Lesson plans for
The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
| Lesson plans for other titles by Hawthorne |
#Sinner
This YouTube video (3:43) uses contemporary music as an overview of events and themes in the novel. Good prereading activity and/or model for student postreading project.
Bio Poem Assignment
Students analyze character and symbolism in
The Scarlet Letter
by writing a bio poem.
Book-a-Minute Classics:
The Scarlet Letter
Just for fun: the novel condensed to a one-minute read.
Companies 'Named And Shamed' For Bad Behavior
This 2010 news item brings the novel into the 21st century.
Deceit, Despair, and Dejection: Connecting
Speak
and
The Scarlet Letter
Graffitti questions, discussion questions, sample writing prompts, and related websites.
Digital Scrapbook: Symbols and Setting in
The Scarlet Letter
Given a list of symbols from the novel, students will photograph images they think represent those symbols.
Interactive Approach to
The Scarlet Letter
Students try to get a sense of the daily lives of Puritans by conducting research and by reading Anne Bradstreet's poem "On the Burning of our House."
Knowing your ABC's
An alphabet activity that can also be adapted to other novels.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Critical essay by Carl Van Doren.
Nathaniel Hawthorne: Biography, Works, Style
This video introduction (9:22) includes discussion of
The Scarlet Letter
and would serve as a good pre-reading activity.
No Fear Literature:
The Scarlet Letter
On the left, the original text. On the right, a readable paraphrase. A great resource for ELL students and struggling readers.
The Scarlet Letter
Downloadable text of the novel in multiple formats, including EPUB, Kindle, and plain text.
The Scarlet Letter
Vocabulary, focus questions, additional links, and classroom activities. Materials are available for download.
The Scarlet Letter
Graphic organizers for character analysis and symbolism (opposites), writing prompts, and rubric.
The Scarlet Letter
Summary, suggestions for related reading, and a link to an extensive teacher's guide. The teacher's guide requires Adobe Reader or equivalent application.
The Scarlet Letter
A variety of reading strategies to support the novel, including an anticipation guide, a guided imagery activity, and vocabulary practice.
The Scarlet Letter
How might students use storyboards to demonstrate and to extend their learning? Check the resources here. Students work with vocabulary, character maps, themes, symbols, motifs, more.
Note: Storyboard That helps sponsor this site.
The Scarlet Letter
Julian Hawthorne's review of the novel, dated 1886 and published in
The Atlantic Monthly
.
The Scarlet Letter
Two sets of discussion questions.
The Scarlet Letter
Character Analysis
This handout details the requirements of a writing assignment. MS-Word or compatible application is required for access.
The Scarlet Letter
Scandal Project
Students research other people who have been shunned as the object of scandal, select a letter for each, and explain why. The page includes a list of people students might investigate.
Still Puritan After All These Years
"Do present-day Americans still exhibit, in their attitudes and behavior, traces of those austere English Protestants who started arriving in the country in the early 17th century?" A report on research that suggests we do.
Suggestions for Pairing Contemporary Music and Canonical Literature
A list of songs that were inspired by reading literature. Organized by the last name of the author (e.g. Chinua Achebe, William Butler Yeats), the list includes song title, performer, year of release, and more. The list includes 8 songs inspired by
The Scarlet Letter
.
Teacher's Guide to
The Scarlet Letter
Overview, biography, learning activities. Requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.
Vocabulary from
The Scarlet Letter
Words are presented in context and with definitions. Click on the word for its pronunciation, synonyms, examples of use, more.