ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Id, Ego, and Superego in Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat"
Contains plans for seven lessons that use Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat" to teach the literary elements of plot, theme, and character to high school students. It also teaches about psychoanalytic criticism concepts such as the Id, Ego,...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: What Makes Poetry? Exploring Line Breaks
This lesson plan explains how analyzing poetry is a many-layered process. This lesson plan introduces the special characteristics of poetry and leads learners through a look at how poems are structured and why. Includes links to poems...
Other
Teaching Heart: Fairy Tale Lessons & Ideas
Geared toward grades K-3--offers objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions and evaluations. Online lesson plans for introducing and teaching basic literary criticism skills.
Sonnet Central
Sonnet Central
A comprehensive site dedicated to the English sonnet. Site includes numerous pages grouped by country of origin and historic period. Also included is literary criticism of various sonnets and advice on how to write a sonnet. Click on the...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Mining Literature for Deeper Meanings
Writing a great English paper can be tough because literature doesn't always reveal its deeper meanings immediately. Amy E. Harter offers a few tips on how to read and write more critically and thoughtfully. [4:12]
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Selected Poetry of Oliver Wendell Holmes
From the University of Toronto Representative Poetry On-Line site, this page contains a brief discussion of the life and works of Oliver Wendell Holmes, American writer and physician. Contains links to electronic text versions of ten...
Other
On "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Acclaimed literary critic Dana Gioia analyzes Longfellow's classic narrative poem, "Paul Revere's Ride," encouraging readers to see beyond the story into the rationale for the structure and style of the poem.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Breaking Barriers: Critical Discussion of Social Issues
Through a series of picture book read-alouds and journal entries, students engage in critical discussion of complex issues of race, class, and gender.
Bill Carson
Puritan and Reformed Writings: The Poems of Edward Taylor
Biographical information with an emphasis on personality and poetic themes of Edward Taylor. Contains a list, opening lines, and links to Taylor's major works. Contains quotations from critics.
National Library of France
National Library of France: Emile Zola
An in-depth exhibition of Emile Zola's life, thought, and works. This exhibition, presented by the National Library of France, divides Zola's life into three divisions and uses his writings and art to show his devotion to Naturalism....
Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore has created one of the more thorough websites on Poe. It presents many essays on his life and various aspects of his works, as well as the texts of most of Poe's writings, including his poetry,...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Bright Morning
Use this lesson to delve into the exploration of character development in fiction through the novel "Bright Morning," by Scott O'Dell.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Considering a Feminist Perspective
This lesson plan explores issues surrounding understanding perspective and the power of opinion. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction
Analyzing a book takes the form of creating their own when students complete this activity. The stated goal is to help students "Read like writers." Includes link to a template for student use.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Archibald Mac Leish
This site houses three poems in full text from the great American poet Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982 CE), as well as criticism on two of his most famous. The three pieces are 'Baccalaureate', 'Two Poems from the War', and 'An Eternity'.
Other
Civil War Book Reviews
This site provides good examples of critical book reviews of Civil War literature.
Virginia Tech
Some Observations About Hawthorne's Women
A somewhat Freudian look at Hawthorne's characters, this critical essay includes source references.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Edwin Arlington Robinson
This well-organized site offers a useful discussion of all phases of his life and work. Suggested motivation and influences of the author's work. Includes critical discussion of several popular poems.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Robert Penn Warren
This site offers excerpts from interview with Warren about a reunion at Vanderbilt in 1956, on his writings and values, on HAWKS, on rhythm in prose. There is also a review of HEARTS OF AUTUMN. This site also has a photo of Warren.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Introducing the Essay: Twain, Douglass and American Non Fiction
This lesson plan serves as an introduction to American literary non-fiction writing and focuses primarily on teaching some basic approaches to recognizing rhetorical strategies adopted for persuasive effect in essays and non-fiction. The...
PBS
Pbs: Culture Shock: Huck Finn in Context
This site features information on themes from Huck Finn. You will find activities and discussion questions to accompany the different sections.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Units: Teaching Units
Complete teaching units (12) by grade level. CommonLit units are crafted to be both engaging and rigorous, featuring a variety of literary and informational texts from diverse sources. Reading, writing, and discussion are prioritized in...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: The Rookie Project
This is a three-part writing project which includes a research paper, a creative short story, and a movie review inspired by the movie, The Rookie. The lesson is easily adapted to other appropriate films of similar themes.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Animal Farm: Allegory and the Art of Persuasion
This lesson plan will introduce students to the concept of allegory by using George Orwell's widely read novella, Animal Farm. Through this novel, students will learn what an allegory is, the rhetorical components of an allegory, and...