I have twelve years of teaching experience, seven of which were high school English here in the States. I have taught a mixture of special education and regular education classes. In addition to my experience here, I taught upper elementary and middle school Language Arts abroad for two years. I have my Masters in Education with an emphasis on Secondary (9-12) English. I also have my K-12 Special Education license.
I have twelve years of teaching experience, seven of which were high school English here in the States. I have taught a mixture of special education and regular education classes. In addition to my experience here, I taught upper elementary and middle school Language Arts abroad for two years. I have my Masters in Education with an emphasis on Secondary (9-12) English. I also have my K-12 Special Education license.
If your students are obsessed with their technology, then they need to read Ray Bradbury’s “The Veldt”. This dystopian short story addresses what happens when people get too attached to their devices.
What’s included in “The Veldt” Lesson Plan:
Daily Teacher Notes: notes for 5 days of lessons. Each day includes pre-reading, whole-class instruction, and independent practice suggestions as well as materials needed and standards addressed.
Teacher Notes - Background: Summary of the story and breakdown of text complexity
Anticipation Guide: Students respond to 8 questions and explain their answers to three of them. After reading, students revisit the anticipation guide and analyze one statement in light of the text.
Pre-Reading Vocabulary Practice: Use context clues to define 4 words. Then, write a paragraph using the words.
Annotations Directions & Key: Have students practice close reading skills by annotating as they read. Includes key for various annotations.
Note: Due to copyright laws, the full text is not included in this resource. A link to a PDF version is provided.
Plot: complete a plot diagram
2 ways to practice skills
Text-dependent questions and quote analysis
Key focus handouts
8 Key Focus handouts
1. Literary devices: review allusions, figurative language, and imagery
2. Conflict: Review the 4 types of conflict. Includes 2 versions of student handouts for differentiation
3. Characterization: Review 2 types of characterization. Includes 2 versions of student handouts for differentiation
4. Quote Analysis: Examine 4 quotes. Provide: speaker, context, and significance
5. Diction: Examine 5 excerpts. Highlight examples of strong diction. Provide connotation.
6. Topics and Themes: Analyze how six topics are addressed in the text. Then, choose one to write a theme development analysis paragraph. Includes scaffolded outline with sentence starters for struggling students
7. Argue Your Point: Students chose one of two prompts and write an argumentative paragraph
Film Comparision Venn Diagram
Multiple-choice quiz: characterization, inferences, vocabulary, point of view, and more
4 Optional Extensions: 2 videos and 2 articles. Include links, discussion questions, and extension tasks and/or debate topics
Suggested answer key
Fillable PDF for online completion
Check out what other teachers are saying:
❤ “My kids love that they can fill in these worksheets digitally! I appreciate the visually-appealing, organized layout. Each literary device is clearly explained with opportunities to practice text analysis. The answer key is thorough and helpful. Thanks!”
❤ “This was a great resource for my students. My campus uses the HyFlex model, so we have in-person, blended, and online learners using the same resources. It was easy to use and the materials worked well in my Google Classroom.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic work The Great Gatsby is considered to be one of the great American novels - the embodiment of the Lost Generation and the American Dream.
Teaching this novel but tired of worksheets with basic comprehension questions? This workbook is for you. Designed to make students think, this 18-page resource is full of questions to challenge your students. This resource includes 2 PDFs: a print version and a fillable version that can be uploaded into the LMS of your choice for students to complete electronically.
What you get:
Section Pages: Each section comes with a two-page spread. These pages include a variety of activities, such as vocabulary, figurative language, reading comprehension questions, characterization, quote analysis, and more. Many questions are open-ended and require students to dig deeper rather than just regurgitate basic facts; the focus here is on higher-order thinking questions.
Suggested Answer Key: A completed workbook with suggested answers. Since many of the questions in the workbook are designed to make students think and justify their responses, the provided answers are not intended to be the only ones, but rather to serve as a starting point for responses.
Teaching this novel but tired of worksheets with basic comprehension questions? This workbook is for you. Designed to make students think, this 56-page resource is full of questions and activities to challenge your students and help them make connections to other texts as well as their own lives.
What you get:
Erich Maria Remarque Biography: One-page biography of the author to give students a little background on the man behind the novel.
