East of Eden Family History Project
This is a multi-part AP lesson (though it can be adapted to fit your needs) with all parts meant to be completed after students have completed reading East if Eden by John Steinbeck and writing an analytical paper on a topic of their choice. The first part of this lesson is to engage students in close reading and annotation, to introduce AP prompts, and to acquire a timed writing sample. The second part of this lesson is to discuss the novel at length, to practice formulating discussion questions, and to assess discussion skills. The third part of this lesson is to connect the novel to each student's life by researching their own family history, creating a short piece of fiction based on this history, and offering a brief power point presentation including photographs, characters, plot structure, and theme.