11th Grade English/Language Arts
Second Six Weeks: Week 1
Writer: Renee Sena/Evelyn Gilmore-Smith
Objective:
The students will
 apply comprehension skills and strategies to read and analyze The Scarlet Letter, chapters
1-6.
 explore author’s craft, archetypes, symbols, etc. and how they assist in developing
characters, setting, plot, theme, and tone.
 Understand and use new vocabulary when reading and writing
 Comprehend theme and genre in literary texts
 Comprehend structure and elements of autobiography and drama
 Comprehend informational text: expository text

Use elements of the writing process to compose narrative and analytical text
 Analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to draw
conclusions about the nuance in word meanings.
 Understand, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of
fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding.

Evaluate how different literary elements (e.g., figurative language, point of view) shape the
author's portrayal of the plot and setting in works of fiction

Analyze the internal and external development of characters through a range of literary
devices.
TEKS:
2A, 2B, 2C,
5, 5B, 5C,
11B
Overview:
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne should be introduced to ensure a strong start to this important piece of
American Literature. Many schools mandate the reading of this novel, but students should close read some chapters
and summarize others to allow many of the complexities of the writing style to be understood and absorbed.
Before beginning this novel one may obtain several items to assist with the reading:
 Enough copies of the novel for each student
 The book on tape or CD
 The film “The Scarlet Letter on DVD by WGBH/Boston Production with Meg Foster, John Heard, and Kevin
Conway because of its accuracy
 The Spark Notes or other supplemental material
Another assessment for TAKS will indicate how well the objectives from this six weeks’ lessons have been mastered
and how prepared they are becoming for the EXIT TAKS test.
A six weeks assessment constructed by the teacher may additionally indicate the mastering of specific objectives for
pieces of literature, literary elements, academic and SAT vocabulary, grammar, and writing.
The instructors should develop a list of projects complete with rubrics to be used as culminating projects.
During the reading of The Scarlet Letter, students should review the text in a variety of ways: close reading; teacher
directed reading mixed with discussion; annotating; whole class reading; partner and group reading; summarizing
sentences, paragraphs, and entire chapters; note-taking; answering questions; journaling; and extending the
learning through learning about the time period.
Students could keep an RTW (Reading/Thinking/Writing) journal documenting their learning from each chapter in
a collection of thoughts, notes, answers, vocabulary, summaries, etc.
Teachers should exhaust every resource necessary to the teaching of this classic, but complex literary piece.
Additional pieces of literature that would correlate with The Scarlet Letter and would also serve as good options for
self-selected reading during this six weeks include:
 The Crucible by Arthur Miller
 The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
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Good extension research topics include:
 Salem Witch Trials
 Puritan laws and religion
Chapter 1: The Prison Door (introduction of the setting and symbols)
Chapter 2: The Market-Place (introduction of Hester as she takes her baby to the scaffold)
Chapter 3: The Recognition (Hester notices the stranger [Roger Chillingworth] in the crowd)
Chapter 4: The Interview (Chillingworth visiting Hester in the prison)
Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle (About Hester and how she makes her living)
Chapter 6: Pearl (Introduction of Pearl, Hester’s daughter)
Essential Questions:
Why is The Scarlet Letter considered a classic piece of American Literature?
How has the early American literature prepared you to read The Scarlet Letter?
Why is The Scarlet Letter considered a romantic piece of literature?
How do symbols enhance the story of The Scarlet Letter?
How are Chillingworth and Pearl characterized?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
2. The Scarlet Letter: Introduction & Chapter 1
Before reading
 Introduce The Scarlet Letter by reviewing the author’s background on pages 271 and information about the
time period.
 Students could also be divided into groups to answer anticipation guide questions (e.g. Is it right to punish
certain crimes more harshly than others?
 Quickwrite: Are there circumstances when it is ok to break laws?.)
 Academic vocabulary: novel, fiction/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue, foreshadowing, symbol,
character, irony, suspense, plot, romanticism/ SAT vocabulary: portal, threshold, utopia, edifice, nucleus,
ponderous, congenial, inauspicious
During reading
 The teacher should read the chapter to the class, stopping to explain details.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should review the spark notes summary of chapter 1 before reading.
