In this lesson plan, students analyze important speeches from past presidents. Students then attempt to write a speech for the current president.

Stephen Crane's own experiences informed his short story "The Open Boat," one of the best examples of American literary naturalism. In this lesson students answer text-dependent questions in order to examine the relationship bewteen man and nature as well as the role of the third person, omniscient narrator.

Exploring the use of style in literature helps students understand how language conveys mood, images, and meaning. After exploring the styles of two authors, students will translate passages from one author into the style of another. Then they will translate fables into style of one of the authors.

In this lesson, students will explore meaning and nuance in words in order to deepen their analysis of the poem, "Breaking News."

In Poetry 180 and 180 More, editor Billy Collins sets out to help American high school English teachers and students correct the disconnect between adolescents and poetry appreciation. In this guide to both resources, students will delve into poetry through reader response, poetry circles, and frequent reading and exposure to poets old and new.

A teacher's guide to Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Includes chapter discussion questions, activities, writing assignments and vocabulary.

In this activity, students will read explore both the factual elements of amphibians and the poet's choice to use them as a comparison tool in the poem "Amphibians." Students will discuss and interpret the nuance and meaning of the poem, as well as explore the effectiveness of the metaphor.

In this activity, students will explore "Binsey Poplars" by Gerard Manley Hopkins. A piece of artwork, "Lane with Poplars Near Nuenen Place" by Vincent Van Gogh accompanies this lesson plan, along with guiding questions. Students will work in pairs to evaluate the painting and poem's views of nature and how those viewpoints are conveyed.

In this activity, students will read aloud and discuss Walt Whitman's poem, "I Hear America Singing." A piece of artwork accompanies this lesson plan, along with guiding questions. Students will need to find the central idea and interpret the nuance and meaning of the poem.

In this activity, students will work in small groups and take turns reading aloud the poem, "Knoxville, Tennessee." Additionally, students will listen to the Blind Boys of Alabama's version of "Wade in the Water" as a way of extending the tone and imagery of the poem. Lastly, students will identify the poet's use of structure and how the placement of lines, length of lines, and word choice affect the development and understanding of the text and its southern cultural roots.

In this activity, students will explore "Lines Written in Early Spring" by William Wordsworth. A supporting photopgraph accompanies this lesson plan, along with guiding questions. Students will work in pairs and then groups of four to evaluate both the views of nature expressed and how the poet uses structure, word choice, and other devices to convey his message.

In this activity, students will begin by brainstorming connotations/definitions of the word "love." Next, they will listen to "The Book of Love" by The Magnetic Fields and then work in pairs analyzing the connections between the song and the poem, "Love at First Sight" by Wislawa Szymborska. Students will analyze the use of structure and how the placement of lines, length of lines, and word choice affect the development and understanding of the text.

In this activity, students will explore "Making History" by Marilyn Nelson. A supporting photograph of Rosa Parks accompanies this lesson plan, along with guiding questions. Students will first analyze the photograph, then read and interpret the poem based on word choice, imagery, and structure. Group discussion will give way to group work, where students will grapple with central ideas and how one makes history.

In this activity, students will analyze both the historical facts of the Old South Meeting House and January Gill O'Neil's exploration in the poem "Old South Meeting House." Students will discuss and interpret the meaning of the poem in both its figurative language and its historical context.

In this activity, students will explore "Poetry" by Marianne Moore. Supporting photographs accompany this lesson plan, along with guiding questions. Students will view both photos and then write four lines of verse. Afterward, they will read the poem silently and aloud and investigate how the poet uses structure, word choice, and other devices to convey meaning.

In this activity, students will explore "Taking Down the Tree" by Jane Kenyon. Students will discuss the scent of balsam fir and how scent and memory connect. Then, after whole class reading of the poem, students will work in small groups to investigate how the poet uses structure, word choice, and other devices to convey meaning.

In this activity, students will explore "The Chance" by Arthur Sze. A supporting photograph accompanies this lesson plan, along with guiding questions. Students will investigate how the poet uses structure, word choice, and imagery to convey meaning.

In this activity, students will analyze a video as well as the imagery and central ideas in the poem "The Metier of Blossoming" As a pre-reading activity, students will view a video of a time lapsed amaryllis. Lastly, students will read the poem twice and then discuss and identify the poet's use of the amaryllis as a metaphor for human growth.

In this activity, students will explore "The Plain Sense of Things" by Wallace Stevens. A supporting photograph accompanies this lesson plan, along with guiding questions that spur conversation regarding imagery, central ideas, and tone.

In this activity, students will explore "The Snowfall Is So Silent" by Miguel de Unamuno. A supporting John Singer Sargent painting accompanies this lesson plan, along with guiding questions. Students will work in pairs and then groups of four to evaluate both the views of nature expressed and how both the artist and the poet use structure, word choice, and other devices to convey meaning.