In Black Beauty, Anna Sewell tackled one of the contemporary issues of her time, the cruel treatment of horses, many of them abused by their owners. Her work made readers aware of the need for laws to protect animals from harsh and abusive treatment.

After exploring the cruelty to animals in Sewell's novel, extend the discussion to current events. Divide students into pairs or small groups and ask them to conduct some research into the use of animals in testing drugs, cosmetics, and other products. Be sure to have online as well as traditional print resources available. Student groups should compile and present the information for and against using animals to test various substances.

Before beginning a reading of this novel, brainstorm with the class the possible meaning of the title. What does the word scarlet connote? What is the letter? Can letter have more than one meaning? Are there synonyms for scarlet that could convey the same significance and meaning? Be sure to record the responses of the class and return to them once the reading has begun, to explore how students' definitions have changed.

An alternative activity might be to show students the opening minutes of the movie adaptations of the novel first, and then ask them to read the opening chapter of the novel. Students could then write a short comparison of the book and the movie. An adaptation of the lesson Cover to Cover: Comparing Books to Movies (see Lesson Plans below) can also provide a foundation for this activity.

Many people consider Robert Frost a traditional poet, largely because of the New England setting of many of his poems and his tendency toward simple, clear language and images. In his own significant ways, however, Frost was an innovator, known for his desire for finding "old ways of being new." Celebrate Frost's birthday and his poetry by leading students in an exploration of his innovation in the sonnet form.

• If your students are unfamiliar with sonnet form, consult the ReadWriteThink lesson Discovering Traditional Sonnet Forms and adapt activities and resources to provide students a brief introduction.
• Provide students with an array of Frost poems that display varying degrees of adherence to and departure from sonnet form. Suggested poems might include "Design," "Putting in the Seed," "Range Finding," "The Vantage Point," and "Acquainted with the Night" (which is actually a hybrid sonnet/terza rima).
• Have groups present their poem to the class. In addition to discussing their impressions and interpretations of the poem, students should indicate how the poem fits into the tradition and innovation of sonnet form.
• Ask students to discuss reasons why Frost may have altered traditional formal elements and what effect his choices have on their appreciation of the poems.

To celebrate Silko's birthday, your students can revive elements of the oral tradition.

Have students write a brief anecdote about something funny that happened to them recently. Have students limit their writing to no more than a paragraph. Then ask students to read what they have written several times to themselves. Next, in pairs, have students tell each other their stories without looking at what they wrote. Each pair should then join with another pair and tell each other their stories, again without looking at what they wrote. Stop the class at this point and ask students to look back at what they have written to see if their stories have changed in the telling. Why do these changes happen? Finally, have students move into a larger group and retell someone else's story as well as they can. Before wrapping up, students should discuss some of the elements of oral storytelling: what makes a good story? What changes in the retelling and why?

Have students interview older family members to learn about family stories that may have been passed down through generations. Students may wish to share these stories in class or write them down and illustrate them.

Before beginning a work by Garcí­a Márquez, introduce your students to some of the hallmarks of the literary style known as magical realism by exploring what it is not, through comparisons with familiar genres that also use unrealistic elements: fantasy, science fiction, and fairy tales.

• Ask students to form groups to participate in a collaborative creative writing activity. Each group will narrate the same event, but they will do so in different genres: fantasy, science fiction, and fairy tale.
• Read the events/prompt aloud: "A man is killed. His mother finds the body and begins preparations for his burial."
• Encourage students to be creative in their responses, but to follow the conventions of their genre. Then ask students to share their responses. Discuss the genre elements their creative depictions display and talk about what these genres have in common and what they do not.
• Read from One Hundred Years of Solitude the scene in which José Arcadio is shot and his body discovered by Úrsula (Chapter 7, beginning at "One September afternoon" through "with a shell of concrete"). Have students compare the depiction from the novel to the ones they created. How is magical realism similar and different from the genres with which they are already familiar?

