I read once that Albert Einstein remarked it is a miracle curiosity survives formal education. This observation has stuck with me: a pesky stone in my shoe. Somehow, amongst all the curricular demands, standardised testing, graduation requirements, examination preparation, and everything else which pulls at me, I desperately want to instill a sense of wonder, curiosity, and excitement in my students. I desire for them to love learning, to ask questions, to be curious about what they see, read, and hear. And one of the best – and simplest – ways I have found to do this, is the use of lesson openers which excite and engage. Inspired by the concept of provocations in the Reggio Emilia Approach1, I open learning experiences in an open-ended way which provokes student exploration, discussion, creativity, and ideas. This way, when we move into the content of the lesson, students are already engaged; their curiosity is hopefully piqued, and they’re more receptive to learning. Below are five simple ways I open classes in order to provoke engagement, discussion, and curiosity. Click here to get a downloadable version to stick in your daily planner, or on your desk as a reminder when lesson planning! INSTRUCTIONS: Place an object (which links to the lesson content) in the center of the room. For added intrigue and curiosity, place it under a cloth to ‘reveal’ when students are settled. Then use the exploration of this object to springboard into the lesson of the day: through a discussion, writing exercise, word association game, etc. For example: for a writing class about using varied sentence types, the object could be a bowl of sweets, and students write about the experience of eating one for the very first time. Or, it’s an informational text lesson, using a newspaper article on how social media impacts beauty standards, the object might be a pile of make-up, and students discuss their personal associations with these products. [Nouvelle ELA has a similar lesson for analyzing symbols: get it here] IDEAS FOR GOING FURTHER: Wait a while before you explain the presence of the mystery object: perhaps even have students spend time thinking about it and making predictions for why it is there (you may want to give them one or two clues). Equally, if appropriate, have the desks arranged in groups and place different objects on different desks. For example: in an introductory lesson for a unit on ‘Identity’ place different pieces of fruit around the room, and have students move to the one that most represents them, and then encourage them to explain their choice. WHY IT IS EFFECTIVE: Any time you add a little mystery or present something unexpected in the classroom, it will pique students’ curiosity. When they are intrigued and curious, they’re primed to engage and learn. Indeed, the emotion of curiosity has long been recognized as a vital motivating factor driving learning2. INSTRUCTIONS: Write a provocative statement on the board which links to the lesson content. (e.g. If you’re studying Romeo and Juliet: It is possible to fall in love the first time you meet someone. Or reading Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’? What about: Your dignity is always within your own control.) Then place tape, or indicate an imaginary line, across the room, with one end as “Completely Agree” and the other as “Completely Disagree.” Give students a minute to consider the statement and then have them stand on the line to indicate their opinions. [You might also want to check out the Daring English Teacher's blog post on Introducing Complex Ideas to Students] IDEAS FOR GOING FURTHER: Once students have taken their places, ask a couple of students on opposite ends to speak to each other: to debate and defend their positions. Or, have students turn to the person next to them and discuss, seeing if they really are in the right places, or if they should switch (if they feel stronger than their neighbor on the line). Finally, at the end of the lesson, why not do the activity again and see if any of them have changed their positions? WHY IT IS EFFECTIVE: This not only gets students thinking critically about key themes and issues, but it is also an effective way to make their thinking visible, and to push them to take a stand. Moreover, requiring students to give reasons for why they picked where they did, helps them back up their opinions with evidence and reason. INSTRUCTIONS: Think about the content of the lesson, and then try to mimic something of the mood/setting/theme in the classroom environment. While pinterest-worthy classroom transformations are wonderful, that’s not what I am talking about here. You can set the mood in quick and easy ways, which will engage students’ senses when they walk in the door. For example: when studying Lord of the Flies, visually project a jungle screensaver on the board, with ambient sounds. This doesn’t have to be just for literature lessons: if you’re spending the lesson writing, have students enter with ambient coffee shop sounds, or stormy weather (great for writing horror stories!). Check out the website A Soft Murmur for this: go play around with their sound settings. IDEAS FOR GOING FURTHER: If possible, engage more senses: play with lighting, images, smells, touch, etc. Or – to really engage students’ imaginations – before playing the ambient noises, have them settle down, and close their eyes. Then give them a scenario to imagine as you slowly turn up the volume on the ambient sounds. For example: in a lesson on Emily Dickenson’s “The Railway Train,” start by playing the sound of a train and ask students to imagine this sound as an animal: what would it be and why? WHY IT IS EFFECTIVE: Engaging the senses is a powerful learning tool: when we create a multisensory experience in the classroom, not only does it pique students’ curiosity, but it can also make the learning more memorable. Indeed, when engaging multiple senses, we optimise the learning mechanisms in the brain, and tap into the many different ways different students learn best3. INSTRUCTIONS: It is as simple as this: play a current song or music video, show an extract from a current TV series, use a trailer for a recent movie: anything which links the content of the day’s lesson with students’ interests and lives outside of class. For example: before we studied The Great Gatsby (click for resources), I played Lorde’s Royals and asked students what the song meant to them. Before telling students anything about Lord of the Flies, we watched the trailer for The 100 and discussed what such a situation would be like. IDEAS FOR GOING FURTHER: Have students suggest the media you present: at the end of a previous class, explain the broad content of the next class (themes, main topic, etc.) and ask students to suggest appropriate songs, video clips, games, etc., which would make for engaging lesson openers. This way, they too are making connections to their learning, and you are making sure the references are highly relevant! WHY IT IS EFFECTIVE: When we incorporate students’ personal interests and entertainments in the classroom environment, their learning becomes more relevant, engaging, and multi-dimensional. The key here though is making sure it is really something which students’ are currently interested in: not just what we might assume they will be interested in! And the best way to ensure this, is to really spend time building relationships with students, finding out their interests, and knowing what’s currently popular. INSTRUCTIONS: Before class, think about the key theme, topic, or skill which you aim to explore or develop. Then, think of 3-5 key words related to this; write these on the board, or around the room. When students enter, draw their attention to these words, and instruct them to work in pairs to construct a question using the words. For example, before a lesson on Fahrenheit 451 (click for resources), you might use “knowledge” “future” “technology” and “books.” A possible question students might generate: In the future, will books become useless, as we use technology to access knowledge? And this doesn’t have to be limited to lessons on literature: in a lesson about essay writing, words such as “style” “structure” “opinion” and “voice” might generate some engaging questions. IDEAS FOR GOING FURTHER: Once students have formed a question, provide the means for discussing or answering the question: this might be through small-group discussions, through accessing online sources, or through analysis of a text. The key here is you need to be flexible and open to going where students’ questions take the lesson. Why not even ask them how the class should proceed in terms of answering their questions? WHY IT IS EFFECTIVE: Too often, by the time they reach middle/high school, curious questioning has been replaced by incessant answering: students become adept at answering questions, but often lack opportunities to inquire and question. Developing this ability to ask questions will help with developing critical thinking skills, and engaging discussion proficiency. Moreover, students will be hooked from the start of class, and invested in finding out the answers to their questions. So that's it: if you have ANY questions, please feel free to reach out: come find me on Instagram, or email me at [email protected]. Looking for other high-interest, provoking lessons to excite and engage? Check these out: Active Learning Exercises for Reading & Writing by Room 213 READING Escape Room (Activities, Trivia & Puzzle Games for High School ELA) by The Classroom Sparrow MAKER CHALLENGE - Team Building Activity by Presto Plans RESOURCES: 1Strong-Wilson, T., & Ellis, J. (2007). Children and place: Reggio Emilia's environment as third teacher. Theory into practice, 46(1), 40-47. 2Markey, A., & Loewenstein, G. (2014). Curiosity. In International handbook of emotions in education (pp. 238-255). Routledge. 3Shams, L., & Seitz, A. (2008). Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(11), 411–417.
