MAKING LITERATURE FUN TO

LEARN
Ms. SABINA MARIA GORETTI
VICTOR
OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this workshop is to:

• understand the importance of teaching
different genres of literature.
• energize teaching through the creative use
of English literature activities & circles in
the classroom.
• showcase sample lesson plans on novels
and poetry in order to eliminate the
traditional way of teaching literature.
ICE BREAKER ACTIVITY
POCKET/PURSE GAME
 What is Literature?

According to Ancient Encyclopedia, literature

has been derived from a Latin word ‘Littera’
which means ‘Letters’. It has close connection
with written words which depicts a specific
culture, religion and philosophy. It is also
referred to as the study of thoughts, feelings and
imagination put into words in the form of prose
and poetry. It has a value as an art and is
considered as a source of entertainment.
 CATEGORIES OF LITERATURE

Literary Texts Non-Literary Texts

It conveys information. It
excludes narration and
Based on narration or tell a
fiction. It comprises of
story.
text books, legal
Examples: novels, short
documents, journal
stories, poetry and plays.
articles, recipes and
manuals.
 Motivated to
Broadens read authentic
thinking about texts/materials
different cultures Use of
& people Creativity

Promotes critical BENEFITS OF

TEACHING Use of
thinking skills
VARIOUS Grammar
GENRES OF
LITERATURE
Stimulates
imagination & Helps in
evokes feelings vocabulary
building

Develops the 4 Familiarity with Identify problems

language skills figurative & suggest
language meaningful
solutions
Challenges of Teaching Literature in
Pakistan

English is alien to majority of students

Translation Methodology- L1 & L2

Availability of less qualified English Teachers

Traditional Pedagogies

Less improvised literature materials

Less exposure to reading

Burden of syllabus completion and exam preparation

Culture of Rote Learning

How to overcome
these challenges?
Who is he???
Activities for Sustaining the Interest of
Students in a Literature Classroom
 Activities for Intermediate & Advanced Levels
Elocution & Vocabulary Immersive
Poetry Building Word Venn Diagrams Reading
Games Activities
Debates on plot & Mind Creating an
characters in Maps/Brainstor inspirational Writer’s
novels ming study Workshop
environment
Activity based on
Journal Entries using Designing a book Autobiographical
imagination cover Sketch
Skimming & Intensive & Prediction on Creating Personal
Scanning Extensive title/book cover Diaries/ Dear
Reading or blurb Diary Activity
Dramatization/ Writing a book
Role Play Discussion Project Making review
 Activities for Intermediate & Advanced Levels

Chapter Chats Comprehensive Re-Tweeted Poetry Mash up

Quiz Poetry Activity

Response Cards One Word Splash Interviews Poetry Reflection

Journals
Creating Comic Inferring feelings Identifying Flat & Drawing images
Strips represented by Round Characters
different quotes
Word Pair-Define Creating Class Presentations
Wizard/Word Activity Poetry Blogs
Walls
Partner Poem Movie Clips Who Am I??
Writing Activity

Character BINGO!! Writing

Scrapbook Reflections
https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/literatur
e-circles-in-action
Ways of
Using
Activities in
Lesson Plans
for
Literature
Sample Lesson Plan for Teaching Novel
Subject: English Literature
Novel: Little Men-Life at Plumfield with Jo’s
Boys
Chapter1: Nat
Resources: Textbook- Little Men- Life at
Plumfield with Jo’s Boys, whiteboard, markers
and job cards.
Skills: Integrated Skills
Class: VIII Cambridge
Time: 1 Hour
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson students will be able to:
• understand the purpose of Nat’s visit and
observations about Plumfield through discussion.
• familiarize themselves with the figurative
expressions in the chapter through a group
activities.
Stage 1- Pre Reading Activities
Activity No. 1- Prediction about the Title,
Book Cover and Blurb:
The teacher will ask the students to examine the
book cover, title and blurb carefully. She/he will ask
what the does the title suggest about the novel,
describe the book cover and what is the story all
about. Students will randomly share their responses.
Activity No. 2 Using a Venn Diagram
The teacher will draw a Venn diagram and the following
headings. She will ask the students to think for at least 2
minutes about what things come to their minds about
Jo’s attitude before and after marriage. She will elicit
answers from them randomly and write on the
whiteboard.
Venn Diagram: Jo’s attitude before & after marriage

Jo March Jo Bhaer
Expected Answers

Jo March Jo Bhaer
Tomboyish -Ladylike
-Writer -Housewife
-Hot- -Easygoing/Even-
tempered/Peppery tempered
-Clumsy -Careful
-Blunt -Polite
-Self-Opionated -Compromising
-Bookworm -House chores
Loving
Responsible
Cooperative
Caring
Stage 2 While Reading Activities
Activity No 1 Scanning the Chapter
The teacher will ask the students to scan the chapter
in order to get information about Nat’s visit to
Plumfield, his observation about the new place and
the characters of the novel. The information derived
from this reading technique will be helpful for
initiating a discussion.

