This mini-lesson teaches students how to craft the topic and concluding sentences of body paragraphs-- specifically for the literary analysis essay-- by using key words and phrases that connect to the thesis statement. You can find this mini-lesson as part of our Literary Analysis Mega Bundle. Bundle and save!

This listing is for a characterization activity entitled "Stargram" in which students analyze how a character's name reveals character traits. This mini-lesson is part of the Mega Characterization Bundle of over 15 characterization mini-lessons that get your students working with all literary devices and techniques. You can find it listed separately in our store. Bundle and save over $15.00! For this mini-lesson: "Stargram" Task To characterize a character from a text using textual evidence Objectives To develop criteria for analyzing character To assess comprehension of character development across a text To select appropriate academic vocabulary for literary analysis To support analysis with textual evidence To communicate points effectively with small groups and large groups Common Core Standards R1, 3, 6, 11/ W1, 2, 4, 10/ SL 1, 4, 6/ L1-3 Instructions For this activity, students will first fill out the “Stargram” chart for a specific character—either of their own choosing, or assigned by you (you could even assign student groups to specific characters). Students will then list five adjectives on the “Stargram” to describe the selected character. This is an excellent opportunity for students to use the “Characterization Adjectives List” (sold separately) in order to expand their vocabulary. Be sure to make dictionaries available as well. For each of the selected adjectives, students will find a quotation to support it from the text and add the quotations to the “Stargram.” After completing the “Stargram” Activity, you can have students complete any of the follow-up activities that are included: the “Stargram” Discussion, “Stargram” Analytical Paragraph, or the “Stargram” Class Debate. These follow-up activities provide opportunities for students to synthesize their findings from the “Stargram” Activity and to practice both oral and written communication.

This listing is for a characterization activity entitled "What's in a name?" in which students analyze how a character's name reveals character traits. This mini-lesson is part of the Mega Characterization Bundle of over 15 characterization mini-lessons that get your students working with all literary devices and techniques. You can find it listed separately in our store. Bundle and save over $15.00! For this mini-lesson: Task To research the meaning of a character’s name and analyze how the meaning of names helps to create characterization Objectives To develop criteria for analyzing character To assess comprehension of character development across a text To select appropriate academic vocabulary for literary analysis To support analysis with textual evidence To conduct research from multiple sources and use that research to support analysis Common Core Standards R1, 3, 6, 11/ W1, 2, 4, 7, 9-11/ SL 1, 4, 6/ L1-3 Instructions Many modern literary critics argue that researching a character’s name in a piece of literature is a necessary part of conducting character analysis. In this activity, students will research the meaning behind a character’s name from a piece of literature. Students can either select the character, or you can assign each individual student or student groups to a particular character. Students will then visit several websites to conduct research on the meaning behind the name and compile their findings onto the Research Activity Sheet. After students have conducted the name research, there are three optional follow-up activities that involve discussion (“What’s in a name?” Pair Discussion), exploration (“What in a name?” Chart), and writing (“What’s in a name?” Analytical Paragraph)—all are attached below. These optional activities will allow students to compare/ contrast their findings from their name research and discuss how this research informs character analysis.

This listing is for a characterization activity entitled "Love Triangle" in which students analyze how a character's romantic relationships affect the story as a whole. This mini-lesson is part of the Mega Characterization Bundle of over 15 characterization mini-lessons that get your students working with all literary devices and techniques. You can find it listed separately in our store. Bundle and save over $15.00! For this mini-lesson: "Love Triangle" Task To assess the motif of the “love triangle” in a piece of literature and its effects upon literary elements Objectives To develop criteria for analyzing character To assess comprehension of character development across a text To support analysis with textual evidence To assess how character interaction affects literary elements To synthesize findings and present them to a group Common Core Standards R1-3, 6, 10, 11/ W1-4, 10-11/ SL 1, 4, 6/ L1-3 Instructions Oftentimes, a story involves three characters that are in love with one another (or pursue one another) at different points in the plot. This is called a “love triangle” and is a common motif in stories (and sometimes this “love triangle” is quite bizarre—pun intended for the 80’s audience). In this activity, students will consider the “love triangle” of a piece of literature that involves three characters who are in love or lust with one another in varying combinations. For example, one of the most popular “love triangles” in recent pop culture is that of Bella, Edward, and Jacob in the Twilight series. At different points, Bella shows feelings for both Edward and Jacob who, in turn, show feelings for her. As with the Twilight series, the “love triangle” propels the plot by creating tension and conflict in the story and by forcing the protagonist to make decisions. In the case of Twilight, Bella is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob, which causes her character to become conflicted at different points in the story and also to confront feelings of jealousy and rejection. In the “Love Triangle” Activity, students will consider the “love triangle” in a piece of literature in order to assess the dynamics of the relationships among the three characters involved. They will also consider how the “love triangle” motif affects other literary elements in the story such as conflict, plot, and characterization. In the first follow-up activity, the “Love Triangle” Group Presentation, students focus upon a single literary element and determine how the “love triangle” affects that element in the story. Students are then to present their findings to the class using textual evidence. In the Exploratory Activity, the “Love Triangle” Poem, students write from the perspective of one of the characters involved in the “love triangle” in or