I want to tell you about my "Senior Meetings" at the start of the school year and how I manage to make them productive.
"Why even do this?", students might ask when they are not sure why they need to complete certain tasks. Student motivation and engagement are possibly the most important variables in the learning process. Identifying clear objectives and providing students with a purpose for carrying out various activities will more likely engage them as they will see the benefits of completing the proposed tasks. Because most of my high school ESL learners need a lot of motivation in school, I like to assign di
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Have you been wanting to try stations in your Secondary ELA classroom but aren't sure where to start? Read through this quick post where we share 8 station ideas and how to use them with your ELA students.
Transition planning for students with disabilities is important to start early. Students need opportunities to learn about skills & careers.
Are you looking for ways to make learning more meaningful in your Secondary ELA Classroom? Check out these twenty five creative project ideas that I have found to be meaningful and successful while also motivating for learners.
by Secondary Sara It’s human to occasionally write a typo or two, but what should an English teacher do when capable students make consistent, silly mistakes in their drafts? Many students resist proofreading and editing at first because it means more “work”, and they’d rather just rely on spell check. Although it’s true that our students are busy and stretched thin, we teachers still have to defend the importance of taking that extra brief moment to proofread before printing or submitting. (Honestly, don’t most people need to think twice before they hit send?) If your students’ mistakes are making you want to chuck your grading pen across the room in frustration (which I have done), check out this list of ideas. (P.S. - You might also like this sister post, 10 Ways to Teach Revision to Teens.) 1. Establish the differences between proofreading, editing, and revising. Don’t assume that students know the difference between finding errors, fixing errors, and changing content. (I’ve put these three vocab words on tests before!) Even if they do know the technical definitions, they might need coaching about exactly how to do each one. 2. Preach reading their work out loud. SO many errors could be fixed if students just read their work out loud (“with vocal chords”, as we sometimes say in class), instead of just staring at the screen or reading it in their heads. This strategy is critical to avoid sentences that aren’t clear, have dropped a word, or have written clumsy word choices. There’s just no substitute for this strategy. Check out a free activity here. 3. Pass out an awesome editing checklist. ...either a general one, or an assignment specific one. These are SO important for students, and if they’re smart, they will reuse the checklist on all writing assignments (if not carry it with them to the next school year). Even better, pair that checklist with task cards that help them focus on one checklist task at a time (and make editing more tactile). Use my Editing Checklist, Activity, and Task Cards Kit to get started ASAP! 4. Encourage using at least TWO spell checkers… Why not mandate students to use spell check AND a free account on Hemingway or Grammarly? (NOTE: I usually show students how to use each one and discuss pros and cons. For example, Hemingway is great for identifying passive voice, but the downside is that it values conciseness and simplicity more than I think is necessary.) 5. ...and show students the errors that spell check misses. One of my favorite activities involves giving students a paragraph of text (that I wrote) with intentionally-planted errors in it, copying the text into different websites, and noticing which sites catch different errors. It's always VERY eye-opening for students! 6. Keep the bar high on your rubric. This one may require you to get support from your English department, but don’t be afraid to make very clear expectations for the number of errors students can make and earn a certain grade. Here's an example of what my rubrics usually look like... 7. Proofread on a screen AND a printed page. This is purely anecdotal, but I really think that we notice errors more easily with a pen and a printed draft. (Want to prove me wrong? Ask students to do both screen and paper before voting on which is more effective.) 8. Make peer editing a competition. Now, this is risky, but hear me out: put students in partners and ask who can find MORE errors in their friend’s draft. (To keep them from going overboard, tell them that they could be penalized for “grammar fraud” if they point out too many spots that are NOT errors!) Get that activity for FREE here! 9. Host a contest. In the past, I have challenged students to write “the perfect paragraph” or “the perfect essay”. I accepted volunteers to put their papers under the document camera for the whole class to view, and then we scoured his or her writing as a class to see if anyone could rise to the challenge. (Candy was usually involved as a prize, in addition to Epic Bragging Rights!) 10. Track progress over time. Chart how many errors students make in final drafts, and take pride in those numbers falling over time! Get a FREE tracking sheet here. You might also like to view… The Classroom Sparrow's Free Peer Essay Scavenger Hunt Addie Williams' Peer Editing Tips & Tricks Blog Post The Daring English Teacher's Peer Editing Made Easy Nouvelle ELA's Paragraph Peer & Self Review Worksheets Do you have more ideas? Tell us in the comments!
