English I

Using RAFT to determine how to write an informational essay

Students will use RAFT as a tool to determine how to write an informational essay. They will also design a graphic organizer for the assignment as well as compose a rough draft. This is the second lesson in a series of three based on the LEARN NC 9th grade writing exemplars.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

By Kim Bowen.

Tableaux tour of texts

Students express their empathy for characters and events from books read in small groups by creating tableaux (freeze-frames) of key scenes to present to the class.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)

By Kim Bowen.

Romeo! Why do you have to be a doggone Montague?

Students will interpret and comprehend Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," Act 2, Scene 2 (the balcony scene) through translating the original text and preparing a dramatic presentation of the scene for the class.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

By Amanda Rowland.

Caricature character tour

Students create a caricature of a literary character using magazine cutouts to practice reading for details and characterization.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

By Janice Ianniello.

Resources on the web

Writing about writing: An extended metaphor assignment

In this lesson, students use Richard Wilbur's poem “The Writer” as an inspiration as they write their own extended metaphor describing themselves as writers. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 and 11 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Word maps: Developing critical and analytical thinking about literary characters

In this lesson, students read the short story “After Twenty Years” by O. Henry and focus on the author's use of characterization. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Weaving the multigenre web

In this lesson, students read novels, analyze the literary elements, and create a multigenre project to present information to their peers. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Using student-centered comprehension strategies with Elie Wiesel's "Night"

Working in small groups, students use reciprocal teaching strategies as they read and discuss Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Unlocking the underlying symbolism and themes of a dramatic work

This lesson plan invites students to explore the items relevant to a character from Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun to unlock the drama’s underlying symbolism and themes. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Teaching the epic through ghost stories

In this lesson, students connect to epic storytellers by sharing their own oral tales of ghosts and goblins and monsters. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Teaching plot structure through short stories

After viewing a PowerPoint presentation on plot structure, students use an online graphic organizer to identify the significant events that shape the structure of several short stories. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Style: Defining and exploring an author's stylistic choices

In this activity, students will find examples of specific stylistic devices in sample literary passages then search for additional examples and explore the reasons for the stylistic choices that the author has made. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Star-crossed lovers online: Romeo and Juliet for a digital age

Students use their understanding of modern technology to create contemporary interpretations of important scenes from Romeo and Juliet. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Spend a day in my shoes: Exploring the role of perspective in narrative

In this lesson based on To Kill a Mockingbird, students are challenged to imagine spending a day in someone else's shoes. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

A significant influence: Describing an important teacher in your life

In this lesson, students write tributes to teachers or mentors who have made profound differences in their lives. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Seuss and Silverstein: Posing questions, presenting points

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, classic stories provide the ideal springboard for struggling readers to discuss relevant social issues. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Put that on the list: Independently writing a catalog poem

In this activity, students use that structure to write powerful poetry, modeled after Raymond Carver’s poem “The Car”. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Put that on the list: Collaboratively writing a catalog poem

Students work in small groups to write a catalog poem based on such human emotions as anger, guilt, and happiness. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

The peace journey: Using process drama in the classroom

In this lesson, students respond to an imaginary advertisement, role-play, and work in small groups to develop a visual map as they explore the notion of peace. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Paying attention to technology: Exploring a fictional technology

This lesson asks students to complete a short survey to establish their beliefs about technology and then compare their opinions to the ideas in a novel that depicts technology (such as 1984, Brave New... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9 and 11–12 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE