Teaching rhetorical analysis is one of my absolute favorite units to complete with my students. I love teaching my students about rhetorical strategies and devices, analyzing what makes an effective and persuasive argument, and reading critical speeches with my students. Here is a quick list of some of my favorite speeches for rhetorical analysis.

Student choice is a cornerstone of student engagement. When students can take charge of their learning and can pursue topics of interest, they will be more engaged and more inclined to do the work, and their work will become more meaningful. This blog post explores different ways to integrate studen

This post is full of inspiration for using Dolly Parton's America as a podcast unit for your high school ELA class! Reach standards using podcasts in the classroom!

9th and 10th grade ELA materials and resources for an entire school year covering more than 30 different skills and 40+ activities. This 140+ page product is designed to help your students master a variety of different skills throughout an entire school year. Below, I've highlighted the different skills, activities, and assessments included in the resource. This resource is editable and can be changed to fit your students' needs! NOTE: This resource is completely different than my 6th Grade ELA Resources and 7th and 8th Grade ELA Resources It has a similar setup, but the activities and assessments are different.

One page reference sheet for High School English TN ELA Standards. Download for free to make planning quicker and easier!

If books are a uniquely portable magic, then podcasts are the wizard in your pocket. When you find interesting podcasts for teens that they want to listen to, you will open up a whole new world of literacy for secondary students. Did you know that podcast listeners are 29% more likely to have a household ... Read More about Why You Should Be Using Podcasts in Secondary ELA

FIND MORE POETRY IDEAS BY CLICKING ANY LINK BELOW!

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 &

Are you going to teach classics during distance learning like The Giver, The Great Gatsby, or The Odyssey? Great choice! Here's how to make your novel unit even more inclusive and engaging.

With a new school year upon us, here is a look at 10 must-use secondary ELA teaching units, lessons, and activities for your classroom. These units are

FIND MORE POETRY IDEAS BY CLICKING ANY LINK BELOW!

Welcome Back to Teaching Tuesday! Today is the third edition of “What I Teach,” and I’m sharing my full course outline for 11th Grade: AP Language and Composition/American Literature. If you missed them, check out “What I Teach: Ninth Grade English” + background info on my courses in general here AND “What I Teach: Tenth...Read More »