Activity No. 2 Identifying the Flat and Round

Characters of the Novel
The teacher will explain to the students the meaning
of ‘Flat and Round Characters’. She/he will ask the
students to identify the characters of the novel ‘Little
Men’. She will write the two types of characters on
the white board and ask the students to write the
names of the characters under two categories.
Identifying Flat & Round Characters
CHARACTERS

FLAT ROUND

Fredrich ‘Fritz’ Bhaer

Anne ‘Nan’ Harding
Robin ‘Rob’ Bhaer Josephine ‘Jo’ Bhaer
Nat
Theodore ‘Teddy’ Bhaer
Dan
Margaret ‘Meg’ Brooke
John ‘Demi’ Brooke
John Brooke
Margaret ‘Daisy’ Brooke
Josephine ‘Josie’ Brooke
Asia Thomas ‘Tommy’ Bangs
George ‘Stuffy’ Cole
Silas
Billy Ward
Activity No. 3 Discussion
The teacher will initiate a discussion about the
first chapter of the novel. Important points will
be written on the white board. The topics to be
covered are as follows:
• a. Character Analysis placed under Flat and
Round Characters
• b. Nat’s purpose of being sent to Plumfield
• c. Nat’s observation about the new place.
• d. Jo and her husband’s reaction on receiving
Nat at their estate.
 Stage 3 Post Reading Activities
Activity No. 1 Group Activity
Note: The members for the groups and task cards
will be prepared by the teacher prior to the teaching
period.
The teacher will inform the students about a group
activity. Before dispersing them into their groups
the following instructions will be given to them:
• Each group will be given a task card.
• They will have to read the pages in chapter 1 as
mentioned in the task card, search for at least 5
figurative expressions and discuss the meanings in
context with the novel.
• The members will have to appoint one person from
each group who will share the answers with the rest
of the class.
 Group Task ( Already mentioned in the Task
cards which is attached with the plan)
• Group 1- Pages 1-4, ‘Please Sir is that
Plumfield?’…..face of this slender mild eyed boy.
• Group 2- Pages 4-7, ‘Have you seen Aunt
Jo?’……exchanged telegrams with his wife’s.
• Group 3- Pages 7-10, Nat looked a little
anxious……you just see what happens tomorrow
night.
• Group 4- Pages 11- 14, After the pleasantly
exciting remark…….we will lay nice little plans
tomorrow.
• Group 5- Pages 14-17, Nat held her hand so
fast…..left him to happy dreams of Plumfield.
While the students will be working in groups the
teacher will supervise the task and perform the roles
of an assessor and resource person. When the task
has ended the students will share their responses
with the rest of the class. A feedback about each
group performance will be given by the teacher.

Activity No. 2 Summary Writing

The teacher will ask the students to write a summary
of 120 to 150 words on Nat’s visit to Plumfield. Once
the students have completed their task then they will
be instructed to read their summaries randomly to
the rest of the class.
Sample Lesson Plan for Teaching Poetry

Poem: Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

Source: Enjoying More Poetry by Sadler &
Hayler
Objectives: At the end of the lesson students will
be able to:
• appreciate the poet’s feelings for his father.
• Compose a short poem of three lines in honour
of their fathers.
 Those Winter Sundays
By Robert Hayden
Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blue-black cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.

When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,

who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere and lonely offices?
• Stage 1 Pre Reading Activity
The teacher will ask the students to open their literature
copies to a blank page and draw a circle. In that circle
they will write the words ‘My Father’. They will be given
2 minutes to write whatever words come to their minds
about their fathers. After 2 minutes the teacher will ask
them to share their responses.

My Father
Stage 2 While Reading Activities
Activity No. 1 Read Aloud and Discussion

The teacher will read the poem to students

keeping in mind the intonation and syllable.
She/he will ask students randomly to read the
poem. After the read aloud, she/he will involve
the students in a discussion about William
Hayden’s attitude towards his son and Robert’s
reaction. The use of figurative language such as
imagery, metaphors etc too will be discussed.
 Activity No. 2 Pair-Define & Explain Activity

The teacher will engage the students in a vocabulary

building activity. Students will be put into 5 groups.
Each group with be given cards which will have
words or phrases from the poem. The teacher will
write the definition or synonyms on the white board.
The students will have to pair the words or phrases
given in the cards with the definition or synonyms
given on the white board. They will have to explain
why they have matched a certain card with the
definition or synonyms. Examples:
• a. Cold splintering- extremely cold which makes one
shiver.
• b. chronic angers- hot-tempered/peppery/quick-
tempered
• c. Speaking indifferently- spoke rudely to his father
 Stage 3- Post Reading Activity
Activity- Writing a Haiku
The teacher will ask the students to refer the activity
which they had done on their fathers in the
beginning. Using those words they will have to
compose a poem of three-lines on their fathers.
Before the students get involved in their task, the
teacher will give a brief explanation on this ‘Three-
lines’ poem which is known as a Haiku in Japanese.
A Haiku is a type of a poetry which can be written
for many themes ranging from love to nature. A
Haiku consists of 3 lines and 17 syllables.
• Line 1- 5 syllables
• Line 2 – 7 syllables
• Line 3- 5 syllables
Haiku poems don’t need to rhyme. This poses a
challenge for many poets who try to rhyme lines
1 and 3.
Sample Haiku Poem
A peaceful evening
Sparrows singing together
With pretty feathers
By Demi

After the students complete their work they will

read their Haikus randomly to the rest of the
class.
 Platform for
learners

Benefits of
teaching Environment
genres of Conclusion
of knowledge
Literature

Addressed the challenges

encountered by teachers
References
• https://www.weareteachers.com/english-activities-for-high-
school/
• https://teens.lovetoknow.com/teens-school/high-school-
literacy-activities
• https://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/14-classroom-
activities-that-increase-student-engagement
• https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2014/11/fun-classroom-
activity-bingo
• http://ebi.missouri.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2012/10/Vocabulary-Lesson-Classroom-
Ideas.pdf
• https://www.readitwriteitlearnit.com/single-
post/2017/03/28/High-Interest-Poetry-Activities
• https://www.penguin.co.uk/ladybird/books/1051308/little-
men/
sabina.victor77@gmail.
com