Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Social Realism: Henry James

For Students 9th - 10th
Henry James is the focus of this biography for his ability to write about how people deal with problems with attention drawn to Europeans versus Americans in the early twentieth century. See "Henry James Activities" for more resources.
Unit Plan
Washington State University

Washington State University: Timeline of American Literature 1840 1849

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Compare the events of the country to the literature being produced at the time of the early 19th century.
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Masculine Heroes: James Fenimore Cooper

For Students 9th - 10th
This brief biography of James Fenimore Cooper highlights his life as an author who was able to incorporate politics, wilderness and Native Americans into fictitious novels. Click on "James Fenimore Cooper Activities" for related materials.
Unit Plan
Other

Uua: Louisa May Alcott

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed biography of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888 CE) from the Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography. Contains a couple of pictures as well.
Primary
Lone Star Junction

Lone Star Junction: Guide to Life and Literature of the Southwest

For Students 9th - 10th
The complete text of the 1952 version of this book by J. Frank Dobie. Chapters are thematic collections of annotated lists of books on different aspects of Southwestern culture and history, e.g., Texas Rangers, mountain men, and the Pony...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Utopian Promise: Edward Taylor

For Students 9th - 10th
Born in England, emigrant Edward Taylor was a Harvard educated minister, writer, and poet of orthodox Puritan theology. Click on "Edward Taylor Activities" for related materials.
Website
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: Biographies: Phillis Wheatley

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief biography of early American poet Wheatley, including helpful links and other additional titles about her.
Activity
Washington State University

Washington State University: Literary Movements

For Students 9th - 10th
This Washington State University site provides a wonderful source for all the literary movements that have taken place in American Literature from 1620-1920. Click on the movement (listed on the left)you are interested in (Naturalism,...
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs: "Kill the Indian and Save the Man": Native American Representation

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the impact of US government policies of assimilation, relocation, and urbanization on Native American identity and culture in this series of videos from the American Masters film Words from a Bear: N. Scott Momaday. Years...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Rhythms in Poetry: Jean Toomer

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a brief biography of Jean Toomer, an African American author of poetry and short stories, published in many magazines in the early twentieth century. Click on "Jean Toomer Activities" for related materials.
Unit Plan
Bartleby

Bartleby.com: Washington Irving: Early Years

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This Cambridge History of English and American Literature site provides biographical information and analysis of the works and literary contribution of Washington Irving. Use the forward arrows at the bottom of the web page to read a...
Lesson Plan
Lin and Don Donn

Lin and Don Donn: Language Lessons: Native American Lit.

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Relevant resource links and ideas for lessons to teach Native American Literature also come with information on specific units, suggested lists of books, and Native American Poetry.
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Regional Realism: Sarah Orne Jewett

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a brief biography of Sarah Orne Jewett, known for her realistic writings of life in Maine during the nineteenth century. See "Sarah Orne Jewett Activities" for more resources.
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Outline of American Lit

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Part of a larger series on "The Rise of Realism: 1860-1914," this website provides some brief analysis of Henry James' three writing phases: his two "international" phases (early and late) and his "experimental" phase.
Website
Other

Kingwood Library: American Cultural History: 1900 1909

For Students 9th - 10th
Peruse this comprehensive resource to find information regarding American history and culture, such as the arts and literature, from 1900 to 1909. Hyperlinks to additional information.
Primary
Other

University of South Carolina: Leaves of Grass

For Students 9th - 10th
This University of South Carolina site, presented by the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, chronicles the publication history of Whitman's many revisions of "Leaves of Grass." Includes photographs of rare copies of early...
Website
The Newberry Library

Women on the Move: Gender and Mobility in American Culture, 1890 to 1950

For Students 9th - 10th
Newberry Library learning module uses primary source documents and literature to explore the influence of gender on social and physical mobility and the concept of freedom in American culture from 1890 - 1950.
Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Phillis Wheatley

For Students 9th - 10th
This on-line encyclopedia article gives information about Phillis Wheatley, the Boston slave who surprised colonial America with her poetry. She was the first African-American woman to have her work published.
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Social Realism: Theodore Dreiser

For Students 9th - 10th
Theodore Dreiser is featured as a realistic author who draws upon the social conditions and humanity in America in his writings. Click on "Theodore Dreiser Activities" for related materials.
Article
University of Groningen

American History: Essays: Philosophy and Literature: Quest for Nationalism

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the struggle of Americans to develop a unified sense of national identity in the 1800s.
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Edward Taylor

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This resource presents a brief overview of the life, works, and poetic style of Edward Taylor.
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Modernist Portraits: Susan Glaspell

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Susan Glaspell is featured in this brief biography for her literary contributions as author and playwright focusing on the role of women in American society in the early twentieth century. See "Susan Glaspell Activities" for related...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Early National Arts and Cultural Independence

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the national identity developed in the early 19th century in art and literature. See how both landscape paintings and literature emphasized wilderness themes.
Handout
Academy of American Poets

Poets.org: Ezra Pound

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a very good site from the Academy of American Poets about Ezra Pound. The site houses a biography of the poet, a selected bibliography of his work, as well as links to full texts of several of his well known works.