One of my favorite lessons to teach in my short story unit is the Hero’s Journey. I enjoy teaching the hero's journey because I love seeing my students’ aha! moments - the moment when they get it, and they start making the connections between the content I am teaching and their favorite books and movies. Their faces light up, and faint chatter about Harry Potter, various Disney movies, and other stories slowly fills the room.
This post is part of the 31 MORE Days of Literature Unit Studies series. You can find all of the links to the thirty-one studies in this post. If you’d like to use these ideas to create your own unit study, this post has step-by-step instructions as well as a free unit study planner. (Want
FREE Unit Studies and Printables for the Most Loved Books: The Secret Garden
If you’ve been around the blog for a while you’ll know that I happen to love unit studies. There are many reasons why. Unit studies allow you to:Include the whole family in learning togetherFollow the interests of your kidsLearn in a hands-on, interest-grabbing wayIf you’re interested in using some great unit studies with your kids,
In this dystopian literature unit plan students are engaged in reading and the task of evaluating how they best learn, two lessons they will use in life
Wondering what a world literature high school curriculum could look like? Curious how you can build world literature thematic units? Are you trying to get together your World Literature pacing guid…
Hey Teacher Heroes! I have something SUPER special for you today: a guest post from Yaddy's Room! Yaddy writes with an amazing and funny voice, but she also shares some incredible teaching tips in this post. Click to get her step-by-step guide for using film to help students connect themes to literary texts. Then, check out her store and blog!!!
A Charlotte's Web unit study perfect for homeschool, classroom, or thematic novel study. The book study resources listed in this post are all FREE!
This literature-based Little Women Unit Study For Your Homeschool includes hands on art lessons, Mother Culture and more ideas around the beloved novel.
This post contains affiliate links. I should probably be embarrassed about how giddy I feel looking through this long list of free literature guides, but I’m not. 🙂 Most of them fall into three categories: Lit Guides, Book Units, or Study Guides. I know from experience that it takes a long time to sift through these to [...]
This post is part of the 31 MORE Days of Literature Unit Studies series. You can find all of the links to the thirty-one studies in this post. If you’d like to use these ideas to create your own unit study, this post has step-by-step instructions as well as a free unit study planner. (Want
FREE Indian in the Cupboard lesson plans for a literature-based unit study. This collection of resources is perfect for homeschool but also the classroom.
Teaching American literature: An outline of units of study and engaging activities for a high school American literature course
Using movie trailers is a great way to introduce conflict in literature to students. Six movie trailers for person vs. person are shown.
These book study guides will be a great addition to your homeschool English or literature classes and are perfect for older students.
Need ideas for a hands-on, literature-based Middle Ages unit study? This post has got you covered with projects, literature lists and resources.
This post is part of the 31 MORE Days of Literature Unit Studies series. You can find all of the links to the thirty-one studies in this post. If you’d like to use these ideas to create your own unit study, this post has step-by-step instructions as well as a free unit study planner. (Want
Links to source precede. Link to “Literary Periods and History Timeline” Link to “American Literature through Time” studyguide.org Link to Story Board That–American Li…
These book study guides will be a great addition to your homeschool English or literature classes and are perfect for older students.
I've collected some of my favorite short stories here across some loose categories to make it easier for you to find a related set you can use if you're looking for top hits for a certain themed course. Or just pick the ones you like the best if categories aren't a concern for you.
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is set in the eighteenth-century English countryside. The story revolves around the five Bennett sisters and, especially, around Jane and Elizabeth, the two eldest. When Mr. Bingley, a gentleman fromLondon, rents a house in the neighborhood, Mrs. Bennett is exceedingly pleased as hopeful visions of her daughters’ weddings play through her imagination. Jane Bennett and Mr. Bingley experience a strong mutual attraction. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy, who is Mr. Bingley’s proud and wealthy friend, exudes an arrogant pride that inspires dislike from the neighbors. Among those who resent his snobbery is Elizabeth. However, she does not know of Mr. Darcy’s increasing admiration for her. The characters of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy develop through the story as events force them to examine their own hearts. Pride And Prejudice Character-Building Lessons Simply to dismiss Pride and Prejudice as a romance from another era misses the point. Austen uses the characters and situations in her novel to satirize eighteenth-century British society and to criticize common follies and vices. For instance, through the character of Mr. Collins, Austen makes fun of pompous, self-righteous clergy. Mrs. Bennett and her sister, Mrs. Phillips, are caricatures of idle, gossipy women.Lydia presents a wonderful example of a young woman controlled by nothing but momentary emotion. Austen also presents the contrasting extremes of marriage. The union between Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins demonstrates the tragedy of a marriage without love. However, the elopement ofLydiaand Mr. Wickham shows the equally tragic possibilities of unguarded passion. Learning About The Power of Words Austen’s novel presents a wonderful opportunity to discuss the power of words. Austen’s characters frequently use words to criticize, attack, and tear down others. The careless speeches of both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth have especially powerful consequences. However, Austen also demonstrates the redeeming power of words. The effect of Elizabeth’s words on Mr. Darcy drives the book toward a happy resolution. Darcy’s humble letter to Elizabeth finally reconciles them. Indeed, Austen, through words carefully chosen and brilliantly woven together, creates a magnificent portrayal of human life. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a timeless novel that draws in readers by the author’s writing skill, her enchanting characters, and the rich lessons of this English satire. Readers will be entertained, instructed, and even convicted. Students and parents will never forget this brilliant gem of English literature. Pride And Prejudice Comprehension Questions What mistake did Elizabeth make during her encounters with Wickham? What was Mr. Darcy’s greatest error? What are some other examples of words used to destroy and build in this story? Pride and Prejudice Activities Instruct your child to write an essay in which he creates a character who exemplifies a common folly or vice. Take a drive in the countryside. Read Pride and Prejudice aloud, assigning each listener the lines of a particular character. ************************************ By Emily Adams Emily Adams lives with her parents and eight siblings in Fort Wayne, Indiana. When not teaching or writing, she loves to read Austen’s novels. —Originally published in the
FREE Classic Picture Books Unit Studies {25+!}
Browse through a list of over 70 free literature study guides! Titles include Beowulf, Jane Eyre, Hamlet, and more!
