Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun provides a compelling and honest look into one family's aspirations to move to another Chicago neighborhood and the thunderous crash of a reality that raises questions about for whom the "American Dream" is accessible.

Students read an article (which is included in this link) that asserts that all stories across time and medium can be put into one of seven models. Students will then search the newspapers and their own knowledge of books, film, television,etc. to compare and contrast with the nonfiction pieces as well as the article's theory about thematic connections. Any respected newspaper will suffice for this lesson.

This lesson plan begins with the study of Sophocles' Antigone and the universal issues it raises about power, gender, family obligation, ethics, and honor. It then moves to an exploration of ancient Greece, accents the importance of theater and its staging, the nature of tragedy in this culture, and culminates in student presentations and performances.

To be used with Springboard textbook- In this lesson, students will practice making inferences and read an argumentative text and determine the claims and evidence presented by the authors.

 To be used with Springboard textbook- In this lesson, students will finish reading the excerpt from Reality is Broken and examine how the author uses counterarguments. Students will then create a video analyzing how the author strengthens their argument. 

  To be used with Springboard textbook- In this lesson, we will watch a performance and consider how the author makes and supports their claim.

 In this lesson, students will practice analyzing rhetorical devices using various commercials. Students will also watch a TedTalk and analyze the use of rhetorical devices in the speech. 

In this lesson, students will continue to analyze Sherry Turkle’s op-ed, and write a clear thesis statement explaining how Turkle builds her argument in “The Flight from Conversation”

In this lesson, students will continue to analyze Sherry Turkle’s op-ed, and write a clear thesis statement explaining how Turkle builds her argument in “The Flight from Conversation”

 In this lesson, students will create a presentation arguing whether the use of robots and other hands-on technology is a helpful tool to use in the classroom.

To be used with Springboard Textbook-In this lesson, students will practice making inferences, reading a cartoon, and creating observations and inferences about that text.

This extensive resource provides an outline of each Informational Text standard and then provides activities, graphic organizers, and a variety of texts in which to apply the concepts of the standard.

This lesson focuses on the author's use of language; moreover, how it is used to convey mood, images, and meaning. Students are tasked here with examining a selection identifying examples of stylistic devices within the passages. Next, students discuss possible reasons for author's selected style choices. The lesson is detailed with examples from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, yet the lesson may be altered to be used with other instructor selected text.

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.

Students engage in a character study of the numerous figures created by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. Students first compare and contrast several forms of communication: email, text message, and telephone. They then complete a character study chart that breaks down physical background, character traits, social status/background, unanswered questions about the character, and a final judgment about the character. Next, students will create text messages between numerous characters that show the relationship between the characters, their background, and plot points that they are involved in. The lesson concludes with students sharing their text messages and a discussion of the rationales behind their choices.

A teacher's guide to Aldous Huxley's, A Brave New World. Included are chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, writing prompts, and activities.

A comprehensive teacher's guide to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Included are chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, writing prompts, and activities.

A teacher's guide to Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken. Contains discussion questions, research and writing prompts and background information.

This resource contains a lesson designed to assist learners with developing key skills to properly annotate a piece of literature. Instructors will provide students with applicable readings from texts or newspapers while students will spend time annotating the articles.

This resource provides stems that align with all the RI and RL standards for grades 9 and 10.