Let's go back and see if you would pass your GCSE's!
This study guide is a must have reference when teaching and reviewing for the Texas STARR Algebra I End of Course Exam or any Algebra I EOC. I created this product after working with average students and special populations. I address the most frequent areas of confusion and difficulty. I added, cha...
I've been teaching sociology for three years, now, and almost immediately, I stumbled upon Introsocsite. It's a fantastic resource for any sociology teacher.
"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
So today I want to talk about dealing with a massive cast of character. I am talking about main and secondary characters (not the odd village baker passing through a random scene never to be heard…
Lately, I have been reading Sonia White’s Designing Defensible Programs for Gifted Secondary School Learners, and I have been inspired so much from her book. In one of the chapters I read abo…
I've written about Teaching Channel before, and I'll be writing from time to time about a particular great idea I've found there. If you haven't already joined, remember that it's FREE, and signing up takes less than a minute! One of the many great Tch video clips shows middle school teacher Meagan Berkowitz teaching a poetry lesson using the SIFT Method - Symbol, Imagery, Figurative Language, and Tone or Theme. It's less than 5 minutes long, and well worth watching to see her interaction with her students, and the focus they have on the poems they are reading while using bookmark cue cards. Close analytic reading is an important feature of the Common Core; here's a tool for you to try out to see if it fits your needs! Besides the bookmark, you are given the lesson plan, a copy of the two poems used, and a transcript of the lesson. If you're a language arts teacher, you're all set to try this lesson yourself, or to adapt it to your grade level! And don't forget to "pin" the lesson by clicking "Save this in my Lesson Planner." (A note: there is a typo on the SIFT bookmark that you'll want to change before printing - "attitude and author" should be "attitude an author." I changed it in the image above. Since it's an open Word document, it's no problem!)
If you’ve never heard of the novel Once by Morris Gleitzman then I challenge you to go and read it now. I’ll make it easy – here are the Amazon links! For US readers click here and for UK readers click here (these are affiliate links). Once tells the story of a young Jewish boy named […]
This is a great sheet and activity to use with middle and high school students to help them get to know one another while you learning about them! :) The activity portion of this includes current famous people, shows, and trends to help engage students as they are matching up into pairs! This set includes: -A secondary appropriate "About Me" sheet (#mylife) -An interview sheet for the partner activity (#interview) -Directions for use -2 Lists for having students get into pairs effortlessly -A cheat sheet of which words go together (I have used some modern people and shows, so some teacher may need this!)
Teaching literary criticism can be challenging, but these text selections will help teachers pair critical lenses with suitable texts.
One of my favorite lessons to teach in my short story unit is the Hero’s Journey. I enjoy teaching the hero's journey because I love seeing my students’ aha! moments - the moment when they get it, and they start making the connections between the content I am teaching and their favorite books and movies. Their faces light up, and faint chatter about Harry Potter, various Disney movies, and other stories slowly fills the room.
This study guide is a must have reference when teaching and reviewing for the Texas STARR Algebra I End of Course Exam or any Algebra I EOC. I created this product after working with average students and special populations. I address the most frequent areas of confusion and difficulty. I added, cha...
Are your students disinterested and tired of the traditional ways of learning characterization? Have you been searching for a really fun, student-centered, interactive way to eliminate their boredom? Well, look no further! I present to you a wonderful student-collaboration activity that will get your students involved and excited for a character analysis for any novel, […]
As educators, we know how critical reflection is to the learning process. Getting students to reflect- deeply and meaningfully- is often one of the most challenging lessons we teach. I have found that both my middle school and high school students will often scoff at these reflection activities, pro
This post explores the connections between Classic texts and modern texts. They explore the following connections: Lord of the Flies & Hunger Games, “The Necklace” & Nonfiction Pairings, Macbeth & Long Way Down, Night & Between Shades of Gray + Salt to the Sea, The Scarlet Letter &
Source: TEACH THOUGHT 28-student-centered instructional strategies
SOLUTIONS FOR THE SECONDARY CLASSROOM • ON A MISSION TO PREVENT ENGLISH TEACHER BURNOUT FROM THE BLOG Explore More Featured Resources Explore More Free Resource
Looking for even more short stories to read with your middle school and high school students? There are so many options out there, many of which can be used to teach a variety of literary elements and lead into interesting discussions and activities. Read on for 15 recommendations from secondary English Language Arts teachers.
Twitter user Gurwinder regularly shares thoughts on various topics, including psychology, philosophy, and politics. However, one of their recent uploads offers all the above. And then some.
Literary criticism is challenging for students. But using familiar lyrics from Taylor Swift can help demystify complex literary lenses!
