I share with you one of the most beautifully horrific passages in American Literature. It comes from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum." It's a description of the rats in the dungeons of Toledo, for whom the … [Read more...]
How to Win “The Lottery” in the Classroom with “The Lottery Movie”
August 3, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Here's a nice "The Lottery" lesson plan.Before you show either of these two movies, print out this Template Literary Interpretation T-Chart and hand it out. Throw one of these objectives on the board; otherwise, you … [Read more...]
“Cask of Amontillado” Movie with Lesson Plan
July 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment
After my students did so well with my "Cask of Amontillado" lesson plans, I thought I'd reward them with a short "Cask of Amontillado" movie. Unfortunately, the movie was terrible. I now sit in fear, hoping they won't follow … [Read more...]
7 Short Stories with a Twist for High School Students
July 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The following is a true story. I felt pretty good after teaching my students about theme in literature, so I thought I'd try my hand at teaching short stories with a twist. The first one didn't go well. 14 out of 39 students … [Read more...]
“The Yellow Wallpaper” Analysis, Summary, and Lesson Plan
July 20, 2015 By 2 Comments
I read "The Yellow Wallpaper" again the other day and found it fantastically chilling, which led me to question my initial dislike for the story years ago when I read it the first time.After several seconds of thought I … [Read more...]
“The Most Dangerous” Game Movie with a Lesson Plan
July 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
If you're looking for great lesson plans for "The Most Dangerous Game," follow the link.If you're looking for a horrible movie based on a great short story with tons of unintentional comedy, then you're looking for "The … [Read more...]
“The Interlopers”: Movie and Lesson Plan
July 13, 2015 By 2 Comments
Who needs an "Interlopers" summary when you have two different "Interlopers" movies to watch? The latter of these two masterpieces provides a better summary.OK, still no cable. But YouTube is working fine!Today I … [Read more...]
The Tell-Tale Heart Movie with a Lesson Plan
June 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Here's a good little lesson for tricking students into analyzing "The Tell-Tale Heart" theme. A Case for Getting Rid of Cable and Learning "The Tell-Tale Heart" Theme We don't have cable in my house, so I spend my summers … [Read more...]
Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” Movie with Lesson Plan
June 13, 2015 By Leave a Comment
If you're looking for a blockbuster "To Build a Fire" movie, you're probably not going to find it. The narrative doesn't exactly lend itself to cinematic drama. If you're looking for a movie that's exactly 1:55 less than the … [Read more...]
