Annenberg Foundation
Masculine Heroes
What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...
Curated OER
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
In this literature worksheet, students respond to 25 short answer and essay questions about The Return of the Native. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
In this literature worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer and essay questions about Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
For this literature worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer and essay questions about The Notebook. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Song of Solomon By Toni Morrison
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 14 essay and short answer questions about Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. Students may also use the provided link at the bottom of the page to access a...
Curated OER
St. Augustine's Confessions by St. Augustine
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions based on St. Augustine's Confessions. Students may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the...
Curated OER
An American Tragedy: Study Help and Essay Questions
In this An American Tragedy learning exercise, high schoolers analyze plot, symbol, irony, narrator, style, and theme of An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser.
Curated OER
Literature-based Skill Building: Holes by Louis Sachar
In this literature response learning exercise, students answer 7 essay questions about Chapter 11 of the book called Holes by Louis Sachar.
Curated OER
Characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Stories
Pupils read literature by Nathaniel Hawthorne and write an essay comparing the main characters in the two stories. In this character analysis lesson plan, students read the stories Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil....
Curated OER
The Great Gatsby
Eleventh graders investigate the concept of the American Dream. They use the novel "The Great Gatsby" as an example from literature. Students brainstorm in order to define the American Dream.
Curated OER
The Lost Generation Writers of the 1920's
Eleventh graders explore works of the Lost Generation writers of the 1920's. For this American literature lesson, 11th graders analyze provided selections from Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald and then respond to a writing prompt...
Curated OER
Extreme Poetry Vocabulary
Challenge your class with this comprehensive list of literary vocabulary words. Learners take a pre-test, look up definitions, come up with an example, and then take a post-test. You might use this prior to a unit about poetic devices in...
Curated OER
Bearstone: A Novel Analysis
Seventh graders need to be able to distinguish between major and minor characters and need to have read the novel Bearstone and be familiar with the sequence of events as well as the qualities displayed by each character over the course...
Curated OER
Patriotism Reflected in Art and Literature (Part B)
Tenth graders compare and contrast the patriotism of Imperial Japan to its presence in the United States today. In this patriotism lesson, 10th graders write essays and participate in a classroom debate that requires them to consider the...
Curated OER
Tell About the South : The Story of Modern Southern Literature
Students, after viewing the video "Tell About the South," discuss and analyze Jean Toomer's mixed heritage and how it affected his artistic voice. They evaluate how the character Toomer was an excellent example of America's melting pot....
Curated OER
Comparing and Analyzing Literary Works
Students read two short stories by the same author. For each story, they identify the main structures and style of the author. They use the text to write a summary about each story and how the author used literary techniques.
Echoes & Reflections
The "Final Solution"
Nazi policies shifted from deportation and imprisonment to extermination of the Jewish people in death camps in the "Final Solution." Learners examine photos of artifacts, read poetry written by survivors, analyze testimony from...
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Analysis of the Tuck Everlasting and The Birchbark House Text Exemplars
Looking to introduce some text-based questions into your ELA lessons? Practice the kinds of skills the Common Core demands with the seven text-based questions and the essay prompt provided here. Designed to be a three-day lesson, day one...
Curated OER
"I Believe..." Podcast Style
Use this communication skills lesson plan to emphasize evaluating a speaker's main point and argument. After reading Martin Luther King's, "I Have a Dream Speech" and John F. Kennedy's speech, "I Believe in an America Where the...
Curated OER
The Worldly Philosophers by Robert Louis Heilbroner
CliffsNotes provides a list of study questions to help your high schoolers grapple with The Worldly Philosophers. Some of them are simple and straight forward, while others offer an opportunity to dig in deeper! Consider printing this...
Curated OER
Ethics in American Government
Engage 12th graders in a series of activities focused on public trust and ethics in US Government. They view a series of videos, hold a class debate, and compose a short essay. Note: Suggested videos are listed but are not available...
Curated OER
Hamlet's State of Mind
Analyze various excerpts from Hamlet and read articles to develop an argument about his sanity. Middle and high schoolers write an argument essay defending whether or not they believe Hamlet is insane. You could modify this assignment...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Boxing and Analysis
Model for your high schoolers how to prepare for the essay portion of the AP Literature exam. For guided practice, pairs analyze metaphor, simile, tone or syntax in Norman Mailer’s “The Death of Benny Paret,” and then work independently...
Curated OER
The Art of Locomotion
Tenth graders examine the artistic legacy of trains by comparing the representations of trains in the painting of Turner and the photographs of Terry Evans. They write an essay, story or poem using their own observations of trains,...