William Shakespeare made huge contributions to the world of theater as well as to the English language. This unit study teaches elementary aged children all about his plays, some English history, and inspires them to put on their own production.
I've collected some of my favorite short stories here across some loose categories to make it easier for you to find a related set you can use if you're looking for top hits for a certain themed course. Or just pick the ones you like the best if categories aren't a concern for you.
This post contains affiliate links.
High school students LOVE gothic in literature. There is just something about the darkness of the setting, characters and plot...
Teaching Shakespeare can be a rewarding experience, and incorporating creativity into your approach can make the material more engaging for students. Here are seven creative ways to begin a unit on William Shakespeare or a unit that studies his literature... 1. Create a scavenger hunt with facts related to Shakespeare's life, works, and the Elizabethan era. Hide or hang the facts around the classroom or school. Then, have students hunt for the facts. As they find each fact, have them add the information to their notes as they build background on Shakespeare. This activity gets students up and moving while providing them a historical base for their Shakespeare studies. Need ready-made facts? Find them here! 2. Have students choose a character from one of Shakespeare's plays and write a modern-day monologue for that character. This activity allows students to connect with the characters on a personal level and showcase their understanding of the language and themes. 3. Make learning about Shakespeare especially engaging with a doodle poster. Have students fill the poster with facts about William Shakespeare. Then, have students glue the pages together to make an extra-long infographic. As students color in their doodle poster, they'll be exposed to facts one more time. This activity makes building background creative and fun. Grab a ready-made doodle poster HERE. 4. Ask students to imagine that Shakespeare and his characters had social media profiles. They can create Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, or Twitter feeds for characters like Romeo, Juliet, or Hamlet. This activity encourages creativity and helps students relate Shakespearean themes to contemporary communication. 5. Give students a chance to investigate one of Shakespeare's sonnet. You can assign a sonnet or have students choose one of their own. Then, guide them through analyzing the poem with a Doodle Poem Analysis one-pager. This guide makes analyzing the poem approachable and creative. It's also a great way to get students to share their poem analysis with others. You can download the FREE Doodle Poetry Analysis HERE. 6. Use a simple craft like this "Will's Quill" activity to get students learning about Shakespeare. First, have them research facts about Shakespeare. They should also find a quote that they like from Shakespeare. Students will add their work to feather shapes. Then, they'll cut out and glue the feathers together to make a quill just like one William Shakespeare would have used. Find everything you need to do this activity HERE. 7. Devote a day to immerse students in the Elizabethan era. Encourage them to come dressed in costumes from that time, play Renaissance music, and even serve Elizabethan-inspired snacks. This thematic approach can set the stage for a deeper exploration of Shakespeare's works. ----------------------------------------------------------- These ideas are designed to make learning about Shakespeare fun and relatable. Taking the time to make Shakespeare approachable can be a great way to foster a lifelong appreciation for his work. I hope you give some of these ideas a try. (And don't forget get to save a TON of TIME with the William Shakespeare Doodle and Do resource!) Thanks for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. Find more ways to make learning fun here.
Dystopian literature is a staple in most ELA classrooms. Here are some ideas for teaching it and making it more relevant: Watch National Geographic's documentary about North Korea on YouTube and ask students to find
Looking for free Pippi Longstocking literature unit study ideas? Here are resources you can use to extend the learning as you read the book.
Classic literature is not as boring as you might think… or as your kids might think. What makes a book a classic? Answers will vary, depending on your experiences. Is it a classic because it is old? Is it a classic because it changed history for someone? For each of us, we have classic literature experiences from our own education. There are books I will have my girls read because I enjoyed them as a child. There are some I was never interested in that other people just rave about. Honestly, I don’t think that being labeled a classic makes
To this day, there is nothing less satisfying in school than when an English teacher gets the history wrong during the introduction to a new piece of literature. Small mistakes are forgivable. Comm…
Using Frankenstein pre-reading activities leads to success for you and your students. Prepare students for Mary Shelley's master piece with a variety of...
These 7 fresh ideas for creative projects that students will want to complete are perfect for the end of any novel or unit.
The best homeschool literature curriculum without a doubt is learning language arts through literature from Common Sense Press. Find out why..
A variety of lesson plans for the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton — Complete Novel Study, Unit Plan Bundle.
These 7 fresh ideas for creative projects that students will want to complete are perfect for the end of any novel or unit.
The Odyssey by Homer lesson ideas. The Odyssey interactive notebook activities and projects and Greek Mythology resources.
Discover the 8 periods in english literature and download and print the FREE literary timeline to use in the classroom or at home.
You know that collective sigh, the one that choruses around the room when you enthusiastically announce, "Class, the next unit we'll be entering into is poetry!" If poetry is taught the right way, st
Needing short story unit ideas for middle or high school classes? Read about how you can differentiate, provide choice, and meet standards.
This week I saw one of my colleagues carrying around a copy of 1984. "Oooh," I said. "Are you teaching 1984?" My mind instantly raced back to the days when I taught Orwell at my school
Little House on the Prairie was a favorite of mine when I was a little girl. I read all the books and enjoyed watching the T.V. shows with my family. The
This is a great freebie: 7 free study guides, about 40 pages each, on the Shakespeare plays of MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet, The Tempest, MidSummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Othello,&…