Expect Unexpected Engagement When You Try Hexagonal Thinking in ELA Start with the Free Kit WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? SEARCH FOR THE STRATEGY OF YOUR DREAMS, OR DIVE INTO ONE OF THESEPOPULAR CREATIVE RABBIT HOLES. FRESH FROM THE BLOG Find
I finally nailed teaching symbolism! Using candy was both engaging and efficient - a major win that students remembered all year long!
by The Daring English Teacher One of my favorite units to teach in my classroom is rhetorical analysis because students learn the power, beauty, and effectiveness of language. When teaching rhetorical analysis, we teach our students to analyze how the author writes rather than simply looking at what the author writes. We teach our students to look at the author’s effectiveness. We teach our students to look at which strategies an author uses and why those particular strategies are so effective. Teaching our students about rhetorical analysis helps them not only in the classroom setting but also in the real world. Knowing how and why people, corporations, and advertisements can effectively convince and persuade people to take actions, purchase goods, or hold certain values and beliefs play a critical role in informed decision-making skills. And while it may sound like teaching rhetorical analysis might be a bit dry and mundane, that could not be further from the truth. Teaching rhetoric and rhetorical analysis can be both exciting and entertaining. Getting Started with Rhetorical Analysis When I introduce rhetorical analysis to my students for the first time, I always start with direct instruction and I use this rhetorical analysis unit to introduce the content. By introducing and teaching students about rhetorical analysis, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical devices, they become familiar with the subject. Furthermore, providing students with examples helps them grasp the concept. Rhetorical Analysis with Sticky Notes Teaching Unit Once students have a basic understanding, I then teach modeled annotation and analysis. I teach students how to annotate text, and as we class, we annotate the same text together. To help students gain confidence in their annotation and rhetorical analysis skills, I first have students annotate with me as a whole class. Once they branch out, I have them annotate in pairs and share their annotations with another group and then with the class. By practicing annotations in this scaffolded way, students learn how to annotate the text and identify rhetorical devices and appeals in a manner that helps them build confidence in their skills. Annotating Text Made Easy When beginning to plan your rhetorical analysis unit, it is always good to use a wide variety of texts that represent a diverse group of people, and with teaching rhetoric and rhetorical analysis, there are so many speeches to choose from. Here is a list of my favorite speeches to analyze. Rhetorical Analysis Student Practice Once students have a basic understanding of rhetoric and rhetorical analysis, I move on to independent practice. By doing so, I can use small classroom assignments and activities as formative assessments to gauge student understanding. One way to move toward independence is to ask your students rhetorical analysis questions that get your students thinking critically. In a blog post, I've compiled these 15 rhetorical analysis questions to use when analyzing a text. Another way that you can have students move toward understanding and independence is by having them complete a rhetorical triangle analysis of your selected text. In doing so, students demonstrate their understanding of the text. You can download a free rhetorical organizer HERE! Click here to download a copy of this organizer. Engaging and Fun Rhetorical Analysis Activities Toward the end of my rhetorical analysis unit, I incorporate more fun and engaging activities that allow students to demonstrate their understanding. In a previous blog post, I share my favorite historical and political speeches that are excellent for a rhetorical analysis unit. COMMERCIALS When analyzing rhetoric, my students love watching commercials to see which appeals and devices companies use as marketing strategies. Since commercials are usually thirty seconds to a minute in length, this makes a great warm-up activity. I like to show a commercial right after the bell rings at the start of class, ask students to identify which devices and appeals they find, and explain why those devices and appeals are effective. GROUPS ANALYSIS POSTERS A couple of years ago I had my students complete collaborative rhetorical analysis poster projects. Each group of three to four students received a different political or historical speech to analyze. Students read, annotated, and analyzed the text. Then, they identified various appeals and strategies that the speaker used and wrote a summary of the speech. This project took two fifty-five-minute class periods to complete. I wrote more about this project on my website: Collaborative Rhetorical Analysis Poster Project. ARTISTIC PAPA SQUARES Another one of my favorite rhetorical analysis projects is the artistic PAPA square. PAPA is an acronym that stands for Purpose, Argument, Persona, and Audience. Using this acronym for rhetorical analysis, students create an artistic square that has two requirements: visually, it resembles the topic; and it also analyzes the text for its use of appeals and devices. Usually, I have my students complete this project for one of their sources during our big research unit. You can read more about this project and sign-up to receive a free assignment handout on my website: Artistic PAPA Square. Here are some more amazing resources and teaching tips for rhetorical analysis: Persuasion Techniques Bell Ringers by Nouvelle ELA Persuasive Essay Writing: Snowball Collaborative Activity by Presto Plans Real Life Persuasion Lessons and Activities by Room 213
Character archetypes share core truths about people's personalities, goals, fears and weaknesses. Learn how to use them well in your own fiction.
Teachers don’t have to be stuffy, boring, and angry — they can be the most awesome and hilarious authority figures in your life. Those people are educators who go above and beyond the call of duty, using humor and shock to help their students learn about life.
I LOVE POETRY! I love to read it, write it, and teach it, and above all, I want my students to love it too! In order for them to love it, ho...
Find out how I teach character and idea development in middle school!
The 10 sites I go back to again and again for fun, easy-to-use resources. Bookmark these for your own class, or send 'em to your favorite English teacher! Via Yuly Asencion, juandoming, Mila Solà Marqués, THE OFFICIAL ANDREASCY
View the comic strip for Basic Instructions by cartoonist Scott Meyer created March 09, 2012 available on GoComics.com
At the end of each novel I teach, I like to have my students participate in some sort of culminating literary analysis project that allows me to assess their
Don't let your literature anthology dictate the short stories you read with your middle school and high school students. There are so many wonderful short stories out there, many of which can be used to teach a variety of literary elements and paired with other texts. Read on for 13 of my favorites, which literary terms and skills they lend themselves to teaching, plus suggested text pairings and activities.
