Anti-Defamation League
The Road to Brown
As part of the study of segregation in U.S. schools, scholars research and create a timeline of events that led to the historic Supreme Court case, Brown V. Board of Education. Groups research a topic or event that led to the decision,...
Anti-Defamation League
The Problem We Still Live With?
Norman Rockwell's painting "The Problem We Still Live With" launches a unit study of racism in the United States and segregation in U.S. schools. In the first lesson, scholars discuss the painting, review key elements of the Supreme...
Learning for Justice
Mary Church Terrell
Excerpts from an 1898 speech by civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell offers young scholars an opportunity to investigate how Black American women fought for civil rights long before Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement of the...
Learning for Justice
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise", offers young scholars an opportunity to consider how poets use literary devices to create powerful messages. After a close reading and discussion of the poem, class members reflect on how they can...
Anti-Defamation League
Shirley Chisholm: Unbought, Unbossed and Unforgotten
A 13-page packet introduces high schoolers to a lady of amazing firsts. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, the first Black woman to run for President of the United States, and a leader of the Women's Rights...
EBSCO Industries
Music and Poetry
Song lyrics, like poems, are meant to be heard. After examining the literary devices in several poems, scholars examine the lyrics of popular songs and identify the sound devices and the figurative language writers use to create the...
John F. Kennedy Center
Harriet Tubman: Secret Messages Through Song
A lesson plan all about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad introduces scholars to African American spirituals. By way of reading, speaking, and listening, learners discover, analyze, and decode African American spirituals. They...
Teaching Tolerance
In Our Own Words: A Story Book with a Purpose
Academics turn into storytellers in an engaging activity on activism. The activity focuses on promoting social change in local communities with stories. Young historians plan a storybook to target a specific audience and social issue and...
Anti-Defamation League
10 Ideas for Teaching Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month with the help of 10 ideas that delve deep into the history, major events, contributions, famous African Americans, and sheds light on how scholars today can take a proactive stance on current civil rights...
Learning for Justice
Beauty is Skin Deep
If you are in need of a lesson plan on tolerance or the impact of media, this plan could be useful. The class begins with a brainstorming session in which they reflect on their own experiences with bias based on appearance. Next, they...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Poetic Devices [Pdf]
This is a nine-page PDF on poetic devices; it includes four sections: The Sounds of Words, The Meanings of Words, Arranging the Words, and The Images of Words. Each section includes the poetic devices that fit the topic complete with...
Poetry Foundation
Poetry Foundation: Dream in Color: Teacher Resources Glossary, Credits [Pdf]
This website contains a glossary with definitions of poetic terms and a bibliography of additional African-American poets and books and recommended reading.
University of Victoria (Canada)
U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary and Rhetorical Terms: An Alphabetical List
This is an alphabetical list of literary and rhetorical terms; each includes a definition and examples.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Importance of Figurative Language: Practice 3 (English I Reading)
This practice activity focuses on identifying figurative language, determining literal from figurative language, and connecting figurative language to settings. L.9-10.5 Fig Lang/nuances
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: How to Read and Analyze an Essay (English Iii Reading)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson's activities, you will determine the purpose of description, narration, and exposition essays, analyze their literary devices, and examine text features. You...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Simile and Metaphor (English Iii Reading)
You will be able to identify the similes and metaphors in a text and evaluate their importance to the meaning of the text. W.11-12.2d Lang/Fig/Voc
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Literary Terminology: Practice 5 (English I Reading)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] To be "in the know" in literature, you need to know the terminology used to describe, interpret, and analyze poetry, drama, and fiction. As you proceed through the sections...
abcteach
Abcteach: Personification Form [Pdf]
Form reinforces the concept of personification with examples and room for students to create their own.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Semantic Gradients
Use the strategy of determining semantic gradients (shades of meaning) to help students improve their vocabulary and understanding of related words.
Rutgers University
Rutgers University: Glossary of Literary and Rhetorical Terms: Modernism
A succinct definition of modernism, with examples of authors and styles.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Understanding and Analysis of Literary Text: Meter and Rhyme
OnTRACK English II Reading, Module 3, Lessons 1-12, and Practice Lessons 1-3. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry, drama, fiction, and literary non-fiction, and provide...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Literary Analysis Example 2
This seven-page essay provides an example of a literary analysis essay (using "Things Fall Apart"). Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Literary Analysis Example 3
This seven-page essay provides an example of a literary analysis essay. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
City University of New York
Cuny Brooklyn: Literary Terms
Site gives definitions of many literary terms including "characterization."