In lesson 1 of this unit, students will explore what it means to be connected to other people with and without digital technology. They'll also start to consider the ways that their digital connections shape who they are.
Twelve Angry Men is a classic play about the American legal system. This lesson introduces students to key ideas they'll need to successfully complete a reading of the play. Students learn about drama terms before they start reading.
This three-part video demonstrates a lesson plan for teaching vocabulary in context of literature. Part one shows an introductory activity to get students thinking about the words used in the text - in this case, Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Parts two and three elaborate and show a small group discussion about the words and the text.
This lesson reviews the literary devices at work in John Updike's "Ace in the Hole." Students consider professional athletes who didn't pan out before taking an in-depth look at Updike's techniques.
Students participate in a fishbowl discussion about various legal situations related to the "age of responsibility" and contribute their ideas and arguments on the matter to a Learning Network Student Opinion blog post. This resource from the New York Times discusses what standard(s) society should use to determine when a youth should be treated as an adult.
Albion W. Tourg spent his lifetime (1838--1905) dedicated to fighting for equality and justice, during a period when rights for many were severely restricted or entirely denied. In this lesson, students will learn about the life and contributions of Albion Tourg through class discussion, reading, and group work.
Students will read three short stories about women, written in different historical periods. Students will read each story and discuss the development of female characters in a particular setting, the role of women, gender differences, and society's expectations.
Students compose epitaphs for deceased characters in "Hamlet," paying close attention to how their words appeal to the senses, create imagery, suggest mood, and set tone. Students will design gravestones to display their epitaphs. Students must capture the essence of their character's personality and station in life.
Students will apply analytical skills to an exploration of the early Renaissance painting "Death and the Miser" by Hieronymous Bosch. Students will sketch and label the painting using an interactive tool to explore its elements, apply literary analyses tools to their interpretation, predict the painting's plot, and conclude the unit by creating a project that identifies and explains their interpretation of the painting.
Students will read, analyze, and discuss Medieval English ballads and then list characteristics of the genre. Then they will examine the narrative characteristics of ballads by choosing a balad to act out. Using the Venn diagram tool, students will compare Medieval ballads with modern ones. Finally, students will compose and perform their own ballads.
This lesson introduces students to Oscar Wilde's public persona by studying the articles and images used to advertise his American tour in 1882. Students analyze the ways that these texts both promote and discredit Wilde. Students then conduct research followed by the production of a podcast which compares various images of Wilde.
This lesson contains an assessment intended to measure student understanding of the theory of Objectivism - the central idea in Ayn Rand's novel, The Fountainhead.
A teaching resource for actiities, research assignments, writing prompts and cooperative activities for Ben Franklin including Poor Richard's Almanac.
This is a PodCast assignment that could be used in place of a book report or similar presentation.
By mimicking popular websites that relate the plot of movies, television shows, and real life events in reverse, students have the opportunity to review the plot in a more creative and challenging fashion. Using a snowclone (a verbal formula that is changed for reuse), students complete the phrase "If you read ____ backwards, it's about ____" to comment on the plots of novels.
In this set of lessons, students read excerpts from "The Death of Benny Paret" by Norman Mailer and "The Fight" by William Hazlitt. Students annotate the text, specifically looking for metaphor and simile, tone, and syntax. Working with a partner, students write three paragraphs, analyzing metaphor or simile, tone, and syntax in "The Death of Benny Paret." Working independently, students write one paragraph, choosing to analyze metaphor or simile, tone, or syntax in "The Fight."
This resource includes lessons to accompany a reading of The Crucible. Students will spend time reading closely in order to make interpretations pertaining to character development throughout the play.
In "Paradox and Dream," a 1966 essay on the American Dream, John Steinbeck writes, "For Americans too the wide and general dream has a name. It is called "the American Way of Life.' No one can define it or point to any one person or group who lives it, but it is very real nevertheless." Yet a recent cover of Time Magazine reads "The History of the American Dream " Is It Real?" Here, students explore the meaning of the American Dream by conducting interviews, sharing and assessing data, and writing papers based on their research to draw their own conclusions.
This resource includes a lesson designed to assist students with performing a close reading. Students will read “The Crisis, No. 1” and annotate the text. Afterwards, students will evaluate claims using textual evidence. Finally, students will work with their peers to write short arguments.
Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) is a technique that teaches students to work cooperatively on a reading assignment to promote better comprehension. CSR learning logs are used to help students keep track of learning during the collaboration process. Students think about what they are reading and write down questions/reflections about their learning. The completed logs then provide a guide for follow-up activities and evaluation methods.