Simon & Schuster
Classroom Activities for Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is the focus of an 11-page packet that includes three lesson plans, three worksheets, and a homework assignment. The first lesson introduces readers to the historical context of the novel. At the same time,...
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
An Introduction to Sonnets
What is 14 lines long, written in iambic pentameter, and follows a predetermined rhyme scheme? Introduce scholars to the sonnet, one of the most famous of the fixed-form types of poetry, with a 10-slide presentation that includes the...
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
Literary Theories
Introduce ELA scholars to the basics of literary criticism with a 41-slide presentation that identifies eight different approaches to critical analysis. Each approach is defined, and advantages and disadvantages are listed. Also included...
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
Background to Othello
Provide readers of Othello with information that will support their study of Shakespeare's tragedy. The 36 slides include background information about the themes, plot, characters, setting, and literary terms and devices used.
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
Anticipation Guide for William Shakespeare’s Othello
Anticipation guides pique learners' interest in a topic or text. An anticipation guide for Othello asks individuals to consider their views on relationships, marriage, race, jealousy, revenge, and other themes found in Shakespeare's...
Curated OER
The Odyssey: Hospitality or Divine Intervention Essay
Conclude a study of The Odyssey with a writing assignment that asks readers to investigate a central theme in Homer's tale. Scholars either provide positive and negative examples of hospitality or look for evidence of how the gods...
Curated OER
Creative God or Goddess
Who causes sinkholes? Or acid rain? High schoolers try their hand at myth-making as individuals create a god or goddess responsible for the modern-day phenomenon. They introduce their deity in an essay that reveals the name, parentage,...
Curated OER
The Odyssey: Narrative Writing
Help readers make a personal connection to Homer's The Odyssey with a narrative writing assignment. Scholars select one of three prompts and craft a first-person narrative rich in sensory details that describes an experience they had...
Teach With Movies
The Great Gatsby
Are you thinking about incorporating a film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel in a study of The Great Gatsby? Check out a guide loaded with suggestions for how to supplement a reading of the novel with scenes from three film...
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
Heart of Darkness Active Reading Journal Assignment
Avoid the horror of readers straining to recall details of Joseph Conrad's complex Heart of Darkness. Instead provide scholars with a frame for their note taking. As they read, class members record evidence to support their responses to...
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
Kindred Introduction
A 16-slide PowerPoint presentation introduces readers to the themes, motifs, and literary devices used by Octavia E. Butler in her time-travel, first person slave narrative.
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
Kindred Unit Project
To conclude a unit study of Octavia E. Butler's Kindred, groups use MovieMaker or the class website to publish an original story about slavery in America. The detailed project assignment sheet includes a list of possible topics,...
Livaudais-Baker English Classroom
Kindred Reading Quizzes
Three quizzes are designed to assess readers' knowledge of events in Octavia E. Butler's Kindred. All questions are fact-based rather than asking readers to infer or interpret the text.
California Department of Education
In the Interview Hot Seat
After watching a short introductory video, high school seniors prepare for the interview process by first examining commonly used questions and effective responses. Class members then engage in a series of Speed Interviews to gain...
California Department of Education
Writing Right
Prepare high school seniors for the job search process with a lesson that teaches them how to craft four different types of business letters: the cover letter, the informational interview request, a reference request, and a thank you...
California Department of Education
Learn to Reach Out
High school seniors use the CareerOneStop website to research professional associations related to careers that interest them. They then develop interview questions and arrange an informational interview with someone in the field.