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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

Irony in Short Stories

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars read three texts and analyze the dialogue of the characters to find examples of humor and irony that contribute to their characterization. They then walk through the writing process to create a final essay.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

Reading Literature - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce’s short story, is used to model how structural moves, the decisions an author makes about setting, point of view, time order, etc., can be examined to reveal an author’s purpose. Groups...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Identifying Types of Irony Using "The Gift of the Magi"

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is the classic example of irony in literature. Teach young writers about the ways irony can engage their readers with an activity in which they write scripts using dramatic irony, situational irony, and...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Criminal Motivations: Irony and Characterization In "The Cask Of Amontillado"

For Teachers 9th Standards
Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado" is a bit of a puzzle. Critics have long debated Montresor's motives for killing Fortunato. Young scholars examine examples of the three types of irony (verbal, dramatic, and...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

"The Story of an Hour" Lesson 2: Teacher's Guide and Notes

For Teachers 8th Standards
After reading background information about Kate Chopin, pupils complete their shared reading of her short story, "The Story of an Hour."  Participants then consider the irony of the ending.
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Motivations In "The Gift Of The Magi": Motivation In Characters

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
O. Henry's short story, "The Give of the Magi," launches a study of what motivates people to act as they do. Class members identify what they believe are the motivations of the characters in O. Henry's tale and then craft a one-page...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing the Use of Irony in a Short Story

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine how literature connects to real-life and see how irony aids in the development of theme. They read Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, and discuss elements of foreshadowing and situational irony. Then learners will write...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foreshadowing and Situational Irony in Kate Chopin Short Stories

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This resource contains summaries of the stories featured, but limited procedural detail. Readers compare Chopin's stories' use of situational irony and foreshadowing. High interest content (questionable paternity, missing persons) for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Modest Proposal: Irony Made Understandable with Rock and Roll

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Who doesn't love music? Poems and songs will engage your high school class in a discussion about irony. Use songs like "Rockin' in the Free World" or "Born in the U.S.A." to illustrate the ironic point of view. Print the lyrics so...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Irony

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What are the three types of irony? High schoolers engage in a lesson about the use of irony while reading O.Henry's short story "Gift of the Magi." They'll discuss rising action, climax, and resolution in the text before highlighting the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Short Stories to Teach Vocabulary and Literary Terms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers apply vocabulary activities to two short stories in order to increase their comprehension skills. They complete three lessons in which they examine irony, examine how it is used in text, and design an ironic skit. Also,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analysis of Character in a Short Story

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine a character from the short story, John Steinbeck's, "Flight." students respond to questions about the story and illustrate the character's journey.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gift of the Magi

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Test the true meaning of giving - and irony - with this lesson about "The Gift of the Magi." Using textual analysis, details, and text organization, middle schoolers make predictions about future events in the story and determine the...
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Lesson Plan
Maine Content Literacy Project

Introduction to John Updike

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Expand your pupils' understanding of the short story genre with a study of John Updike and his story "A&P." This lesson, the fourth in a series of fourteen, invites learners to examine literary terms and read and discuss the story....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rest Cure: Gender in Medicine and Literature

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Read and discuss "The Yellow Wall-Paper" and the gender issues that the story brings up. Use articles from the time period to analyze, complete with specific discussion questions. After two days, scholars write an essay based on topics...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

"The Interlopers": Are You Ready to Rumble? Conflict, Motivation, and Setting

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Capulets and Montagues. Sharks and Jets. Nortenos and Surenos. Gradwitzes and Znaeyms? Hector Hugh Munro's short story "The Interlopers" invites high schoolers to consider the causes of conflicts and reflect on what it takes to resolve...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Convince that Jury (Inspired by Roald Dahl's

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What happened to a murder case when the police eat the murder weapon? After reading Roald Dahl's dark and ironic short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," students write a persuasive essay to convince a jury that the wife who killed her...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gift of the Magi

For Teachers 9th - 10th
While reading O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," your class will define and identify situational irony and allusion. Use a study guide (not included, but easy to produce) to record and discuss examples of allusion as you read. Map the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tell-Tale Heart

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Bring Edgar Allan Poe's spooky story to life! After reading the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart," middle and high schoolers identify the theme, character traits, irony, and other story concepts. During pre-reading, they take notes,...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Pre-Reading Vocabulary Activities Using "The Gift of the Magi"

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
The rich language of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is only appreciable if you understand the words. A short lesson reviews 13 words from the story and prompts class members to apply each word and its definition to other situations.
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Monkey's Paw - Be Careful What You Wish For: Foreshadowing

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
W. W. Jacobs' horror story, "The Monkey's Paw," is used to introduce foreshadowing. As they advance through the story, young readers make predictions about what might happen next and how the story might end. Pairs work through the story...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Characters Across Two Short Stories

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders listen to a read aloud of two short stories focusing on literary devices. The write about the settings and realism of the stories, and decide each main character handles the conflict he faces with nature.
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Lesson Plan
Education Oasis

Creative Writing Unit: Analyzing, Interpreting, Discussing and Writing Various Genres of African-American Literature

For Teachers 10th - 12th
A six-week unit takes high schoolers through various works of African-American literature, including poems, plays, and short stories. The lesson plan format includes a week-by-week description of activities, goals, materials, and...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Wake County Public Schools

Language

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Have your class doing everything from reading literature, analyzing literary devices, identifying independent and dependent clauses, discussing, and writing creatively with the rich resource found here. After a mini lesson on independent...