Pokemon Go was all the rage in 2016. Fortnite in 2017. You get where we are going with this! Getting back into the swing of things of a new school year can be tricky, but we can help! An easy way to connect with your students is to make your back-to-school lessons relevant and relatable. How can you do this? We have compiled a list of several ways that you can easily incorporate teen trends into your back-to-school lessons for the first few weeks (or anytime!) of the year. Most teens love music and connect with it on a personal level. You can bridge that connection by incorporating music into your daily routines. For example, play an upbeat song between bell work and discussion time to motivate your students. If you struggle to know what's popular with your students, just ask them! The beginning of the year is the perfect time to find out more about them and their music preferences. You can give them a writing prompt asking what their favorite songs are or be even more specific; ask them: Which song makes you want to get up and dance? Which song could you listen to over and over again and never grow tired of? Once you have compiled a list of their favorite songs, search the lyrics of a few. You can often find the best examples of figurative language in song lyrics. If the lyrics are appropriate, print them off and play the song in class and ask students to find examples of figurative devices. This activity can be done anytime, but it's for great back-to-school to review figurative language and to gauge your students' learning levels. Another way to incorporate music directly into learning is to compare popular music artists with writers or subjects you are reading. During poetry and Shakespeare units, I love challenging students to see if they can guess whether the line or phrase is from a song or a poem. I created an entire series with various poets and musicians that you can download here. I'll start out with a presentation and a student handout so the as whole can engage in the activity. It's so much fun to see their reactions when they swear there's no way the line came from an old poet, but it actually did! The next day, I'll display the bulletin board (below) so students can continue to interact with the lines of poetry and songs. One way to grab the attention of your students is to explore books that may have been released since school has been out and/or sharing some titles of books that will be released in the coming months! Talk about anticipation! :) Here are a few YA books that came out recently: Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi The Haunted by Danielle Vega We Walked the Sky by Lisa Fiedler Here are a few YA books that will be coming out soon: Frankly in Love by David Yoon The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh You can also see what your students are interested in by displaying these Genre Reading Cards around a few tables in your classroom (or in the library). Simply, set out the different genre cards, select a few books that fit within each genre, set a timer for 2-3 minutes and let your students explore the various titles. Follow-up with a brief discussion on their favorite books they may have already read (or discovered) through the stations. This is a quick and easy way to see what genres they are interested in or may be interested in exploring this school year. Whether it's the World Cup or the Super Bowl, chances are many of your students are fans of sports or are familiar with at least one sport. Using this FREE survey at the beginning of the year, ask your students which sports or teams are their favorite. (Click HERE to get an editable digital copy of the survey ready for distance learning!) Once you have an idea about their favorites, you can incorporate them into your lessons. For example, if you are writing a sample sentence for a grammar lesson, name-drop a player from one of their favorite teams. My students are usually divided between being either a Chicago Cubs or a St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, so a sample sentence may be: "Anthony Rizzo and Dexter Fowler sat down together to have pizza after the Cubs defeated the Cardinals last night." Every two years, you can integrate the Olympics into your lessons. Re-word the titles of your activities or assignments by using Olympic-themed names. Instead of calling it a class discussion or a "think-pair-share," call it the "Opening Ceremony" or "Passing the torch of knowledge." A quiz can be called a bobsled competition or a vault competition for gymnastics. Award the top three scores with gold, silver and bronze medals. If you teach multiple sections of the same class, have your classes compete for the overall winner. Awards points for the class with the fewest tardies, the highest scores on quizzes or assignments, and/or the liveliest discussions. Better yet, have your students create the areas for competitions and what they'd like to call them. They can even pick which country they would like to represent (or create their own country). Some students may not like traditional sports, but love video and online gaming. The popularity of videos such as Minecraft and Fortnite paired with the rise of schools adopting eSports as official extracurricular activities indicate that our students still love gaming. Instead of fighting it, try to embrace it by giving students opportunities to utilize both the skills they learn through games with academic skills. For example, I asked my students to recreate a scene from Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. One group built Rome in Minecraft and reenacted one of the scenes live as the class watched. My head was swimming a bit, but it was pretty amazing to see what they created together and how they adapted it to the text. They learned more about the play from that one assignment and had so much fun doing it. This particular assignment may not work with other games, but if you allow your students the possibility of incorporating their favorite game into a project, you may be amazed at the ideas that they come up with. I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things as a student was when we were able to follow-up a book with a movie. As a visual person, I always appreciated when I saw a book come to life after reading it (even though most people prefer the book over the movie). Watching the movie after reading the book can lead to a lot of fun class discussions. Here are a few fun prompts that you can use to follow-up after your are done reading and watching! What did you like better, the book or the movie? Why was the book better than the movie? Why was the movie better than the book? What did the book have that the movie didn't? What did the movie have that the book didn't? A great way to grab the attention of your students would be to plan a unit around an upcoming movie release based on a book. This might be an older book or perhaps, a newer one. Regardless, your students will think it's pretty cool that they are going to be able to watch a movie. I realize it's not possible for all classes to be able to watch a movie in a theatre, but it's a fun and quick field trip if you can make it work! Movie theatres usually give a discount on larger groups and I usually try to work in a price that includes popcorn and a drink for everyone, too. If you think money may be an issue for some students, it does not hurt to ask your administraton for some assistance. They will, almost always, find a way to make sure everyone in your class is able to participate. You can also plan a unit around a particular theme of a movie coming out (or already in stores), if you're looking to take a break from reading for a few weeks. Once students gain a better understanding or appreciation about a particular theme, you can show them a movie where they can explore that theme even more. This way, if taking your students to a movie theatre isn't an option, then show a movie in your classroom instead! Note: You can ask your students which movies they may be interested in watching at the start of the year, then surprise them with the themed unit based around that film! One of the easiest ways to incorporate both social media and pop culture all at once is incorporating current events into your classroom. You can do this on a local, national or international level. You can simply ask your students to start talking about what's happening in your town, in the world, or even more specifically, with their favorite movie actors, singers, bands, etc. What's the gossip with their favorite celebrities? Once your ideas have been shared and topics have been listed, you can use this list as a means for an impromptu writing activity, as an essay topic, etc. The possibilities are endless. If you're interested in checking out more ways on how you can incorporate pop culture into the classroom, click HERE. You might also be interested in: Soundtrack of my Life/Playlist of my Summer

For real. No cheesy music, no bad acting, and no trick endings where everyone is okay and it was all just a big misunderstanding. Seriously, your students are going to love these and they have just the right amount of horror while still being appropriate for school. Myths and Legends I can't say enough about ...

