O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is the classic example of irony in literature. Teach young writers about the ways irony can engage their readers with an activity in which they write scripts using dramatic irony, situational irony, and...

Isn’t it ironic that many situations labeled ironic aren’t? Properly labeled examples of verbal, dramatic, and situation irony are defined and illustrated in a short, animated video that uses passages from literary works as models. The...

While reading O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," your class will define and identify situational irony and allusion. Use a study guide (not included, but easy to produce) to record and discuss examples of allusion as you read. Map the...

The rich language of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is only appreciable if you understand the words. A short instructional activity reviews 13 words from the story and prompts class members to apply each word and its definition to...

In this study guide worksheet, students complete 10 vocabulary definitions, 8 literary terms definitions and 11 short answer questions about the story.

After a close reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" individuals copy the rhythm and rhyme scheme and rewrite the final stanzas of the poem.

Students investigate the literary concept of irony and how it fits into literature. They also brainstorm real life examples of irony and how they apply to people. Students identify their favorite examples of irony.

Students engage in study of literature in order to identify the use of irony in the context of reading two stories. They are compared and contrasted and the irony is exposed. The activities include the answering of several key questions.

Students read the literature of The Talisman in order to make cultural connections and investigate the concept of irony and how it is used in this Japanese text. They also discuss the issue of conformity and its relationship to the story.

Students practice the art of listening. In this listening skills lesson, students listen to an old-time radio show and identify hidden messages, innuendo, sarcasm, double entendres, puns, hyperbole, irony, colloquialisms, inflections,...

Middle schoolers who are about to read the chilling tale, The Lottery, do some writing beforehand. They are asked to write how their lives would change if they won a huge lottery jackpot. Then, they read the short story, and will be...

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...

Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.

Young scholars explore the concept of honest communication. In this character education lesson, students discover eschew obfuscation and role play sincere communication exchanges with other young scholars.

Third graders analyze comics found in the newspaper for samples of logical, emotional, and ethical appeal. They write a paragraph for each selected comic strip explaining how the comic strip represents the use of logic, emotions, or ethics.

Students apply vocabulary activities to two short stories in order to increase their comprehension skills. They complete three lessons in which they examine irony, examine how it is used in text, and design an ironic skit. Also, the look...

Students engage in a variety of activities in order to complete a unit about the Shakespeare work of Macbeth. The lessons are part of a layered curriculum. The objective is to create a portfolio to create more layers.

Eighth graders study the Civil War novel, Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt. They review vocabulary and literary elements and write a "Brother Against Brother" essay about coming face to face with a brother in one of the battles of the...

Students identify positive and negative angles using the Unit Circle. In this pre-calculus lesson, students identify the different angles on a unit circle using the coordinate plane and the four different quadrants as a guide. They...

Tenth graders study plant and animal cells.  In this investigative lesson students draw their own animal cells and label them.