In addition to teaching your students a famous Shakespearean play, you could use the Ides of March to explore the role of superstitions in our lives and culture.

• Begin by asking students to list the superstitions they know: the number 13, spilling salt, breaking a mirror, finding a penny, etc.
• Next, have them try to categorize these superstitions. For example, which ones relate to good luck, bad luck, death, happiness, etc.?
• After they have categorized them, ask students to define a superstition. What is their purpose or role? What do they tend to relate to?
• Finally, have students think about superstitions and proverbs. Share a list of proverbs from around the world. Which ones on the list also sound like superstitions? What are the similarities and differences between proverbs and superstitions? You can use the ReadWriteThink Venn Diagram interactive for this activity.

With Carnegie's gift in mind, today would be a perfect day for students to practice their expository writing and/or persuasive writing skills.

For expository writing: Carnegie was often referred to as the "Patron Saint of Libraries." Why were libraries so important to him? Although Carnegie was interested in giving, he didn't like "charity."  Instead, he was interested in programs that would help people help themselves. Ask students to explain how funding libraries would be a good way to further the cause of "helping people help themselves." For younger students, ask them to write about at least two ways the library could help them learn important information or skills.

For persuasive writing: Ask students to imagine that they are writing to the Carnegie Foundation in order to fund a project at their school. They should identify a specific need at their school and then convince the donors that their school deserves this money. Writing should include specific information about how the money would be used to benefit their school.

If students write both the expository and persuasive pieces, ask them to compare the essential features of the two modes of writing. Students may find ReadWriteThink's Persuasion Map and Essay Map interactives useful for this activity.

Use a list of current and past Coretta Scott King Book Award winners as a booklist for a book report assignment. The rich variety of literature offers something for all tastes, including nonfiction, fiction, short stories, biographies, and more. First have each student select a book from the list and then have students complete one of these book report alternatives from ReadWriteThink:

• Book Report Alternative: Writing Resumes for Characters in Historical Fiction
• Book Report Alternative: Character and Author Business Cards
• Book Report Alternative: Comic Strips and Cartoon Squares
• Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction
• Book Report Alternative: Summary, Symbol, and Analysis in Bookmarks
• Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips
• Book Report Alternative: Hooking a Reader with a Book Cover
• Book Report Alternative: Creating a New Book Cover

In Nothing But the Truth, Avi writes in a documentary style, using journal entries, dialogue, and other writing genres. After reading this novel, have your students explore a current event topic and write their own short work of fiction in a similar multigenre format.

• Have students research and select a current event topic of interest. Provide print resources such as magazines and newspapers, as well as access to news on the Web.
  
  
• As a group, brainstorm a list of possible genres to include in a documentary-style story. The list could include those used in Nothing But the Truth, such as maps, poems, letters, or interviews.
  
  
• Have students make brief presentations to the class on the topics they have chosen, including the resources they have selected for inclusion in their writing. Encourage constructive criticism and sharing of ideas for alternate resources students might include.
  
  
• Have students use the feedback to plan their stories before writing. You may wish to have students use the Literary Elements Mapping tool to help with planning.
  
  
• Finally, have students write their stories. Publish the stories on a bulletin board or in a class book.

Invite your students to explore Macaulay's use of multiple genres by composing original multigenre texts using the interactive Multigenre Mapper. This tool invites students to create original works that include one drawing and three texts.

• First, select a topic for students' multigenre texts. You might choose a subject you are currently studying in science or social studies or let students choose their own topics.
  
  
• Next, ask students to brainstorm a set of subtopics and possible writing genres (for example, poetry, recipes, fables, journal entries, or news articles) that could be used to share the subtopics with readers in an engaging way.
  
  
• Have students use the Multigenre Mapper Planning Sheet to write rough drafts of their texts.
  
  
• Finally, have students visit the interactive Multigenre Mapper to compose their texts online.

Have students print and share their final texts, explaining how they blended different genres to create their final products. Create a display or index of the texts so that other students in the school can enjoy them. Include some of Macaulay's texts to tie the project together.