This listing is for a characterization activity entitled "Personality Profiles" in which students analyze character by creating various social media profiles. This mini-lesson is part of the Mega Characterization Bundle of over 15 characterization mini-lessons that get your students working with all literary devices and techniques. You can find it listed separately in our store. Bundle and save over $15.00! For this mini-lesson: "Personality Profiles" Task To create social media pages from the perspective of a literary character in order to explore character traits Objectives To develop criteria for analyzing character To assess comprehension of character development across a text To select appropriate academic vocabulary for literary analysis To support analysis with textual evidence To apply modern-day culture and technology to character analysis Common Core Standards R1, 3, 6, 11/ W1-4, 10-11/ SL 1, 4, 6/ L1-3 Instructions One of the best ways for students to get “into” a character’s mind is to envision how a character would use social media. This always captures students’ attention because they themselves use social media in their everyday lives. The activities that follow can be used either as simple activities or as more involved project presentations. Depending upon your school’s technology (and whether or not these social media sites are blocked), you might even be able to have students design real accounts for a character and then share them with the class. You could even give the following handouts to groups as brainstorming and planning tools to use in class to brainstorm ideas for creating social media pages outside of class. This is particularly useful for me because we do not have computers at my school for students to use, so I have them plan out their social media pages in class and then assign students to create the “real” pages outside of class. They then bring in “screen shots” of each page to share with their peers and submit for a grade (due to the fact that all social media sites are blocked at my school). However, if your school has computers and these sites are not blocked, groups could even present their social media to the class and explain the rationale behind their posts, photos, comments, etc. The following handouts include forms modeled after such social media sites as: Twitter Facebook Instagram While these handouts are not exact replicas of these social media sites, they do capture the essence of how they are laid out, and students will understand how to fill them out based upon their own use of social media. A reflection guide follows each social media activity that asks students to explain their rationales behind the character’s posts/ pics/ page.

As English teachers, we ask our students to edit and revise their peers' essays. However, students do not always know how to give constructive feedback. It's important that students are able to give constructive feedback about targeted writing skills while also maintaining the dignity of the writer. This product contains a handout with five tips for writing effective comments during peer revision and coaches students on how to go about giving thoughtful, quality feedback on academic essays in a supportive and encouraging manner. Then, there are "Comment Cards" that are divided according to targeted writing skills that give students a menu of options for giving positive comments and constructive criticism. Students are given models for writing criticism in a way that gives student an editing and revision task instead of simply marking something as incorrect. Writing criticisms as actionable items gives students a clear direction for editing and revising the essay. The Comment Cards are clustered according to the following targeted writing skills: Thesis Statement Introduction Paragraph Conclusion Paragraph Topic/ Concluding Sentences Body Paragraphs Organization Grammar & Punctuation Style & Word Choice Credibility MLA Format Following Directions Evidence Commentary & Analysis Students are also allowed to add their own comments to these cards in order to give themselves a bank of high-quality comment options. The Comment Cards are presented in two formats. The first format presents the comments clustered with their "sister" skills such as evidence and commentary. Following these pairings, each individual targeted writing skill is printed on a page of its own. You can decide how you want to give them to students as part of your writing workshop. These comments can also be used by teachers to give students feedback when they turn in essays. They can be easily converted into a checklist to accompany the essay rubric.

This packet is designed to support the writing process for a Macbeth literary analysis essay. INCLUDED: Macbeth Topics & Themes List Brainstorm Guide Commentary Brainstorming Outline Form Sample Outline Sample Essay Rubric Task To write an essay analyzing how literary elements and techniques create thematic meaning in a text Objectives • To use the writing process in order to produce a publishable essay draft • To construct a logical argument supported by textual evidence and sound reasoning • To edit/revise essay writing for academic vocabulary and style • To select textual evidence that effectively supports and demonstrates the argumentative claim • To analyze how a theme is developed across a text through literary elements and techniques

In this PowerPoint presentation, there are examples of literary elements such as theme, motif, plot structure, characterization, etc. from Beowulf as well as examples of literary techniques such as metaphor, irony, hyperbole, etc. Most examples contain direct quotations from the text, and I use this presentation as a means for discussing examples my students have brainstormed themselves. This is an effective summative activity to use as a review before an exam or as a brainstorming guide before beginning the writing process.

