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Autobiography: Maya Angelou
Students study the concepts of autobiography, biography, and fiction as literary genres. They read, study, and analyze Maya Angelou's autobiographical writings in terms of what she intended to accomplish by her writings. They develop and...
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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Getting Started with Literature Circles
Students complete novel analysis activities for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this novel analysis lesson, students work in literature circle groups to complete close reading activities for the novel. Students keep...
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Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" in Graphical Representation
Students analyze graphical forms of Eudora Welty and interpret the shorts stories in the representations. For this graphical representations lesson, students analyze the short story genre in comic strips. Students then create their own...
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Scriptwriting Skill Module
Students identify and analyze conflicts in plots. For this conflict lesson students recall stories, novels and movies they've read or seen and discuss the conflicts contained therein. They then complete some written exercises to...
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An American Tragedy: Study Help and Essay Questions
In this An American Tragedy activity, high schoolers analyze plot, symbol, irony, narrator, style, and theme of An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser.
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Mark Twain's Hannibal
Learners research life in Hannibal, Missouri. In this Mark Twain lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of life in Hannibal in the late 19th century. This lesson may be used as an introduction to Twain's...
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Tracking Down Meaning in Great Expectations
Fourth graders are assigned an unique theme, symbol, or character in Great Expectations. They becomes the class expert on that facet of the novel while learning the basic skills needed to write a research paper.
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Reading Puzzle
Twelfth graders examine the elements of literature. They each read a chapter of a novel, sequentially list the main ideas, present a summary of the chapter to the class, sequence the events, and review the novel by summarizing the timeline.
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Native American Culture: The Light in the Forest
Seventh graders read the novel, The Light in the Forest. They work in groups to research and create artifacts for a Native American Living Museum. They complete a Powerpoint presentation of their virtual museum to classmates.
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Holocaust Literature Circle Discussion
Seventh graders participate in a literature circle regarding various novels of Holocaust literature. They read their selected novel and write a journal entry in response to the reading, and in small groups participate in a group...
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Jamestown Journey Part 4
Fourth graders review their prior knowledge from the previous lessons of this unit on Jamestown. After reading a novel, they examine and discuss the life of Pocahontas. Using the internet, they answer comprehension questions and write...
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How Is Arthur Really Feeling?
In this literary element learning exercise, students, after reading the novel Home Child, analyze what they think each of the seven stated reactions by Arthur tell about how he might be feeling.
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Salinger and the Vocabulary of the Vernacular
Students discuss the use of slang expressions in literature. In this literary analysis lesson, students examine the use of slang words and expressions in the popular novel Catcher in the Rye. Students research the various...
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Woody Guthrie and The Grapes of Wrath
Students examine American idealism. In this literature and music instructional activity, students analyze the lyrics of Woody Guthrie songs as well as the themes of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Students examine parallels between the...
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Study Guide: The Scarlet Letter
In this study guide learning exercise, learners complete a variety of activities to review the novel The Scarlet Letter. Students work in groups and independently to complete the questions.
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Life's Lessons: Survival of the Fittest
Students analyze Jack London's use of anthropomorphism to identify the importance of adaptability in life. In this literature lesson, students use the novel The Call of the Wild to identify key elements in survival. Students...
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Contrasting Characters
Learners analyze characters in a story and contrast them in terms of their appearance, education, family, religion, and more. In this characters lesson plan, students fill out a worksheet provided.
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Tour of the Frozen Ground
Students discuss and observe permafrost features in their local community and compare and contrast these features with those described in a novel. In this permafrost instructional activity, students invite an elder from their community...
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The Grapes of Wrath: Voices from the Great Depression
Students research the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the plight of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression as they read Steinbeck's The...
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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.
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Race and Genetics: An Integrated Approach
Learners analyze racial issues related to the Human Genome Project. They participate in a mock symposium and write a reflection/position paper based on specific ethical principals.
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Let Us Do Your Selling
Sixth graders analyze several types of propaganda techniques and create a book cover using the techniques. In this propaganda techniques lesson, 6th graders analyze the propaganda techniques used in various ads. Students analyze the...
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Science Fiction
Young scholars complete compare and contrast activities for two stories about racism and tolerance in the science fiction genre. In this literary analysis lesson plan, students read a Ray Bradbury short story and Walter Mosley poem,...
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Out of the Dust (High School)
Fourth graders read Hesse's "Out of the Dust". They respond to questions about the novel and write a free-verse poem modeled after the author's.