Classical Literature Teacher Resources

Seventh graders explore the history of Christmas by researching classic literature. In this holiday instructional activity, 7th graders read the story A Christmas Carol and discuss the tone of Charles Dickens' classic literary work....

Henry David Thoreau and Linda Ronstadt? Ann Tyler and Pete Townshend? Joyce Carol Oates and Pearl Jam? This richly detailed plan pairs classic literature with contemporary music and asks learners to analyze how the theme of conformity is...

Students explore American culture by reading classic literature in class. In this African-American history lesson, students read the story Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree while identifying the work and contributions of the real life...

Help your class recognize classic literature with universal themes. They will demonstrate their familiarity with Pride and Prejudice by updating a selected scene from it to the 21st century. Tip: Bring in a modern movie clip that shows...

Use this resource's pairings of classical literature and paintings to practice the skill of comparing different artistic mediums with your ELA class. Addressing standard 7 for literature in the Common Core, the resource encourages your...

The antihero, the flawed protagonist of so much of contemporary literature such as Fahrenheit 451, is the subject of a short video that traces the fall from grace of the divine heroes of classical literature to the flawed, far more human...

What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Odyssey have in common? Why, they are all epics, of course, and are presented here as examples of the literary term. If you are beginning a study of epics, consider previewing the terms included...

Students analyze The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. In this classic literature unit, students read The Prince and the Pauper, discuss what they have read and write a thoughtful response. This unit includes eleven lessons,...

In this literature worksheet, students match the titles of fifteen pieces of classic literature with the authors who wrote them.

Students explore economics by reading classic literature with their classmates. In this farm production lesson, students read the famous story Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Students complete handouts based upon...

Abby Caddaby plays the part of Alice in a Sesame Street version of Alice in Wonderland. This is a short clip showing only one minute of the entire adaptation.

Students read and analyze classical literature of the ancient Hebrew prophets dealing with societal injustices. They identify present-day prophets, and write an essay about how the common good would be affected if people listened to the...

Students analyze the literary class, The Secret Garden. In this literature unit lesson, students complete a unit of activities to help them with their reading comprehension of the book The Secret Garden. Students complete webs,...

Eleventh graders discover the thematic connections between classical literary and popular song lyrics.  For this English lesson, 11th graders research a specific topic to be presented to the class.  Students analyze song lyrics in their...

Young scholars explore language arts by reading and reflecting on literary examples. In this fiction writing lesson, students read several different cultural versions of the story "Cinderella" and discuss their interaction with the story...

Students dramatize traditional literature.  In this retelling lesson plan, students practice retelling The Little Engine That Could and take on roles of the trains in the story.  Students create and display train props to use during...

East Egg, West Egg, the Valley of Ashes, and the green light. Bring Gatsby, the Jazz Age, and the American Dream to your classroom with a resource designed for teachers. Included in the treasury are six great teaching ideas for F. Scott...

The burning questions is at what point do readers of Fahrenheit 451 recognize the many literary devices Ray Bradbury employs in his dystopian classic that warns of  a society that uses media to indoctrinate the public and denigrates...

How many ways can you break down a classic novel? Based on the acclaimed Romantic-period novel by Emily Bronte, the Wuthering Heights activity pack includes a pre-reading exercise. Next, learners create a resume for one of the...

Pre-reading worksheets, discussion prompts, activity ideas, research assignments, and more await you in this resource for supplementing your class reading of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. 

Invisible Man is a core text in high school literature classes and one of the most cited works on the AP Literature and Composition exam. Instructors new to using Ralph Ellison's novel and those who have long included it as part of their...

Don't let the length scare you away. An eBook version of David Copperfield contains all 1,307 pages of the story. This digital version of the classic coming-of-age novel follows the title character from childhood into adulthood, giving...

Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy have captured the heart of readers since Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813. An eBook version of Jane Austen's novel gives learners a chance to read about the classic characters. 

Enrich a unit on The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with a selection of related activities. The packet contains nine activities that go from pre-reading through wrapping up the novel. Young readers work on studying author's...