Browse Lesson Plans

Tableaux With a Twist

A variety of classroom experiences are designed to help students access the novel, The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963, and interact with it in meaningful ways.

Discipline: Literature

Teaching Literary Conversation

Read a shared book while writing notes for use in subsequent discussion. Read an independently chosen book each night.

Discipline: Literature

Teaching Multigenre Writing: Laurie Swistak's Lesson

Gather facts on a topic, formulate questions and decide which writing genre or format to use to answer the questions.

Discipline: Literature

Teaching Multigenre Writing: Mary Cathryn Ricker's Multigenre Unit

Produce an autobiographical booklet that includes at least 15 different genres—from poems, memoirs, letters and personal narratives to maps, photographs and drawings.

Discipline: Literature

Teaching Persuasive Writing: Jenny Beasley's Editorial Unit

Choose an issue confronting the community and use persuasive strategies and techniques to write editorials.

Discipline: Literature

Teaching Poetry: Jack Wilde, Distinguishing Poetry and Prose

Discover the differences between poetry and prose using the poem "The Truth About Why I Love Potatoes" by Mekeel McBride.

Discipline: Literature

Teaching Poetry: Vivian Johnson's Lesson on Line Breaks

Read, discuss, write and share poems that exemplify the use of line breaks in poetry.

Discipline: Literature

Things Fall Apart

Adapt any chapter as a script. Travel to a nearby African-American cemetery and research names of the dead. Conduct research projects on issues addressed in the novel.

Discipline: Literature

To Kill a Mockingbird

Write a personal, reflective essay on civil rights and the treatment of various communities.

Discipline: Literature

Whole-Class Literature Discussion

Thought-provoking questions are required for class, during which there are critical literature discussions, focusing on the conflict and characters’ actions in the novel.

Discipline: Literature

Whole-Group Seminar Discussion

As the class discusses Langston Hughes’ short story, "Passing," in a seminar, they react and respond to the unique perspectives on equality and oppression.

Discipline: Literature