Ever wondered what your child should know before 9th grade? I found this little freebie poster from Mrs.
Are you teaching high school students how to avoid plagiarism? Students often need this simple, easy lesson on how they...
Even my students who “don’t have time” for homework spend 2-3 hours a day on Facebook, YouTube, and Netflix. Our students consume media in amazing quantities, and it’s said that traditional advertising doesn’t work on their generation. As advertisers become more and more savvy in an attempt to break through to their younger listeners, it’s important that students understand how to identify the ways in which a speaker could be manipulating their emotions and instincts. Here are some activities for helping students develop an awareness of persuasive techniques. You can use these to start a larger conversation about being an informed viewer (and citizen!) in today’s media-driven climate. 1. Introduction to Rhetoric Use this activity to introduce (or refresh) ethos, logos, and pathos. Students watch two videos and complete a Doodle Notes worksheet, eventually synthesizing the concepts. My students really enjoy watching these short, animated videos a couple of times in order to make sure they “get it”, and the Doodle Notes provide a nice visual to help them remember the important ideas! You can grab them here. 2. “Buy My Pencil” In this activity, students try to convince each other to buy a pencil. They will employ a variety of persuasive techniques, even if they do not yet have the names for all of them. This is because students absorb persuasion constantly, and demonstrate various techniques on a hunch. After a few minutes of letting them try to sell a partner their pencil, call students back together and have them describe the techniques they used. To extend this, you can have students perform these impromptu skits in front of a larger group or in front of the class. This is a great way to get some informal public speaking practice, and I’m always a proponent of making public speaking less intimidating. 3. Introduction to Persuasive Techniques I use this interactive PowerPoint will help students put names to the techniques they’ve grown up hearing and using. Students will be able to identify techniques in context and apply their knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos. To break up the term-definition monotony, I have students “buzz in” to identify the techniques in some example ads. I also include Think-Pair-Share to get them to generate more examples of various techniques they’ve seen in recent commercials. 4. Persuasive Tweets A fun bellringer or exit slip activity for practicing persuasive techniques is Persuasive Tweets. In 140 characters or less, students can use one persuasive technique to sell something. I’ve had success giving all students one item (similar to “Buy My Pen”) and having them draw a persuasive technique from a hat. You can download my list of persuasive techniques for this activity here. 5. News Literacy Project The News Literacy Project is a new tool that I would like to integrate into my curriculum throughout the year to help students determine the credibility and levels of bias in various news reports. I’m still in the early stages of exploring this project, but they have online modules that take students through the steps of developing media literacy. According to their site, “As students progress through the checkology™ platform, journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, NBC News and other news outlets are joined by experts on the First Amendment and digital media to guide them through each lesson’s core concepts. These e-learning experiences use real-world examples of news and information that test students’ emerging skills and lead them to mastery.” This has huge potential to help our students become informed, discerning citizens! Wow! Share this post on Facebook! 6. Commercial Analysis Lastly, my students really enjoy applying their new knowledge to commercials! This is a perfect activity to use in this post-football time of the year. Students are still talking about commercials aired during the Super Bowl, and you can find a “top ten” list of commercials to bring to class (vetted first by you for content). Have students choose a commercial, and follow this step-by-step analysis of persuasive techniques. They can complete this alone or in pairs, and can present in small groups. For an added bonus, let them show the commercials in class. Persuasive Techniques are a great way to get students engaged and thinking. You can help develop their media literacy and challenge them to consider the incoming messages. Check out these great resources by other Coffee Shop authors: Logical Fallacies by The Daring English Teacher Media Literacy/Advertising Activities by Addie Williams Critical Analysis with Disney by Room 213 (blog post) Analyzing Music Videos by Stacey Lloyd What are your favorite resources and activities for teaching persuasive techniques? Pin this article for future reference. :)
Are you looking for some new ideas to offer as an ELA elective class at your school? Click through to get ten new and creative ideas that you can offer as an ELA elective.
Learning centers, also known as stations at the secondary level, are ideal activities to use to bring movement into your middle school or high school classroom. Find out how to implement stations on your first day of school, as you review key ideas or terms, and as a way to preview texts.
"Why even do this?", students might ask when they are not sure why they need to complete certain tasks. Student motivation and engagement are possibly the most important variables in the learning process. Identifying clear objectives and providing students with a purpose for carrying out various activities will more likely engage them as they will see the benefits of completing the proposed tasks. Because most of my high school ESL learners need a lot of motivation in school, I like to assign di
Since I talked about timed expository/informational essays on Instagram , there has been some interest in an explanation of what it is, and how and why you should use it. I thought, instead of trying to explain it to each interested teacher, I would just write a post about the technique that has truly changed… Continue reading Have Your Students Been Drafted?- Using the 11 minute essay to teach expository writing
Remember that time you watched a Facebook video and gave up sugar for a whole week? Or was it gluten? It was probably wine. OK, so that didn’t stick but don’t feel bad; you did agree to donate to that charity. And the proceeds from those cookies you bought went to a really good cause. Speaking of cookies, how often have you picked up a lifestyle magazine and convinced yourself you could be the next Martha Stewart? Also, why do they always put the health and fitness magazines right next to the check out? That’s where I pay for my candy bars! ‘They cancel each other out, though’. That’s what I tell myself when I add them to my basket. I know I’m not the only one guilty of impulse purchases. Be honest… what about those gorgeous, super uncomfortable shoes you never wear but bought because they were on sale? Or the time you ordered that exercise equipment with complete confidence that it would transform you into a supermodel/olympian. Oh wait, maybe that was me… My point is (and I promise you, I do have one) – whether we’re aware of it or not – our choices aren’t as free as they seem. So many of our decisions, every single day, are guided by other people. Usually marketing executives. Sometimes journalists. Occasionally politicians and activists. More frequently celebrities and social media ‘influencers’. Even friends and family have the power to persuade us to change our behavior, think like they do, or ‘call your mother once in a while’. The fact that persuasion is so prevalent in every aspect of our culture means there are a ton of ways you can teach it using fun, relatable, and relevant examples that your students will respond to. In fact, I’ve got eight creative ideas right here! FREE LESSON FOR TEACHING PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES 1. Analyze print advertisements Even in this digital age, printed advertising isn’t slowing down. Whether it’s giant billboards, or flyers through our letterboxes, you have thousands of persuasive examples to choose from. But I’ve found that one of the best way to engage teenagers is to bring in magazines that appeal to their specific areas of interest and comb through the many (many) pages of adverts. You know your students, so pick a selection of