After reading
 Journal: The students could create a Reading/Thinking/Writing (RTW) journal (perhaps just a spiral
notebook) incorporating notes from class, questions and answer sessions, short writing assignments,
summaries, vocabulary, etc. from The Scarlet Letter (much of the information could be handwritten, but
many items could be pasted as well)
 The teacher can discuss why the novel is considered an American classic.
 Enrichment: Students can add an “About the Author” page to their RTW journal by collecting information
and pictures to decorate one full page about Nathaniel Hawthorne.
3.TAKS milestone:
 The Texas Test Preparation Assessment on pages 202-206 (The literary selection “Sound-Shadows of the
New World” with short answer “How does the theme of this selection represent a comment on the human
condition? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.” and revising and editing
selection “Ben Franklin”)
 An optional essay, “Write an essay explaining why adjusting to a new environment is challenging,” may also
be included as a timed writing if desired.
4.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 2
Before reading
 Read about colonial punishments in the online article “Bilboes, Brands, and Branks” by James A. Cox
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: physiognomy, augur, indubitably,
magistrate, solemnity, venerable, infamy, rotundity, malefactress, haughty, visage, iniquity, taint, solemn,
preternaturally, eminence
 Discuss the differences between romanticism and realism.
 Review the symbols from chapter 1: the prison door, the wild rose bush, and the weeded grass plot.
During reading
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
Make a list of possible symbols found in chapter 2 (the scaffold, Puritan women, scarlet letter, baby [Pearl],
the deformity of the stranger [Chillingworth], the beadle).
 Teacher should read aloud to model fluency, inflection, and think aloud self-questioning, stopping to review
and explain certain passages.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapter and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 Discuss the important symbol of the embroidered letter “A.”
 In groups or as a class, write a short one-paragraph summary of chapter 2 in the RTW journal.
 Enrichment: draw four scenes from chapter 2 on an 8 ½” x 11” piece of paper, including the quote from the
book on the bottom of each scene.
2. The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 3-4
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: furrowed, heterogeneous,
imperceptible, grievous, sojourn, sagacity, mien, genial, obstinacy, purport melancholy, tremulous,
hypocrisy, avail, lurid, quell, pervade, amendable, quietude, peremptory, alchemy, efficacy, scrutiny,
expostulation, impel, feign, epoch, retribution, appall
 Review the events and key ideas from chapter 2, especially the stranger mentioned at the end: “There she
beheld the countenance, of a man well stricken in years,…”
During reading
Create a persona of the stranger by using a chart that identifies the physical appearance and description of
the man, who ends up being Roger Chillingworth (the chart should include the outline of the human body
with which to draw and write characteristics and other graphic organizer elements to collect information
about characterization [direct description, what he says, what others say to him, what he does, what others
say about him, what he thinks, etc.]).
 Stop to review and explain certain passages while reading portions as a class and with partners.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapters and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 In groups or as a class, write a short the timeline of events in chapters 3 and 4 (the events should be main
ideas broken down from individual paragraphs in the text. (Hint: Many students miss the fact that Roger
Chillingworth reveals their marriage in the middle of chapter 4: “ Nay, from the moment when we came
down the old church steps together, a married pair,…”)
 Answer questions from chapters 3 and 4 in the RTW journal.
 Enrichment: Have two students act out the scene in chapter 4 of Chillingworth’s visit to Hester in the jail.
3.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 5
 Summarize chapter 5 only.
 Review the facts: Hester lives on the outskirts of town. She makes her living as a seamstress. She dresses
her daughter in fine clothes and in the color red, which shows a connection to the letter “A” embroidered
on Hester’s dress. Hester feels she can sense the hidden sins in others due to her own experience.
4. The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 6
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: morbid, lurid, vigor, obscure,
invariably, uncongenial, purge, martyrdom, discern, ingenuity, progenitor, sumptuary, intangible, plebian,
ascetic, superfluous, penance, derive, banish, repugnance, revile, succor, contrive, exhortation, diffusion,
endow, insidious, intimation, loathsome, piety, avert, sully, talisman, revere, aver, incredulity
 Predict what Hester’s daughter is like.
