New ReviewFreedom is not free. Scholars write to a prompt analyzing two pieces of work that develop ideas about freedom. Readers compare “Freedom” by Rabindranath Tagore and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. Learners work...

New ReviewLooking for a resource that models how to read and analyze a poem? Check out this packet that uses sections of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" to demonstrate how to paraphrase, note literary elements, and identify the poet's inferences.

New ReviewTasking class members to analyze a poem can strike fear into the hearts of many learners. Here's a worksheet that takes the mystery out of the process by providing questions about what to look for in the text and to the devices poets use...

New ReviewFrida Kahlo: Artist, political activist, champion of Mexican folk culture. Introduce your students to this amazing woman with a short video that details her life, her passions, and her vibrant paintings.

An author study provides learners the opportunity to explore in depth the life of, the influences on, and the works of a single literary figure. Introduce middle schoolers to Langston Hughes with a unit that models how to approach an...

To conclude a study of A Raisin in the Sun and to prepare for a visit to the Lewis Museum, class members analyze Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem." Learners then draw connections to characters in the play and to their own experiences by...

Langston Hughes' "Harlem" launches a study of how to respond positively when a personal dream is deferred. After a careful analysis of the poem, class members consider the various ways people can respond to difficult situations and how...

Rather than a whodunit, "The Masque of the Red Death" is the perfect story to analyze how Poe combines literary devices to create the suspense that grips readers. The richly detailed lesson is carefully scaffolded, moving from teacher...

The AP Literature and Composition exam is all about close reading. Test takers are presented with a passage and asked to analyze how an author uses literary devices to create a desired effect. Prepare your students for the exam with a...

Whether you choose to include Twelfth Night in your course or whether Shakespeare's comedy has been thrust upon you, be not afraid to incorporate an interactive resource into your study of Shakespeare's tale of loss, love, and identity....

Murder, betrayal, and three witches—sounds like a modern-day thriller. It's actually Macbeth, and a helpful study guide helps scholars explore paraphrasing, imagery, and themes. Next, learners conduct research to compare titles of...

William Shakespeare could outwit even the best of today's comedians with his sarcasm, satire, and insults. The Comedy of Errors is no exception. Using a helpful study guide, scholars identify and analyze imagery, draw a picture or write...

Characters who slowly descend into madness make great material for tragedies. A study guide from the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival introduces theater goers to Shakespeare's tragic play King Lear. Along with an extensive summary of...

Lies, deceit, betrayal, criminality: these topics are just a few of the reasons that John Steinbeck's classic novel The Grapes of Wrath has captivated people since its 1939 publication. Scholars begin the lesson by reading background...

If anyone suffers from metrophobia—the fear of poetry—the PowerPoint on the elements of poetry may help alleviate their worries. The presentation introduces learners to poetic elements, including simile, metaphor, and personification....

Study the origins of investigative journalism with a lesson on inquiry, audience, and evidence. Class members examine passages from Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, the Reynolds report on the conditions in Chicago stockyards in Chicago, and...

Introduce the importance of prosody with a lesson that spotlights the free-verse poem "Sparklers" by Mark Vinz. Poetry enthusiasts begin with a discussion about using feeling and expression. They then take part in a vocal exercise that...

Poetry enthusiasts read the poem, Sparklers by Mark Vinz, discuss their feelings after hearing it, and create an interpretive dance based on the emotions it provoked. 

Encourage pupils to get up and move! A lesson showcases the free-verse poem "Dragonfly" by Georgia Heard, and challenges scholars to express feelings through interpretive dance. 

After being introduced to a 16-lesson unit, budding poets take part in a grand conversation and interpret a reading of the free-verse poem "Dragonfly" by Georgia Heard. Small groups work together to create and perform a dance that...

At over 450 pages, John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Grapes of Wrath can be a challenging choice for full-class, book circle, or independent reading. The activities in a 10-page sample The Grapes of Wrath activity pack...

Paul Fisher, the main character in Tangerine, comes to see that it's the choices in life that lead to the consequences that make all the difference. A unit study of Bloor's young adult novel leads readers down this same path. 

Close your eyes and picture a time where you decided to tell the truth to someone. What were you wearing? How did you feel? Such prompts begin a guided imagery activity for Zach's Lie. Directions for creating an environment conducive to...

Sad, depressed, miserable, inconsolable, forlorn: so many synonyms have a lot of variety with their connotations. Through the guided imagery activity, writers explore the use of connotation and its influence on imagery and description by...