Free Video Study Guides for Novels

November 12th, 2007 · 4 Comments

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MyRocketbook.com is producing what is essentially Cliff’s Notes on video. The videos give background, summaries and analysis for a variety of literary classics, including Beowulf, Pride and Prejudice, Nineteen Eighty-four, Frankenstein, The Crucible, The Odyssey and Othello.

The videos are great for independent learners and homeschooling parents and students. For teachers, the videos can act as enrichment for gifted students that are ready to strike out on their own, or as remediation for students who are struggling with these titles in your classroom.

Of course, these videos carry the same caveat as Cliff’s Notes: they are no substitution for reading the actual works themselves, and they provide only a limited interpretation. The ideal is to read the book oneself and work through interpreting the book’s meaning on one’s own. Still, these videos can help those who are still learning how to interpret literature, or who need a little more background to help them on their literary quest.

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Tags: Resources · Teaching

4 responses so far ↓

1 Natalie Cowie // Nov 13, 2007 at 3:02 am

I will enjoy checking out this site. Thanks for the great tip.
2 Nick // Nov 13, 2007 at 7:39 am

Natalie: You’re welcome. I enjoyed your site, especially the Monty Python sketches and Einstein the parrot. I’m going to use them with my students. Thanks!
3 MyRocketBook.com: “Video Cliffs Notes” and More for Classic Literature | Beyond School // Nov 17, 2007 at 11:35 pm

[...] to Nick Senger (”Teen Literacy Tips” blog) for the find. As a supplement to reading the classics [...]
4 Rick Rogers // Mar 27, 2008 at 11:50 am

Nick -

Many kudos to you for your great blog and many thanks from us for mentioning our website!

We are very excited to have a product that readers of all types have been able to enjoy and we are continuing to work hard to find ways to help students not only understand, but enjoy classic works of literature. We are launching a new site in the near future and I hope to see you as part of the MyRocketbook community!

Thanks again for your kind words and keep up the great work. Of course if you have any feedback for us - please feel free to contact me at any time!

- Rick

Teen Literacy Tips

Working to Improve the Teaching of Literature