During reading
 Make a characterization chart for Pearl like the chart of Chillingworth.
 Discuss the meaning and symbol of Pearl’s name.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapter and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 Individually students could answer the following questions to practice the TAKS short answer (Direct
answer, textual evidence, and commentary): What are Pearl’s personality traits? What does the narrator
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

mean when it says, “Mother and daughter stood together in the same circle of seclusion from human
society”? In what way is Pearl both Hester’s “happiness” and her “torture”?
Practice showing students how to embed or lead-in quotations into a sentence.
Enrichment: Research how children were raised, rewarded, and punished during Puritan times.
Suggested Assessment:
The Texas Test Preparation Assessment (pages 202-206)
Study guide questions
RTW Journal
Four scenes
Characterization charts
Reading quizzes
Quickwrite
Resources:
Prentice Hall Literature Textbook
The Scarlet Letter novels
Sparknotes.com
*an online search will provide study guides, full-text of book, and many more supplementary materials Colonial
Punishments (“Bilboes, Brands, and Branks”) http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/spring03/branks.cfm
Technology for research
4
11th Grade English/Language Arts
Second Six Weeks: Week 2
Writer: Renee Sena/Evelyn Gilmore-Smith
TEKS:
2A, 2B, 2C,
5A, 5B, 5C
Objective:
 The students will apply comprehension skills and strategies to read and analyze The Scarlet
Letter, chapters 7-12.
 The students will explore author’s craft, archetypes, symbols, etc. and how they assist in
developing characters, setting, plot, theme, and tone.
Overview:
During the reading of The Scarlet Letter, students should continue to review the text in a variety of ways: close
reading; teacher directed reading mixed with discussion; annotating; whole class reading; partner and group
reading; summarizing sentences, paragraphs, and entire chapters; note-taking; answering questions; journaling;
and extending the learning through learning about the time period.
The RTW journal can continue to be utilized to extend or aid learning.
Chapter 7: The Governor’s Hall (Hester and Pearl visit Governor Bellingham’s mansion)
Chapter 8: The Elf-Child and the Minister (Hester pleads to keep Pearl, especially with minister Dimmesdale)
Chapter 9: The Leech (Roger Chillingworth becomes the doctor of minister Dimmesdale)
Chapter 10: The Leech and His Patient (Chillingworth talks with Dimmesdale and finally discovers his secret)
Chapter 11: The Interior of a Heart (Chillingworth treats Dimmesdale’s guilt only for purposes of revenge)
Chapter 12: The Minister’s Vigil (Dimmesdale’s presence on the scaffold at night are noticed by Hester and Pearl)
Essential Questions:
What archetypes exist in The Scarlet Letter that gives the novel more meaning and importance in our culture and
society?
How is Dimmesdale characterized?
Why is Pearl considered an outcast?
What details foreshadow future events in the story?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
1.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 7
 Summarize chapter 7 only.
 Review the facts: The other children did not accept Pearl, Governor Bellingham’s mansion is beautiful, Pearl
demands sunshine from Hester, Pearl notices Hester’s “A” in the reflection of a suit of armor, and Pearl’s
demands a the rose from the garden and screams when she cannot have it.
2. The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 8
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: antiquated, transgression,
benevolence, apparition, relic, pious, perversity, amiss, depravity, indefeasible, emaciated, boon, adduce,
vehemence, profane, comely
 Discuss who is at Governor Bellingham’s mansion when Hester arrives and why she is going there to meet
with him (to plead to keep Pearl)
During reading
 Annotate the important details of the chapter while reading it aloud as a class, particularly sections that
simple describe the scenario and what it describes and the dialogue and who is speaking to whom.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapter and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 In groups or partners, have students create a script for this chapter, including only minimal description
between lines.
 In groups or as a class, write a short one-paragraph summary of chapter 8 in the RTW journal.
5

Enrichment: Students could write a letter from Hester’s point of view to Governor Bellingham in place of
her visiting him to ask for permission to keep Pearl.
3.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 9-11
 Summarize chapter 9-11 only.
