Literary Analysis Teacher Resources

Delve into the depths of madness with a literary analysis unit focused on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" and Emily Dickinson's "I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain." It features thought-provoking discussion questions, evidence-based...

Packed with activities, presentations, projects, and assessments, first-time instructors and seasoned veterans will find much to like in this unit based on William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies. An 18-slide presentation includes...

The 20 lessons in Unit 2, Module 1 collection, continue the study of mythology using The Lightning Thief as the anchor text. Six graders also read multiple myths, as well as informational text about the elements and themes found in...

The first unit in this three-module set introduces sixth-graders to a study of how authors’ culture influences and is evident in their writing. Laurence Yep’s novel, Dragonwings, and his biography The Lost Garden serve as the core texts....

Focused on Karen Russell's "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves," the 17-lesson unit addresses important reading comprehension skills, literary analysis concepts, and expository writing projects as assessments.

So much of a poem's tone is determined by the author's word choice as it relates to the poem's meaning. Explore the concept of tone in poetry with a literary analysis unit, which includes an explanatory slideshow presentation and five...

Engaging narratives blend the forms of expository writing with the tropes of creative writing. Introduce class members to narrative writing techniques with a 28-lesson unit that not only uses The Autobiography of Malcolm X as a model of...

What makes stories powerful? That’s the question seventh-graders consider in a three-unit, eight-week module. Scholars analyze how Frederick Douglas, in his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, uses figurative language and word...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the anchor text in a three-unit module that has eighth graders examine how Shakespeare develops the theme of control. Young scholars look at why and how the characters seek control and the results of...

In the three units in Grade 8, ELA Module 2A, eighth-graders continue their study of the theme of taking a stand. In Unit 1, scholars develop their close reading skills as they examine speeches of real people taking a stand. They...

An eight-week module has seventh-graders investigate the impact of the Second Sudanese Civil War on the peoples of Southern Sudan. Using Linda Sue Park’s novel, A Long Walk to Water, and informational texts, young historians learn how to...

Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol offers students a chance to practice their close reading skills. Using the provided worksheets, readers examine context clues to determine the meanings of words, direct and indirect characterization...

William Golding's Lord of the Flies is the anchor text for a three-lesson unit module. The first instructional activity models for readers how authors use direct and indirect characterization to establish their characters. Other lessons...

Unit 2 of Module 1a continues a study of To Kill A Mockingbird with readers paying particular attention to the theme of taking a stand. A Mid-Unit Assessment asks students to compare a key scene in the novel with the same scene in the...

Rick Riordan’s, The Lightning Thief is the anchor text in a three-unit module that explores the archetypal storyline of the hero’s journey. Sixth graders examine the many mythical illusions in Riordan’s tale. Additionally, they read...

The 16 lessons in the Module 3, Unit 2 collection continue the study of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and the language Douglass uses to develop his purpose in writing. Both the mid-unit and final assessments require...

A Midsummer Night's Dream takes center stage in a collection of 18 resources that explore not only William Shakespeare's appeal but also the question of authorship of the plays attributed to him. Eighth graders participate in read aloud...

How does an author’s culture influence their perspective and point of view? Moreover, how does an author’s purpose affect their point of view? These are the questions middle schoolers investigate in a three-unit module that uses works by...

Ten resources make up the AP Poetry Unit Module. The first resource, designed for instructors, provides an overview of and links to all materials required for a four-week poetry unit. Next, a 27-slide presentation introduces scholars to...

Eighth-graders develop their ability to read and understand a complex text as they consider the plight of refugees. The first unit uses Thanhha Lai’s novel, Inside Out & Back Again, as well as informational text, to build background...

You'll find tragedy at every turn with a well-crafted unit on Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Focusing on textual analysis, literary themes, and evidence-based responses, the unit is an effective addition to any ninth grade language unit.

Ethan Canin's short story "The Palace Thief" is the anchor text in a unit that teaches 10th grades close reading skills. Class members gather evidence for an expository essay in which they analyze how how the author uses the interactions...

In this three-unit module, juniors examine literary and nonfiction text, observing how authors develop their central ideas. In Units 1 and 2, scholars practice close reading, annotating text, and evidence-based discussions and writing....

Taking a stand is the theme of Module 2. Students continue to develop their close reading skills, study a speaker's perspective, and analyze how writers craft an argument. The core texts for Unit 1 include speeches by Shirley Chisholm...