This document contains a characterization essay assignment, the rubric, a group brainstorm/prewriting activity, a sample essay, and an essay revision activity. In all, there are 5 documents attached to this essay assignment that take students through the entire writing process. The essay task asks students to analyze the character Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451 according to his physiological, sociological, and psychological traits. Characters, like people, are three-dimensional beings. They are made up of physiology, sociology, and psychology. A character’s physiology entails the physical appearance of that character. A character’s sociology entails a character’s life experiences, involving friends, family, schooling, upbringing, job, education, etc. A character’s psychology entails the character’s behavior. In essence, a character’s physiology + sociology = psychology. This means that a character’s behavior is determined by the character’s physical appearance PLUS the character’s life experiences. So, in this essay, students will use these traits as the outline for the essay and will be challenged to analyze how Montag's behavior changes throughout the novel. Attached to the essay assignment is a rubric that separates each writing skill into its own category, making it easy to give students feedback without having to write many comments. The rubric also shows students which skills they need to improve, and in this way, gives the student individualized feedback. The rubric is very comprehensive and approachable. Overall, this is an excellent writing assignment to assess Common Core Standards using F451.

This Halloween Activity Bundle contains FIVE activities to engage your students during the Halloween season. The activities include: Halloween Journal Creating a Villain Character Sketch & Writing Activity Halloween Story Prompts to Make Your Skin Crawl "Boo" Bingo with Literary Terms "The Haunted Palace" by Edgar Allan Poe Analysis These activities are not only fun but also target Common Core Standards. Students will enjoy them and simultaneously review key skills for English Language Arts. These activities can also work with 9th & 10th grade as well-- depending upon the level of your students.

This listing is for a characterization activity entitled "Magic Mirror" in which students analyze how a character's perceptions of himself/herself reveal character traits. This mini-lesson is part of the Mega Characterization Bundle of over 15 characterization mini-lessons that get your students working with all literary devices and techniques. You can find it listed separately in our store. Bundle and save over $15.00! For this mini-lesson: "Magic Mirror" Task To analyze the similarities and differences among a protagonist’s view of himself/herself versus how other characters view the protagonist Objectives To develop criteria for analyzing character To assess comprehension of character development across a text To select appropriate academic vocabulary for literary analysis To support analysis with textual evidence Common Core Standards R1, 3, 6, 11/ W1-4, 9-11/ SL 1, 4, 6/ L1-3 Instructions Oftentimes, the disparity in perception between how a protagonist of a story sees himself/herself and how other characters view the protagonist causes the protagonist to make a mistake—sometimes a very tragic mistake. In “Magic Mirror,” students are to consider how the protagonist views himself/herself as compared to how other characters view him/her. By looking at the protagonist through this lens, students can begin to see the imperfections of the protagonist that bring about conflict in the story. The lead activity, “Magic MIrror,” asks students to brainstorm adjectives to describe how the protagonist sees himself/herself. It also asks students to brainstorm adjectives to describe how other characters view the protagonist. Then, students can complete any or all of the follow-up activities to analyze the information from the “Magic Mirror” Activity including the “Magic Mirror” Chart, “Magic Mirror” Venn diagram, or the “Magic Mirror” Writing Task. All of these activities lend themselves to sharing/ discussing either in small groups or as a whole class, so consider ways for students to interact throughout these activities.

This listing is for a characterization activity in which students analyze the three dimensions of character. This mini-lesson is part of the Mega Characterization Bundle of over 15 characterization mini-lessons that get your students working with all literary devices and techniques. You can find it listed separately in our store! Bundle and save over $15.00! Task To assess the three dimensions of character Objectives To develop criteria for analyzing character To assess comprehension of character development across a text To support analysis with textual evidence To work effectively with others to produce a product To produce a piece of argumentative writing in an organized, coherent way using textual evidence Common Core Standards R1-3, 6, 10, 11/ W1, 2, 4, 10-11/ SL 1, 4, 6/ L1, 2, 3, 6 Instructions “Characters in 3-D” addresses the three dimensions of characters. Like real life people, characters have different aspects that create our life experiences. These dimensions are: physiology (physical makeup), sociology (life experiences), and psychology (behaviors & attitudes). When compiled together, we can begin to see a cause/ effect relationship emerge between the three different dimensions of character. In this series of activities, students will consider the three dimensions of a character and analyze how they interact to produce an entire character. In the Lead Activity, students are introduced to the three dimensions of character and then asked to apply them to their favorite character. Then, students move on to assessing the three dimensions of a protagonist of a piece of literature and collect evidence to put into an analytical paragraph in which they discuss how the physiology and sociology of a character lead to his/her psychology. Finally, students can work in groups to create a brand new SUPERHERO character in which they practice mapping out the three dimensions of character to present to the class. Students will have LOTS of fun creating a new SUPERHERO and sharing it with the class! This creative activity provides an interactive and entertaining way to assess students’ understanding of the three dimensions of character.