sports, exercise, music, fashion… whatever you think they’ll connect with! 2. Pay attention to current political discourse Youtube is a modern goldmine for recorded speeches. Search for rallies, press conferences, debates, or state addresses to link your lesson to current affairs. But don’t limit yourself to politicians; activists are among the most savvy public speakers. Check the number of views and comments each speech has received for an idea of how effective and influential they’ve been. 3. Evaluate historical speeches Analyzing persuasive language of the past is a great opportunity for cross-curricular projects. Have a chat with the history teachers and find out what they have planned for their lessons. The Civil Rights Movement? An obvious choice would be Martin Luther King, Jr. The Cuban Missile Crisis? Look to John F. Kennedy. The Second World War? Look to Winston Churchill. The Women’s Rights Movement? You can’t do much better than Sojourner Truth. [Click here to view resources on analyzing rhetoric in speeches] 4. Embrace the season If you coincide your lessons with seasonal celebrations, your students will carry on making connections and building awareness even outside the classroom. Big events like the Super Bowl, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and the Olympics are all great opportunities to talk about the power of advertising. While your students watch seasonal commercials, get them to write down all the techniques they spot, like persuasive language bingo! 5. Look to Shakespeare Your students might not realize that persuasive language techniques are prevalent in fiction too, but it’s a great way to interject a language lesson into a literature study. One of my favorite ‘cross-over’ lessons involves Macbeth; Lady Macbeth is the consummate manipulator. But there are so many other examples of Shakespearean characters who use persuasive language to devastating effect – like Iago in Othello, or Claudius in Hamlet, or Cassius in Julius Caesar. 6. Look to the big (and little) screen In my experience, students love any excuse to watch TV in class! Which is lucky as TV and movies are full of fantastic examples of persuasive language. War films are always a good bet for rousing speeches, but my favorite clips to watch and deconstruct with my students are always the closing speeches in courtroom dramas. Persuasive Language Techniques CARDS 7. Turn your students into Ad Execs Encourage your students to learn by doing. Ask them to pick a product or an idea – something they’re passionate about – and design their own advert using persuasive language techniques. This is always a big hit in my classroom; my students jump at the chance to use their creativity in such a free and independent way. 8. Host a debate No study of rhetoric would be complete without a debate. After all, Artistotle defined rhetoric as ‘the art of argument’ so it really is the cherry on top of the persuasive language cake. There’s no better way for students to practice and show off their new persuasive skills and knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos than to craft their own arguments. And to really get them fired up, the first debate can be choosing the debate topic! So, there you have it! Teaching rhetoric is one of my most favourite elements of teaching English because it is relevant, and all around us! What are your favourite ways for teaching persuasion? Looking for more resources for teaching RHETORIC? Check these out: Persuasive Essay and Propaganda Unit: Grades 7-12 by The SuperHERO Teacher Rhetoric, Propaganda, & Fallacies Flipbook: Mini-Lessons to Analyze Speeches by Secondary Sara Real Life Persuasion Lessons and Activities by Room 213 Persuasive Techniques Bell Ringers - Ad Analysis, Argument Writing, Music by Nouvelle ELA Persuasive Writing: Fidget Spinners by Presto Plans Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Understanding & Writing with Rhetorical Appeals by The Daring English Teacher Persuasive Writing - Graphic Organizers, Planning Pages, and Rubrics by Addie Williams
by Stacey Lloyd Ever set students a task - reading or writing - and then observed as some just sit there, staring at the page, their eyes glazed over? Or they immediately become distracted, or even worse: disruptive? These reactions aren’t because students are unwilling, lazy, or defiant: more often than not, it is because they don’t know how to begin. They don’t know where to start. And this is why I am a huge fan of the powerful graphic organizer. WHAT ARE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS, & WHY SHOULD I USE THEM? Simply put, a graphic organizer is a visual tool which can help students find relationships between ideas, create links between facts and concepts, and help generate ideas. But to me, they are more than that: they are tools which: Help students get started Break down complex tasks into manageable chunks Scaffold the process of knowledge creation Assist students in generating ideas Build students’ confidence and competence Graphic organizers have long been used to aid students with learning disabilities, and research has shown their efficacy (Dexter & Hughes, 2011). Yet, I strongly believe that they work for all students, and can be an effective tool for differentiation, as they help to remove any barriers to learning, to give every student the opportunity for success. In this way, graphic organizers can be assistive in implementing a UDL (Universal Design for Learning) approach in the classroom (read more about UDL here). HOW DO I PICK THE RIGHT ORGANIZER? There are so many graphic organizers out there to use, and you may even decide to create your own: but how do you know which one to use? You see, as with most practices, it is important to be really intentional when selecting the most effective graphic organizer out there for the task. Venn diagrams are great for helping students with making comparisons, but would be ineffective when it comes to understanding cause and effect. Before using any graphic organizer, ask yourself: What is the goal of the task, and how will this page help students reach that goal? Make sure that you have a range of different organizers which you use in the classroom, to really fit the task at hand. You may be interested in my bundle of over fifty different organizers to suit a range of purposes, from reading comprehension, to essay writing. WHEN SHOULD I USE THEM? Honestly: the list is extensive. Any time my students are set a reading, writing, or research task, I could probably think of a graphic organizer which would be effective in assisting them, and helping them reach the learning goal. But here are just a few examples: Generating topics for a narrative essay [mind maps] Organizing content for an analytical essay [a PEEL paragraph table] Analyzing poetry [Imagery observational chart] Reading & comprehending a non-fiction text [Who, what, where, when, why chart] Writing an essay, comparing two texts [a Venn diagram] Analyzing an informational text [a KWL chart] Often, I find that graphic organizers are a great first-step in a longer process, and they help to guide students through that process. For example, instead of just giving students an essay question and instructing them to write the essay, I may present the question and ask them to complete a graphic organizer first. Then we will discuss, and move into taking what they produced on the page, and working it into a plan or first draft. GIVE STUDENTS CHOICE One of the most important things I focus on in my own classroom is teaching students to reflect on their own analytical / writing process; empowering them to think for themselves, and self-identify what works for them specifically, and and really helps them. This is no different when it comes to using graphic organizers. In this way, I always have a folder with a range of different organizers available to students, so that they can go and access what they need, when they need it. In this way, they take ownership of their own process and learning. DEEPEN THE LEARNING One way to really deepen the learning process when using graphic organizers is to include verbal feedback and interactive dialogue (Baker, Scott, et al. 2003). Students will gain so much more from the process of completing a graphic organizer if they spend time explaining their thought processes, reflecting on their contributions, and verbally expressing their understanding. This can be done through mini-conferences with you, or through peer feedback and exchange. For example, download this free graphic organizer for helping students generate ideas. This can be used whenever students have to write an essay or answer a prompt, in