English II

You ate what??

After reading the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, students will use primary sources to relate Paul's experience to the life of a North Carolina soldier. Students will create their own primary source journal entry.

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

By Kari Siko.

War is...

Upon consideration of the perspectives on war from their classmates, the poet Stephen Crane in "War is Kind," and various characters from All Quiet on the Western Front, students will write an editorial for the school newspaper in which they share opinions about war.

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

By Rhonda Dillingham.

Setting and Symbolism in A Doll's House

This lesson is designed as a follow-up to the reading and discussion of the play A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. An understanding of the two literary terms setting and symbolism, and their impact on a work of literature, are essential to students' success in following the guidelines outlined in the North Carolina English Language Arts Standard Course of Study. This lesson has been modified for English Language Learners at the intermediate high proficiency level, but would also be adaptable for learners at the novice or advanced levels.

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

By Guy Hill and Crystal Brown.

The scarlet “A”: Role-play in writing

This lesson was created to follow a close reading and examination of Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The plan uses a small group format and rotation schedule. The activities created strengthen students' understanding of an author's use of characterization, while reinforcing reading and creative writing skills.

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

By Tonya White.

Replica of a period newspaper: World literature

Students will research a specific time in history in order to create the front page of a newspaper relevant to the selected time period.

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

By Kim Dechant.

Join up

This lesson is designed to help students look more closely at the reasons why Paul and his friends from the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, along with other soldiers joined the armed forces in WWI. Through primary sources and the novel, students will have a better understanding of propaganda and how it affects people.

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

By Kari Siko.

India's path to independence

This interdisciplinary plan includes the study of the effects of imperialism and India's struggle for independence through history texts, literary works, and online resources. Activities include a seminar, research, and a news broadcast. Although this unit is designed for integrated English II and World Civilizations, lessons can be adapted to other class structures.

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

By Marian Johnson.

Improving student essay writing

English II teachers are constantly searching for strategies to improve students' analytical responses to literature. This lesson is designed for all types of learners, offering various activities for all learning styles. Individual, small group, and whole class activities on essay writing culminate with the student writing his or her own formal response to literature.

This generic writing activity may be used with any literary unit and at any point in your students' development of the writing process.

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)

By Shawn Parker.

Who Moved My Cheese? for Teens

Students read, discuss, and write about Who Moved My Cheese? for Teens by Spencer Johnson, M.D., a parable about life's changes, and how best to benefit from them. By reading the parable, students will learn ways to react positively to inevitable change, and gain insight into their personal decision-making processes regarding changes in their lives, now and in the future. This lesson plan is modified for Advanced English Language Learners in the 9th and 10th grades. It is written for 45 minute class periods, but can be modified for 90 minute block classes.

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

By Ann Gerber.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Students study the symbolism, setting, and characterization in Kafka's work.

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

By Laura Rose.

Resources on the web

Using technology to analyze and illustrate symbolism in Night.

This step-by-step lesson introduces students to Elie Wiesel's use of symbolism in his autobiographical novel, Night. After learning about symbolism and discussing its use in the book, students create photomontages using online... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 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

Two threats to African wildlife

In this Xpeditions lesson, students investigate two of the most serious threats to African wildlife today: habitat destruction and hunting/poaching. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Geographic

Two ancient cities

In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students review basic facts about two ancient American civilizations: the Inca and the Maya. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Geographic

So what do you think? Writing a review

After examining samples of movie, music, restaurant, and book reviews, students devise guidelines for writing interesting and informative reviews. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Propaganda techniques in literature and online political ads

This lesson suggests using Aldous Huxley's Brave New World to introduce students to propaganda techniques used in literature and popular culture. This short unit would be appropriate to use with various novels and when discussing advertising campaigns... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 10–12 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Magazine redux: An exercise in critical literacy

This lesson prompts students to act as critical readers as they consider how and why their approach and experiences differ when reading an online version versus a print version of a magazine. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Is a sentence a poem?

In this lesson, students analyze syntax, imagery, and meaning in a chosen one-sentence poem to decide what makes it a poem. Then students write one-sentence poems describing a picture. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Geography and history in songs

Students look at some historical paintings on the Internet and describe the things the paintings reveal about the places depicted in the paintings. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Geographic

Form and theme in the traditional Mexican Corrido

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from ARTSEDGE, students learn about the traditional Mexican musical form of corridos, which dates back to the 1800s and continues to be very popular. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts, Music Education, and Social Studies)

Provided by: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts