Practical examples of creating lesson plans for teaching 'Gulliver's Travels'

Starting with concrete examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’

Before talking about themes or standards, it helps to see what this looks like in real classrooms. Here are several examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ that you can adapt, mix, and match.

One teacher might open the unit with a “Travel Influencer” hook: students explore modern travel blogs or short videos, then compare them to Swift’s narrator voice in the opening of the novel. Another class might begin with a mapping activity, using a world map to mark Gulliver’s journeys and discuss why Swift chose imaginary lands instead of real countries. Someone else might start with political cartoons, asking students to decode satire today before they tackle 18th century satire.

These are all examples of lesson choices that make the book feel less distant and more like a mirror for students’ own media world.

Example of a 3-day introductory lesson: Hooking students with satire and travel

A strong example of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ begins before students even open the book. Think of the first three days as onboarding them into satire, perspective, and travel writing.

Day 1: Modern satire warm-up
Instead of starting with a lecture on Jonathan Swift, bring in a short, school-appropriate satirical piece. That might be a short article from The Onion or a political cartoon from a reputable news outlet. Ask students:

• What is the topic?
• What is the writer or artist really criticizing?
• How can you tell it’s not meant to be taken at face value?

Then, briefly introduce Swift as someone who used fantasy travel stories in a similar way. You can pull a short biography from a site like Encyclopedia Britannica or a university resource.

Day 2: Travel writing and point of view
Have students write a one-page “travel report” about a familiar place (their school, neighborhood, or even the cafeteria) as if they were explorers encountering it for the first time. Encourage them to exaggerate and notice tiny details. When they share, highlight how description, tone, and perspective shape the reader’s experience.

Connect this to the opening of Gulliver’s Travels: Swift is doing something similar, but his “new lands” are tools for commentary.

Day 3: Historical context, but short and focused
Give students a quick, student-friendly overview of early 18th century Britain: class structure, colonial expansion, politics, and the rise of print culture. The British Library has accessible background materials on this period. Keep it tight—10–15 minutes—and then ask students to predict: If you were Swift, what might you want to criticize about your society?

This three-day arc is a clear example of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ that foreground skills (reading satire, identifying point of view) rather than just front-loading facts.

Best examples of chapter-based lesson plans: Lilliput and Brobdingnag

When students finally meet Gulliver in Lilliput and Brobdingnag, you have rich opportunities for close reading, discussion, and creative work. Here are some of the best examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ at the chapter level.

Lilliput: Power, scale, and politics

Many teachers focus Part I on power and perspective. A strong example of a lesson:

• Students read the scene where Gulliver wakes up tied down in Lilliput.
• In small groups, they rewrite the scene from a Lilliputian’s perspective, aiming for one page of narrative.
• Each group shares their version, and the class compares how power dynamics shift when the narrator is tiny instead of giant.

You can extend this by asking: How does size work as a metaphor for political power? Students might connect this to current events or social media influencers—who feels “huge” in our culture, and who feels “small” but still powerful?

Another example: have students create a short “policy brief” in which Lilliputian advisors debate whether to trust Gulliver. This lets you tie in argument writing and evidence-based reasoning, aligning easily with ELA standards published by organizations like CCSSO.

Brobdingnag: Ethics and the outsider’s gaze

In Part II, the roles reverse: now Gulliver is the tiny one. A thoughtful example of a lesson here:

• Students track moments when the King of Brobdingnag comments on European politics and war.
• They annotate the passages and label each comment as moral, political, or practical criticism.
• In discussion, they ask: Is Swift using the King as his own voice? Where might Swift be exaggerating for effect?

For a creative extension, students design a one-page “tourist brochure” for Brobdingnag that subtly advertises its moral superiority. This can be done digitally using simple tools like Google Docs or Slides, which aligns with current 2024–2025 trends of integrating low-barrier tech rather than flashy, hard-to-manage platforms.

These chapter-based activities are concrete examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ that blend close reading, writing, and media literacy.

Real examples of project-based lesson plans for ‘Gulliver’s Travels’

Project-based work helps students connect this 18th century text to their own lives. Here are real examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ using projects that teachers are actually running in 2024–2025.

Social media campaign from Lilliput

Students design a short social media campaign as if they are Lilliputian officials trying to control the narrative about Gulliver. They might:

• Draft three “posts” (short texts) from different factions in Lilliput.
• Create hashtags that reveal underlying political tensions.
• Write a brief teacher-facing reflection explaining what each post satirizes.

This taps into modern media literacy: who controls the story, and how does that shape public perception? It also mirrors current education trends that encourage critical thinking about online information, supported by organizations like Harvard’s Project Zero.

Mock trial: Is Gulliver reliable?

In another example, students hold a mock trial to decide whether Gulliver is a reliable narrator. Some students serve as prosecution, some as defense, and others as jury.