World War I Timeline: Two-page timeline of major battles and other events in World War I. This gives students an idea of the progression of events.
Anticipation Guide: Students will respond to ten statements, rating each from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”. Each statement addresses a topic or idea that will be explored in detail during reading. Students can revisit this guide after reading to see if their opinions have changed. The anticipation guide can also be used as a writing prompt, where students have to justify their response(s).
Chapter Pages: Each chapter comes with a two-page spread. These pages include a variety of activities, such as vocabulary, figurative language, reading comprehension questions, characterization, quote analysis, and more. Many questions are open-ended and require students to dig deeper rather than just regurgitate basic facts; the focus here is on higher-order thinking questions.
Plot Diagram: A blank plot diagram for students to complete as they read or after finishing the novel.
Symbolism: A chart where students can track the symbolism in the novel and discuss the role of each symbol.
Topics and Themes: A two-page activity that allows students to explore five topics found in the novel and craft a thematic statement for each. Students then choose one topic and thematic statement and write a paragraph response.
World War I Poetry: Four of the most well-known poems from World War I- “Break of Day in the Trenches”, “Dulce et Decorum Est”, “The Rear-Guard”, and “In Flanders Fields”. These pages include the full text of the poem as well as questions for each poem. Students can simply answer these questions or can annotate the poems for other elements as the teacher sees fit.
Picture Mapping Project: Instructions for a picture mapping project. Here, students identify key details from the novel, decide what image(s) symbolize these details, and gather them together to create a statement about the world outside of the text. Similar to a one-pager.
Mini-lesson on rhetorical devices: A PowerPoint presentation on logos, ethos, and pathos, complete with student guided notes.
Propaganda Poster Activities: Links to several websites full of propaganda posters from World War I (actual posters not included due to copyright laws). Students will use the Propaganda Poster Analysis handout to analyze a poster (or posters). Students will then create their own propaganda posters. A sample rubric for this project is included.
Teaching Poe’s classic short story “The Black Cat”? Practice close reading with these focused handouts. “The Black Cat” Unit Plan resource includes everything you need to cover this short story by the master of suspense - Edgar Allan Poe. No prep needed - just print and go!
Lead your students through an introduction to Edgar Allan Poe and several focused close reading handouts. Each handout zooms in on a specific literary device to help students hone their skills in each area. Every page can be used individually, allowing you to reinforce the specific skills you’re studying at the time.
Need a quick lesson to fill in some gaps? Use just the vocabulary and reading questions. Want to expand your discussion of the story and delve a little deeper? Use any (or all) supplemental activities to get students thinking about specific aspects of the text.
What’s included:
Poe introduction Prezi (including link, offline version, and PDF version)
Fill-in-the-blank notes for introduction material
Vocabulary practice (context clues, Frayer models, practice exercises, and quiz)
Four key focus handouts
Three writing extensions with sample rubric
Suggested answer keys
Key focus handouts include:
Reading comprehension - characterization, theme, mood, and more
Plot diagram
Conflict - Examine five passages. Identify the type of conflict and explain.
Narrator Reliability - Determine if the narrator is reliable and provide textual evidence
Suspense - Provide textual evidence as well as how the excerpt contributes to the suspense, mood, plot, and/or theme.
TEACHERS LIKE YOU SAID…
5 STARS - Theresa says, “ “The Black Cat" Is one of Poe’s more challenging stories, but this has made it easier for my struggling freshmen. The bio Prezi is incredible! My kids all agreed the vocabulary work helped them understand the text much better. Great purchase for us!"
Teaching Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” from Canterbury Tales? Looking for a variety of activities? The “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” Lesson Plan is for you! Practice vocabulary, characterization, and reading comprehension with these handouts.
A story that answers the age-old question “What do women want most?”, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” has been a staple in British Literature classes for years.