 Review the facts: Chillingworth does possess many skills for making medicines. Dimmesdale’s health
begins to fail, so Chillingworth becomes his personal physician. Chillingworth began living in Dimmesdale’s
house to better “take care of him.” People of Boston viewed Chillingworth two different ways: as a trusted
doctor and as a conjurer of the black art. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth discussed the topic of secrets.
Chillingworth and Dimmesdale also discuss Hester. As Dimmesdale slept, Chillingworth discovered
“something” under Dimmesdale’s shirt (on his chest). ***I suggest reading this passage aloud from the end
of chapter 10 to see if the students understand the meaning. Dimmesdale’s inner emotional struggles led to
outward physical torment as he began to physically beat himself, starve himself, and deprive himself of
sleep. Despite his dwindling physical state, the people of Boston only esteemed Dimmesdale more, and he
grew even more popular.
4. The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 12
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: ascend, zenith, peril, trifle,
remorse, inextricable, expiation, multitudinous, wary, minute, luminary, conjecture, lurid, defunct, tumult,
wax, patriarch, decorous, awry, acute, suppress, torpid, providence, impute, malevolence, admonish,
erudite, beseech, replete, efficacy, scurrilous, portent
 Quiz students on prior events to prepare them for this very important upcoming scene.
 Ask them to describe what they do when they are particularly upset about something to compare their
reactions to Dimmesdale’s.
During reading
 Close read the text as a class and annotate details in setting, dialogue, etc.
 Make a characterization chart for Dimmesdale.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapter and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 Create a T-chart or Venn Diagram contrasting the two scaffold scenes (chapter 2 and chapter 12)
 Discussion question: What events from chapter 12 foreshadow future events? How do you know?
 Enrichment: In the RTW journal, note and record the changes in Hester, Dimmesdale, Pearl, and
Chillingworth from the beginning of the novel. Use textual evidence to support ideas.
Suggested Assessment:
Annotations
Script
Characterization chart
Study guide questions
T-Chart
RTW Journal
Reading quizzes
Resources:
The Scarlet Letter novels
6
11th Grade English/Language Arts
Second Six Weeks: Week 3
Writer: Renee Sena/Evelyn Gilmore-Smith
Objective:
 The students will apply comprehension skills and strategies to read and analyze The Scarlet
Letter, chapters 13-18.
 The students will explore author’s craft, archetypes, symbols, etc. and how they assist in
developing characters, setting, plot, theme, and tone.
TEKS:
1B, 2A, 2B,
2C, 5A, 5B,
5C
Overview
During the reading of The Scarlet Letter, students should continue to review the text in a variety of ways: close
reading; teacher directed reading mixed with discussion; annotating; whole class reading; partner and group
reading; summarizing sentences, paragraphs, and entire chapters; note-taking; answering questions; journaling;
and extending the learning through learning about the time period.
The RTW journal can continue to be utilized to extend or aid learning.
Chapter 13: Another View of Hester (Hester’s reputation turns positive and the letter “A” takes on new meaning)
Chapter 14: Hester and the Physician (Hester pleads for Chillingworth to abandon “helping” Dimmesdale)
Chapter 15: Hester and Pearl (Pearl questions her mother about the meaning of the letter “A” and why Dimmesdale
always puts his hand over his heart)
Chapter 16: A Forest Walk (Hester and Pearl discuss the “Black Man” before meeting minister Dimmesdale in the
forest)
Chapter 17: The Pastor and His Parishioner (Hester and Dimmesdale meet and talk in the forest; she takes off the
scarlet letter “A”)
Chapter 18: A Flood of Sunshine (Hester and Dimmesdale make plans to leave Boston together before calling back
Pearl)
Essential Questions:
How does Hawthorne craft his novel and what techniques does he use that have made it a classic?
What types of sentences are used mostly throughout the novel
How does Hester change through chapters 13-18?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
1.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 13-14
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: abase, faculty, pristine, repose,
impede, gibe, calamity, zealous, accost benign, propensity, despotic, austerity, stigmatize, amiss, obviate,
labyrinth, insurmountable, precipice, auspicious, discourse, derisively, misgiving, vile, usurp, bane, implore
 Discuss the different types of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.
