Literary Terms Lesson Plan: Teaching to Different Learning Styles

Remember these literary terms lesson plan procedures? Perhaps you've tried them in your own class?

1. Copy down these 20 terms.
2. Look them up in the glossary.
3. Write the definition.
4. Study them.
5. Take the quiz on Friday.

Here's what actually happens:

1. Student copies down 20 terms.
2. Student looks 3 or 4 up in the glossary and borrows his friend's paper for the rest.
3. Student copies definitions.
4. Student crumples up paper, shoves it in her backpack, pulls it out 2 minutes before the quiz.
5. After the quiz, student crumples up paper, throws it in the trash, never to be seen again.
6. Student forgets literary terms.
7. You get angry and determine it's time for new literary terms lesson plans, ones that involve teaching to different learning styles.

1. Write literary terms on the board. You will need one for each student. Yes, there are enough literary terms: plot, setting, exposition, mood, theme, tone, character, conflict, 5 types of conflict, point of view, three types of point of view, dramatic, verbal, and situational irony, suspense, foreshadowing, alliteration, synecdoche, personification, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, meiosis, rhythm, meter, voice, style.....
2. Pronounce each term and have students repeat it.
3. Assign one term to each student.
4. On a clear slice of paper, each student will design a poster. The poster will have the term at the top with its definition below. The middle of the paper will have a visual representation--picture or symbol--that represents the term along with a written example from a piece of literature familiar to the class.
5. Instruct students to extract a slice of notebook paper and copy the terms. Leave enough room to take notes next to each word.
6. Everything should be removed from desks except the literary term poster, the notes paper, and a writing instrument.
7. Every 45 seconds, shout pass. Students will pass their paper to the next designated person. Each student will have 45 seconds to study each literary terms poster. Once the term has made it around the room, stop.
8. Instruct students to make any corrections on any poster.
9. Do the activity in part one of this series.
10. Give a quiz the next day and boast how great you are at teaching to different learning styles and how you deserve a raise and a vacation in the Dominican Republic.