Kate Chopin's The Awakening introduces readers not only to the lush Louisiana setting of Grand isle but also to the nuances of Creole culture. the second lesson in a three-part series examines how Chopin's use of literary realism and...

The final lesson of a three-part series on Kate Chopin's The Awakening has scholars investigate life as a woman in late nineteenth-century America. They research the role of women in society through the eyes of the characters in the...

A carefully crafted three-day instructional activity integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The...

Students analyze writings of famous authors and record their positions on lynching and segregation. They research arguments to explore the attitudes of people in the South and the North during the 19th century.

Students role-play as immigrants coming to America around the turn of the 19th century. They conduct Internet research and print out pictures to use in an immigrant scrapbook. Students write captions for the pictures and narratives to...

Young scholars role-play the role of journalists during the 19th and 20th centuries. They create their own sports newspapers. They report on Jack Johnson's life and career.

Students make a simple graph of labor supply and labor demand in the North and South in the early twentieth century. They conduct research to identify top contemporary African-American entrepreneurs.

Students discuss what it would be like to be new to a town. They are then asked questions related to the immigrants coming to America. Extensions of this lesson are available.

Students research the history of the Statue of Liberty and the symbols associated with it. They read and discuss Emma Lazarus' poem and why it should persuade people to donate money to bring the statue to America. Students role-play as...

Eleventh graders compare and contrast the type of immigrant that came to America during the 19th and 20th centuries. They write letters as if they were immigrants coming to America and what they faced and their hopes for the future.

Students discuss the life of Louisa May Alcott and create an outline of a biography of her life and times.  In this Louisa May Alcott lesson, students explore the Transcendentalist involvement in the abolitionist movement, relating...

Going green? Scholars investigate the creation of the US National Park program. Through diary entries as well as expert testimony, they synthesize information and analyze the need for conservation and preservation. Finally, they display...

Pizza is the inspiration for the cross-curricular lesson detailed here. Start out with a poem about pizza and move into a discussion about balanced eating. To close the language arts portion of the lesson, ask your pupils to write...

Students examine the various roles Washington Irving had in his lifetime. Examining the situation in Europe and the United States, they are encouraged to relate Irving's experiences to different events. They examine themselves in many...

Students explore mathematics by participating in a pizza pie activity. In this nutrition instructional activity, students identify the caloric intake in a piece of pizza and estimate the average number of slices eaten by a person....

Middle schoolers explore historical information about U.S. national parks using the stories of Edward and Margaret Gehrke as a primary source document. In this United States geography, history, and literacy lesson plan, students view the...

Students research some of the men and women who help to raise the environmental consciousness of the American people through their writings and drawings. They write a persuasive piece about an outdoor place which will connect their...

  In this verb worksheet, students focus on simple past and present perfect tenses.  Students complete 15 fill in the blank statements, with he ability to self check using this online interactive...

Young scholars investigate reasons why people sought freedom to worship in the United States and some of the difficulties and issues facing them in their immigration. As immigrants, they write letters to family members in the old country.

In this lesson plan, students will consider Lesson 2: Kate Chopin's The Awakening: Chopin, Realism, and Local Color in late 19th Century America. Worksheets and other supporting materials can be found under the Resources tab.