Teaching A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Before he published the (admittedly super-difficult) Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake, Joyce published his first major work, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, in 1916. This novel, the first in Joyce’s whopping hat-trick of great novels, is both shorter and more approachable than either of Joyce’s later masterpieces…for which we humbly thank him. Add a touch of Shmoop's Teacher Guides for scaffolding, and your students will be thanking him too.

In this guide, you'll find

• a close look at that whole Whitsuntide play, and playbill design.
• a scheduling activity, to help students really break down Stephen's average day—in all its mundane and embarrassing nitty-gritty details.
• a creative writing activity where students create a hypothetical conversation about sin and salvation—NBD, right?

Get this accessible book down thanks to our activities and comprehension check questions, and you'll be teaching middle schoolers Ulysses in no time flat. We promise.

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

• 13 – 18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students
• Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students
• Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text
• Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students
• A note from Shmoop's teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles

Want more help teaching Teaching A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.