Pulling Ideas Together
Writing Better Essays One useful strategy for getting started is to permit students draft in first person and then revise to third person. When they realize that they are invited to present their own ideas, reflections, observations, the students tend to relax a bit and write more honestly about the…
Non-Fiction Picture Books for ELA Classes
Picture Books and Common Core A significant component of the many state standards is the reading non-fiction informational texts across the curriculum. Here are ideas to get you started incorporating non-fiction to support and expand your lessons in English Language Arts. Use these books to help establish context for both fiction…
Colors Call Out to Us
Colors call out to us in nature and in advertisements. Help students understand the symbolism of colors as it relates to their feelings, as well as why different colors may entice them to behave certain ways, believe certain things, and buy certain products and services. What they learn in these…
Ted Talks for Middle School Speech
Amy Cody suggests these TED Talks for use in Middle School and says, "I used these for a speech unit to point out various techniques used in a speech- but my 8 graders really got into all of these." Consider them for speech classes and also as springboards for writing…
Teaching Whole Books
Resources for Teaching Texts View resources for Middle School and High School Traditional Texts, find lesson plans and ideas, articles and much more Middle and High School Resources for Specific Works A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret…
Juan is Part of the Black Arts Story
I, Juan De Pareja What are you teaching next? Now is a fine time to plan an inter-disciplinary unit in which you invite students to draw on what they’re learning in other courses to connect with, supplement, expand and or explore the literature you’re studying in English. Teaching historical…
Values, Beliefs and Attitudes
It's important to know the values, beliefs, and attitudes that motivate behavior in order to write an effective persuasive speech or argumentative essay. It also is important to understand ways that speakers and authors reveal these motivators in their writing. Tasks: Locate website for creating word clouds as a kick-off…
Labels – Who Am I?
Sara Holbrook's poem "Labels" can be added to the list of poems used to inspire students to think about themselves and to describe who they as based on their genetic and ethnic heritage as well as their own personal interests and passions. Consider a lesson in poetry writing that invites…
Book Talks – Demonstrate then Delegate
Introduce Students to Books Old and New Select three books that you can link to what interests your specific students. Create two-three slides for each book that include images from book covers or of a key event in the book. On each slide write a probing question, a summary…
Gaining Cultural Insight: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Gaining Cultural Insight This opening of the school year assignment, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? is a novel way to invite students to write a narrative essay based on two different books or literary works. It also can be adapted for history, science or math classes. Rather than focus on…