 Give examples:
Simple: “His nerve seemed absolutely destroyed.”
Compound: “Now go thy ways, and deal as thou wilt with yonder man.”
Complex: “When sunshine came again, she was not there.”
Compound-Complex: “Little accustomed, in her long seclusion from society, to measure her ideas of right
and wrong by any standard external to herself, Hester saw – or seemed to see – that there lay a
responsibility upon her, in reference to the clergyman, which she owned to no other, nor to the whole
world besides.”
During reading
 Discuss how the structure of sentences adds or effects meaning and shows an author’s writing style.
 Give example: “Hester Prynne did not occupy precisely the same position in which we beheld her during
the earlier periods of her ignominy. Years had come and gone. Pearl was now seven years old. Her mother,
with the scarlet letter on her breast, glittering in its fantastic embroidery, had long been a familiar object to
the townspeople.” These few sentences are a great example of the author’s craft because of the way structure
is used to manipulate the feeling of time passing. For instance, the short, simple sentences have the effect of
making time pass quickly. Before you read far, “seven years” have passed. The opposite effect in the last
7
sentence, because it is a lengthy compound-complex sentence, makes this time seem longer due to the way the
Hawthorne is trying to portray the length of time felt by Hester at wearing the scarlet letter “A.”
 Read the chapters in groups or partners with the intention of finding examples of structure and style to
discuss as a class.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapters and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 Share and discuss examples of author’s craft collected as a class.
 In groups or as a class, write a short one-paragraph summary of chapters 13 and 14 in the RTW journal.
 Enrichment: Write a one-paragraph response to the question, “What does the ‘black flower’ blossoming
represent from the end of chapter 14?”
2. The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 15-16
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: blight, verdure, sedulous,
deleterious, ominous, upbraid, reciprocate, impalpable, ascertain, incongruity, capricious, petulant,
precocity, acrid, vivacity asperity, penitent, impute, scintillate, loquacity, prattle, cadence, lamentation,
despondency, listlessness, gait, vivacious,
 Review the definitions of connotation, tone, and diction
During reading
 Read some passages as groups or partners and some passages as a class in order to discuss some of the
word choices Hawthorne selected and why
 Give example: “Hester gazed after [Chillingworth] a little while, looking with a half-fantastic curiosity to see
whether the tender grass of early spring would not be blighted beneath him,…” The word “blighted” is used
in this instance because Hawthorne wants the connotation of Chillingworth’s effect on nature to be strongly
negative. Also, because “blight” means to damage with affliction or to destroy as if by a plague it refers to way
a plant withers and dies from disease. This is must more descriptive than simply saying “die” or even “wither”
because it presents Chillingworth as the “plague” that kills the grass he walks upon.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapters and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 Create a poster of 4-6 examples of diction, explanations, and an image or drawing to present the tone of the
passage.
 Answer questions from chapters 15-16 in the RTW journal.
 Enrichment: Individually students could answer the following questions to practice the TAKS short answer
(Direct answer, textual evidence, and commentary): How is nature personified in chapter 16?
3.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 17-18
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: somber, estrange, devoid,
consolation, interpose, misanthropy, sanctity, dolefully, satiate, vestige, fervent, estrange, zeal, harrow,
machination, breach, citadel, subsequent, stealthy, solace, grovel, transmute, subjugate, denizen, choleric
 Predict what will happen when Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest.
During reading
 The teacher could read paragraphs 1-9 of chapter 17 aloud to model fluency, inflection, and think aloud
self-questioning
 The students could read the rest of chapter 17-18 like a script similar to Reader’s Theater without the tags
(he said, she said) In partners, one person could read Hester’s dialogue and one person could read
Dimmesdale’s.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapter and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 Answer questions from chapters 17 and 18 in the RTW journal.
 Enrichment: Write a one-paragraph explanation based on your opinion about Hester and Dimmesdale’s
plans to leave Boston together. Should they or shouldn’t they? Why or why not?