preparation for a class discussion, or as a first step in a project-based learning task. While the process of completing it is assistive on its own, if you go one step further by having students verbally explain their ideas on this page and receive feedback, you will deepen the learning process. That extra step is important. TO SUMMARIZE When using graphic organizers in the classroom, remember the following: Be intentional in picking the most effective organizer for the task: always articulating the goal to students. Have a wide range of possible organizers readily available, for all types of tasks and levels. Allow students to choose graphic organizers which are most assistive to them, and their individual needs; thus encouraging them to reflect on what works well for them. Include discussion and feedback into the process by having students explain their thoughts and ideas once they have completed the graphic organizer: this will deepen the learning. I do hope that's helpful; don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about how to successfully implement the use of graphic organizers in your own classroom. If you are looking for other Graphic Organizer resources, do check out: 50+ ELA Graphic Organizers (Essay Writing, Literature, Reading Non-Fiction & More) by Stacey Lloyd Essay Writing Handouts and Graphic Organizers by PrestoPlans English Reading Lit & NonFiction Graphic Organizers Bundle {Grades 6-12} by Tracee Orman BLIBLIOGRAPHY Baker, Scott, et al. “Teaching Expressive Writing to Students with Learning Disabilities: Research-Based Applications and Examples.” Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. 36, no. 2, Mar. 2003, pp. 109–123, doi:10.1177/002221940303600204. Dexter, Douglas D., and Charles A. Hughes. “Graphic Organizers and Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis.” Learning Disability Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 1, Feb. 2011, pp. 51–72, doi:10.1177/073194871103400104.
By The Daring English Teacher When starting a new school year, one of the most important and beneficial things a teacher can do in the classroom side from building classroom community is to take some time at the start of the new school year for review. Review is not only crucial because students might have forgotten some of the content the learned before summer break, but it is also critical to determine precisely where students are. Plus, when teachers review essential content and ideas at the start of the new school year, students have a more uniform understanding of the ELA content. And that is all during a normal school year. Again, like last year, this current school year is nothing like a normal school year, and that is why it is so important to go back to the basics, teach the essentials, and really make sure that our students have a good foundation before we move forward. Essential ELA ReviewOne of the easiest ways to review quite a bit of essential ELA content at the beginning of the year is to stick with a review unit in your classroom. Recently, I created my Essential ELA Review Units to specifically address review in the secondary ELA classroom. My Essential ELA Review units include five weeks of daily ELA review in a bell-ringer format, and all of the units include a wide variety of essential ELA standards. From argument, informational and narrative writing to language skills to reading analysis and inference, these ELA Review units hit on all of the major ELA standards. With the Essential ELA Review Unit, students review content on the instructional slide and complete just a few exercises every single day for five weeks. I am currently using this program in my classroom with my sophomores, and it is helping me guide my instruction for the year. Currently, I have Essential ELA Review units available for grade 8 (which reviews the grade 7 standards), grades 9-10 (which reviews the grade 8 standards), and grades 11-12 (which reviews 9-10 standards). Grades 9-10 ELA Review ELA Review StationsAnother way to review important ELA content in the classroom is to set up review stations, and what’s so great about this activity is that you can tailor it to your class’ specific needs. One of the easiest ways to set up review stations is to use a combination of a computer-based program and task cards. For example, for one station, I might have students complete a grammar or punctuation review activity on their Chromebooks, and for the other stations, I might break up a set of task cards for students to work on. For a digital review station, my Digital Grammar Review Activities are a perfect fit for a digital review station. This teaching resource includes four mini-lessons: parallel structure, semicolons, hyphens, and colons. My Parts of Speech Task Cards and the Grammar Task Card Bundle are the perfect task cards for a review-stations activity!In an hour-long class period, I’ve found that review stations work best as either a one-day, three-station, or two-day five-station activity. Usually, I like to give each group of students about 15 minutes at each station. When planning for a station-type activity, I also plan to review the procedures at the beginning of the class. Then, at the end of the class, we review the content in a whole-group setting. Escape Room ReviewAnother fun way to review essential content in your classroom and also build classroom community is the same time is to group students into teams and have them compete in an escape room challenge. While I typically use escape rooms in the classroom as an end-of-the-unit review, escape rooms can also be beneficial as a stand-alone review activity to help your students remember information they’ve learned in previous years. In an escape room review activity, student groups will work together to solve a series of related tasks. While every student in the group might not have the answers or know the content, each group member will work together and pool their knowledge to solve the challenge. My favorite ELA escape room activities for review are my Elements of Fiction Escape Room and my Parts of Speech Escape Room. Parts of Speech Escape Room Gamifying Review ActivitiesIn addition to the review activities mentioned above, there are lots of fun, digital ways to gamify classroom review. If you are pressed for time or need to grab a review activity quickly, you can choose from one of the premade activities. From Kahoot! To Quizlet Live, the options are really endless, and it adds a sense of fun and excitement to the classroom. And, there is already user-generated content to choose from. If you are looking for more review activities, you’ll want to check out the short story collaborative review activity I have my students complete at the end of our short story unit. You’ll also want to check out this strategy to make any review activity an engaging experience. More Review Activities and Ideas: ELA Vocabulary Bundle
Hands-on and engaging activities help students learn and remember important concepts and key ideas. One way to get students actively engaged in learning is to use sticky notes in the classroom. Here’s a list of seven ways to use sticky notes in the classroom and what to do with the sticky notes at the end of the lesson. 1. Book flags for close reading and novel study I cut up sticky notes in thirds and distribute them to my students to use as book flags for when we read novels as a class. As we read the novel, I encourage students to write notes on the sticky notes and to jot down any important ideas. Since the novels we read in class are checked out from the school library, this is a way that I can model and teach text annotation and active reading to my students without destroying school property. For longer sections of text or after you finish a chapter, you can provide students with larger sticky notes. Instruct students to write a brief summary of the text on the note and then place the note in the book so that it flags the end of the chapter. This will help students remember what they read. 2. Collaborative Brainstorming and Gallery Walks Sticky notes are great for collaborative brainstorming activities and gallery walk exercises. Students participate in these activities by writing information on the sticky note and then posting the notes on chart paper or the whiteboard. This can be done as a jigsaw activity where students in different groups complete various aspects of an activity and then share their findings with the rest of the class. 