Curated OER
"Words, words, words"
Students discuss words that represent the "big ideas" in Othello and that recur throughout the play. They will be assigned words to track throughout the text, recording which character says the word and in what context.
Curated OER
Ageism: Word Association Lesson Plan
Students discuss the attitudes related to the word old. In groups, they identify negative stereotypes about getting older and determine how these attitudes affect public policy on the elderly. They compare and contrast the concepts of...
Curated OER
The Power of Words
Students research the power of words and the necessary teaching of tolerance. In groups, they research a particular word given to them about a group in society. They trace the origin of the word and form a stance on how they view the...
Prestwick House
"Because I could not stop for Death" -- Visualizing Meaning and Tone
Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death" provides high schoolers with an opportunity to practice their critical thinking skills. They examine the images, diction, rhythm, and rhyme scheme the poet uses and consider how...
Deer Valley Unified School District
Close Reading: Analyzing Mood and Tone
The AP Literature and Composition exam is all about close reading. Test takers are presented with a passage and asked to analyze how an author uses literary devices to create a desired effect. Prepare your students for the exam with a...
EngageNY
Analyzing Text Structure: “Water Is Life” Paragraphs
Water, water everywhere. Readers revisit paragraphs six through nine in the article "Water is Life" to answer text-dependent questions. They then pair up to reread the article focusing on its structure and record their thoughts on...
Curated OER
Close Reading Passages of Literature
Encourage kids to think deeply about what they are reading with five thought-provoking questions about one passage. After choosing a passage that is intriguing or confusing to them, learners write a summary, explain what they like or...
Curated OER
History of the Star Spangled Banner
We have all heard the "Star Spangled Banner" at many points in our lives, but how often do we take the time to truly understand what the words of the national anthem mean to Americans? Don't miss this opportunity to examine the lyrics...
Curated OER
A Gesture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Students share observations on the nuances of meaning in face to face and online interactions with others. After reading an article, they identify the causes and effects of internet flaming. They create their own comic strips...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
Pain and suffering do not have to be inevitable in a study of Crime and Punishment. A carefully scaffolded lesson plan introduces readers to the divided natures of the characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky's complex novel. Groups use the...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.4
The fourth standard for reading literature in the Common Core calls for young readers to be able to determine the figurative and connotative meanings of words and phrases. Use this resource, a continuation of a series of Common Core...
Curated OER
Poetic Elements
Poetry is all about sound and rhythm. The sound of the words, the rhythm of the lines, and the emotional atmosphere created by these elements and the literary devices poets use, compress whole stories into a few stanzas. The specialized...
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
Close Reading in the Classroom
Close reading is key to the analysis and interpretation of literature. A close reading of the title and the epigraph of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” offers readers an opportunity to examine how even single words or names can...
Curated OER
Banco de palabras de dibujo
While reading either a non-fiction or fictional text, have your class record new and unknown words. This graphic organizer has space for six words and their definitions, so challenge your kids to find at least six unknown words.
Curated OER
Banco de Palabras de Contenido
Grappling with words in context helps learners build vocabulary skills. As your Spanish class is reading new Spanish literature, have them complete this graphic organizer. They record new vocabulary words and use the context to define...
Curated OER
A Modest Proposal: Irony Made Understandable with Rock and Roll
Who doesn't love music? Poems and songs will engage your high school class in a discussion about irony. Use songs like "Rockin' in the Free World" or "Born in the U.S.A." to illustrate the ironic point of view. Print the lyrics so...
Curated OER
Bloody Business
Students research word frequencies in Macbeth and create a frozen picture inspired by a word. In this Macbeth lesson, students view Blood Will Have Blood and discuss the dual meaning of the word "blood." Students identify five major...
Curated OER
Where Math Meets Poetry
Young scholars identify Fibonacci's sequence of numbers and use the pattern to write poetry with one syllable words. In this math and writing lesson plan, students identify Fibonacci's sequence of numbers and learn about this early...
Curated OER
Collocation Pelmanism
Students read and analyze the article, "Lexical exploitation of texts," and become aware of the concept of recycling new words. They practice this concept several times in class before they take on the memory game pelmanism in the follow...
Curated OER
Elicit/Illicit
In this elicit and illicit instructional activity, students choose the correct word to complete sentences. Students complete 4 sentences with either the word elicit or illicit.
Mr. Ambrose
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Good discussion questions, quizzes, and tests teach as well as assess. Readers of The Great Gatsby will learn much from the materials in a 36-page packet designed to help students prepare for the AP Literature exam. Included in the...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4
Your assessment is to figure out if I am being figurative or connotative with this statement: This is a great resource. Can’t do it? Then you had better review how to break down Common Core skill RL.11-12.4. In simple language that you...
Curated OER
Close Reading
Eleventh graders read and study Hamlet. Then they are introduced to close reading as a means of understanding what is being read--not only understanding the printed word, but also the nuances and connotations of language as it is used by...
Curated OER
What's So Bad or Good About Conflict?
Learners of all ages discuss how conflict can be negative and positive. First, they create a class bulletin board about conflict, and provide their thoughts and connotations surrounding the word. In a class discussion, they ask questions...