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Suggested Assessment:
RTW Journal
Connotation project
Study guide questions
Reading quizzes
Resources:
The Scarlet Letter novels
9
11th Grade English/Language Arts
Second Six Weeks: Week 4
Writer: Renee Sena/Evelyn Gilmore-Smith
Objective:
 The students will apply comprehension skills and strategies to read and analyze The Scarlet
Letter, chapters 19-24.
 The students will explore author’s craft, archetypes, symbols, etc. and how they assist in
developing characters, setting, plot, theme, and tone.
TEKS:
2A, 2B, 2C,
5A, 5B, 5C,
24A, 24B, 25,
26
Overview
During the reading of The Scarlet Letter, students should continue to review the text in a variety of ways: close
reading; teacher directed reading mixed with discussion; annotating; whole class reading; partner and group
reading; summarizing sentences, paragraphs, and entire chapters; note-taking; answering questions; journaling;
and extending the learning through learning about the time period.
The RTW journal can continue to be utilized to extend or aid learning.
During the reading of these chapters, the teacher should start bridging students learning of the novel to the literary
response essay with discussions that lead to one of the three optional prompts.
Chapter 19: The Child at Brook-Side (Pearl arrives but will not cross the brook until Hester returns the scarlet letter
“A” to her dress)
Chapter 20: The Minister in a Maze (Dimmesdale’s newfound energy carries him back to the town, but he is tempted
three times and nearly succumbs to temptation)
Chapter 21: The New England Holiday (The entire town of Boston is celebrating Election Day)
Chapter 22: The Procession (Dimmesdale is seen in the procession with vigor and energy on his way to preach his
sermon)
Chapter 23: The Revelation (Dimmesdale leaves the church after his sermon in weakness, stands upon the scaffold,
and reveals his secret to the world before dying)
Chapter 24: Conclusion (Chillingworth dies, Pearl becomes and heiress, and Hester moves back to Boston, ending
with a scene about her being buried next to the grave of Dimmesdale marked with the letter “A”)
Essential Questions:
Did the story end like you thought it would?
How realistic or romantic on the whole did the story seem? How much verisimilitude did the characters, setting,
and events have?
What events are the parts of the plot in The Scarlet Letter?
Out of all the characters, who committed the worst sin?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
1.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 19
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: manifest, prattle, steadfast,
imperious, inure, mollify, gesticulate, wrath, pacify, pallor, reproach, grimace, physiognomy, diffuse,
solitude
 Predict Pearl’s request to her mother’s request to cross the brook in order to come and meet Dimmesdale
During reading
 Read the account out loud as a class.
 Watch the movie clip of the scene.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapter and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 Discuss the important symbols of the forest and the brook.
 In groups or as a class, write a short one-paragraph summary of chapter 19 in the RTW journal.
10

Enrichment: Create a Hawthorne dictionary of words that are either archaic or often seen while reading
this novel (Examples: hither, thee, beseech, bosom, dost, thou, hasten, canst, didst, etc.)
2. The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 20-22
 Students should jigsaw read these chapters in groups and present a plot summary from their chapter to the
class.
 After the presentations, the teacher should ask follow-up questions: What decision was made in the forest?
What is the significance of Mistress Hibbin’s appearance? What did Hester learn from the mariner?
3.The Scarlet Letter – Chapter 23-24
Before reading
 Review academic vocabulary: romanticism, realism/Literary terms: setting, theme, tone, dialogue,
foreshadowing, symbol, character, irony, suspense, plot/ SAT vocabulary: eloquent, profound, oracle,
auditor, rapture, constrain, denounce, transitory, eminence, etherealize, repel, imperceptive, intimation,
lurid, acute, sportive, affliction, expiring, futile, remorse, repudiate, fidelity, forlorn, antipathy, bequeath,
devout, desolate, trifle, lavish, delve, gules
 Review the events and key ideas from chapters 20-22, especially the conversation between Hester and the
mariner about Chillingworth leaving with them and the conversation between Hester and Mistress Hibbins
(the witch) about being seen with Dimmesdale in the forest.
During reading
 Read these chapters aloud, making note that this is the third and final scaffold scene and concluding scene.
 Annotate events in the text.
