance poetry.

Fourth graders recognize and create alliterative language in both literary and commercial use. In this language arts lesson, 4th graders analyze pieces of poetry and focus on the use of imagery, personification, and figures of speech.

Middle schoolers read the book THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London and discuss the different elements in the book. They then write an essay on a theme providing examples backing up their main point of their essay.

Students view a classic movie in class while taking notes. They write a summary/ review of the movie which includes the name of the movie, who wrote it, the characters and a retelling of the story. They include their opinion and how the...

Learners write a biography. In this biography activity, students discuss what a biography is and how to write one. They research Mark Twain, answer questions, and write a biography about his life. 

In this general knowledge of books #66 learning exercise, students interactively answer 10 questions about British and American books and authors with immediate online feedback.

Students match American Literature authors with their short stories, poems, and books. In this American Literature lesson, students are given an overview of the authors and their main works. Then students independently do a matching...

Students read and analyze the point of view of a selected classic short story. They take notes while reading the story, select a character, and rewrite the story from a different viewpoint.

Students research and record on a timeline the biography of a chosen poet correlating the poetry of the bard with those events which shaped his or her life. The events of the poet's life are examined to contrive meaning of the writings...

This biography features Edgar Allan Poe who introduced the genre of horror and mystery to literature in the nineteenth century with stories such as "The Raven."

Explore the literature of Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Byron, and "the most poetical topic in the world" in this series of videos from the American Masters film, Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive. Discussion questions, teaching tips, and a student...

Download Edgar Allan Poe's "Tales," which was published in 1845, four years prior to his death. Read popular short stories such as, "The Black Hat," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "The Purloined Letter." Also, read biographical...

Investigate Edgar Allan Poe's life and work in this multimedia site that goes beyond Poe's writing and looks at how others have responded to his work. Listen to readings of some of Poe's best-known poems and try your hand at imitating or...

This lesson focuses on the short story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe. It includes links to a Discovery Education video about Edgar Allan Poe (Registration Required), a PoeDecoder page for "The Cask of Amontillado," a...

This lesson focuses on Edgar Allan Poe and his short story "The Fall of the House of Usher." It features links to the Discovery Education Video: "Profile of the Author: Edgar Allan Poe" (Registration required), a Poe biography, the text...