What’s included in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” Lesson Plan:
Teacher Notes
Vocabulary: pre-reading exercises and quiz
The Wife of Bath Characterization (General Prologue excerpt)
”The Wife of Bath’s Tale Prologue” excerpts
Adapted text & questions
Wife of Bath Character Analysis
Claim & Counterclaim
Fairy Tales vs. Folk Tales
Men vs. Women
Frame Stories
Suggested Answer Key
Each Teacher Notes handout includes:
Materials needed
CCSS Standards
Pre-Reading
Whole-Class Lesson ideas
Small Group Practice
Independent Practice
Exit Ticket
Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech is full of rhetorical devices. Use this mini flipbook to examine and analyze some of these devices. Mini flipbooks are engaging twists on the traditional worksheet. Simply print, cut, and staple. Flipbooks can be used separately or as part of an interactive notebook.
Tabs include:
➳ Glossary of rhetorical devices
➳ Rhetorical devices chart: Students close read the speech for various rhetorical devices and analyze the effect of the device on the speech.
➳ Rhetorical pyramid: Complete the rhetorical pyramid using the three appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos
➳ Rhetorical precis: Write a rhetorical precis, or analytical summary, of the speech. A format is provided.
➳SOAPSTone analysis chart
This resource includes everything you need to teach one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous short stories - “The Fall of the House of Usher”.
One of the masters of the Gothic literature genre, Poe is often a staple in English literature courses. His short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” - a tale of an isolated family and a decaying house - is a perfect introduction to this genre. This resource can be used as a stand-alone lesson or as part of a larger short stories and/or Gothic literature unit. Don’t have time to cover everything? Use the handouts that align with the focus of your unit.
Included in this resource:
❊ Suggested lesson plan
❊ Edgar Allan Poe introduction Prezi (including a link, offline version, and PDF version - for those inevitable days when technology doesn’t work)
❊ Prezi guided notes
❊ Vocabulary handouts: 3 different handouts that cover 10 words from the text
→ Context Clues: Students use context clues to determine the meaning of the words and then compare their definitions to the actual definitions
→ Exercises: Match the vocabulary words to their synonyms; complete the sentences using the correct vocabulary word; write a paragraph using the vocabulary words
→ Quiz: Match vocabulary words and definitions; choose the correct word for provided synonyms; write an original paragraph using the vocabulary words
❊ Five key focus handouts:
→Plot: answer plot-based questions and complete a plot diagram
→ Symbolism: review six symbols and provide an explanation of the symbol. Then, write a short paragraph describing Poe's use of symbolism.
→ Narrator Reliability: Review traits of reliable and unreliable then determine which the narrator of "The Fall of the House of Usher" is
→ Gothic Elements: Review elements of Gothic literature and find examples of each within the text
→ Topics and Themes: Examine how the text treats seven topics; create a thematic statement; complete a theme development paragraph (includes scaffolded and non-scaffolded versions)
❊ Writing Extensions
❊ Two grammar focus handouts:
→ Sentence Types: Review the four types of sentences; determine the type of sentence for ten excerpts from text; mark independent and dependent clauses.
→ Parallelism: Review parallelism and four types of parallelism problems. Identify parallelism in five excerpts. Rewrite three sentences without parallelism.
❊ Suggested answer key
Teaching Richard Connell’s famous story “The Most Dangerous Game”? Use this resource to review literary devices, focus on plot, characterization, and conflict, and more. This resource can be used as a stand-alone or part of a short stories unit.
Included are:
✺ Suggested lesson plan for pre, during, and post-reading
✺ Vocabulary - using context clues and vocabulary exercises
✺ Literary Terms: Use the included PowerPoint to review six literary terms: mood; simile; metaphor; point of view; protagonist; and antagonist
✺ Key Focus: Plot - two pages of reading comprehension questions and a plot diagram
✺ Key Focus: Characterization - Determine if passages are examples of direct or indirect characterization as well as what they reveal about the character.
✺ Key Focus: Conflict - Review the four types of conflict and determine which is being used in each passage
✺ Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt - Identify examples of figurative language and search the text for examples of the terms given
✺ Extension Activities - Choose from three extension activities. Includes suggested rubrics
✺ Suggested answer key - Since many questions require students to provide textual evidence and their own analysis, these answers should be viewed as starting points.
Looking for a fun, engaging way to review Richard Connell’s classic short story “The Most Dangerous Game”? Your students will love this digital escape room. Students play at Sanger Rainsford, rushing to solve a set of puzzles to help them escape General Zaroff and his Ship Trap Island.