 Intervention: Struggling readers should receive a copy of teacher notes on the chapters and should be
encouraged to listen to the book on tape at home.
After reading
 The students could be put in groups or partners to create a plot chart of events from the entire novel.
 Answer questions from chapters 23 and 24 in the RTW journal.
 Enrichment: Create a characterization chart of Hester.
Suggested Assessment:
Annotations
Study guide questions
Characterization chart
Plot Chart
RTW Journal
Reading quizzes
Resources:
The Scarlet Letter novels
11
11th Grade English/Language Arts
Second Six Weeks: Week 5
Writer: Renee Sena/Evelyn GilmoreSmith
Objective:
 The students will brainstorm and plan for the literary response essay on The Scarlet Letter.
 The students will write a first draft.
 The students will revise and edit for lead-ins, embedding, correctly cited quotations, and
variety of sentences.
 The students will produce a final, corrected draft.
TEKS:
13A, 13B,
13C, 13D,
13E
Overview:
Although knowing the events of The Scarlet Letter and being able to describe them in a literary response essay is
important, the writing process remains the paramount skill to master: prewriting, planning, drafting, revising,
editing, and publishing.

English 3 students should develop their essays to a length of between 500-700 words and should use MLA
format when typing: Times New Roman, 12 point font, double-spaced, 1” margins, etc.
Because this is the first essay of the year written about literature, a review of the requirements, plus examples of
writing will aid students’ understanding.
The details of a literary response essay should be discussed: formal tone, 3rd person point of view (he, she, it, they,
them, etc.), use of present tense verbs, use of quotations to support ideas, descriptions that use discussion of
literary elements, no contractions, etc. Grammar warm-ups would be an excellent activity to support editing skills.
A standardized rubric should be used across grade levels with comparable features to the TAKS essay rubric. It can
be as holistic or specific as the department desires, but it should be used for each formal essay evaluation.
Essential Questions:
Why write about literature?
What skills of this essay can you use to help you pass the ELA TAKS test?
How will writing this essay help you extend your knowledge of The Scarlet Letter?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
Notes on the Literary response essay can be found on pages 196-216 of the Prentice Hall Grammar Textbook.
Brainstorming: I suggest brainstorming the ideas of support and quotations from the novel after choosing one of
the following prompts:
 The Scarlet Letter contains three important scenes that take place on the scaffold in the center of town –
chapter 2, 12, and 23. Write an essay explaining how these three scaffold scenes represent the basic
structure of the novel, briefly describing the event that occurs in each scene, telling how each scene
advances the action of the story, and using textual evidence to support the analysis.
 In many ways The Scarlet Letter is a story about the consequences of truth and falsehood or hypocrisy.
Write and essay explaining the theme of truthfulness in the novel, discussing the various incidents of
falsehood, describing how the novel’s conclusion resolves each falsehood by revealing the truth, and using
textual evidence to support the analysis.
 Woods or forests are traditional symbols of being lost morally or spiritually. Write an essay explaining the
significance of the forest, discussing each scene or reference connected to the forest, making inferences and
interpretations about the information, and using textual evidence to support the analysis.
In addition to choosing a prompt and brainstorming:
 This would be a good time to show them how to site each source when using a quotation or a paraphrase
and how to list it on a works cited page according to MLA format. Example: (Hawthorne 55).
 You can also designate how many citations you want students to use from their article, perhaps 5-10
citations.
Planning: An outline or other organizational plan should be completed before writing a first draft.
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Drafting: Students should use their outlines and an example essay to write a first draft
Revising & Editing: Separate sessions should be conducted for revising and editing.
 Revising can focus on evaluating the lead-ins, embedding, and incorporation of quotations.
 Editing can focus on grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors, as well as minilessons (5-10
minute lessons) on removing passive voice, using present tense verbs, varying sentence structure, adding
details, being concise, and checking MLA citations, for example. This will give students a hands-on approach
to grammar.
 Many formats can be used to complete these steps: individual revision & edit/peer revision & edit/teacherstudent private conferencing.
 Ideally, students would produce 2-3 drafts and correct make many types of corrections before producing a
final draft.
