Category Archives: Teaching Ideas

Activities for Teaching the Novella: “The Metamorphosis”

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

The novella The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a fun story to read and teach. The entire concept of waking up suddenly as a bug (or vermin) is an attention-getter. It’s also useful to read the source between the cultural … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the Short Story: “To Build a Fire”

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

The short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is a fun story to read with middle and high school students. The setting in the frozen North is interesting as is the tension. The ending is somewhat unexpected as … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the story: The Call of the Wild

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

The short novel or novella, The Call of the Wild is a good choice to engage readers, being an adventure novel based off real experiences. The use of the dog as narrator is different– though some students may be sensitive … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the Short Story: “The Necklace”

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

The short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is an engaging short story. The story raises questions about impressions, the value of things, materialism, and honest communication. Modernize It Project “The Necklace” was set some time ago, so students … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the Poem: “Casey at the Bat”

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

“Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer is a fun narrative poem. Good for students reluctant about poetry, but also has an interesting ending. Students might expect a happy ending. Compare With the Short Film The poem was adapted … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the Short Story: “The Birthmark”

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

The story “The Birthmark” by Nathanial Hawthorne is fun to teach with high school students. The horror in watching Aylmer destroy his “perfect” wife makes for a compelling story. Students can discuss why the wife accepted her fate or if … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the Short Story: “After Twenty Years”

Posted on August 27, 2024 by msdickson

Teaching the story “After Twenty Years” by O. Henry is fun in middle school and high school classes. There is the question of loyalty versus professional duty. Another component is how people grow and change. Teenagers may not see it … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the Short Story: “The Story of an Hour”

Posted on August 25, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is a great short story. It’s particularly short length still includes questions of marriage, self-determination, and women’s issues. There are a number of options for exploring beyond the text of the short … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching the Novel: The Time Machine

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Kim Lindblade

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a fun story with plenty to explore within and beyond the text. There are at least two movie versions that can be compared for what historical events were included and the way they … Continue reading →

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Activities for Teaching Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” Speech in High School and Middle School English ELA Classes

Posted on January 7, 2024 by msdickson

The “I Have a Dream” speech is a popular speech to teach. Students often learn about it at younger grades, though there’s certainly benefit to returning to this powerful speech in the older grades as well. This speech is worth … Continue reading →

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