"The Hell of Mirrors" by Edogawa Rampo

“Mirrors” or aspects from a story that reflect a personal text-to-self connection, and “windows,” an aspect that gives insight into a different way of being, are the focus of an activity designed for Alice Walker’s story. Readers select...

Designed to open a unit on the suspense/horror genre, this plan hooks readers with an activity that mirrors the action of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery"  (without the grisly ending). Use either the twenty-minute 1969 film or...

Dazai Osamu’s short story, “A Sound of Hammering” is the focus of a three-day investigation of modern Japanese literature and life in post-World War II Japan. The events in Osamu’s story mirror those in his own life, and give a...

Dante Alighieri's "The Inferno" is the central text in a unit designed for high school seniors. Scholars compare the Christian concept of Hell to Dante's. In addition, they examine the tale as an example of epic poetry, as an allegory,...

Pupils analyze passages by Niccolo Machiavelli and Francis Bacon as an analysis of Renaissance ideas in contemporary situations. In this Renaissance writings lesson, students read excerpts from Machiavelli's The Prince and multiple...

Give your class some background information on both Nathaniel Hawthorne and his short story "Young Goodman Brown." Basic themes and characters are introduced, especially as this is an allegory with many symbolic elements. Help your...

As the culminating activity for a short story unit, class members demonstrate their understanding of short story format by creating a story based on an event in the plot line of Stephen King’s "The Reaper’s Image."  A list of suggested...

Pupils read and analyze the story "The Hell of Mirrors," by Edogawa Rampo. They watch a video excerpt, answer discussion questions, construct a periscope, complete handouts, define key vocabulary terms, take a quiz, and write a book...

Have the foresight to include a short video on the story of Prometheus in a study of Greek mythology. Viewers discover why Prometheus is an inspiration for novelists, poets, dramatists, as well as the Olympic flame.

Students read and discuss the short story "The Red Convertible". They participate in extension activities related to each of the three parts of the story, planning a road trip, researching the Vietnam War, and writing a paper on their...