After reading Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street, class members craft an essay in which they use evidence from a variety of vignettes to demonstrate how Cisneros develops Esperanza's character.

Developing an informational text is like designing a building—if the structure is weak, it will not stand. A language arts video provides an overview of the five types of text structure. A catchy song and specific examples help give a...

Even if you've never picked up a musical instrument, chances are that music has directly impacted your mental and emotional development. Sixth graders engage in a reading activity in which they read two articles on the impact of music on...

From A to Z, learners define, draw, and find examples of specific reading focus skills in an alphabetized reading vocabulary packet. Words include dialogue, theme, text structure, genre, paraphrase, and many more.

As a reporter, you only have a few lines to grab a reader's attention before they move on to the next story—or the next newspaper or website. Analyze the ways that both print and online news capture their readers' interest with text...

Sometimes the movie version of a book can fill in additional details about the source material, particularly when the film is thoughtfully directed and well-acted. Ninth graders watch a two minute clip from the movie Temple Grandin and...

Are cattle prods beneficial for herding cattle, or do they cause more harm than good? Investigate Temple Grandin's claim about animal behavior with a lesson that focuses on pages 20-23 of the first chapter of her book, Animals in...

Ninth graders study the study of animals in an informational text lesson that focuses on analyzing text structure. As learners continue reading the first chapter of Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation, they form inquiries and seek...

Text structure is vitally important when crafting a rise in tension. Explore Sophocles' choice to order his events in a particular sequence with a instructional activity about Oedipus the King. As the light of realization begins to dawn...

How can a prophecy be true if the future differs from what was foreseen? Sophocles entertains this question in Oedipus the King. Teiresias, Creon, and Oedipus have weighed in on the unsolved murder of Laius, and now Jocasta voices her...

The accusations begin in Sophocles' Oedipus the King, with troublemakers and enemies abound. As learners delve deeply into the sights unseen, they review textual evidence from their readings to write about the importance of timing in the...

Oedipus may be the king, but he certainly does not rule—or see—all. Analyze his interaction with Teiresias in a lesson focused on the central idea of Sophocles' Oedipus the King. As pairs of ninth graders discuss Oedipus' interpretation...

The concept of sight, whether it's a lack of sight or abundant sight of the future, plays an important role in Sophocle's Oedipus the King. Develop the literary vision of your ninth graders with a lesson that connects the prophecy of...

The manipulation of time is one of the most important elements in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. As your language arts class participates in a jigsaw discussion activity, they work together to analyze the play's plot structure and...

Continue a thoughtful analysis of Sophocles' Oedipus the King with a discussion about the importance of dialogue within the play's structure. Ninth graders examine the ways that Oedipus speaks about himself, to his subjects, and to Creon...

Delve into the heart of dramatic dialogue with a unit focused on Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Having completed an online exploration about ancient Greece beforehand, ninth graders read the opening lines of the play and analyze how...

Listen to the low stifled sound that arises from the souls of your ninth graders when overcharged with awe. Inspire them with a captivating lesson about "The Tell-Tale Heart." Learners analyze how Poe uses the story structure to develop...

When you have made an end of these labors, it may not be 4 o'clock in the morning, but it's still time to work on textual analysis. Study the resolution of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" through the thematic lens of guilt and...

Eager readers have waited a long time, very patiently, for a set of literary analysis lessons that connect text structure to the work's central idea. As ninth graders continue reading "The Tell-Tale Heart," they focus on the central...

Continue analyzing literature using textual evidence with a lesson plan focused on "I Felt A Funeral, in my Brain" by Emily Dickinson. Ninth graders bring their annotation skills and knowledge of figurative language from the previous...

True, nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous you may be, but a literary analysis unit will set your mind at ease. Learners study the narrator's point of view in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" and analyze the way it contributes...

Hearken! And observe how well a literary analysis unit can help ninth graders read closely and connect text structure to a central idea. Focusing on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart", learners take notes and track the development...

Make up your mind to complete a lesson plan about "The Tell-Tale Heart" and rid yourself of simple sentence structures forever. As ninth graders analyze the first two paragraphs of Edgar Allan Poe's short story, they consider the ways...

Once conceived, a guided set of literary analysis lessons will assist you day and night. Ninth graders take a close look at "The Tell-Tale Heart" and analyze how Poe uses point of view to create questions about the narrator's sanity and...