• The prosecution gathers passages where Gulliver seems biased, naive, or self-contradictory.
• The defense gathers passages that show his honesty or self-awareness.
• The jury must write a short justification of their verdict, citing textual evidence.

This kind of activity aligns with debate and argument standards while forcing students to read closely and think about narrative reliability.

Designing a new voyage for 2025

Ask students to invent a new land Gulliver might visit in 2025. The catch: the land must satirize a real issue today—maybe algorithm-driven echo chambers, climate inaction, or extreme consumer culture.

They create:

• A short narrative scene of Gulliver’s arrival.
• A description of the land’s customs and laws.
• A short paragraph explaining the satire.

This is one of the best examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ that bridges historical context and modern issues.

Cross-curricular examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’

The book is perfect for cross-curricular work, especially with history, civics, and even science.

History and civics connection

Coordinate with a history teacher to compare Swift’s satire of British politics with modern political commentary. Students might:

• Read a short, age-appropriate article about 18th century British politics.
• Analyze a modern op-ed or editorial cartoon.
• Create a Venn diagram or short written comparison of techniques: exaggeration, irony, caricature.

This supports civic literacy goals promoted by groups such as the National Council for the Social Studies.

Science and perspective

You can even connect Brobdingnag and Lilliput to basic scientific ideas about scale and observation. In collaboration with a science teacher, students might explore how observations change with scale (microscopes, telescopes) and then reflect on how Swift uses scale to change moral and political perspective.

These cross-curricular projects are powerful examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ that break the “English class silo” and help students see literature as connected to the rest of their learning.

Assessment-focused examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’

Assessment doesn’t have to mean a single long essay at the end. Here are varied examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ that include formative and summative assessment.

Formative checks

Throughout the unit, you might use:

• Quick writes: “What is Swift criticizing in this chapter? How do you know?”
• Exit tickets: one quote from the day’s reading plus a one-sentence explanation of its satirical target.
• Small-group annotations: students highlight different categories (political, religious, social satire) in different colors.

These small activities let you see who understands the satire and who is still reading it as a simple adventure story.

Summative options

Instead of one traditional essay, consider giving students a menu of final tasks:

• A literary analysis essay on Swift’s use of satire in one voyage.
• A creative project (new voyage, mock newspaper, or podcast-style script) with an analytical reflection.
• A comparative piece connecting Gulliver’s Travels to another satirical text or a modern media example.

This variety respects different strengths while still requiring textual evidence and clear reasoning.

2024–2025 trends to consider when planning your unit

If you’re updating your unit now, it helps to align with current teaching trends:

• Short-form reading and writing: Students are used to short, dense texts. Breaking the novel into manageable excerpts and pairing them with quick responses can increase engagement.
• Digital literacy: Activities that ask students to compare Swift’s satire to memes, posts, or digital campaigns speak directly to their media environment.
• Social-emotional learning: Gulliver’s shifting identity—feeling powerful, then powerless, then alienated—offers natural entry points for talking about empathy, perspective-taking, and belonging.

When you design your own examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, think about how each activity builds not only literary knowledge, but also skills your students need in a digital, fast-paced world.

FAQ: examples of lesson plans and common questions

What are some quick examples of activities for a single class period?

You might run a one-day close reading of the Lilliput rope-dancing scene as a metaphor for political favoritism, followed by a short written response. Another one-period example of a lesson: students annotate a short passage, then rewrite it as a modern news story, keeping the satire intact.

How much of Gulliver’s Travels should students read?

Many modern classes read selected parts rather than the entire work, especially at the middle and high school levels. A common pattern is to focus on Lilliput and Brobdingnag, with short excerpts from Laputa and the Houyhnhnms. Your decision can depend on time, reading level, and course goals.

Are there examples of adapting ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ for struggling readers?

Yes. Teachers often use adapted excerpts, audio versions, and graphic organizers. You might pair a simplified version of a key scene with a short, original excerpt so students can see the language but aren’t overwhelmed. Many schools also use read-alouds or shared reading for the densest sections.

Can I connect ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ to modern media and still respect the original text?

Absolutely. In fact, those connections often deepen appreciation of the original. When students see how satire works in a modern sketch, cartoon, or article, they are better prepared to spot Swift’s techniques. The key is to keep returning to the text and asking, “How is Swift doing something similar or different here?”

Where can I find more examples of high-quality lesson planning?

Look for resources from university education departments, national teaching organizations, and reputable curriculum centers. Sites like Harvard Graduate School of Education and national standards organizations often share sample units, planning templates, and research on what helps students engage with complex texts.

If you treat these ideas as building blocks rather than a script, you can create your own best examples of creating lesson plans for teaching ‘Gulliver’s Travels’—plans that fit your students, your schedule, and your voice as a teacher. The goal isn’t to make Swift feel old and distant; it’s to help students recognize that a three-hundred-year-old travel story is still poking at many of the same human problems we wrestle with today.