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PPT
Curated OER

Epic Poetry: Literary Terms for Story Analysis

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Odyssey have in common? Why, they are all epics, of course, and are presented here as examples of the literary term. If you are beginning a study of epics, consider previewing the terms included...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

A Story of Epic Proportions: What Makes a Poem an Epic?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners analyze the epic poem form and its roots in oral tradition. In this epic poetry lesson, students research the epic hero cycle and recognize the pattern of events and elements. Learners analyze the patterns embedded in the stories.
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Study Guide
Spark Notes

The Epic of Gilgamesh: Study Guide - Mini Essays

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
In this online interactive literature worksheet, students respond to 6 short answer and essay questions about The Epic of Gilgamesh. Students may check some of their answers online.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louisiana's Tragic Hero - "Evangeline"

For Teachers 8th
"Ye who believe...List to a Tale of Love in Acadie." Longfellow's epic poem, "Evangeline," launches a study of tragic heroines, epic poetry, the expulsion of the Acadians from Canada, and their subsequent migration to Louisiana. The...
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Unit Plan
Farmington Public Schools

British Literature Honors: Beowulf

For Teachers 12th Standards
Whether new to teaching Beowulf or an experience pro, you'll find much to like in a richly detailed unit plan that asks readers to consider how the epic represents the difficulty in defining good and evil but also reflects the changing...
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PPT
Curated OER

Poetry: The Most Compact Form of Literature

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Introducing or need to review literary devices and terms for a study of poetry? Though text heavy, the explanations and examples of key poetic devices will provide learners with the vocabulary they need to discuss and craft poems.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beowulf

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
High schoolers complete literature analysis activities for Beowulf. They read lines from the poem and complete character analysis activities. In addition, they write and share a boast modeled on the text and then create heroes and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Project Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh and Leadership

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Do leaders need to be more moral than followers? Does power corrupt? Can anyone be a leader? Begin a study of leadership with a reading of excerpts from the Epic of Gilgamesh. After examining the ancient Mesopotamian hero, class members...
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Activity
Curated OER

Poetry Project

For Teachers 8th
Choosing a poet or a theme, eighth graders conduct research in the world of poetry. They conduct Internet research and select five poems that fit their poet or theme, and create a seven slide PowerPoint presentation on their selected...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beowulf: Songs of Ancient Heroes

For Teachers 12th
Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Urs Fischer: Your Choice: Reality or Illusion?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young analysts write a comparative essay, but about what? They compose a paper based on several critical discussion about reality and illusion, and how both are blurred in art. They analyze several theatre pieces that exemplify Brechtian...
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Worksheet
ELI Publishing

Whitman and the American ‘Romantic’ Nature

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Pupils read a short biography of Walt Whitman and a portion of Whitman's epic poem "Song of Myself." Readers then respond to a series of comprehension questions.
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Lesson Plan
Newspaper in Education

The Iliad: A Young Reader Adventure

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Is The Iliad part of your curriculum? Check out a resource that offers something for those new to teaching the classic and those with lots of experience using Homer's epic. Plot summaries, discussion questions, activities abound in this...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Beauty of Anglo-Saxon Poetry: A Prelude to Beowulf

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Riddle me this! What do kennings, caesura, and alliteration have to do with the Nowell Codex? Introduce class members to Anglo-Saxon poetry and prepare readers for a study of Beowulf with a series of activities that includes asking...
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Lesson Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Walt Whitman: From Song of Myself

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Looking for a resource that models how to read and analyze a poem? Check out this packet that uses sections of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" to demonstrate how to paraphrase, note literary elements, and identify the poet's inferences.
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Worksheet
University of Iowa

Every Atom: Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Discussion questions for Walt Whitman's "Son of Myself" ask class members to reflect on the beauty that can be found in labor, the sense of identity that transcends divisions, and on the many riddles in Whitman's poem. ...
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PPT
Curated OER

Western Medieval European Poetry and Literature

For Teachers 11th - 12th
One of the Common Core standards requires learners to make connections between literature or media of the past and the present. Provided here, are key elements found in medieval poetry and literature that are connected to several more...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Archetypal Images and Polarities

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is a rather esoteric resource that presents the archetypes found in “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” and would be appropriate for a college-level psychology or literature class, or as a teacher resource. Considered the “world’s oldest...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lessons of the Indian Epics: The Ramayana

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students read a version of Ramayana and explore the elements of the epic hero cycle. In this Ramayana analysis lesson, students retell the basic narrative of the Ramayana and identify the main characters. Students identify elements of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Similes in Literature: Definition and Examples

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Be as romantic as a poetic. Appear as clever as Einstein. Wow others with your powers of observation by using similes to point out the similar aspects in two different things. This short video focuses on similes found in Shakespeare and...
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PPT
Curated OER

Modern Drama

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upper graders can read all about the origins of modern drama. Each slide provides a paragraph of information related to key players, art movements, and time periods that shaped modern drama. It relates well to many aspects of literature...
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PPT
Curated OER

Satire

For Teachers 11th - 12th
The bite of comedy often rests on use of the literary devices detailed in this presentation. The definitions for terms like sarcasm, zeugma, and invective are followed by examples drawn from literature. Consider extending the lesson by...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Senior English Beowulf Test

For Students 12th - Higher Ed
The first thirty-seven questions on this assessment check for knowledge of the events in Beowulf. The short answer prompt asks readers to identify five characteristics of an epic and to give examples from Beowulf in support. Finally,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Poetry?

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders are introduced to the poetic process. They onnect poetry to life in a meaningful way become more careful readers of poetry. They listen to a variety of poems, then write responses at the end of each adventure.