"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
Lesson plans and learning activities

Jonathan Swift
Biography and discussion of major works.

Close Reading Satire
This close reading strategy is discussed in the context of "A Modest Proposal" but will work with any piece of satire.

"A Modest Proposal"
Analysis, commentary.

"A Modest Proposal"
Text of the essay in multiple formats, including EPUB and Kindle.

"A Modest Proposal"
Text of the essay in multiple audio formats, including Ogg Vorbis, Apple iTunes, and MP3.

"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
Graphic organizer (argument analysis), editing practice, connotations. This document requires Adobe Reader.

"A Modest Proposal" Vocabulary
75 words presented in context and with definitions. Click on each word for more information, including pronunciation and recent usage.

Semicolons and Swift: Analyzing Punctuation and Meaning
In this lesson, students identify and categorize different ways Jonathan Swift and those who have edited his text since its initial publication used semicolons in the essay "A Modest Proposal." They compare these uses with rules for semicolon use as indicated in online guides, theorizing about uses that do not follow the rules. Following this analysis and theorizing, students use what they learn about punctuation and its influence on meaning to write insightfully about their findings, using semicolons as they do so.

Swift: A Modest Proposal
Text of the essay, background information, summary, glossary, and writing topics.

Tee-Hee T.V.: Exploring Satire by Creating Original Television Parodies
Students learn about satire and develop original television shows that parody existing programs.