National Endowment of the Arts - The Big Read

A Farewell to Arms
Teacher's Guide - Schedule / Lesson Plans

Introduction

Schedule/Lesson Plans

Capstone Project Ideas

Essay Topics

Additional Resources

NCTE Standards

Credits

Back to Reader's Guide

This is a suggested teaching schedule for a 10 class study of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Lesson plans and handouts can be downloaded individually by clicking on the name of the file in the schedule below. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files. All page numbers below refer to the 332-page Scribner 2003 edition of A Farewell to Arms.

The CD Audio Guides are available only for the communities participating in The Big Read. If your community is participating, contact the lead community organization to receive a free Audio Guide. If your community is not participating, encourage a local organization (such as a library, museum, literary center, arts council, or similar non-profit organization) to apply.

Day One

FOCUS: Biography
Day One Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Listen to The Big Read CD. Read Reader’s Guide essays. Write a second chapter to the novel.
Homework: Chapters I-VII (pp. 1-41).

Day Two

FOCUS: Culture and History
Day Two Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Listen to the Big Read CD. Read Reader's Guide essays, Handout One [PDF] and Handout Two [PDF]. Play "exquisite corpse."
Homework: Chapters VIII-XII (pp. 42-78).

Day Three

FOCUS: Narrative and Point of View
Day Three Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Tell story from the point of view of a secondary character.
Homework: Chapters XIII-XVIII (pp. 81-116).

Day Four

FOCUS: Characters
Day Four Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explain protagonist and antagonist. Introduce foil.
Homework: Chapters XIX-XXIV (pp. 117-159).

Day Five

FOCUS: Figurative Language
Day Five Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Document figurative language used in the first five chapters. Use metaphors in personal description.
Homework: Chapters XXV-XXVII (pp. 163-193).

Day Six

FOCUS: Symbols
Day Six Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explore the symbol of the snake.
Homework: Chapters XXVIII-XXXII (pp. 194-233).

Day Seven

FOCUS: Character Development
Day Seven Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explore Henry's beliefs.
Homework: Chapters XXXIII-XXXV (pp. 237-263).

Day Eight

FOCUS: The Plot Unfolds
Day Eight Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Chart a time line of the story. Write the opening of a sequel.
Homework: Chapters XXXIII-XXXV (pp. 237-263).

Day Nine

FOCUS: Themes of the Novel
Day Nine Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Develop an interpretation based on a theme: Hope/Hopelessness or Relationships.
Homework: Chapters XXXVIII-XLI (pp. 289-332).

Day Ten

FOCUS: What Makes a Great Book?
Day Ten Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explore the qualities of a great novel and the voice of a generation. Examine qualities that make Hemingway’s novel successful. Have students review each other's paper outlines or drafts.
Homework: Essay due next class period.