This product contains 26 pages of items to support a unit on nonfiction, or informational texts. You will find graphic organizers to assess the three more common text structures: descriptive, cause/effect, and compare/contrast. These graphic organizers are accompanied by writing tasks that are great tools to use for beginning an essay analyzing a nonfiction text. You will also find question stems to use for your nonfiction unit that include questions about text features, text structures, and rhetorical devices & appeals. These question stems are excellent tools for targeting Common Core skills and for preparing for standardized tests. In addition, there are two graphic organizers for addressing the 5W's of a nonfiction text as well as comparing/contrasting nonfiction texts. Overall, this is an excellent resource to enrich your next nonfiction unit!

This listing is for a characterization activity entitled "Mind Jump" in which students analyze how point of view affects characterization. This mini-lesson is part of the Mega Characterization Bundle of over 15 characterization mini-lessons that get your students working with all literary devices and techniques. You can find it listed separately in our store. Bundle and save over $15.00! For this mini-lesson: "Mind Jump" Task To write from the point of view of characters from a piece of literature in order to assess how point of view shapes characterization Objectives To understand what motivates characters to take action To develop criteria for analyzing character To assess comprehension of character development across a text Common Core Standards R1, 3, 6, 11/ W1-4, 10/ L1-3 Instructions Understanding a character’s point of view is necessary in determining a character’s motivation to take action. In this activity, students will explore the point of view of a specific character and attempt to write from that character’s perspective. After completing the “Mind Jump” Activity, students can complete the following post activities that are also included: the “Mind Jump” Pair Discussion, the “Mind Jump” Character Chart, and/or the “Mind Jump” Post Write-up in order to analyze the traits of the character from the initial “Mind Jump” Lead Activity.

Task Teacher Page To analyze writing style by comparing and contrasting two different styles of poetry Objectives • To use close reading annotation skills to assist poetry analysis •To identify and analyze literary elements and techniques in poetry in order to arrive at a thematic interpretation • To craft valid, logical arguments supported by strong, relevant textual evidence • To work collaboratively in a group in order to produce a high-quality product • To classify poems by style • To understand the differences in style of the Imagists and Romantics • To revise poems in the style of the Imagists and the Romantics • To construct a well-formed, logical,and thorough style analysis essay of two poems • To compare/contrast styles of poetry Common core objectives L1-6, 9, 11/ W1-2, 4-6, 10-11/ SL1, 4, 6/ L1-6 Poems included Romantics “Romance” by Edgar Allan Poe “The World is Too Much with us” by Wordsworth “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron Imagists “In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound “Oread” by H.D. "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams Procedure This lesson includes three poem pairings. The poems are not necessarily thematically related. Each pair of poems contains one Romantic poem and one Imagist poem. They are juxtaposed so that students can compare their styles side-by-side. Students are to read and annotate each pair of poems, one set at a time, and then complete the follow-up discussion questions and writing task. Students will compare and contrast the style of Romantic poets and Imagist poets and then write their own original poems in the style of either the Romantics or the Imagists. They will then write a style analysis essay in which they compare and contrast the traits of the Romantics vs. the Imagists. ------------------------------------------------- This lesson makes a great addition to any poetry unit in the secondary ELA classroom!

This file contains five separate reading quizzes (one per Act) that consist of 10 interpretation/plot questions each. Students are asked to provide the act, scene, and line numbers for where they find the answers in the text. So, this means that these quizzes are designed to be "open book," but you can also make them closed book as well. They also make excellent group activities, discussion guides, as well as homework assignments. Each quiz includes an answer key with explanations!

These graphic organizers are a nice supplementary item for a Beowulf unit. They give basic definitions of epic conventions, epic hero traits, archetypes, and major characters from the poem and allow space for students to write in textual evidence plus explanations for these items as they find them in the text. These are excellent tools to keep students organized when analyzing key concepts in the poem-- great for students of all levels! Thorough answer keys included with textual evidence and explanations! Graphic Organizer #1: Epic Conventions Graphic Organizer #2: Traits of the Epic Hero Graphic Organizer #3: Main Characters Graphic Organizer #4: Archetypes These items are included in my MEGA BEOWULF BUNDLE (25 lessons and activities with answer keys!). You can find the ENTIRE BUNDLE in our store, sold separately.

