The Death of Ivan Ilych Lesson Plan

A Matter Of Life And Death

Kind of Activity:

Classwide Discussion

Objective:

Students will consider the gravity of the life of Ivan Ilyich.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1

Structure:

At the beginning of the unit, students were asked to write a short essay about their experience with death. Now that they've finished the story, they should take out their essay and re-read it. This should only take about five minutes.

Students can then be split into small groups to discuss their thoughts. The focus of discussion is not so much Ivan Ilyich's specific story, but what his story has to offer: how does the thought of death transform our lives? Students should...