Curated OER
Wordsworth's Poetry
Pupils read Wordsworth sonnet, "The World is Too Much With Us," and complete reader response criticsm worksheets. They examine the poet's ideas and techniques then write a letter to Mr. Wordsworth and explain how he might feel about...
Annenberg Foundation
Native Voices
The Navajo people build their dwellings with the doors facing the rising sun in the east to welcome wealth and fortune. Pupils learn about the traditions of the Navajo people in the first part of a 16-part unit. They explore American...
Maryland Department of Education
A Raisin in the Sun and Dreams Deferred
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...
Curated OER
Requiem "The Song of the Murdered Jewish People"
Music and poetry are vehicles that can tell many stories. Learners read the poem "The Song of the Murdered Jewish People" by Itzhak Katzenelson, then listen to the requiem it inspired; composed by Zlata Razdolina. Excellent background...
Curated OER
THE OCCUPATION OF KOREA BY JAPANESE IMPERIALIST FORCES
Learners read and respond to a history of Korea. In this occupation lesson, students work in groups to research the effects of Japanese occupation and create an illustrated timeline. Learners listen to a lecture and write an acrostic....
Curated OER
Breath as Metaphor - Poetry Exercise
Students are required to critically read two poems, answer factual questions concerning the pieces, and then discuss the different uses of breath as a metaphor. They use the samples as a starting point for their own creative efforts.
Curated OER
Humans and the Natural World Poetically
Students read poetry for gist and find images to create a visual narrative. In this poetry lesson, students read Green Lane and Flies and Nettles to examine the relationship between humanity and the nature. Students reflect on a place...
Curated OER
Archetypal Images and Polarities
Here is a rather esoteric resource that presents the archetypes found in “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” and would be appropriate for a college-level psychology or literature class, or as a teacher resource. Considered the “world’s oldest...
Curated OER
Poet James Whitcomb Riley: Famous in His Own Day
An engaging biography of "Hoosier" poet James Whitcomb Riley serves as a springboard for study of his unique dialect-based verse. Several activities illuminate differences between spoken vernacular and formal language. Learners record...
Curated OER
Diving into the Wreck Questions
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 4 short answer and essay questions based on the poem "Diving into the Wreck."
Curated OER
Multi-Media Hero Analysis
Students consider how the attributes of heroes have evolved. In this character traits activity, students define heroism in their culture and research the epic heroes of literature. Students select heroes to write about and share their...
Curated OER
America in Film and Fiction
High schoolers begin the instructional activity by reading a book on film study. After watching the movie "Citizen Kane", they work together to identify the issues concerning the United States before World War II. As a class, they...
Curated OER
Exploring the Poetry of Pablo Nueruda
Students read selected poems by Pablo Neruda. They also read short biographies of the author online to gain a better knowledge of the types of adversity Neruda faced throughout his lifetime. They begin to explore the concept of imagery...
Curated OER
"you Can't Order a Poem Like You Order a Taco": an Introduction To Poetry
Learners explore what poetry is and certain aspects within it. They write their own knowledge and perceptions of poetry and the expand that knowledge and experience through listening to, reading, and writing poetry and exploring poetic...
Curated OER
Poetry Portraits
Students consider the attributes of heroes. In this literature lesson plan, students read selected poems from Hesse's Out of the Dust and then create their own bio-poems that feature themselves as heroes.
Curated OER
Poet Naomi Shihab Nye
Students read and analyze poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye. They define stereotypes, view and discuss a video interview with Nye, present an oral reading of a poem, and write a persuasive letter to an author.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Charles Baudelaire: Poète Maudit (The Cursed Poet)
After learning the main ideas of the Decadent movement, learners work in small groups to read and translate poems by the French poet Charles Baudelaire using basic etymology skills. They then read the accurate English translations to see...
Curated OER
Journey Through a Midnight Dreary: Fun Trivia Quiz on "The Raven"
This Fun Trivia Quiz tests readers' understanding of Poe's "The Raven", including allusions. Because these online quizzes can be made by anyone, you will want to scrutinize the questions and answers prior to assigning this to your class.
Digital Public Library of America
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A set of 14 primary sources provides background for a study of Lorraine Hansberry's drama, A Raisin in the Sun. Featured are images from stage productions of the play, white supremacy protests, a clip from a television interview, and...
Curated OER
A Modest Proposal: Irony Made Understandable with Rock and Roll
Who doesn't love music? Poems and songs will engage your high school class in a discussion about irony. Use songs like "Rockin' in the Free World" or "Born in the U.S.A." to illustrate the ironic point of view. Print the lyrics so...
Washington University in St. Louis
Teaching Jazz as American Culture
Jazz and the City, Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement, Jazz and Gender, Jazz and Literature, Jazz and the Arts, Jazz and Film. Here's a packet of unit plans organized around themes that reflect American culture. Each unit examines how...
Curated OER
One With Nature
Students discover the connection between Japanese art and Romantic literature using a variety of sources and the impact of nature on these two art forms. This lesson is a three-day exploration.
Curated OER
The Lady of Shalott Theme of Art and Culture
In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students respond to 4 short answer and essay questions based on themes of art and culture in "The Lady of Shalott." Students may also complete their choice of 3 reading activities...
Curated OER
Exploring the Sonnet
Students research English/Shakespearean and Italian/Petrarchan sonnet forms. They write an original sonnet on their preferred form (English or Italian), write the poem on the wordprocessor and publish and post it on the net at the Sonnet...