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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Rereading and Close Reading: Communism, “The Vietnam Wars,” and “Last Respects” (Pages 85 and 86)

For Teachers 8th Standards
What might a papaya symbolize? Using the resource, scholars look for examples of symbolism in the novel Inside Out & Back Again. They also participate in a silent discussion called a Chalk Talk, writing their responses to a...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Collecting Details: The Challenges Ha Faces and Ha as a Dynamic Character

For Teachers 8th Standards
What is a dynamic character? Using an interesting resource, scholars set out to answer the question. They create graphic organizers to collect details about character development as they read the novel Inside Out & Back Again. They...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Considering a Character’s Relationship with Others: Contrasting Ha and Her Brothers

For Teachers 8th Standards
Who is Ha? Scholars look closely at the poem Papaya Tree and carefully examine the character Ha. Learners work in groups to create an anchor chart defining Ha's character. They also answer text-dependent questions to help with...
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Interactive
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PBS

Setting in To Kill a Mockingbird

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Can you understand more about how a person acts by learning about how that person lives? An interactive resource explores the setting of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird with several slides discussing the location, social conditions,...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

Text Analysis and Character Revelations: Flowers for Algernon

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
What does your character reveal about you? Scholars carry out several activities to determine the reveal of character in Flowers for Algernon. Readers answer text dependent questions, complete diary entries, write reflections, and use...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

Irony in Short Stories

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars read three texts and analyze the dialogue of the characters to find examples of humor and irony that contribute to their characterization. They then walk through the writing process to create a final essay.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Figurative Language and Foreshadowing in The Outsiders

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is still relatable to teenagers today, even though it was written more than 50 years ago. Explore how the figurative language of the story works to establish characterization, and how foreshadowing lays out...
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Lesson Plan
Simon & Schuster

Les Miserables Classroom Activities

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Modern readers apply classic themes to Victor Hugo's masterpiece, Les Miserables. After they discuss tricky vocabulary and plot elements from the novel, class members compare Hugo's written work to a stage or film adaptation of the musical.
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Activity
College Board

The Departure

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars learn about the Hero's Journey as they read Ray Bradbury's "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." They analyze the story's structure and narrative techniques. Finally, they write summaries of the text's central idea and use their...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

Betrayal in Literature—Barreiro

For Students 8th Standards
What do Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the Slaughter" and the Book of Genesis have in common? Both are complex texts that model how authors can approach the same concept—betrayal—in very different ways.
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

Analyzing Language through Dialogue and Internal Monologue in "The Scarlet Ibis"

For Teachers 8th Standards
James Hurst's short story "The Scarlet Ibis" provides eighth graders with an opportunity to sharpen their literary analysis skills. After a close reading of the text, class members highlight and annotate parts of the dialogue and...
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Lesson Plan
Penguin Books

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt - Teacher's Guide

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Children in foster care face a lot of uncertainty in their lives. A guide for the novel One for the Murphys introduces a main character, Carley, who is thrust into the foster care system. Chapter-by-chapter questions cover key details in...
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Unit Plan
Penguin Books

The Curriculum Guide for The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

For Teachers 5th - 10th Standards
The death of a parent can turn a child's world upside down. A curriculum guide for The Secret Hum of a Daisy explores defining moments in the main character's life, including the loss of her mother. Chapter-by-chapter discussion...
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Lesson Plan
Adult Fiction by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Ghost Boys: Educator Guide

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement lives on in a more literal than figurative way in Ghost Boys. A focused lesson plan features Jewell Parker Rhodes' novel about ghosts of slain black teenagers, including the main character, Jerome,...
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Lesson Plan
Free Library of Philadelphia

Resources for Ghost Boys

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Jewell Parker Rhodes, the author of Ghost Boys, wanted to bring the historical legacy of Emmett Till and the current topic of racial prejudice into today's young readers' mindsets. Use a reading guide and set of discussion questions to...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

The Hate U Give

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas became a quick hit in the young adult literature genre before its adaptation in the 2018 film of the same name. Use a thorough lesson, discussion guide, and series of activities to discuss the social...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

One Crazy Summer: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Rita Williams-Garcia's One Crazy Summer describes three girls who go looking for their mother who ran out on them. Scholars complete a novel study guide with vocabulary exercises, character descriptions, and comprehension poems.
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Old Yeller: Novel Study

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Fred Gipson's Old Yeller tells of a stray yellow dog who becomes the best friend a boy could ever have. While reading the novel, learners complete sentences with new vocabulary words, answer comprehension questions, and create...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Hatchet: Novel Study

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Thanks to Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, teen readers now know it's possible to survive in the wilderness. A study guide for the novel discusses common topics and vocabulary words found within the text. Additionally, readers get the chance to...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Gone Crazy in Alabama: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Life isn't always sweet in Alabama. A study guide for the novel Gone Crazy in Alabama introduces readers to life in the rural South and explores one character's experiences there. In addition to answering basic reading comprehension...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Hello Universe: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Every neighborhood has its own unique cast of characters, and the crew in the novel Hello Universe is no exception. The characters in Erin Entrada Kelly's novel take center stage in a study guide based on the text. Readers answer...
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Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

The Hobbit: Novel Study

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
All it takes is a little adventure to interrupt a quiet, simple life. A study guide for The Hobbit explores the adventures that disrupt Bilbo Baggins' quiet life. Questions discuss key events found within J.R.R. Tolkien's novel and...
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Handout
Pittford Schools

Literary Devices, Techniques, and Elements

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
What's the difference between a speaker and an author? What's an example of anthropomorphism? Clarify the meanings of literary devices, elements, and techniques with a comprehensive glossary of terms.
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PPT
All-in-One High School

Elements of Plot

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Cinderella wants to go to the ball and marry the prince. At the end of the story, she does! But how does the plot move from the exposition to the resolution? Teach language arts learners and fairy tale fans about the basics of plot...