In his 2013 introduction to Fahrenheit 451, Neil Gaiman states, “Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.” In this extraordinary unit plan, readers "explore the power of written language to educate and...

Use the Visual Thesaurus to predict the subject matter of Rick Riordan's book The Lightning Thief. A pre-reading activity encourages middle schoolers to use context clues and word meaning to discover what the book is about. After...

Encourage readers to determine if Hamlet's madness is actually divinest sense. Class members analyze the words of the play before studying related texts, including T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," scenes from...

In the hustle and bustle of life in the classroom, it's easy for teachers to lose track of the standards they have taught, and those that still need to be addressed. This Common Core checklist provides educators with an easy-to-use...

Students determine how the themes expressed in Macbeth are also applicable to contemporary society. They complete a series of written assignments demonstrating their comprehension of theme, content, and interpretation of the play....

Students select books to read that include disease as a plot or theme component. They fill out a matrix for the disease in their novel and write a five-paragraph paper about their book. Students use the rest of the week's classes to...

Students examine learning theories and principles through children's literature. In groups, they select theories and create multimedia presentations exemplifying them. Students discuss the various themes related to human growth,...

Students read an age-appropriate novel in which an island setting plays an important role from a provided list. This will help them understand life on an island. They will analyze the plot, theme, characterization, setting, and style...

Fourth graders are assigned an unique theme, symbol, or character in Great Expectations. They becomes the class expert on that facet of the novel while learning the basic skills needed to write a research paper.

Students analyze the text of Beowulf. In this epic poetry activity, students explore the themes and imagery in the text to evaluate their meaning. Students analyze the Old English language and examine the cultural and historical context...

Students see how nature and honey bees are presented in literature. They find and read poetry that include references to bees. Have them write their own poetry or Haiku.

Students read and explore the themes of the book The Eighty Yard Run. In this literature instructional activity, students discuss their observations and predictions. Students develop their own story which is similar to that of The Eighty...

Students are exposed to literature that is focused on the theme of adventure and escapism. They are encouraged to enjoy the story and remember times of play with significant others.

Twelfth graders brainstorm where they think wild things exist. Then using the same strategy they discuss natural surroundings from using prior life experience. This part of the activity can also be done with using a nature hike. Students...

Students examine literary elements in non-fiction literature. In this problem solving lesson, students read Rosa Parks, My Story and Beyond the Limits. Students make oral presentations based on the causes and effects, conflicts, and...

In this reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer questions about themes from Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Several questions in this interactive online quiz are formed in the "Which of these is NOT..." the answer format. In addition to assessing comprehension of Harper Lee's ubiquitous novel, it provides practice in standardized test-taking...

Students explore fiction that moves individuals to social action. In this literature lesson, students read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and analyze its literary worth as well as its investigative journalism. Students investigate other...

Students transform literature into musical productions. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss how musicals are written and produced. Students then select literature they are familiar with to adapt into musical productions.

Students analyze a book's characters and create a scrapbook to print and save. In this on line interactive characterization lesson plan, students identify character traits and gain a deeper understanding of a book's characters.

Students complete activities to analyze points of view in different texts. In this point of view lesson, students read Hansel and Gretel and The Magic Circle and discuss the points of view. Students choose a character from the story and...

Students examine the Edgar Allan Poe story "The Cask of Amontillado." In this character lesson, students discuss and analyze the characters in the story. Students make personal connections to the characters and create a brochure...

Students engage in a literature study unit. They use various exercises to build reading comprehension using a wide variety of literature texts. While reading the books, students are encouraged to think reflectively in order to appreciate...

Students read the novel Night by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and complete related activities. In this novel analysis lesson, students prompt write and discuss the answers. Students take notes on stereotypes and scapegoats and...