This free handout lists some of the most common literary themes as well as common symbolic and character archetypes. It's a convenient handout for the literature class or for a creative writing class. Download more free products from my store. Dianne Mason's Free Products These will give you an idea...

Cubing is one of the most powerful pre-writing tools available. Even the most reluctant writers can successfully generate ideas using this classroom proven method. This free handout explains cubing and provides clear-cut instructions for both the teacher and students. Click on the green star next t...

This is a lesson on satire using the short story "The Toys of Peace" by Saki (H. H. Munro). Included are the following items>• A discussion of satire with helpful links• Background on the author and the time period• Questions for analyzing the story• Vocabulary • Suggested activity for creating s...

This handy checklist gives students a useful tool for determining whether or not they have a strong, successful thesis. Used after students have written the first draft of their paper, the questions require them to evaluate their writing to determine whether or not the thesis statement makes a claim...

This handout is a handy tool for students as they peer edit each other's papers. It requires the reader to answer specific questions about thesis, organization, syntax, and use of evidence. The questions are designed to encourage discussions among the readers and writers. Click on this link to view...

Poetry in Movies examines the poetry used in four movies to extend theme and develop character. The unit contains the following items: • Brief biographies of the poets • Summaries of the movies • Overviews of the poems • Links to sites where the poems can be found as well as to audio recordings of each one • Guided reading questions for each poem • Vocabulary and quiz • Group work assignments • End of lesson activities and essay topic Parody Poetry is a fun lesson that helps students learn how rhythm and rhyme work in poetry. The package includes the following items: • A 26 slide power point presentation on poetic devices • A step-by-step plan on introducing parody to your students that uses clips from comedians and popular music. • Links to numerous examples of parodies of famous poems. • A worksheet to help students create a parody of their own or for use in creating a whole class parody. • A vocabulary list • A rubric for grading students’ parodies • A quiz on poetic devices (with answer key) Social Justice Poetry Unit enables students to understand what is meant by identity and how poetry can be used as social commentary. Students will build on their poetic vocabulary in order to recognize how poetic devices can be used to enhance meaning and will demonstrate that knowledge through the following: • Daily writings • Quizzes • Class discussion • Group activities • Final essay or presentation The package includes answer keys and grading rubric. Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Inspirational quotations from literature that can be hung on bulletin boards or classroom doors or framed and placed on a desk or bookcase to inspire students. Each quote is 8 ½ by 11 inches. Download free products from my store. Dianne Mason's Free Products These will give you an idea of the quali...

Peer assessment forms for group activities and essay editing are useful in both composition and literature classes. The detailed suggestions on designing effective group activities can help you effectively manage group work.Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These w...

These four handouts give students tools for revising their essays. Each handout provides essential information about how to review and rewrite their papers to ensure a clear, focused thesis, a well-organized essay that contains sufficient evidence to support the main point, and few if any grammar or...

English class bulletin board or classroom door quotations. Earn TPT CreditsEvery time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fa...

With many possible variations for each exercise, these two products can be used over and over again. Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason's Free ProductsClick on the green star next to my picture on a...

This short lesson on alliteration, consonance, and assonance will give students the ability to understand how these elements create rhythm in poetry and enhance meaning. It includes the following items: • Detailed teacher’s guide • Short Power Point Presentation • Creative writing exercise • Links to poems for further discussion and suggested exercise Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Save 10% on this bundle that provides students a thorough understanding of two of the most common errors in writing: run-on sentences and comma splices. Click here to see my free products and get an idea of the quality of my work. Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my grammar products. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

These argumentative writing exercises can be used to supplement a lesson on argumentation. They ensure that students achieve a good understanding of how to create effective thesis statements and how to integrate counterarguments into an essay. Includes the following: • Exercise 1: Rate Thesis Statements • Exercise 2: Emphatic Order • Exercise 3: Identify strong Thesis Statement • Exercise 4: Introduce Arguments and Counterarguments • Quiz • Answer Sheets • Fully Editable Peer Review Forms This product is also available as part of How to Write an Argumentative Essay Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Give students practice in paragraph writing and organization by requiring them to rewrite mixed-up sentences into a coherent paragraph. The lesson includes instructions and handouts as well as a Power Point presentation that provides the original paragraphs for your convenience in showing them to th...

