PBS
Becoming a Writer | Little Women
How much of Jo's relationship with her writing is based on Louisa May Alcott's struggle to keep both her artistic integrity and her family finances afloat? Watch a short clip from a longer documentary on the author of Little Women that...
British Council
Much Ado 2: Fun to Play
Audiences around the world love Shakespeare. A video and set of accompanying tasks, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses how audiences in Japan react to Shakespearean plays. The exercises after the video help check...
British Council
Much Ado 1: A Beautiful Trick
Two people hate one another, and then fall in love. The common romantic movie formula first appeared in the play Much Ado About Nothing. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video uses the popular play to help teach...
British Council
London 1: Piece by Piece
How has London changed since the time of Shakespeare? Using a video and series of activities, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, English language learners discover a bit about the town that inspired Shakespeare's...
British Council
Lady Macbeth 2: Unchecked Ambition
Can unchecked ambition, as is the case in MacBeth, have disastrous consequences? A video and accompanying activities, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses the topic while also teaching key English skills. The...
British Council
Lady Macbeth 1: Top Dog
Who wears the pants in the Macbeth family? Many would argue it's not the Thane of Cawdor, but his wife, Lady Macbeth. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video and connected lessons discuss the power and influence...
British Council
Juliet 2: Feisty, Funny and Determined
One of the reasons Romeo and Juliet remains popular over time is the fact that teenagers relate to the main characters. A lesson, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses the character of Juliet. While watching the...
British Council
Juliet 1: Falling in Love
Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet has many lessons to teach youth today. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video and set of activities help English learners connect with the popular play....
British Council
Hamlet 2: A Bad Death
Hamlet's experience with his father's death rings true for those who have experienced the death of their own fathers. A video and set of activities, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, provides a unique perspective on...
British Council
Hamlet 1: His Father's Ghost
The lessons in Shakespeare's Hamlet transcend language and culture. An actor describes his view of the play in a short video accompanied by tasks, part of the Shakespeare English exercises series. While listening to the video,...
PBS
An Ode to the Romance Novel
Heroes with six-pack abs, helpless heroines, cliche plot lines —must be a romance novel! An informational video describes the romance novel genre and explains how it differs from a traditional love story. It uses popular texts as...
PBS
The Evolution of Science Fiction
How is it that science fiction writers have displayed the uncanny ability to predict the future? An informational video discusses the genre of science fiction and explains how it has developed. Discussions of specific texts, such...
PBS
The Evolution of YA: Young Adult Fiction, Explained
Paranormal teen romances may currently dominate the young adult fiction shelves, but that's not the only change to the genre during the past few years. The evolution of YA lit is the topic of an informational video that follows the teen...
PBS
When the Book is Better than the Movie
Sometimes the book is better than the movie; other times, the movie comes out on top. A video discusses the topic of novels and their film adaptations, pointing out specific texts and how the tale translated to the big screen. The...
PBS
Louisa May Alcott | Transcendentalism
Readers may not immediately think of transcendentalism when they consider Little Women, but its tenets of self-reliance, civil disobedience, and progressivism were major influences on Louisa May Alcott and her body of work. Learn more...
Lit2Go
The Wolf and the Crane
Should enemies ever get the benefit of the doubt? Readers answer this question after reading Aesop's 96-word fable "The Wolf and the Crane." Part of a larger series, the 48-second audio recording tells the story of a crane that does a...
Lit2Go
The Two Fellows and the Bear
How does trust grow between friends, and why is it so important? Aesop's 142-word fable "The Two Fellows and the Bear," addresses the question and challenges readers to think about whether they should trust the friends in their lives. To...
Lit2Go
The Tortoise and the Eagle
Part of a set of fables, Aesop's "The Tortoise and the Eagle" is all about a tortoise that fulfills his dreams and dies in the process of completing them. The activity after the passage asks readers to write an argumentative response...
Lit2Go
The Swallow and the Crow
What characteristics make a true friendship? Pupils explore the question when reading "The Swallow and the Crow," Aesop's fable about two birds comparing their feathers. The post-reading graphic organizer encourages thinkers to write...
Lit2Go
The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble
Aesop's fable about two trees that disagree demonstrates how to handle conflict among an audience. After listening to an audio retelling of "The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble," writers complete an analysis activity to identify the...
Lit2Go
The Peacock and Juno
Why wouldn't Juno want to give a peacock the voice of a nightingale? After reading Aesop's fable "The Peacock and Juno," individuals learn to be content with what they have because perfection is unattainable. The passage comes with an...
Lit2Go
The Nurse and the Wolf
According to Aesop, enemies' promises were made to be broken in his fable "The Nurse and the Wolf." An audio recording pairs nicely with an informative writing activity that challenges pupils to identify and defend the theme of the text.
Lit2Go
The Mountain in Labor
Ever made a mountain out of a molehill? Individuals read Aesop's "The Mountain in Labor," a fable about a mountain that groans and attracts attention over a mouse. An audio retelling of the story and graphic organizer examines...
Lit2Go
The Man and the Serpent
Using a cause/effect graphic organizer, learners analyze the conflict in Aesop's "The Man and the Serpent" after reading the fable. Differentiated for all pupils, the passage has an audio recording that helps bring the fable to life.