Week-Long Love in Literature Unit Study for High School (FREE PRINTABLE)

 Love in Literature

This unit is appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  It is designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Visit the Subscribers Page for a printable PDF version.

For extra enrichment, study The History Behind Valentine's Day.  To tailor for additional middle or elementary school family members, head to the library with the Valentine's Day Booklist.

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DAY 1: Defining Love — What Is It Really?

Activities:

• Discussion Starter:

  • Define different types of love: romantic, familial, platonic, self-love, forbidden love, tragic love, obsessive love. Find an example of each from stories and movies.  Record in your notebook.

• Background:

  • Plato’s Symposium (synopsis) — philosophical foundations of love

  • Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare — enduring romantic love

  • “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver — ambiguity and modern disillusionment

• Writing Prompt:

  • “Which type of love do you think is most commonly misunderstood — and why?”s

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DAY 2: Romantic Love — Idealized vs. Realistic

Readings (Choose One):

• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (Act 1–2) — idealized love and impulsive passion

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green  — modern teen love and mortality

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — social obstacles and emotional growth

Activities:

• Compare & Contrast:

  • Create a chart comparing two romantic couples from different eras or genres

  • Research how time period and culture influence romantic expression and add this to your notebook

• Discussion Questions:

  • Does “true love” exist in these stories or others you have read?

  • What do these characters sacrifice for love?

• Creative Writing:

  • Write a dialogue between a modern teen and Juliet about her choices

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DAY 3: Tragic & Forbidden Love

Background:

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë  — obsession and toxic love

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald — love, illusion, and social class

• Antigone by Sophocles — familial vs. romantic love and loyalty

• “The Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu  — courtly love in Heian Japan

Activities:

• Analyze character motivations and consequences for one of the above pieces.  Add to your notebook.

• Discuss: What makes love destructive?

• In your notebook, define each of these and provide an example: unreliable narrators, irony, tragic flaws

Writing Prompt:

• “Should all love be pursued — even when it’s forbidden?”

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DAY 4: Love Beyond Romance — Family, Friendship, and Sacrifice

Background:

• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck — loyalty and mercy between friends

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee — father-daughter love and moral courage

• Here's an entire unit study dedicated to this important book

• “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry — self-sacrifice in romantic love

• “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke — complex father-son love

Discussion Topics:

• Which is more powerful in literature: romantic or non-romantic love?

• How do acts of love define character?

Creative Task:

• Write a letter from one character to another expressing unspoken love or gratitude

• Whip up a modern-classic symbol of love - a box of chocolates - in your kitchen

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DAY 5: Love as Growth and Transformation

Background:

• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston  — self-discovery through love

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë — independence and love balanced

• “Love After Love” by Derek Walcott — self-love and reflection

Final Project:

1. Essay:

   • “What is the most powerful depiction of love in any work we've studied, and why?”

2. Creative Piece:

   • Write your own short story or poem that reflects one of the love types explored this unit

3. Visual Project:

• Create a visual representation (digital collage, poster, etc.) showing three faces of love in literature

Pick up the ENTIRE SERIES right now - plus several bonus units - in our Cottage Shop.

These units are appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  They are designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Each day takes 1-2 hours. This bundle includes the basic twelve, tailored to each month of the year, plus EIGHT bonus units!