MONEY SAVING BUNDLE!The fiction football game, based on the rules of football, is a fun way to review the poem before students take an exam or write an essay. In Beowulf The Hero's Journey, students will define epic and epic hero.They will recognize the formula for the hero's journey as detailed by ...

These task cards are great for group work, homework, and early finishers. The lesson includes the following: • Reading comprehension cards in chapter order • Cards on character development, plot elements, point of view, style, theme • Vocabulary cards • Vocabulary definitions • Student Logs • Blank cards • Answer key Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my Task Cards Dianne Mason’s Task Cards Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

This mini-lesson provides an overview of the expository essay writing process. The lesson introduces 4 stages of the writing process, 6 tools that build effective essays, the importance of audience and purpose, and a variety of organizational tactics. Notes on teaching are included as well as a PDF ...

Give your students the tools they need to create well-thought-out comparison and contrast essays that go beyond a simple list of similarities and differences to an understanding of how the context of the comparison reveals the relationships between the subjects. Areas covered in the Power Point presentation are as follows: • Purposes of comparison • Choosing a topic • Gathering evidence • Formulating a thesis • Getting organized Also included are the following: • A section on analogy • Venn diagram and a comparison/contrast chart • Thesis statement exercises • Exercise to determine fairness of comparison • Evaluating a comparison exercise • Transitions exercise • Organization exercise Good companion products for this package are Four Revision Handouts How to Write Incredible Introductions and Captivating Conclusions Practice With Transitions Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Teach your students how to write a descriptive essay that's not just a list of traits. With numerous examples and opportunities to practice, this fun lesson teaches students how descriptive writing is used to draw the reader in and keep her interested. In descriptive writing, the writer chooses details in order to create a DOMINANT IMPRESSION – the quality, mood, or atmosphere conveyed. Worksheets provide practice in recognizing objective/subjective description and metaphor and simile. Answer keys are provided. This product is also available as part of a larger package: Creative Writing Activities Check out this related product: Merry Mix-Up Paragraph Organization Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Give high school or college students the tools they need to do useful research on any topic. This lesson does all of the following with interesting, current examples and links to helpful sites: • Emphasizes importance of a focused research question • Gives practice evaluating evidence when conducting research • Identifies 5 types of note-taking and gives examples of each • Suggests how to avoid plagiarism • Explains how to integrate and cite sources using MLA style • Provides exercises on paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting sources • Enables students, through a peer review exercise, to measure how much of their essay are their own ideas and how well they’ve integrated and interpreted the source material A good companion product for this lesson is How to Write an Argumentative Essay Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

This lesson includes reading comprehension, analysis, and vocabulary task cards. Also included are a student log and blank cards in case you'd like to add questions of your own.Great for group work, homework, and early finishers. Each card is designed to encourage deep understanding of how the liter...

This Power Point presentation outlines 10 categories of transitional words and their functions. It also gives word lists for and examples of each category. Exercises for student practice and answer keys are included. Other products you may find useful: Sentence Fluency Merry Mix-Up Paragraph Organization Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

These lessons guide students through the study of rhythm and rhyme in poetry. At the end of the lessons, students will understand how these important elements contribute to meaning. Each lesson includes the following: • Detailed teacher guidelines • Lots of examples • Exercises to measure grasp of the concept • Links to poems • Writing opportunities All four lessons are classroom tested. Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

These 8 poetry lessons will insure that your high school students gain a thorough understanding of how poetry functions as a means of illuminating the human experience. The lessons include a variety of poets from varied backgrounds as well as a wide range of poems from classical poetry to modern ver...

Never worry about first-day-of-class stress and anxiety again. These fun activities engage each student and help create a positive learning environment. Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason's Free Pro...