Lesson Plan Enduring Understandings To make connections between Shakespeare's style and modern music To use figurative language to communiate a theme To experiment with Shakespeare's language and English sonnet form To understand how the parts of an English sonnet are organized to create a central message To understand how tone shift impacts the thematic message in poetry To create an original English sonnet around a central theme Common Core Skills R1-6, 9, 11/ W 1-2/ 4-5 (6), 10-11/ SL 1, 4/ L 1-6 Procedure This activity assumes that students have prior knowledge and experience with Shakespearean sonnets. Students will first need to have a basic understanding of English sonnet form and Shakespeare's language. I would recommend this activity at the end of a Shakespearean sonnet unit. The pop sonnet began as an internet sensation and went on to become a popular book. The author had the idea to "Shakespearify" modern pop songs and morph them into sonnets. The result? A whole new level of depth for (mostly) simple songs with simple themes. Shakespeare would have been proud because this was Shakespeare's process-- to take simple ideas such as love and give them more complexity and sophistication. In this activity, students will explore pop sonnets via the (now famous) pop sonnet blog where it all started. They will then set out to select their very own pop songs to morph into Shakespearean sonnets. Students may choose to do this activity in pairs-- depending upon the level of the class. After crafting their own pop sonnets, students will then answer a series of questions that takes them through explaining and analyzing their original poems. Consider having students publish their pop sonnets online (via individual or class blogs) along with the original song lyrics and their analyses. Another fun and interactive way for students to share their pop sonnets is to have a read aloud in which the class tries to guess the title of the original song that inspired the sonnet. Differentiation Crafting a Shakespearean sonnet can be quite tricky due to the rhyme scheme and meter. Consider having students try one or the other, not both. Another option would be to give students an assortment of pop sonnets from the blog and have them analyze one of those in lieu of writing their own sonnets.

Check out BespokeClassroom.com for more products and ideas for teaching secondary English Language Arts! Product Description This lesson by Bespoke ELA is a great lesson to use in February to celebrate Valentine's Day in a unique and creative way that is sure to engage students! Task: To analyze how famous love letters use language, literary and rhetorical devices, and imagery to convey a message about love. Enduring Understandings: Students will understand how language, literary and rhetorical devices, and imagery affect a letter's meaning. Students will learn about famous people from history through the lens of their relationships and love letters. Students will understand how to construct an argument backed by evidence. Students will understand how to use language, literary and rhetorical devices, and imagery to create a message in the format of a letter. Materials: Copies of Famous Love Letters "Famous Love Letters" Debate Activity "Love Letter Task Cards" Construction paper, markers, stickers, etc. to decorate love letters Common Core Standards R1-6, 9-11/ W1,2,4,5,10,11/ SL1,2,4,6/ L1-6 Procedure: The "Famous Love Letters" activity by Bespoke ELA is an activity in which students will read famous love letters and make observations about how the writers use language, literary and rhetorical devices, and imagery to convey messages about love. In this lesson, students are to: 1. Research the relationship of the famous person who wrote the letter, read each love letter, and then answer the three close reading questions for each one. Consider splitting the class into groups to read and discuss each letter. There are a total of TEN love letters included in this lesson, but you may pick and choose which ones you would like to use with your students. 2. Synthesize their findings by debating which love letter is the most effective in communicating its message about love. Students will fill out the "Famous Love Letters" Debate Guide for their selected love letter and discuss their selections with the class. 3. Use the "Love Letter Task Cards" to write their own love letters and write an explication paragraph in which they explain how they use devices to communicate a thematic message about love. After writing their own original love letters, students can give them to a friend, or you may opt to have students do a "blind swap" in class. As an extension activity, students can analyze the language, literary devices, and imagery of their classmates' love letters. Consider providing craft supplies for your students to decorate their love letters, and they can hang them around the room or display them on a bulletin board to celebrate Valentine's Day during the month of February.

This pack contains 11 different forms to use in conjunction with a Personal Narrative Unit. It includes mini-lessons on personal narrative skills such as: Show Not Tell Avoiding Cliches and Common Descriptions Writing Attention-Grabbing Hooks Crafting Memorable Conclusions Writer's Voice It also includes a self-revision form and three peer revision activities. This pack will help students write personal narrative essays that leave a lasting impression in the reader's mind.