PBS
Exploring the Drive to Create in Frankenstein
Is it hubris that drives the creative process? Is it the desire to be remembered long past death? An interactive asks readers of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Percy Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" to consider what this wife and...
Curated OER
The Life And Death of Tupac Shakur
In this reading comprehension worksheet about Tupac Shakur, students read a short article about his life and death. Students answer 5 questions. There are mature themes in this article.
Louisiana Department of Education
The Metamorphosis
How can something be true even if it didn't happen? Invite your classes to investigate the truths found in the world of magical realism as they analyze short stories, poems, informational texts, video, and art from this genre.
Curated OER
"World Enough, And Time"-Andrew Marvell's Coy Mistress
Students read and analyze the poem, "To His Coy Mistress," by Andrew Marvell. They identify the theme of each stanza, complete a worksheet, take an online quiz, and write about a single metaphor or image from the poem.
Curated OER
From George to Martha: Writing a Sonnet Using Primary Sources
What was the relationship like between George and Martha Washington? To protect their privacy, Martha Washington destroyed all her husband’s letters after his death so historians have little evidence of their lives together. Two letters...
National Park Service
The Secret of Life
Dead trees provide nutrients for the soil, food for animals, protection and a home for organisms, a seed-bed for new trees, and a place for nitrogen-fixing bacteria to live. In the activity, pupils collect decaying logs, expose them to a...
Curated OER
My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun – Theme of Mortality
In this poetry analysis worksheet, learners read a paragraph regarding the preservation of life in "My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun –," by Emily Dickinson. Students consider the will to live, the “power to die,” and the power to kill as...
Curated OER
Deathfugue Questions
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer and essay questions based on the poem "Deathfugue."
Curated OER
Poems Insprire Visual Art
Students examine artwork by artist Ernst Herter. They discuss what the art means to them. They create a collage to represent a poem of their chosing. They discover how literature is used as an inspiration for art.
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Eighth Grade
Middle schoolers are likely very familiar with the concept of bullying and cliques. Discuss their experiences and brainstorm ways to handle peer conflict and feelings of exclusion with a poem that focuses on bullying, and a second lesson...
Serendip
Understanding How Genes Are Inherited via Meiosis and Fertilization
Bring the excitement of genetics to scholars with a dynamic hands-on meiosis modeling experience. During the activity, biologists follow step-by-step procedures to build chromosomes, model independent assortment, learn about crossing...
Curated OER
Bio-Poem
Everyone can be a poet with this simple activity! After reading of Lucy Westerna's death, assign your class this bio poem on Professor Van Helsing. There's a specific format to follow, but it'll be interesting to see how your kids add...
Curated OER
Project Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh and Leadership
Do leaders need to be more moral than followers? Does power corrupt? Can anyone be a leader? Begin a study of leadership with a reading of excerpts from the Epic of Gilgamesh. After examining the ancient Mesopotamian hero, class members...
Curated OER
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Questions
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer and essay questions based on the poem "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night."
Curated OER
The Lady of Shalott Questions
In this poetry discussion worksheet, students consider the concept of time conveyed in Tennyson's poem, "The Lady of Shalott," as they respond to and discuss 4 short answer questions. Students consider whether humans are isolated by the...
Curated OER
Grappling with Identity in Latino Poetry
Students identify some common themes involving the Latino immigrant experience as conveyed through a variety of media, explore issues of identity in some examples of poetry written by Latinos and learn some basic poetry reading strategies.
Curated OER
Big Poppy Questions
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer and essay questions based on the poem "Big Poppy."
Curated OER
Mutability Questions
In this poetry analysis worksheet, students read the poem "Mutability," by William Wordsworth and then respond to 6 discussion questions. The questions require students to consider the role of religion and the impact of sudden change as...
Curated OER
Expressions of Belief: Easter
In this Easter worksheet, students write a poem, make a collage, and discuss what Easter is about. Students complete 3 tasks total.
Curated OER
Ode to the West Wind Questions
For this literary analysis worksheet, students read the poem "Ode to the West Wind," by Percy Bysshe Shelley and then respond to 5 short answer discussion questions about the significance of wind in the poem and the symbolism of...
Curated OER
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
Students read and analyze a poem about a speaker's posthumous view of war, assess the purpose of an author's note and evaluate the effect of the point of view on the reader's response. They work in groups to discuss and analyze the poem.
Curated OER
Allegorical Meaning in Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death
Tenth graders recognize the allegorical meaning in The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe. In this poetry lesson, 10th graders analyze a poem for allegorical meaning.
Curated OER
An Explication of Death
Fourth graders, in groups, analyze portions of William Cullen Bryant's poem, "Thanatopsis." They present their analysis to the class and discuss the meaning of the poem as a whole. They also identify the poetic elements present in the...
Curated OER
The Butterfly Project: Study and Response to Children's Poetry
Eleventh graders read various examples of poems of the humans behind the Holocaust and who perished during the event. Focusing on the number of children who died, they collect butterflies for the Holocaust Museum in Houston. They view...