In this lesson, students will compare the Beatles' song, "Blackbird," to the poem, "In cold spring air" and consider the structure and how it contributes to meaning.

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 both listen and read aloud Natasha Trethewey's poem, "Theories of Time and Space." Pre-reading activity involves students bringing in photographs from the past as a warmup for the poem's central ideas. Class discussion will focus on the poet's use of structure and imagery and comparing the impact of the poem when read silently versus hearing it read with the poet's own voice and emphasis.

In this activity, students will both read and view a video of the poet reading "Valentine for Earnest Mann." Student discussion will focus on the poet's use of structure and imagery and comparing the impact of the poem when read silently versus hearing it read with the poet's own voice and emphasis. Additionally, a supporting photograph accompanies the acitivity and provides extension into the images and ideas presented in the poem.

In this activity, students will both read and listen to a recording of the poet reading "When Giving is All We Have." Student discussion will focus on the poet's use of structure and imagery and comparing the impact of the poem when read silently versus hearing it with the poet's own voice and emphasis.

In this activity, students will both listen and read aloud the Lucille Clifton's poem, "sisters." Student discussion will focus on the poet's use of structure, repetition, and imagery and comparing the impact of the poem when read silently versus hearing it read with the poet's own voice and emphasis.

This resource is a tool for text analysis. Students will read a text, complete an analysis chart, and write an analysis paragraph.

Lessons, activities and quizzes on identifying varying text structures including cause and effect, narrative, chronological, cause and effect, sequence, and process structures.

Students are presented with a paired critical reading activity uses excertps from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and a New York Times article "˜History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4,000 Names"™ to exlplore the deep and painful history of racial injustice in the south. Included are close fiction/non-fiction analysis, varied media resources, and writing assignments.

In this resource from the New York Times, a paired critical reading activity uses excertps from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and a New York Times article ‘History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4,000 Names’ to exlplore the deep and painful history of racial injustice in the south. Included are close fiction/non-fiction analysis, varied media resources, and writing assignments.

In this activity, students view a video of Cuban poet, Omar Perez, reading his original poem "The Concept" and then reflect on the poem and how it speaks to revolution.

This resource provides examples for teachers about how to use graphic organizers to help teach high school level novels.

This extensive unit plan centered around Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Eqsuivel explores Magical Realism and different critical viewpoints. It includes an overview of the subject matter, strategies for teaching, detailed daily lesson plans with assignments and activities for each day, assessment and discussion questions for each method of criticism, notes on the cultural and historical background, and suggestions for further reading.

This unit plan centered around "Like Water for Chocolate" by explores Magical Realism and different critical viewpoints. It includes an overview of the subject matter, strategies for teaching, detailed daily lesson plans with assignments and activities for each day, assessment and discussion questions for each method of criticism, notes on the cultural and historical background, and suggestions for further reading.

This Random House for High School Teachers reader's guide includes an introduction, discussion questions, and author biography designed to enhance student reading of Karen Russell’s book of short stories, Vampires in the Lemon Grove.

Through the study of American poetry, or particularly early American poetry, students can analyze and appreciate Wheatley’s poem for its meaning, diction and how she balances meaning during a difficult time for African Americans. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

In this lesson, students will read and analyze "Atlanta Compromise Speech" and explore the use of rhetoric in order to persuade the reader.

This Random House for High School Teachers reader's guide includes questions designed to enhance discussion of Alice Walker's collection of short stories based on her own life, The Way Forward is With a Broken Heart.

Walt Whitman tried to capture the exuberance of the American spirit in his poem I Hear America Singing.  His words create an image of a working class who happily goes about its day developing a young America.  Other poets have captured their feelings as well, such as Langston Hughes in his poem I, Too Sing America.  Using the rich website Poets.org, students can explore and analyze a wealth of poetic voices that document America and ultimately create their own poem contributing to the voices that have described their America. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

In the TED Ed lesson focused on poetry, students will identify three recognizable characteristics of poetry: musical language; condensed language, and intense emotions. The video also pulls in song lyrics and how modern poetry is often discovered in rap. Discussion questions and additional resources are available in the sidebar.