This is a no-prep activity. All you need to do is share the link by posting it in your online classroom or on your whiteboard, or printing out the QR code. Then, simply set the students free.
Escape rooms allow students to review texts without boring study guides. Students will rely on their knowledge of the text and use logic to solve five tasks:
Task 1: Plot -> Students determine the correct order of eight plot points. The correct order becomes the code for this task.
Task 2: Characters-> Match descriptions and quotes to one of the four characters. Unscramble the shaded letters to unlock the code.
Task 3: Figurative Language Puzzle -> Determine the type of figurative language being used to work through the maze.
Task 4: Cryptogram -> Use clues gathered throughout the other tasks to decipher an encrypted message.
Task 5: Close Reading -> Read four passages and answer multiple-choice questions. Unscramble the letters to unlock the code.
Includes three versions:
Interactive ThingLink presentation - embedded Google Slides means no forced copies!
Google Sites: Students make a copy of each task before completing it.
Microsoft OneNote: Students download a copy of the notebook on their devices and complete the tasks.
Note: The Google Sites version requires students to access Google apps with a Google sign-in. Prior to purchasing this resource, please make sure your school doesn’t block: Google Sites, Google Slides, or Google Forms; Microsoft OneNote; ThingLink.com **
Teaching Frank Stockton’s popular cliffhanger “The Lady or the Tiger?”? Looking for a way to help students analyze the story? Practice close reading for tone, mood, theme, and more with this “The Lady or the Tiger?” Lesson Plan.
Created with the reluctant learner in mind, these visually appealing pages will help students break down various aspects of this popular short story. Use some or all of these handouts as part of your short stories unit.
What’s included in** “The Lady or the Tiger?” Lesson Plan: **
Vocabulary
Reading questions
Topics and Theme: includes blank & scaffolded versions
Writing extensions
Skills covered include:
Tone/Mood
Foreshadowing
Setting
Characterization
Point of View
Topics for theme development paragraph:
Determination vs. free will
Barbarism vs. Progressiveness
Trust vs. Betrayal
Writing Extension Prompts:
Change perspectives
Continue the story
Analyze the king’s justice system
includes sample rubric
Looking for an engaging way to help students analyze characters in Romeo and Juliet? Mini flip books to the rescue! These Romeo and Juliet Character Analysis Organizers, Mini Flip Books will help students not only keep track of all characters, but also provide examples of characterization, theme, and more.
A play of forbidden love, loyalty, and reckless decisions, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, long a staple in ELA classrooms, still resonates with teenagers nearly 400 years after its publication.
Created with the reluctant learner in mind, these mini flip books provide quick and easy practice in analyzing key characters.
What’s included in the Romeo and Juliet Character Analysis Organizers, Mini Flip Books:
Two mini flip books: Main characters and minor characters
Main characters:
▶ Romeo
▶ Juliet
▶ Tybalt
▶ Mercutio
▶ Friar
▶ Nurse
Minors characters:
▶ Benvolio
▶ Montague
▶ Lady Montague
▶ Capulet
▶ Lady Capulet
▶ Prince
Each Romeo and Juliet Character Analysis Mini Flip Book includes:
Background: What is known about the character
Quote Analysis: Choose one quote that best exemplifies the character and analyze for its impact on the text
Theme: Explain how the character’s actions help develop the theme
Characterization: Provide examples of direct and indirect characterization
Characterization: Determine if each character is static, dynamic, round, or flat and explain
Easy to assemble. Cut along the dotted lines and then staple pages together along the left margin. Mini flip books are the perfect size for interactive notebooks.
Looking for an engaging way to introduce Romanticism and Transcendentalism to your students? This American Literary Periods: Romanticism, Transcendentalism Introduction presentation and visual notes resource is a great addition to any American Literature course.
Research shows that students retain more information when visuals are combined with words. The more students make connections between graphics and written notes, the stronger their ability to apply information becomes.
This resource was created to provide background knowledge that will be useful as students tackle a staple unit in any American Literature curriculum - Romanticism and Transcendentalism. Visual notes as well as Cornell notes are included to take away any prep work and allow students to focus on the material at hand.
