critical thinking – Teaching English Language Arts

Connect Literature and Current Events

January 17, 2021January 17, 2021 by admin

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Most of us are required to teach both fiction and non-fiction reading and writing. One assignment that pulls to the two kinds of reading and writing together is based on what could attract attention, reaction, and/or response from literary characters. The strength of this assignment is the student choice within…

Students Starters Enhance Teaching

August 10, 2020November 22, 2020 by admin

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Student Starters in Virtual Setting Now is a good time to plan on releasing more responsibility for learning to your students. The first quarter/semester is when you model reading and writing strategies, making, connections, incorporating a wide variety of examples in your own instruction, and also informing the students that…

Non-Fiction Picture Books for ELA Classes

December 27, 2019December 27, 2019 by admin

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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…

Ted Talks for Middle School Speech

October 6, 2019July 31, 2019 by admin

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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…

Values, Beliefs and Attitudes

August 31, 2019August 31, 2019 by admin

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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…

Ready for New School Year?

August 3, 2019July 31, 2019 by admin

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New School Year - Are you ready? “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do.” (Hale, 1870) For many educators, the beginning of…

Planning for Focused Units

July 18, 2019July 27, 2019 by admin

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Get Off to a Good Start Consider thematic units that may be drawn from Essential Questions. Once you decide on themes or essential questions for the first unit or marking period, you could ask the students to choose the themes/questions for the subsequent ones. Almost any piece of fiction/non-fiction can be adapted…

AUTHOR PROJECT: Reading and Research

April 26, 2019April 26, 2019 by admin

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Writing about Literary Favorites After introducing students to the Nine Yardsticks of Value, a good way to determine how well they understand the concepts and can apply them to an independent project, is to assign this author project. Each year, I'd choose to read one of the Nobel Laureates who…

Picture Books in Middle and High School

January 24, 2019July 31, 2019 by admin

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Picture Books for Older Students Plan now to avoid SPRING SLUMP. In many schools, May is the winding down month of the school year. Depending on where you are in the country, you may be assigning your final big project for which your students will demonstrate the breadth and depth…

COLORS, ARRANGEMENT AND STORIES

January 22, 2019February 12, 2019 by admin

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Critical Thinking in Colors and Shapes Colors and arrangements can be used evoke different moods, different personalities, and different feelings. Spend at least five minutes looking closely at this painting, Nine Colors by Ellsworth Kelly. 1. What do you notice about the colors and arrangement of these circles on a…

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