How was Edgar Allan Poe able to create "intriguing, memorable, and lasting literature"? To answer this question, learners analyze the syntax, diction, and characterizations in Poe's poems and short stories and compare the impact of these...

You could spend a full day discussing The Phantom of the Opera and not scratch the surface, but a set of lessons about the literary elements and themes of the musical production is a great start. Young thespians build upon the background...

Scary stuff! Whether approached as the first horror story or a "serious imaginative exploration of the human condition," Frankenstein continues to engage readers. Here's a packet of activities that uses Mary Shelley's gothic novel to...

Make a study of the Gothic style by taking an in-depth look at Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher." Lead a discussion about the Gothic elements in the story and the effect the story has on readers. Next, ask students...

A teacher's guide for a seminar held at the Cincinnati Art Museum includes a full description of several Pre-Raphaelite art pieces, artists, and connecting literary works. Excerpts from authors and poets can help you make the connection...

How did Romanticism start, and what were its characteristics? These are the central questions the PowerPoint addresses before diving into Gothic themes. Several very well-known sample works are presented with short descriptions. Examples...

Gear up for Halloween by studying the horror genre with your class and analyzing films and texts to uncover the genre's traditional conventions.

The epic clash of reason and emotion comes to life in this informative presentation. Detailing the period of Romanticism in 19th century Europe, these slides contain pictures of the most famous pieces of art during this period. Viewers...

Everything you wanted to know about the history of English literature and language but were afraid to ask. From Beowulf to Canterbury Tales, the Knights of the Round Table to Robin Hood, Addison, Fielding, Shakespeare, Swift, and many...

Knock, knock, knock...Creep out your class with a critical thinking lesson focused on word relationships in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." They investigate  the relationship between word choice, mood, and interpretation of a...

Uncover the connections between William Faulkner and Juan Rulfo's literature, especially between Absalom, Absalom! and Pedro Páramo. Background information is given on both authors, and topics such as patriarchy, race, and incest are...

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is the most frequently cited novel for the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition Open Response Question. Those new to using the book and and veterans as well will find the teaching strategies, the...

Introduce your high schoolers to some tough vocabulary. No, I'm not talking about the SAT list! Revisit Victorian literature to find tricky words we still use today. Using the Visual Thesaurus, learners will preview vocabulary in a quote...

Need an extra challenge for your best readers? Check out a unit that uses Hannah Webster Foster’s epistolary novel, The Coquette, published in 1797, as the anchor text. The resource is packed with project ideas; each with its own...

Sixth graders make connections between art and literature studying about Medieval imagery and beliefs.

Part 2 of the course on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein takes up the issue of the viewing the text as an example of the romantic novel, a format that causes the reader to consider difficult questions. The narrator asks viewers to consider...

Trace European and American literary movements from 1660 to up until the Romantic period. Short paragraphs explain the each period, and some examples are given. Can your class identify the movement that each of the seven paintings...

Explore creative interpretations of literature! Groups work cooperatively to create a dramatic presentation of one of Edgar Allan Poe's poems or short stories. Using the actual text, they incorporate figurative language, dialogue,...

Students, after researching the history and foundation of Renaissance rose windows, access ArtEmboss to create an original window design. They employ a basic metalworking technique utilizing a soft metal. The design created incorporates...

How does one become a catalyst for change? What are the challenges faced by those who take a stand for change? What part do the arts play in cultural change? Using primary and secondary sources from the 1920s and 1930s, class members...

New ReviewNevermore worry about engaging readers in the works of one of the most famous writers in American literature. An interactive resource will beguile learners fancy into smiling.

Harper Lee’s 1961 Pulitzer prize-winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird gets the Crash Course treatment in two short videos. The first quickly summarizes the plot and the conventions of Southern Gothic Fiction before examining what the...

The Doors, The Velvet Underground, Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Cure. Welcome to the punk rock underground music scene, to Cybergoth, Gothability, Gothic Metal and Steam Punk. So why are they called Goths, anyway? check out a short video...

The AP English Literature and Composition exam can prove to be especially challenging given the often seemingly subjective nature of literary analysis. Taking practice exams is a great way to reduce the stress associated with testing,...