This lesson examines ten poems about spring with an emphasis on how figurative language is used to convey the main idea. The poetry included is from Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Sara Teasdale, Edna St. Vincent Millay, James Wright, Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, Lawrence Raab, Amy Gerstler, and Lisa Olstein. The lesson and includes the following: • Copies of or links to poems • Lecture notes • Poet Biographies • Vocabulary study and quiz • Close reading guide • Writing assignments • Power Point presentation of poetic devices Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

This is a great lesson to teach high school students about media bias. Students first define bias and discuss the status of media today. Links are provided to various Internet sites, such as the following: • A site that explains different types of media bias • How algorithms are being used to produce news stories • Access to news articles • An exercise on writing a news story using photographs • A site that provides reports from the left, the right, and the center Also included are the following items: • A list of questions to help identify media bias • Exercise to practice ferreting out bias • Exercise comparing 3 different news stories Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Students closely read poems by both poets with a focus on diction, figurative language, and theme. Included are the following items: • Brief biography for each poet • Historical context • Suggestions for teachers • Copies of poems • Vocabulary studies and quizzes with answer keys • Suggested activities and essay assignments • Reading guidelines • Answer Key Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry productsDianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

In this poetry lesson, students closely read poems by Walt Whitman with a focus on diction, figurative language, and theme. Included are the following items: • Brief biography • Historical context • Suggestions for teachers • Copies of poems • Vocabulary study and quiz with answer key • Suggested activities and essay assignments • Answer key Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Do your students need guidance as they revise their essays? Then this is the perfect lesson for you.These questions provide a systematic method for examining each part of the essay including thesis, supporting detail, organization, introduction and conclusion, sentence structure and variety, word ch...

With this lesson, students will understand what is meant by identity and how poetry can be used as social commentary. They will build on their poetic vocabulary in order to recognize how poetic devices can be used to enhance meaning. They will demonstrate that knowledge through the following: •daily writings •quizzes •class discussion •group activities •final essay or presentation The package includes answer keys and a rubric for grading the final essay. Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

In this poetry lesson, students closely read two poems by 17th Century poets Robert Herrick and Andrew Marvell and analyze them with a focus on the central themes of each poem. Included in the lesson are the following items: • Biographies of the poets • Copies of poems • Pre-reading questions • Questions for close reading • Answer key • Vocabulary • Discussion of carpe diem • Suggested exercise • Suggested essay topics. Please check out these other 17th Century poetry products: Comparing Poems by 17th-Century Poets Donne and Herbert Analyzing 17th-Century Poetry by Katherine Phillips and Juana Ines de la Cruz Two Poems by Richard Lovelace: To Lucasta and To Althea Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Did you know that every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase? How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

The sonnet is a good place to begin a discussion of form and its importance in poetry because the sonnet structure is easily understood. This lesson provides a comprehensive introduction to both the Petrarchan and Shakespearean form. This lesson plan includes the following: • A group activity for determining the sonnet form. • A brief history of the sonnet • Guidelines and questions for a close reading of a sonnet • Links to sonnets for further study • Copies of public domain poems used • Writing assignments Check out these related products: A First Look at Poetry How to Closely Read a Poem Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

Using numerous examples, this lesson enables students to achieve the important goal of narrowing a broad subject into a more focused topic and lays the groundwork for a discussion of thesis statements. A Power Point Presentation of an extended example on insects guides students through the focusing ...

This short lesson on rhyme uses popular music as well as classic poetry to give students an understanding of how rhyme aids in creating rhythm and enhancing meaning. Particular attention is paid to slant rhyme: what it is, how to recognize it, how to use it. The lesson includes the following items: • A detailed teacher’s guide with links to poems • A Power Point Presentation to aid the discussion • Exercises • Classroom activity • Creative writing exercise Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

This lesson will enable students to understand how repetition functions to enhance meaning in poetry. The lesson uses examples from nursery rhymes, popular music, and classic poetry. It includes the following items: • A detailed teacher’s guide with links to poems • A short Power Point Presentation to go along with the discussion • A creative writing exercise • Suggestions for further discussion Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!

This lesson on rhythm and meter in poetry will help students understand how these elements enhance meaning. The lesson focuses on syllabic form, metric form, and accentual meter. Included in the lesson are the following items: • A detailed teacher’s guide with examples and links to poems • A Power Point Presentation to go along with the discussion • Writing exercises for students to practice the concepts learned Click on this link to view and download free products from my store. These will give you an idea of the quality of my work. Dianne Mason’s Free Products Click on the green star next to my picture on any of my product pages to follow me and receive a customized e-mail for the launch of any new product. Click here to see more of my poetry products Dianne Mason’s Poetry Products Earn TPT Credits Thank you for visiting my store. Every time you make a purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers and leave feedback, you earn credit toward a future purchase. How does it work? After logging in, go to My Purchases and find the button beside each product. Leave a fair rating and a comment about the resource, and you’re done!