English with Mrs. Lamp

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Scarlet Letter Anticipation Questions Activity/Lesson:

Looking for more unit materials for The Scarlet Letter? Try these!

Ways to Use the Questions

Using agree/disagree questions as a prereading activity is a great way to engage students with the themes and ideas of a novel before diving into the text. Here are some activities you could incorporate into your lesson plan:

1. Statement Carousel

Objective: To encourage students to consider and discuss different perspectives on key themes.

Activity:

1. Preparation: Write several agree/disagree statements related to the novel’s themes or characters on large pieces of paper or posters.
2. Setup: Place these statements around the classroom.
3. Execution: Divide students into small groups and assign each group to start at one statement. Give them a few minutes to discuss and record their responses.
4. Rotation: After the time is up, have groups rotate to the next statement, review the previous group’s responses, and add their thoughts.
5. Debrief: After all rotations, gather students and discuss their responses. Highlight differing opinions and how they relate to the novel.

2. Agree/Disagree Poll

Objective: To gauge students’ initial opinions and get them thinking critically about the novel’s themes.

Activity:

1. Preparation: Create a series of statements related to the novel’s themes or moral dilemmas.
2. Execution: Present each statement to the class, and have students indicate their position by moving to one side of the room for “Agree” and the other side for “Disagree.”
3. Discussion: After each statement, facilitate a brief discussion where students explain their positions. Ask follow-up questions to probe deeper into their reasoning.

3. Debate Teams

Objective: To foster critical thinking and articulate reasoning about the novel’s themes.

Activity:

1. Preparation: Select several controversial statements related to the novel.
2. Setup: Divide the class into debate teams, assigning each team a statement to support or refute.
3. Execution: Allow teams time to prepare their arguments and then hold a structured debate.
4. Reflection: After the debates, discuss how different perspectives on the statements might influence their understanding of the novel.

4. Personal Reflection Journals

Objective: To allow students to reflect on their own beliefs and how they might align or conflict with the novel’s themes.

Activity:

1. Preparation: Develop a set of thought-provoking agree/disagree statements related to the novel’s themes.
2. Execution: Have students write a brief reflection on each statement in their journals, explaining their personal stance and why they feel that way.
3. Sharing: Optionally, students can share their reflections in pairs or small groups, discussing how their views might change after reading the novel.
   

5. Interactive Polling Tools

Objective: To use technology to engage students and gather real-time responses.

Activity:

1. Preparation: Create a series of agree/disagree statements using interactive polling tools (like Kahoot, Poll Everywhere, or Google Forms).
2. Execution: Conduct the poll with the class, displaying the results in real-time.
3. Discussion: Analyze the results together and discuss how different opinions might shape their understanding of the novel’s themes.

7. Concept Mapping

Objective: To visually organize and connect students’ thoughts about the themes and statements.

Activity:

1. Preparation: Create a central concept map with the novel’s main themes in the center.
2. Execution: Write agree/disagree statements on separate cards or sticky notes.
3. Activity: Have students place the statements around the central themes on the map, connecting their thoughts with lines or arrows. This helps visualize how their opinions on these statements relate to the novel’s broader themes.

8. Think-Pair-Share

Objective: To encourage students to develop and articulate their own opinions before discussing with others.

Activity:

1. Preparation: Develop several agree/disagree statements related to the novel.
2. Execution: Pose a statement to the class. Have students think individually about their stance, then pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts.
3. Share: Invite pairs to share their ideas with the larger group, facilitating a class discussion on the varying perspectives.

These activities not only engage students with the novel’s themes but also help them develop critical thinking, discussion, and writing skills!