American Literature Teacher Resources

Students read and analyze a poem about a speaker's posthumous view of war, assess the purpose of an author's note and evaluate the effect of the point of view on the reader's response. They work in groups to discuss and analyze the poem.

Students watch the Masterpiece movie " Cora Unashamed." They study American social history, race relations, and investigate Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance. They have a discussion before and after viewing the film.

Eleventh graders research events that led up to the Civil Rights movement using primary source documents that show attitudes about lynching.

Students identify subtle messages advertisers send (often unintentionally) about age in the course of trying to sell products; to analyze the consequences, both positive and negative, those messages have on the American audience; to...

Fourth graders read the poem "Snowbound" after brainstorming what a place of refuge is and why it's needed. They, in pairs, meet and write a list of ten attributes that describe a refuge. They write a paragraph describing the look, feel,...

Students spend a year involved in a project researching the diversity of Native Americans.

Students research famous quotes and discover one that describes themselves. They consider topics such as family and hobbies that will help others understand them. They present their information to the class.

Students investigate the essays and life of Thoreau in order to appreciate his point of view and understand his way of thinking. They participate in various activities and writing assignments to gain a similar perspective. Students write...

Students investigate how early European exploration and colonization resulted in cultural and ecological interactions among previously unconnected peoples. They comprehend that Europeans had misconceptions about Native American literacy...

Students assess the diversity of the photographs taken by a Czech photographer, that illustrate how existed in 1920's Texas. Then students compare and contrast these photographs with more current photographs of Texans and evaluate in...

Eleventh graders study the characteristics of an autobiography. They read from the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and discuss and write an essay regarding some of his quotes.

Pupils summarize and make predictions about the novel, "Huckleberry Finn". They discuss their opinions with the class. They give a one-minute novel evaluation about another novel and choose a novel based on their classmate's...

Students read Native American stories and record information on forms about them. They identify the type of story, its significance, and purpose. Students determine what the readers/listeners should learn from the stories.

High schoolers read "The Sound and the Fury" and consider the changing narrative structure and voice throughout the novel. They trace the decline of the Compson family.

Eleventh graders brainstorm a list of characteristics of adolescence. They use selected websites and draw a parallel between the characteristics of adolescence and the characterisitcs of Romanticism, as seen in visual art and literature.

Students read various poems by Robert Frost. In groups, they use the text of one poem to identify sight words that are new to them. As a class, they listen to a recording of the poem and then repeating it outloud practicing their...

Students investigate the writings of Thoreau. They read passages orally and look for words of imagery in the text. Students also answer a series of questions and they convert passages of writing into theatrical presentations in order to...

Students document and list excerpts from a document that shows how calmly officials reacted to the launching of Sputnik. They research contemporary magazines and newspaper articles of the day as well.

Eleventh graders view photographs of the Japanese society being interned in camps during World War II in the United States. In groups, they read and discuss Executive Order 9066 and try to determine what group they are trying to focus...

Students explore the life and philosophy of Henry David Thoreau. Students watch a slide show on Henry David Thoreau. They visit a quiet, tranquil location and observe nature. After reading and discussing Thoreau's works, students create...

Students complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible field trip to Keys' Desert Queen Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park, east of Los Angeles.

Students complete Flash Movies. They identify how to use the Push Button Component in Flash and how to create Scenes. They demonstrate how to use buttons to move within a Flash Movie and finish movies for their Research Projects.

Eleventh graders finish presenting their one minute novel evaluations while choosing one of the novels to read independentally. They view a variety of graphic organizers to strategically plan out their website content. In addition, they...