IdeaLit Resources

This activity includes a table (fully editable as it is a Word Document) that has three poems thematically relating to Beowulf: "Grendel's Brother," "Thanatopsis," and "Ozymandias" on the left. The right column includes a series of close-reading/analysis questions aimed at helping AP students to hone their skills of poetry interpretation. The second section of the activity includes a prompt from a released AP Exam (poem included) and asks students to create a thesis statement only for the pro

Syntax is tough for AP English Language students (and all students, really) since grammar and usage skills are not always foundationally sound for our kids. In this lesson, students will learn a bit about what syntax is, how it operates, the impact it has on an author's message or work, and what they can do with their newfound knowledge. This is a downloadable .pdf that includes details about what syntax is (definitions of things such as declarative sentences, differences in sentence lengths, r

This complete bundle includes everything you need for a complete unit on 1984, deliberative rhetoric, and debate. Includes 2 PowerPoint presentations, 2 quizzes, a debate rubric, links to news articles to learn about "fake news" vs. reliable sources, thinking and discussion questions, an essay prompt with writing guidelines, complete debate guidelines, connections to critical thinking about generative AI, definitions of key terms, and complete teaching materials.

NPR and "This American Life" helped to create one of the most intriguing podcasts of all time. An investigation into the unanswered questions about the murder of a Maryland high school student in 1999, this podcast provides students opportunities to evaluate data and create an argument regarding which of the "characters" is telling the actual truth about what happened the day teenager, Hae Min Lee, was killed. This fully-customizable Word document download presupposes that your students have r

Originally designed for a dual-enrollment course on Argument (ideal for 11th and 12th grade students in advanced studies) and created with elements of BOTH AP English Literature and AP English Language in mind, this 92-slide editable and customizable PowerPoint presentation provides the instruction needed for an entire unit on George Orwell's 1984. Total duration of the unit will vary due to a number of factors. This was designed with 80-minute block periods in mind and, with a few interrupt

This fully editable Word Document can either be used as an electronic document each student will fill out on his/her own computer if you have those resources, or you can widen the boxes and print the document for students to fill out by hand. This worksheet was designed to be used for one, 80-minute class period but can be adapted for your individual purposes. In this activity, students can use ANY works of literature, articles, videos or other resources you've studied to evaluate the nature

This bundle contains a Google Slideshow (about 69-80 minutes worth of presentation time), a homework assignment, a class activity, and instructions on how to organize your weekly schedule for the work contained therein. A bundle including all 9 weeks of materials is coming soon! The learning topic of this "week 1" of Debate class is: Facts, Opinions, Claims, and Data

This fun game encourages students to use their competitive spirits and their interest in games to conduct a closer reading of Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street. The product includes 3 different (and editable) "BINGO cards," and one (editable) directions sheet. As students read the vignettes, they consider the themes, symbols, and motifs, literary devices, and the author's purpose and her argument. It was initially designed for 9th grade students, but is appropriate for all ages (and

This PowerPoint presentation includes 23 slides of basic, introductory information including definitions for and basic effects of rhetorical devices such as epizeuxis, anecdote, allusion, and hyperbole to name a few. The presentation also includes a copy of the text of "The Gettysburg Address" with a brief assignment/activity to help students practice some of the basics of rhetorical analysis. Designed for beginners, this presentation is also good as an early precursor to studies in AP English L

If you are a fan of the card game "Apples to Apples" (with which I am not affiliated), you'll love this interactive classroom game that will challenge your students to think critically, analyze text, appreciate poetry and defend their positions regarding the tone, mood, theme (AND MORE!) of two comparative pieces of art. This download will provide you with 108 playing cards and teacher instructions. Included in this pack are excerpts from poems, songs, and poetic fiction from writers such as

Breaking this novel into 7 daily readings (which you can assign to be due every day, every-other day or use whatever pacing is best for your students), this set of questions is NOT your typical work packet. These questions are thought-provoking and are designed to spark discussion. With this set of 10 questions for each reading section (2-3 chapters apiece), you can have your daily lessons completely planned out already! Just use these homework questions as the starting points for a large-grou

This packet includes: * 40 open-ended critical thinking questions broken down by reading section. * A complete essay prompt with writing guidelines and expectations * A chart to schedule your assignments with students If you're looking for sincerely thought-provoking, higher-order thinking questions to accompany or guide your teaching or daily lessons on 1984, this packet is for you. Often, I've found that an online search of "critical thinking questions" or "reading questions" for a novel yi

Included are fully editable quizzes for Acts I, II, III and V of Macbeth. The first three quizzes include 10 open-ended or "short answer"-style questions that promote close reading and text analysis. The final quiz is only 5 questions of the same style. Answers for the quizzes will vary and are up to teacher discretion, but a key is available for $.50. This is also a part of the Macbeth AP Literature Bundle Pack. Purchasing the entire pack does provide you with a greater savings!

This Google Slideshow presents the basic, foundational information for middle or high school students studying Debate principles. It was designed as a 9-week series of lessons with this as the first. Subsequent weeks' lessons will also be available here on TpT. This slideshow would be your presentation to students for the first 1-2 days of your week, depending on your students' levels and the length of your class periods. It includes a homework assignment that is very simple, but will provide

This bundle includes a Google Slideshow presentation/lecture for use in one 80-minute or two 40-minute classes, but this is adjustable based on your needs. It also includes two class activity worksheets you may choose to utilize to accompany the slideshow lesson. Each activity sheet can be used as you see fit: as homework, a small-group activity, a warm-up...you decide what works best for your classroom.

This mini-lesson includes 10 discussion questions and a casually-phrased Q&A about why authors might include scenes of sex and/or violence in literature. With reference to the book, "How to Read Literature Like a Professor," this mini-lesson explores three texts (all available online for free): "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti "Janus" by Ann Beatty "Out, Out--" by Robert Frost While this lesson does not require knowledge specifically of other texts, there are reference

This multi-slide Google slideshow will allow you to present/lecture to your students about using historical documents to support research, how to learn from the examples of great public speakers, and to learn a bit about using rhetological appeals in arguments. This is the third of nine Google slideshows in a unit/course on Debate suitable for high school students and, most likely, mature or advanced 8th graders. This 18-slide presentation will likely take you at least one 80-minute class period

I often look online for true discussion questions for a novel. Most often, what I find are simple plot-recollection questions and low-level questions that don't require much thinking on the students' part. So, I decided that it was time to help my fellow educators out and compile a list of truly upper-level questions that can be used on tests or quizzes, during all types of class discussions, as warm-ups or exit tickets, or as essay or writing-response questions. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbi

When the students have completed their reading of Richard Wright's autobiography, Black Boy, engage them in some extended discussion in how several key concepts (such as violence, media, education, immigration, and others) extend beyond the book and connect with contemporary, American life. Designed for AP English classrooms on an 80 or 90-minute block, but customizable to any classroom, this presentation walks students through how to discuss problems, collaborate to discuss solutions, and deba

I realized some time back that when I look online for "discussion questions" for a literary work, I often find VERY low-level questions about plot and characters. I find this frustrating. This is a set of over 25 questions (with space for written answers if you choose simply to print and hand this to students) allows students to think beyond the obvious. These are truly discussion questions where there are multiple possible answers and there is plenty of room for healthy disagreement, debate,