Key Questions to ask about essay:
 How clearly are the ideas supported with textual evidence?
 How organized are the topic sentences and thesis?
 How interesting are your introduction and conclusion?
 How poignant are your explanations?
 How correct is your grammar?
Publishing: A final draft should be free from all errors and ready for grading.
Suggested Assessment:
Short grammar quizzes or warm-ups
The completed literary response essay with all parts of the writing process attached to the back
Brainstorming sheet
Outline
Rough Drafts
Resources:
The Scarlet Letter novels
Prentice Hall Grammar Textbook
Standardized rubric
Teacher created material
Technology
13
11th Grade English/Language Arts
Second Six Weeks: Week 6
Writer: Renee Sena/Evelyn Gilmore-Smith
TEKS:
1E, 2A, 5B,
9C. 9D, 12B
Objective:
 The students will take and pass a TAKS milestone.
 The students will take and pass a six weeks test.
Overview:
Another assessment for TAKS will indicate how well the objectives from this six weeks’ lessons have been mastered
and how prepared they are becoming for the EXIT TAKS test.
A six weeks test constructed by the teacher may additionally indicate the mastering of specific objectives for pieces
of literature, literary elements, academic and SAT vocabulary, grammar, and writing.
Essential Questions:
Have you mastered the objectives this six weeks?
How well do you understand the characters, events, and literary elements in The Scarlet Letter?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
1.Six Weeks Test Review
 The six weeks test review can be a study guide including open-ended questions from all chapters of The
Scarlet Letter. Instead of giving students the packet of questions however, each question can be cut into
strips of paper, students divided into groups, and a review conducted by allowing students to look up the
answers into groups and writing down answers at the end of the RTW journal when discovered.
 Teachers should be available to correct and guide the students’ responses.
 Also, the set of questions should rotate from group to group, so each group has a chance to see and answer
all the questions.
 A list of vocabulary words could also serve as test question options.
 The questions should also closely resemble the test questions.
2.TAKS milestone:
 The Texas Test Preparation Assessment on pages 454-459 (The literary selection “Journey” and the
expository selection “To Track Down my Dream” with multiple choice questions1-9, two visual
representation questions 10-11, and three short answers 12-14. This TAKS assessment does not include
any practice on revising and editing.
 An optional essay, “Write an essay explaining how life is a journey,” may also be included as a timed writing
if desired.
3.Six Weeks Assessment
 The teacher-constructed six weeks test could be multiple choice, true-false, matching, fill-in the blank with
or without a word bank, open-ended, or essay in nature. It would be beneficial for all English 3 teachers to
collaborate, create, and use the same assessment to ensure the consistency of assessment and achievement
of students.
4. Complete and present Six Weeks Culminatng Project.
Suggested Assessment:
The Texas Test Preparation Assessment (pages 454-459)
Teacher created Six Weeks Assessment
Resources:
The Scarlet Letter novels
Prentice Hall Literature Textbook
14
English III Checklist
Second Six Weeks
At the completion of the First Six weeks, the student will be able to:
_________
Create a character sketch of each character in The Scarlet Letter
_________
Understand and explain the culture and society of the Puritans
_________
Summarize each chapter of The Scarlet Letter
_________
Use the highly complex vocabulary words correctly in a sentence
_________
Identify the type of a sentence (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex)
_________
Explain the similarities and differences between romanticism and realism
_________
Discuss the author’s craft, archetypes, and symbols of The Scarlet Letter
_________
Complete the writing process to create a literary analysis essay
_________
Quickwrite; Are there circumstances when it is permissible to break the law?
_________
Journal Writing of chapter summaries
_________
Quickwrite: Are there circumstances when it is permissible to break the law?
_________
Composition: Novel Structure
_________
Composition: The Theme of Truthfulness
_________
Compose a letter from Hester to Dimmesdale
_________
Write a script for chapter 8
_________
Identify the parts of the plot in The Scarlet Letter
_________
Develop and present a culminating project
_________
Demonstrate mastery on a TAKS Milestone Assessment
_________
Develop and present a culminating project
_________
Demonstrate mastery on the Six Weeks Assessment
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