Lessons on James Joyce for the Classroom

Lessons by teachers on the Irish author James Joyce for use in the classroom.

"Araby" by James Joyce - A Worksheet for a cooperative annotation

Submitted by scotese on Fri, 2009-05-01 05:41

a young boy in 1900 DublinJames Joyce's "Araby" has long been one of my favorite stories.  This year I wanted to do something different.  The students read the story the night before and after they took their quiz, I gave them the attached worksheet.  Students can work with partners - and they essentially annotate the text (I had given them a printed copy of the story) and write those annotations down to later be published on the Antext (electronic annotated text) of Araby on this website.  The two crucial parts of this group work ask the students to find the epiphany and the cllimax of the story.  Towards the end of the period I showed them the brief Power Point presentation (also attached) - and there is an amazing chorus of recognition in what most of them already suspected.

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The Dubliners by James Joyce - Etext Version with space for notes

Submitted by scotese on Wed, 2010-04-14 08:45
Teaching Level: 
High School

This is an etext version of The Dubliners by James Joyce - formatted for Word with room on the right margin (and the top and bottom) of the page for the students and the teacher to take notes on.  Eventually, there will also be a corresponding version that can also be annotated.  The original version of this text comes from Project Gutenberg.  This is not a complete set of the stories - but is instead, these are the stories that we will read and/or discuss in class.

Full text, downloads, and audio for ALL lessons are made visible and available to users who have earned 50 points.  An uploaded original lesson is one way to earn 2 - 50 points.

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Poems to begin James Joyce's The Dubliners

Submitted by scotese on Thu, 2010-04-15 11:49
Teaching Level: 
High School

When we began The Dubliners this year, we first read some poems about childhood (and the lasting effects of what happens to us there).  The poems are "Discord in Childhood" by D.H. Lawrence, "Childhood" by Rainer Maria Rilke, "In Childhood" by Kimiko Hahn, "A Kite for Michael and Christopher" by Seamus Heaney, and an excerpt from "A Child Went Forth" by Walt Whitman.  The ideas, images, and themes in all of these poems will be seen later in Joyce's novel.

Full text, downloads, and audio for ALL lessons are made visible and available to users who have earned 50 points.  An uploaded original lesson is one way to earn 2 - 50 points.

A Short Power Point Presentation to show before discussing Jame Joyce's Araby

Submitted by scotese on Fri, 2010-04-16 08:52
Teaching Level: 
High School

This short Power Point presentation consists of three slides - they are designed to give the readers (discussors) some insight for when the story is talked about (or read aloud) in class.  Rather than concentrating on the symbolism, themes, or other aspects of the story - I find this story most interesting for what happens - how Joyce tells so much in so few (beautiful, beautiful) words - and how the reader can see that turning point in the story that often leads to the character's and the reader's epiphany.

Full text, downloads, and audio for ALL lessons are made visible and available to users who have earned 50 points.  An uploaded original lesson is one way to earn 2 - 50 points.

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"An Encounter" A Group Work on Jame Joyce's Story

Submitted by scotese on Fri, 2010-04-16 14:54
Teaching Level: 
High School

This group work is designed to have 3 to 4 students do a close examination of "An Encounter" from Joyce's The Dubliners - and to have them look at it both for what it is as a short story and how it relates to the other story that they have already read (and to set them up for the next reading - "Araby').  I also include an excerpt from The House on Mango Street - the chapter entitled "The House of the Little Feet," that has a similar theme of innocence and corruption - and have the students draw connections between the two works.

Full text, downloads, and audio for ALL lessons are made visible and available to users who have earned 50 points.  An uploaded original lesson is one way to earn 2 - 50 points.

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"Eveline" by James Joyce - A Group Work

Submitted by scotese on Mon, 2010-04-19 14:14
Teaching Level: 
High School

This group work is for one of the most famous of Joyce's stories from The Dubliners: "Eveline."  The work is designed to facililate a close reading and is designed for three to four students to complete in 45 minutes.  Here is a sample question: "How does the last line that takes place in her head “He would save her” contrast with her ultimate choice? Are we sure that the last scene – actually takes place and is not also “the avenue invading her evening” (go back to question 1)."

Full text, downloads, and audio for ALL lessons are made visible and available to users who have earned 50 points.  An uploaded original lesson is one way to earn 2 - 50 points.

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