Chaucer introduction

Young scholars examine The Monkey King as a quest story. In this literature lesson, students compare and contrast Monkey King characters and themes with Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

Billy Collins' "Rain" introduces the Random House 104-page magazine for educators that focuses on censorship and banned books. The resource is packed with teaching guides, articles by noted authors, and links to organizations against...

Young scholars listen to sample poetry recitations. They discuss times when poetry might be used in real-life situations to move/motivate other people or audiences. They identify particularly moving passages and then quote them...

Why do we have to study poetry? Here is a lesson that demonstrates some of poetry's more practical and real-world applications for reluctant learners. Start by leading a brainstorming session about where poems or pieces of poems might be...

Introduce kids to Shakespeare with a packet of activities that has kids examine sonnets as well as scenes from various plays. They even get to translate scenes into modern language and then perform their work.

Imagine your class has just completed a study of The Canterbury Tales. Imagine you are looking for a synthesizing activity to reinforce the key concepts in the unit. Imagine asking class groups to craft presentations that will introduce...

Students identify common elements found in folk tales and read a Togolese folk tale told by Fred Koehler. They analyze the folk tale for its elements and compare and contrast it with well-known Western folk tales.

Students study the structure and artistry of Dante's, Divine Comedy. They examine how romantic love is interpreted in the episode of Paolo and Francesca while experiencing literary allusions.

Students read and discuss "The Prioress Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer. In groups, they define a blood libel and discuss what elements in the book make it fit into this category. As a class, they examine the stereotyping of Jews and the...

Students analyze Chaucer's portrayal of the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales. Students prepare class reports on the institution of marriage and the place of women in the Medieval society.