In this lesson, students will analyze song lyrics and then choose their own soundtrack to go along with The Catcher in the Rye. Students work in groups to come up with a tracklist for their soundtracks before writing a comparison between the novel and a song chosen by the teacher.

In this video from Shakespeare Uncovered, students explore the use of soliloquy as a device to reveal character and advance plot. They consider how using soliloquy perhaps more truthfully exposes character than other devices like dialogue. In addition, students focus particularly on the famous soliloquy in Hamlet, "To be or not to be," and discuss how and why the topics of his speech are best explored through soliloquy.

This lesson provides students with more background information on the voodoo religion that represents major ideas in the novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. Students use a powerpoint presentation and explore the History Channel website to gain knowledge to help them better understand the book.

In this lesson focused on Walt Whitman's poetry, students use "I Hear America Singing" as a model to write a poem about their own environment - in this case, their school.

This lesson pairs Ernest Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" with Raymond Carver's "Little Things" to guide students to an understanding of the characteristics of minimalist fiction. When asked to think about the reasons behind the popularity of minimalism, students begin to appreciate how literature develops and learn to see it as a reflection of the culture. Afterwards, students are tasked with comparing both works using a Venn diagram. Next, students read additional Carver stories to develop a list of characteristics for minimalist writing. Finally, students explore the roots of minimalism and write using characteristics of the style.