Literature Lesson Plans

  •  

    • PreSchool

  • Telling A Story
  • When learning about how stories have a start, middle, and finish, a student will dictate a story with these elements using a picture. This activity not only helps to develop a foundation for understanding story grammar and development, but it also stretches and uses the child's imagination.
  •  

    • Elementary School

  • Cooperation Through Puppet Shows
  • Children will learn a story they want to turn into a puppet show, make their own puppets, and prepare and perform the show, working in small groups.
  •  

    • Middle School

  • Comparison and Contrast - Two Short Stories
  • For this lesson, students will write a comparison and contrast paper about two short stories they read by Edgar Allan Poe. This can also be done in class and as a homework assignment.
  • Essay on Themes
  • In this lesson, you will write an essay on a theme of The Call of the Wild by Jack London.
  • Figurative Language - Part Two
  • In this lesson, students will write a paragraph for each term they wrote definitions for in Part One.
  • Figurative Language - Part One
  • Students will look up Figurative Language terms and write the definitions of each term and sentences.
  • Giving an Oral Book Report
  • In this lesson, students are to give a book report on their favorite book. They will also submit a written book report. This lesson will take more than one class period. It depends on how many students you have
  • Guess the Author - Using Pseudonyms
  • In this lesson, students will write a descriptive paragraph about themselves without revealing their physical description. They will sign their papers with a pseudonym so that nobody will know their identity except for themselves. This will take more than one class period to complete.
  • King Arthur - How He Became King
  • This lesson is about King Arthur. It covers the section, "The Winning of Kinghood," in the book, "The Story of King Arthur and His Knights" by Howard Pyle.
  • Understanding Flashback
  • Students will write a short story using flashback to see if they understand how to use the term.
  • Understanding the Elements of Fiction
  • This is a lesson plan on the elements of fiction. Students will have a study sheet and a worksheet to do independently.
  • Writing a Biography - Mark Twain
  • Students will write a biography of Mark Twain. This lesson is for middle school age students, but fifth graders could do this, too.
  • Writing A Fable
  • In this lesson, students are to write a fable.
  • Writing A Summary - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Students will select a topic from a list I have included in this lesson. The topics include short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This lesson will take more than one hour because the students will have to read the short story and then write a summary about it.
  • Writing a Tall Tale
  • In this lesson, students will read a tall tale. Then, they will write a tall tale of their choice. This lesson will take more than one class period to do. You can have the students read the Tall Tale at home and write their paper in class.
  •  

    • High School

  • American Literature Authors and Their Works
  • This lesson is on American Literature Authors and their works. It is a worksheet where students have to match the authors to the short story, poem, or book they wrote.
  • Classic Short Stories - Locked Room Settings
  • In this lesson plan, I have a summary over "The Problem of Cell 13" by Jacques Futrelle. This story is a Classic Mystery.
  • Classic Short Stories by Kate Chopin
  • In this lesson, you will teach two stories by Kate Chopin. They are "Desiree's Baby" and "The Story of an Hour." These stories can be found in the anthology titled "The Awakening and Selected Short Fiction" by Kate Chopin. I have written a comparison of the two stories.
  • Comparison and Contrast - D. H. Lawrence
  • Students will read two short stories, The Rocking Horse Winner and The Horse Dealer's Daughter by D. H. Lawrence. They will write a comparison and contrast paper on some element of fiction.
  • Conflicts Among People
  • This lesson is about three short stories: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," "The Flesh and the Spirit," and "Somnambulism." Conflicts among people are the central issue in these stories.
  • Edgar Allan Poe and Anna Katherine Green
  • This lesson plan is about Detective Fiction. Edgar Allan Poe is considered the Father of Detective Fiction. Anna Katharine Green is considered the Mother of Detective Fiction. I have written two summaries of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe and "The Second Bullet" by Anna Katharine Green.
  • English Literature Authors and Their Works
  • This lesson is on English Literature Authors. It is a worksheet where students have to match the authors to the short story or book they wrote.
  • Exploring Allegory - Paul Bunyan
  • Students will read Pilgrim's Progress and give specific examples in the text as to why this is an allegory.
  • Exploring Satire - Jonathan Swift
  • Students will read Part One of Gulliver's Travels and write an essay about satire and give specific examples in the text.
  • Imitating An Author's Style
  • Students will read a short story of their choice and write an original short story that resembles the style of the short story they read.
  • Learning about Characters
  • In this lesson, students will read the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Then, they will write an essay on one of the characters in the book.
  • Literature Soundtracks
  • The student will choose ten songs to create a soundtrack for a novel read in class or as outside reading. In the liner notes, instead of lyrics the students writes a rationale of why or how the song relates to the novel in terms of setting, conflict, character, or mood. The student will design the CD jacket insert, and the pitch the CD to the production company (the class).
  • Planting Clues in Short Stories
  • In this lesson plan, students will learn about planting clues. This is over the short story, "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe.
  • Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt
  • The students will use the internet to learn basic biographical facts about Shakespeare in the form of an internet scavenger hunt. This acitivity is a great introduction to a Shakespearean unit of study.
  • The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
  • In this lesson, students will choose one of the elements: character, theme, or setting and write an essay. They can read the story and take notes in class and write the essay for homework if you want them to.
  • The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • This lesson plan covers the short story, "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I have included a summary of the short story and questions for readers to answer before they read the short story.
  • Writing a Movie Review
  • In this lesson, you will have students watch a classic movie in class. Depending on the length of the movie, this could take more than one class period. Then, you will have them write a summary/review of the movie.
  • Writing in Different Viewpoints
  • Students will choose a classic short story and read it. Then, they will write the story from a different viewpoint.

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