Introduce science fiction fans to writer Octavia E. Butler with a short video that argues for why readers should add her works to their must-read list. 

What characteristics make a true friendship? Pupils explore the question when reading "The Swallow and the Crow," Aesop's fable about two birds comparing their feathers. The post-reading graphic organizer encourages thinkers to write...

Are thoughts of superiority ever justified? Aesop's fable "The Tree and the Reed" is about a tree that thinks he's better than a reed and is taught otherwise by nature.The post-reading compare/contrast activity features a graphic...

How does one's perception affect their representation of places and events? Readers investigate this question by listening to Aesop's "The Lion and the Statue" and completing a graphic organizer to analyze characters and their motivations.

Can you trust advice from a person who has something to gain? Aesop's fable "The Fox Without a Tail" depicts the skepticism of a fox community when one of their fellow foxes, having lost his tail in a tap, tries to talk them into...

See why a wolf would rather starve alone than join a family in Aesop's "The Dog and the Wolf." After listening to an audio retelling of the fable, learners answer four literary analysis questions about characterization, plot, and...

What is Bloomsday? Why would thousands travel to Dublin on this day to visit sites depicted in a novel that is ridiculously hard to read? Why even bother with reading such a book? Find out by viewing a short video that suggests the...

The famous length of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace — 15 books and 365 chapters — presents a real challenge for many readers and their teachers. So why bother? Use a short video that argues for a reading of an unabridged...

In this video [3:24] from the American Masters film Novel Reflections on the American Dream, learn about F. Scott Fitzgerald and his notorious fictional character Jay Gatsby. Both were in the pursuit of the American dream and love....

Meet F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic character Jay Gatsby in this video from the American Masters film Novel Reflections on the American Dream. Learn about the spectacle of Gatsby, the techniques the author uses to present Gatsby, and the...

In this video [3:06] from the American Masters film Novel Reflections on the American Dream, see the quest for the American dream as depicted in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." Follow the Joad family as they search for work and...

This video [4:18] from American Masters: Harper Lee: Hey, Boo highlights Scout, one of the most beloved characters in all of American fiction and the main character of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. In the video, students learn what...

When Charlotte Heywood offers her forthright opinions of the Parker brothers, she is chastised by the dashing Sidney Parker, in this video excerpt from Sanditon Masterpiece, based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel. The brief encounter...

This video lesson focuses on character types including the following: flat, damsel in distress, fugitive, rebel, womanizer, country bumpkin/city slicker, social climber, traitor, siren, man sinned against, and guilt-ridden forgiveness...

In this lesson, you will analyze a character's actions by recording what a character does and how he does it. Login gives access to an additional video. [3:31]

In this lesson, you will infer and cite evidence of character traits that the author shows, rather than tells, by making generalizations about the main character. [4:14]

In this video, you will learn how to determine an author's message by analyzing character development. [5:56]

In this lesson, you will learn to describe how the characters' traits and motivations contribute to the sequence of events by asking, 'What character trait or motivation made this event happen?' [7:58]

In this lesson, you will learn how to determine character motivation by asking "Did my character do this because he or she feels a certain way?" [4:24]

In this lesson, you will learn how to describe a character's personality by using details from the text. Login gives access to a slideshow and a student handout. [7:09]

In this lesson, you will learn how to grow your ideas about characters by tracking characters' actions and feelings and asking "What does this tell me about the character?" [2:31]

In this lesson, you will learn to describe a character in a story by drawing on characters' words. [6:50]

In this lesson, you will learn to describe how one character feels about another character by noticing the character's words and actions. Login gives access to a slideshow and a student handout. [7:19]

In this lesson, students use details to let the reader know how a character is reacting to an event and practice adding physical actions to writing to help the reader understand the characters. A printable student handout is available...