Discover how literary techniques like figurative language, imagery, and symbolism contribute to the overall meaning of a poem. Explore how a poet establishes and builds on a theme and the difference between tone and mood. Through a close...

Find close readings, critical interpretations, and personal responses to the works of key 20th-century playwrights and practitioners, including Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Shelagh Delaney, and Timberlake Wertenbaker.

Initial focus by the Americans in World War II was containing Germany. Read about the Allied war stategy to "close the ring" and deprive Germany of men and materiel.

This site offers brief biographical information about Vermeer but emphasizes his works. Over 20 paintings are featured as enlargeable images so you can get a close look at each one. Several works have in depth description and analysis...

[Free Registration/Login Required] This is a six-page PDF fiction passage entitled "Refueling" followed by 10 comprehension questions. A link to the answer key is provided. Click on double arrows on top right to download, print, or view...

In October 1962, Americans "peered into the abyss of nuclear destruction". Investigate how America got this close to nuclear war by reading the following summary, answering critical thinking questions, using the bibliography for further...

This radio series gives an up-close-and-personal view of Hmong history, culture and the challenges of resettling in the U.S. Listen to, or read transcripts of, interviews with Hmong refugees, a clan leader trained by the CIA as part of...

Take a close look at the United States Bill of Rights, the ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It was written a long time ago-1791. Move your cursor over the picture below to see if you can read the rights given to American citizens.

As urban populations increased along with poverty in urban areas, charities began to offer help. Read about the Charity Organization Society that attempted to coordinate charitiable giving. Read about the evolution of the coordination of...

Read about the history of the Yerkes Observatory, which was run by the University of Chicago. This observatory houses one of the few research grade refractors in the world. The observatory was closed in October 2018 and discussions were...

Can you name the six syllable types? Explore this informative website to learn more about this part of the English language. Don't miss out on this educational resource.

This site offers two separate lesson plans which focus on the theme of "Courage," as portrayed in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and court transcripts (and other primary source material) from the second Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933.