Be as romantic as a poetic. Appear as clever as Einstein. Wow others with your powers of observation by using similes to point out the similar aspects in two different things. This short video focuses on similes found in Shakespeare and...

Clichés, paradoxes, and equivocations are detailed in a short, animated video that defines and illustrates these writing traps. The resource also includes a quiz and the transcript for the video. Users can register to access free course...

It's an erroneous assumption that vocabulary practice must be tedious. Rather than a draconian approach, tantalize your learners with a sentence completion exercise that will enthrall them. A detailed answer key makes the seemingly...

A tea party in Wonderland? An East Egg brunch with Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Nick? Breakfast with Miss Havisham, Lady Macbeth, and Abigail Williams? Or dinner with Andre, Hamlet, and Randle Patrick McMurphy? Class members select a favorite...

Ask your class to lend their ears, and eyes, to a short video that defines and offers examples of synecdoche and metonymy. Whether it be brand names like Kleenex® and Band-aids® that have come to stand for all the products in a category,...

Isn’t it ironic that many situations labeled ironic aren’t? Properly labeled examples of verbal, dramatic, and situation irony are defined and illustrated in a short, animated video that uses passages from literary works as models. The...

Students rewrite part of a novel in play format and act it out.  In this character lesson, students recognize the attributes of the main characters and their relationships.  Students relate their word choice to the genre. ...

Students prepare for and hold a classroom debate via typed text on a literary topic. Two groups conduct an iChat debate using iChat AV software to document the debate as it happens. Pupils conduct a post-debate analysis of the debate...

Students engage in a study of the literature of modernism in America. They conduct research and read different texts for clarification of the genre style. Students discuss the background influences of culture that shaped modernism.

Students research and present reports on 20th century fashions and their influences. After watching a video about fashion, they complete worksheets based on the film. In another activity, students make doll-sized clothing items using...

Students discuss famous examples of historical fiction as a genre and why it is used so often. They create an original piece of historical fiction by developing a character who is an immigrant to the United States. They are assessed...

Practice using parentheses and brackets with your class using this handout and short exercise. This could also be used as a reference sheet, since it lists several different proper ways to use parentheses and brackets, with examples of...

Pupils need to use their papers from Part One of this lesson. They then write a paragraph for each term. This exercise help them to use these terms in their writing. Using figurative language makes writing more descriptive and alive.

The complete text of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is available here in PDF format. The Great Gatsby, which was first released in 1925, is 193 pages pages long.

This is a treasure hunt based on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In it students complete a list of tasks about the book, the author, WWI, the Roaring 20's, the 18th and 19th Ammendments, prohibition, organized crime, the music,...

Follow twelve links to videos, websites, images, and activities to prepare you for reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

This is a collection of five videos of Novel Reflections on the American Dream including Fitzgerald's Gatsby, Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath," Ann Petry's "The Street," and Gish Jen's "Traditional American."

The textbook entitled Teaching Literature to Adolescents, 2nd Edition contains activities links for American Literature. Intended for teachers and students, this site contains web links that provide many ways to assist and assess...