In this lesson, students consider whether poltergeists like the ones in The Turn of the Screw really exist. Then, they'll write their own ghost stories at home, using their own bedrooms as a scary, inspirational setting.

These three activities help students decipher some of the symbolism in the famous American play, Death of a Salesman. Students also consider the ways their own lives can relate to the play.

This lesson connects The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier with several nonfiction texts, including the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

In this lesson, students review types of figurative language before examining poetry to find real examples of figurative language in use.

In this lesson, students complete two assessment tasks for The Catcher in the Rye. Students complete an essay test on the novel with a choice of prompts, assessing student knowledge of both the novel and informational writing.

In this lesson, students will discuss Constitution Day and why people need rules. They can also create their own Constitution.

In this lesson, students critically approach television commercials in an attempt to understand the advertising techniques being used. Stduents watch television commercials on their own time and try to identify the characteristics of the advertisements before discussing as a class and ultimately making their own commercials.

This adaptable lesson plan shares the four-square method for teaching vocabulary. Teachers choose the vocabulary words from whatever their students might be reading at the time, and students create a box on their paper with four squares that are filled with different information related to those terms.

In this lesson plan, students create their own monster in the vein of the creation from Frankenstein and analyze the novel in any number of ways.

This lesson has students compare the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's to the novella of the same name by Truman Capote. Students are introduced to the movie, watch it, compare the two, and test their knowledge of the content of the film.

In this lesson, students play a fun game with a foam ball to examine and master important vocabulary words from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

In this lesson, students work together to create written and oral presentations on specific topics related to the historical context of the novel, The Great Gatsby. Students also learn about MLA formatting.

This lesson has students work in cooperative groups to understand and analyze Shakespearean sonnets. The final product is a scrapbook containing analyses of the sonnets by the different group members.

In this lesson, students consider whether the eponymous character in Toni Morrison's classic novel Beloved is a ghost. Students consider powerpoints with prompt questions about the book, discuss the novel, and create an argument about whether the novel should be considered a ghost story.

In this lesson, students complete a project as a group, creating videotaped news segments that give them a glimpse into the social, political, literary, and musical climate of the Roaring Twenties. Students create scripts before recording and editing their projects together using iMovie or a similar film editing software.

In this lesson plan, students learn a list of Greek and Latin roots, then list words that use them. Students then make 3x5 notecards for each root and define them. Students also complete a four square vocabulary box for each root.

In this lesson, students learn about the creation and celebration of President's Day.

In this lesson, students compare the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes to an episode of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled "Hush." Both texts feature mysterious, silent men who come into a town and create literal and figurative nightmares for its residents. Students complete a chart and take notes from a powerpoint on the similarities and differences between the two.

This lesson examines Jay Gatsby from a different perspective than students are probably used to - as opposed to the loving protagonist, they will view him as the law-breaking criminal he is. Students learn about the prohibition-era setting of the novel and read several op-ed pieces related to the text.

This lesson encourages students to get in touch with their softer side by writing a letter to their parents. At a time in their lives when teenagers tend to argue with their parents, this letter helps reconcile their feelings while also giving them strong practice with the writing process.