3. Peer Editing For however many papers you would like your students to peer edit, provide them with that many sticky notes. For each paper that students peer edit, I have them write what the author of the paper did well on the front of the sticky note and how he or she can improve the paper on the back of the sticky note. Once they are done with that essay, they place the sticky note on the back of the paper and move on to their next peer editing task. This activity provides students with positive feedback and constructive criticism on how to improve their papers. 4. Literary Analysis Using sticky notes for literary analysis is a fun way to closely read fiction and gain a deeper understanding of the text. Whenever I use sticky notes for literary analysis, I only focus on one or two literary elements at a time. I have my students draw a picture of the literary element or device on the top of the note, write a supporting quote underneath the drawing, and explain the significance of the device underneath the note. I use this same method with this Sticky Note Literary Analysis Unit and Literary Analysis Mini Flip Book. Also, you can check out my post about 15 literary analysis questions you can ask your students. If you would like to try using sticky notes for literary analysis with your students, download this FREE ORGANIZER! 5. Exit Ticket One fun and easy way to use sticky notes in the classroom is to use them as an exit slip or a ticket out the door. I hand each student a sticky note and have them write their names and the answer to a question on the note. As they leave class for the day, the students place the notes on the door. 6. Class Survey I recently used sticky notes with my seniors to get their opinion about which rhetorical appeal was most effective in the speech we were analyzing. I gave each student a sticky note and had them answer the question before posting the note on the board in its designated area. Once we were done with the task, I had my students look at the results and discuss them as a class. 7. Multiple Close Readings When I told my seniors that they were going to read an article four different times, they looked at me as if I was a space alien. They were reluctant to believe that they would gain any additional information or insight from subsequent reads. After my students read the article once for understanding, I then had them read it three more times, each time analyzing the article for something specific: good arguments the author made, weak points in the author’s arguments, and the author’s use of emotionally-charged words. I had my students document their findings on a different sticky note each time they read the text. Once the exercise was complete, they were surprised to see just how much they gained and how differently they read the article each time by looking at it through a different lens. Also, here are some close reading strategies to use in the classroom that really work! What Do I Do with These Notes? Once my students are done with the sticky notes, I always have a difficult time tossing the then in the trash. Instead of throwing the notes away, I take pictures of the completed project and post the pictures onto a Padlet. A Padlet is similar to an online bulletin board that can be posted on Google Classroom. Posting the sticky note work on Padlet and Google Classroom is especially helpful if students are absent or if you wish to return to the content later on in the year. Looking for more ways to incorporate sticky notes in the classroom? Check out these ideas and resources! Sticky Note Review Game by Addie Williams Novel Scavenger Hunt by The SuperHERO Teacher Chart Paper, Post-Its, and Formative Assessments by Room 213 Close Reading and Student Accountability by Room 213
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Even my students who “don’t have time” for homework spend 2-3 hours a day on Facebook, YouTube, and Netflix. Our students consume media in amazing quantities, and it’s said that traditional advertising doesn’t work on their generation. As advertisers become more and more savvy in an attempt to break through to their younger listeners, it’s important that students understand how to identify the ways in which a speaker could be manipulating their emotions and instincts. Here are some activities for helping students develop an awareness of persuasive techniques. You can use these to start a larger conversation about being an informed viewer (and citizen!) in today’s media-driven climate. 1. Introduction to Rhetoric Use this activity to introduce (or refresh) ethos, logos, and pathos. Students watch two videos and complete a Doodle Notes worksheet, eventually synthesizing the concepts. My students really enjoy watching these short, animated videos a couple of times in order to make sure they “get it”, and the Doodle Notes provide a nice visual to help them remember the important ideas! You can grab them here. 2. “Buy My Pencil” In this activity, students try to convince each other to buy a pencil. They will employ a variety of persuasive techniques, even if they do not yet have the names for all of them. This is because students absorb persuasion constantly, and demonstrate various techniques on a hunch. After a few minutes of letting them try to sell a partner their pencil, call students back together and have them describe the techniques they used. To extend this, you can have students perform these impromptu skits in front of a larger group or in front of the class. This is a great way to get some informal public speaking practice, and I’m always a proponent of making public speaking less intimidating. 3. Introduction to Persuasive Techniques I use this interactive PowerPoint will help students put names to the techniques they’ve grown up hearing and using. Students will be able to identify techniques in context and apply their knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos. To break up the term-definition monotony, I have students “buzz in” to identify the techniques in some example ads. I also include Think-Pair-Share to get them to generate more examples of various techniques they’ve seen in recent commercials. 4. Persuasive Tweets A fun bellringer or exit slip activity for practicing persuasive techniques is Persuasive Tweets. In 140 characters or less, students can use one persuasive technique to sell something. I’ve had success giving all students one item (similar to “Buy My Pen”) and having them draw a persuasive technique from a hat. You can download my list of persuasive techniques for this activity here. 5. News Literacy Project The News Literacy Project is a new tool that I would like to integrate into my curriculum throughout the year to help students determine the credibility and levels of bias in various news reports. I’m still in the early stages of exploring this project, but they have online modules that take students through the steps of developing media literacy. According to their site, “As students progress through the checkology™ platform, journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, NBC News and other news outlets are joined by experts on the First Amendment and digital media to guide them through each lesson’s core concepts. These e-learning experiences use real-world examples of news and information that test students’ emerging skills and lead them to mastery.” This has huge potential to help our students become informed, discerning citizens! Wow! Share this post on Facebook! 6. Commercial Analysis Lastly, my students really enjoy applying their new knowledge to commercials! This is a perfect activity to use in this post-football time of the year. Students are still talking about commercials aired during the Super Bowl, and you can find a “top ten” list of commercials to bring to class (vetted first by you for content). Have students choose a commercial, and follow this step-by-step analysis of persuasive techniques. They can complete this alone or in pairs, and can present in small groups. For an added bonus, let them show the commercials in class. Persuasive Techniques are a great way to get students engaged and thinking. You can help develop their media literacy and challenge them to consider the incoming messages. Check out these great resources by other Coffee Shop authors: Logical Fallacies by The Daring English Teacher Media Literacy/Advertising Activities by Addie Williams Critical Analysis with Disney by Room 213 (blog post) Analyzing Music Videos by Stacey Lloyd What are your favorite resources and activities for teaching persuasive techniques? Pin this article for future reference. :)
You know that saying: "There's a lesson to be learned in everything.", well, it's true! If you're a teacher, there are many tedious little tasks you do on a daily basis that students can help with while learning job skills!