In the past five years, I've tried everything a variety of methods to meet the grammar needs of that year's class of students. Let me save you the trouble of finding some things out the hard way... as well as some ideas that are just plain cool. Here's the problem: Teachers of English are put into a tricky set of dilemmas every school year: How do find "enough" time for students to master, or at least improve, in different grammar topics? How do we engage students in a topic that they find boring and/or difficult? How do we choose which topics we do (or do not) teach? How do I cope when my students either didn't master OR didn't maintain grammar fundamentals from previous years? How do I reconcile my own beliefs, opinions, and/or background knowledge with the task in front of me? On one hand, there's no one right answer. We have to adjust our grammar instruction from year to year to meet the needs of the classes we just inherited. However - and I may ruffle feathers here - as long as there is standardized testing in our schools, we cannot blow off grammar. Period. Even if we don't want to uphold the most traditional norms of Standard English and wish to be more linguistically progressive, it's a disservice to not equip students to be competitive in the worlds, like test-taking, that are not optional at this time. SO, how can teachers survive and thrive in this subsection of ELA? Here are some tips to think about as you plan your school year of instruction! 1. Find and give a grade-level pretest Make or find a pretest to see what students know, but don't feel pressure to make it include all grammar for the year; it's fine to pretest just the topics you think you'll cover that quarter or term. Then you'll know more confidently what you do (or don't!) need to teach. Even better? Give a pretest in the format of the next standardized test they'll take. I've been known to scan and print a page of the ACT's English section from a test prep book and give it to 8th graders. Here's a sample grammar diagnostic test that uses song lyrics to keep things from getting boring: 2. Prove why students should care I love using part or all of my "Why Grammar?" mini-unit, because it lets students read why grammar and editing matter (from people OTHER than me), and motivates them to care more. I'd rather have them hear it from more authentic sources than just take my word for it! If you don't have enough time for the whole mini-unit, you might like part or all of my Word Crimes lesson, made to go with the music video! 3. Give quizzes that grade themselves Check out all of the tech options you have in your building and see if any come with the ability to create self-grading quizzes or polls. My team uses Edmodo, so we can create self-grading quizzes as little formative checkpoints. (Backup plan? Use Google Forms!) 4. Teach it in a GAME Learn more about how I teach grammar in a GAME BOARD format by either reading this blog post or viewing my full grammar bundle here! 5. Narrow your rubric You don't have to grade EVERY piece of writing for grammar, but even when you do, there's no rule that says you have to point out EVERY mistake they make (at least all the time). It's fine to make a rubric in which you JUST grade commas, or JUST spelling/homophones. Your shortened grading time per paper will thank you! 6. Put students in the role of teacher (& artist!) We learn by doing and teaching, right? Push students to deeper levels of thinking with two cool projects My grammar video project, in which students become teachers and make (creative) instructional videos, and My grammar poetry assignment, in which students write about their grammar topics (including personifying them!) 7. Take requests! Every once in a while, why not take student requests on which mini-lessons you should do next? It will up their engagement as well as make them take some ownership and curiosity of a sometimes-dry topic. 8. Students make their own learning goals The ultimate low-stress differentiation is to let students self-assess, identify their own problem areas, make plans to fix them, and then accomplish those plans. Show visible growth from each student with my Grammar & Proofreading Project. 9. Reward error-finding Students catch a grammar error on a store sign? Found a typo in a published book? Caught a business in a sloppy mistake on an ad? Find a way to reward them for their finds - it can be a point, a piece of candy, or just public praise. 10. Write original sentences ASAP Don't just give all the mentor sentences away; make students copy real sentences from others AND also write their own original ones! They need to practice recognizing errors AND drafting correctly the first time. If you need help, here are 10 activities to write grammar rules in context. 11. Use videos wisely Even if you don't have student-made videos (see #6), I highly recommend giving students EITHER videos you find online, or recordings of you explaining a grammar topic. I "flip" most of my grammar instruction with homemade videos; I make PowerPoints explaining a topic and then use screencastomatic.com to record myself narrating over those slides and teaching. There are serious advantages to having grammar instruction in video format. It helps absent students, not to mention any student (IEP or not) who needs to hear something multiple times before it "sticks". 12. FREEBIE: Find it in the texts you're reading! I've seen elaborate mini-lessons analyzing the grammar used in a specific text, and while those are fine, sometimes it's enough to just: Make brief mentions while doing a close reading ("Did y'all see that semicolon that Dickens just used, btw?") Collecting correct sentences from texts! Use my FREE Grammar in Literature activity sheets if you need a starting point! The bottom line Any grammar instruction is better than none, and you have the professional skills and judgment to help your students in the best way that you can. If you don't give up, and if you model that grammar is important, then your teens and tweens will be better for it! Did one of these resonate with you? Tell me in the comments!
