The Queen of Spades Lesson Plan

Read “The Queen of Spades” in its entirety.

Common Core Objectives

1. 1

   CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

2. 2

   CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1

3. 3

   CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6

4. 4

   CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1

Note that it is perfectly fine to expand any day’s work into two days depending on the characteristics of the class, particularly if the class will engage in all of the suggested classroom exercises and activities and discuss all of the thought questions.

Content Summary for Teachers

Part I

“Queen of Spades” begins at a card game at the house of a Russian cavalry officer. The men laugh about how Hermann, a young officer, refuses to gamble with them. Then, Pavel Tomsky talks about how...