1. Assign a course evaluation. Ask students to reflect on what they have learned. When I first began teaching, I was always hesitant to read the survey results, but I had to get over that. Would some students write rude things? A couple, but the benefit of the sincere feedback I gleaned from the majority of the class was invaluable. At the end of the year, I ask students to think about what lessons were most memorable, how they grew as readers and writers, and what suggestions they had for improving the course. While not every response was earth-shattering, I have gained important insights from this reflective activity. These insights have improved my teaching. Click HERE for an End of the Semester Course Reflection and Evaluation for Secondary ELA. (RWH) 2. Plan for next year. How? Is that even possible during this time of year? Yes, it is! Now, I am not talking about during exam prep, but perhaps during the last few weeks when you can see the light! Take a break during that exam marking. You need it. Your head needs it and your eyes need it, too! During these brief 'refreshment breaks,' I take a few minutes to read blog posts from other teachers, complete preliminary research on up and coming YA books that my students might enjoy next year, and even scroll through some social media posts from other teachers' accounts to see what some of their favorite lessons were over the year that I might like to try! (TCS) 3. Purge. I used to have file cabinets full of student work, example projects, art supplies and extra copies. Eventually, I saw a pattern. Many of the art supplies would dry out over the summer. Once in a while, I'd use an example of a project from a previous year, but most of the time, they would collect dust. As for the extra copies, well, I'm continually changing and tweaking what I do, so those just began to fill up the file cabinets. Purging is important because when you return at the beginning of the next school year, the lack of clutter will make you feel energized. If you feel overwhelmed by the task in May, have students help you. Give everyone a job. Organization, responsibility, and community are important life skills that students can learn during this time. Plus, they love helping. (RWH) 4. Practice Public Speaking. By the end of the year, most students are more comfortable with their peers after spending months together in a classroom. This is a good time to practice public speaking skills. Use topics that they are familiar with or have a strong opinion about. You might want to complete a short unit on this or just spend a few minutes at the start of every class to talk about issues that are important to them, new events occurring nationally or internationally, or even pop-culture happenings! You may also want to ask students to write a few topics down on a piece of paper, then at the start of each class (or over a few class periods) pull out a new topic and see what everyone has to say about it! (TCS) 5. Try something new. When I have extra time in May, I want to fill it with meaningful content. If you haven't tried an escape room, scaffolding a one-pager, flipping a lesson, asking students to teach an activity, using stations, project-based learning, or jigsaws (just to name a few), now is the time! Students will appreciate the fresh teaching approaches, and you will learn what works best and what doesn't so that you feel more confident about incorporating those activities as part of your standard curriculum. (RWH) 6. Have some fun! I don't know about you, but I love to end the year off with a bang! I need a break and the students do too, but more importantly, I want my students to leave my classes with fun memories because they will remember these for years to come. So, I created an End of the Year Escape Room, where students have to work collaboratively to solve various trivia puzzles (activities or tasks they would technically have to do at the end of the year!) For example, return library books, clean out their desks and lockers, apply for a summer job, pick up their yearbooks and finally, pass the exam! This activity is a win-win for all. Your students can enjoy a bit of friendly competition and you can enjoy watching them having fun and working together. The best part? NO GRADING! You may choose to assign marks for participation, but I do not anticipate you will have too many issues with students not wanting to take part! 😃 (TCS) 7. Teach Kindness. The end of the school year is the perfect time to engage in meaningful activities that apply to real life. Standardized testing is over, the bulk of the curriculum is taught, and the weather is warm. Students appreciate meaningful discussions, and the end of the school year is often a time where some teens begin to demonstrate more maturity. Teachers can show movies like Wonder, read and discuss novels like Tuesdays with Morrie, or even teach students how to use kindness emails to encourage others. (RWH) 8. Change up the decor. This is a good time to freshen up your bulletin boards and posters that you might have hanging around your room. Add a burst of color to your classroom by using tissue paper as a background. It's both easy and very affordable! Also, a fun way to add a burst of color to your whiteboards would be to add magnetic strips (or tape) to the back of your borders and simply apply those to the perimeter. It's also a great way to organize different sections on a whiteboard. For example, a homework area. (TCS) 9. Encourage reading. At the end of the school year, one of my goals is to get students to make a summer reading list. I want them talking about books. I want them making book recommendations, reflecting on how they have grown as a reader, and analyzing what aspects of books they enjoy most. Take students to the public library. Let them peruse the shelves. Invite your librarian to do book talks. Have students record book commercials and post them on a class website that they can access over the summer. Host discussion groups so students can share their favorite texts from the school year. Coordinate with the teachers who your students will have the following year to organize a summer reading program. Do whatever it takes to ignite their passion for reading. (RWH) 10. Set goals. This is an activity that can be done by both students and teachers. What are some things that you did well this year? What do you hope to do the same or change next year? Start with making a bucket list of things that you wish to do over the summer break, which will help you prepare for the fall. Whether it's reading, writing or working towards an athletic goal, setting your sights on new things will encourage you to strive harder to reach your goals. So, grab a notebook and get writing!(TCS) Thanks for reading our post! We hope that we have given you a few ideas to wrap up the next few weeks! What are a few things that you do at the end of the year? The Classroom Sparrow & Reading and Writing Haven
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We’ve all read those papers where a student uses short choppy sentences with little variety. It can be painful to read, and even more difficult to assess, for