Included in this resource:
PowerPoint presentation with a timeline of important events and literary works as well as additional information about Romanticism, Dark Romanticism, and Transcendentalism.
3 versions of student handouts:
1. Version A: completed notes for students who struggle with note-taking
2. Version B: partially completed notes for students who need some scaffolding
3. Version C: blank notes for students who don’t require scaffolding
Cornell notes version
interactive ThingLink version - perfect for individual exploration of the topic
provides the same information as the PowerPoint, with additional links to external websites and texts
Note: Make sure that ThingLink.com is not blocked by your school district if you intend to use the interactive version.
D.H. Lawrence’s short story “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is a tale of materialism and the toll it takes on a person, a story of chasing the ever-elusive luck. This resource contains the full text along with annotation guidelines and reading comprehension questions, a plot diagram, a topic chart, and a theme analysis paragraph (scaffolded for students who need extra support). Use this resource as a stand-alone or as part of a larger short story unit.
This resource is completely digital. Simply create a copy of the Google Slides™ presentation and upload it to your Google Classroom™, Schoology™, or LMS of your choice. Students type directly into the presentation and can download their responses as a PDF when finished.
Unique workbook/worksheet pages to engage your students while reading Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
A play of mistaken identities, unrequited love, and dreamlike events (with a little mischief thrown in for good measure), Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream explores the fickleness of love.
Teaching this play and wanting more than basic reading comprehension worksheets? Then this workbook is for you. This resource includes two versions: one with visually engaging handouts, and one with more basic, streamlined handouts perfect for students who struggle with overstimulation.
What you get:
➩ Fillable PDFs of both versions. PDFs can be uploaded to the LMS of your choice for distribution and use electronically
➩ Color and black and white character maps
➩ Handouts for each scene: include summaries, reading questions, characterization, quote analysis, and more.
➩ Suggested answer key for both versions: Many questions involve student opinion or require inferences; therefore, the provided answers aren’t intended to be the only ones, but rather starting points.
Teaching Greek and Latin roots? This product has everything you need to cover 50 of the most common roots that make up the English language. What you get:
❖ a 51-slide PowerPoint presentation including one slide for each word. Slides include the definition of the root as well as three examples of words containing the root and their definitions
❖ a 63-page PDF file with student note pages, one for each root. Student note pages include: definition; examples from PowerPoint; space for students to research their own words containing the root; a space to illustrate one of the words; using one of the words in a sentence; determining and explaining the connotation of one of the words. Also included are exercises for each list as well as two quizzes - one for Lists 1-5 and one for Lists 6-10
❖ a 12-page PDF answer key for list exercises and quizzes
Teaching Chaucer’s influential The Canterbury Tales? Looking for a visually appealing and engaging way to keep track of the pilgrims mentioned in the Prologue? The Canterbury Tales Character Graphic Organizers are perfect for you.
This resource was created to provide students a way to track the different pilgrims described in the Prologue. Students will provide a physical description, characteristics, historical role, and class for each character.
Research shows that students retain more information when they are able to incorporate both written and visual cues. These graphic organizers provide students the ability to do this through visually appealing text boxes and character outlines that can be colored in.
The Canterbury Tales Character Graphic Organizers include:
Full page organizer for 20 pilgrims
PDF version with black and white and colored versions
Also fillable to allow for digital completion
Digital version (compatible with Google Slides)
Perfect for small groups or independent practice. Assign each student/group a pilgrim to complete and teach to the class.
Note: The digital version of this resource requires students to have a Google account. You will be asked to make a copy of the slides to add to your own Google account. From there you can share via the LMS of your choice.
Copyright Windows into Literature
Terms of Use: This product is for individual single classroom use only. Copying, altering, redistributing, editing, or re-selling anything from this product is strictly forbidden. Use in multiple classrooms requires the purchase of additional licenses.
This resource includes everything you need to teach one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous short stories - “The Fall of the House of Usher”.
One of the masters of the Gothic literature genre, Poe is often a staple in English literature courses. His short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” - a tale of an isolated family and a decaying house - is a perfect introduction to this genre. This resource can be used as a stand-alone lesson or as part of larger short stories and/or Gothic literature units. Don’t have time to cover everything? Use the handouts that align with the focus of your unit.