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Teach Students How to Use Quotations Are your students like mine? They plop a quotation in the middle of their writing without introducing it. Or, they choose ones that don't support their points. And don't even get me started on citations... Since selecting, embedding, and citing quotations are important skills, ones that I expect my students to use multiple times throughout the semester, I created some activities that will hopefully get my kids closer to mastering them - and I'm going to share them with you right now! The first step is one that, to be honest, I didn't spend a lot of time on in the early part of my career: teaching students how to choose the best quotation to support a point. As a result, I'd get assignments where (some) students embedded and cited quotations properly, but they were ones that did little to back up what they were trying to say. They just weren't taking the time to think through the process - so I created some activities that would get them in the habit of choosing the best quote for the job: Stand-Up Selection Stations: This activity is one that requires my students to really think through the quote selection process. I write a sentence on the top of an 11 x 17 sheet of paper, one that represents a statement a student might make for a particular assignment. Let's say we are working on persuasion. I would write Students should take a gap year before going to post secondary education. Then, I include a passage that a student might find as part of their research on the topic. I repeat this with a different example on each sheet until I have five to eight of them on the wall. The students have to go to each stand-up station and select one sentence from the passage that best supports the point. After, they meet in groups to discuss their selections and come to a consensus on the best choice. Finally, we discuss their group choices as a class. These discussions are rich, as students get to hear the process that others go through to choose quotations - and they get my feedback while we're doing it. This works really well when you're studying a full class text too. You can write a statement about theme or character on top of the page, add a passage from the text, and have the kids choose a great quotation (Tip: it's best to choose passages that make them think, rather than one with an obvious choice!). You can grab an editable copy of my Stand-Up Stations here. Best quote of the class: This is a fun activity where my students are learning without really knowing it. We have a section on my front board for the best quote of the class. Each day I assign a group of students to choose the best one, and they write it on the board at the end of the period; when they do, they need to explain to the rest of the students why they chose it. The criteria is pretty broad - it can be the funniest, the most profound, the best use of figurative language, or the one that best sums up our learning for the day. Sometimes it's a quotation from our reading but, more often than not, it's something a student has said. We've had some fun debates and, best of all, the activity gets the kids thinking about the quote selection process. After they select an effective quotation, students need to embed, cite, and explain it too. And mine were not really good at that. I realized that the old lecture/worksheet approach was NOT working, so I decided that we needed to get a little more interactive. The stand-up stations are one of the things I started using, but I've got a few more activities that I can share with you to get your students actively engaged in the process. Before my students use the interactive activities, though, I do have to teach them how to select, embed, explain, and cite. There is a lot of information to give them, and it's hard to find a way to do that without putting them to sleep. I try to make my slideshow as engaging as possible, but I also have a note-taking exercise that is more effective than the traditional method. I believe it’s important for students to write things down – it activates a part of the brain that isn’t when they just read (or ignore) a handout. However, time is short, and often it’s easier and faster to just give students a handout with all of the information. So I developed some activities that are a hybrid of both methods, allowing kids to write down key information, with some of the notes already provided. My slideshow and these activities are available here. (UPDATE April 2020- now available for Google Drive). Once students have been instructed on how to use quotations, we use some of the following activities to make this process more interactive and engaging: An Extended Quote Selection Exercise: I use the selection stations and then have students put the the statement and the quotation on I.C.E. After selecting the best quote, students will work together to make an assertion then introduce, cite, and explain the quotation. Turn this process into a challenge with the best result winning some candy or just the honour of being the ICE Masters. Any time you give kids a change to collaborate on a challenge, the fun factor - and the learning - increases. Quotation Scavenger Hunts: a) When you're doing a full class text, give kids assertions about the text and have them work in groups to find the best quotes to support the assertion. (This could also be done individually if your kids don't work well in groups). b) You could make the above exercise a little more challenging and have them put it on ICE by introducing, citing, and explaining each quotation that they choose. c) Give students sheets - either at their desks or on the wall - with a series of quotations that have been properly and improperly embedded and cited. They have to find the ones that are not done properly and re-write them so they are. Visual Reminders: Once you have taught these skills to your students, use anchor charts or posters that they can refer to in class. You can grab this one here, or for an added bit of active learning, get your students to create some anchor charts that explain the process of selecting, embedding, citing, and explaining quotations. Anchor charts are meant to be created with the whole class, of course, but sometimes I like to have the students create them in groups to share with their classmates later. They aren't as adept as doing it on the spot as we are, but they do enjoy making them and then presenting them to their classmates - and it's a great review that results in some nice visuals for your walls. My instructions are available here. (There are some optional title pages here - it's best to let the kids do the whole design, but sometimes they need a little push to get started). So there you go. Those are the activities that I use to embed the proper use of quotation is my students' brains. I hope you can find something that you might use with your students too. I have a pack that is full of lessons and activities that teach kids all about embedding quotations. You can check it out here. Some of my friends at the Coffee Shop have some resources that focus on using quotations too. Be sure to check them out: Writing Spotlight: Writing About Quotes, The Daring English Teacher Literary Quote Analysis, Nouvelle ELA
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We’ve all read those papers where a student uses short choppy sentences with little variety. It can be painful to read, and even more difficult to assess, for