Included in this resource:
❊ Suggested lesson plan
❊ Edgar Allan Poe introduction Prezi (including a link, offline version, and PDF version - for those inevitable days when technology doesn’t work)
❊ Prezi guided notes
❊ Vocabulary handouts: 3 different handouts that cover 10 words from the text
→ Context Clues: Students use context clues to determine the meaning of the words and then compare their definitions to the actual definitions
→ Exercises: Match the vocabulary words to their synonyms; complete the sentences using the correct vocabulary word; write a paragraph using the vocabulary words
→ Quiz: Match vocabulary words and definitions; choose the correct word for provided synonyms; write an original paragraph using the vocabulary words
❊ Five key focus handouts:
→Plot: answer plot-based questions and complete a plot diagram
→ Symbolism: review six symbols and provide an explanation of the symbol. Then, write a short paragraph describing Poe’s use of symbolism.
→ Narrator Reliability: Review traits of reliable and unreliable then determine which the narrator of “The Fall of the House of Usher” is
→ Gothic Elements: Review elements of Gothic literature and find examples of each within the text
→ Topics and Themes: Examine how the text treats seven topics; create a thematic statement; complete a theme development paragraph (includes scaffolded and non-scaffolded versions)
❊ Writing Extensions
❊ Two grammar focus handouts:
→ Sentence Types: Review the four types of sentences; determine the type of sentence for ten excerpts from text; mark independent and dependent clauses.
→ Parallelism: Review parallelism and four types of parallelism problems. Identify parallelism in five excerpts. Rewrite three sentences without parallelism.
❊ Suggested answer key
This resource includes both a print (PDF) and a digital copy of the materials. To access the digital versions, make a copy of the Google Slides presentation and the Google Forms vocabulary quiz. Then, share with your students or upload them to the LMS of your choice.
Looking for an engaging way to introduce Chaucer’s influential The Canterbury Tales? Look no further. The Canterbury Tales Virtual Field Trip to the rescue.
If you’re tired of the same old introductory presentations where students sit passively taking notes, then this resource was designed for you.
Students take a three-day virtual field trip ending in Canterbury. Along the way, they will read a biography on Chaucer, watch videos on the Middle Ages and the evolution of the English language, try their hand at translating some Middle English, and explore sites in Canterbury.
Each stop features a text, video, and/or website to interact with. Students use the information gathered to complete their passports.
Your The Canterbury Tales Virtual Field Trip includes:
Itinerary and links (hosted on Google Sites)
A digital passport (Google Slides compatible)
A printable passport
Note: In order to use the digital passport, students will need a Google account. Accounts are not required to access the site. Several YouTube videos are embedded in the site. Please ensure that your district does not block YouTube for students.
Copyright Windows into Literature
Terms of Use: This product is for individual single classroom use only. Copying, altering, redistributing, editing, or re-selling anything from this product is strictly forbidden. Use in multiple classrooms requires the purchase of additional licenses.
Adding “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving to your short story unit or Gothic literature unit? This “The Devil and Tom Walker” lesson plan includes everything you need to teach this classic piece of American Gothic literature.
What’s included:
↝ Background PowerPoint presentation. Review the elements of Gothic literature as well as a brief Washington Irving biography and “The Devil and Tom Walker” background.
↝ Student guided notes. Includes two versions - a visual notes version and a Cornell notes style version.
↝ Vocabulary. Includes two lists with twelve vocabulary words each. Each list includes a context clues handout, exercises (matching synonyms and completing sentences), and a quiz. Each list also includes three puzzles - crossword, word search, and cryptogram.
↝ Key Focus handouts.
★ Plot. Answer reading comprehension questions and complete a plot diagram.
★ Characterization. Includes a characterization chart for students to find examples of characterization about Tom Walker, Mrs. Walker, and the devil. Also includes two handouts with characterization examples already provided for Tom and Mrs. Walker.
★ Gothic elements. Examine the text for elements of Gothic literature and write a paragraph on the elements' effects on the text.
★ Topics and theme. Examine how the text treats 5 topics and provide textual evidence. Write a thematic statement. Then, chose one topic and write a theme development paragraph. Includes scaffolded and blank versions.