If you are looking to read about how to teach personal statement writing, I've got you covered. Keep reading to learn more and to see valuable resources!

by Secondary Sara Students love to argue, debate, tell stories, or just...talk... so much that informative writing can sometimes feel like boring, or even unnecessary, work. As a result, the informative essays or summaries that are turned in can feel uninspired. I've been working on how to keep students motivated when they are explaining, teaching, or reporting instead of persuading, and here are some of the things I've learned in my classroom. Tip #1: Provide expectations and examples While it's essential to briefly review the difference between informative and argumentative writing, my students also needed help realizing when they were unintentionally making biased word choices, and they only somewhat understood the importance of including a balance of viewpoints. Even when we had read sample articles as mentor texts first, they were still accidentally writing moments of persuasion during informative pieces. (Depending on your students' needs, they may also need help with lessons like formal writing, concise writing, and using the pronoun "you" less often.) Once they understand what informative writing LOOKS like, then they need to get excited about the possibilities! Download these three FREE posters to help illustrate what the genres are AND what task opportunities await! Tip #2: Create an air of mystery or investigation In my experience, students are much more willing to ditch persuasion if they are uncovering the truth in a mystery. Even an informative or research essay is more fun with the right topic (or the right set of directions). For example, some of the projects in my Informative Writing Bundle include Unsolved Mysteries, basic News Reporting, or telling Both Sides of the Story, and those have had higher levels of student engagement than a summary assignment with less interesting context. The bundle is a 10-pack of projects so that you can assign one to the whole class or provide a menu of options! Tip #3: Get an audience The best experience I've ever had with informative writing, to date, was when I recently made an Intro to Journalism unit from scratch (designed for beginners). After a crash course on journalism and informative writing, students applied for jobs in our newspaper "staff", wrote individual articles, and created a one-time newspaper. (However, if you're pressed for time, you can stop after writing the articles and omit the Project-Based Learning newspaper staff portion.) My point is that the imminent threat of having an audience read their newspaper was far more motivating than grades alone. Providing an audience will make any genre more authentic, but especially informative writing. My second-favorite informative writing experience is when we write mock TED talks, which technically includes speeches that are a blend of informative, argumentative, and narrative writing. Spark Joy... Modeling enthusiasm and generating excitement can happen for informative writing just as much as in any other genre! Even without persuasion, students still have worthwhile things to say and a world that needs truth. You Might Also Like: Blog Post: 6 Tips for Teaching Journalism by Tracee Orman Informative Essay Writing Unit by Tracee Orman Write a Tutorial: Article Writing by Nouvelle ELA Intro to Informative and Explanatory Writing by The Daring English Teacher Blog Post: Writing Reviews by Room 213 Expository Writing: The Town Times by Addie Williams

This is an editable version of the 6th Grade ELA Daily Review. Each file is a PowerPoint file and does not contain clipart. 🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5. A list of the fonts are included. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].  Hello, ELA! How can you cover a LOT of critical content in a LITTLE amount of time? This ELA Daily Review is a unique way to get your students warmed up and helps incorporate the 6th Grade Language Standards, Grammar, Vocabulary Practice, and Reading Comprehension skills. Each month contains 4-5 weeks of ELA bell work, which will have a theme around the season, national holidays, or events associated with that particular month. The morning work is focused on ELA 6th Grade Common Core Standards. Each day has a thematic structure to cover language standards as well as enhance vocabulary and comprehension skills. Each week follows a predictable and engaging structure: Meaningful Monday: Monday is focused on making meaning. Tasks will focus on synonyms, antonyms, vocabulary words, context clues, and making meaning in a short amount of text. Some tasks may require students to make meaning in the text (inference, message, adages, proverbs, etc.) or build vocabulary skills.  Text Structure Tuesday: Tuesdays will have a paragraph that requires students to identify the text structure, signal words, main idea, author's perspective, or vocabulary, or any other question types related to the Craft and Structure standards.  Wordy Wednesday: Wednesday is all about working with words. Tasks include working with shades of meaning, homophones, spelling, prefixes, suffixes, roots, and other word skills. Throwback Thursday:Thursday is all about grammar usage and conventions. Figurative Friday: Figurative Friday tasks include working with various types of figurative language including similes, metaphors, idioms, poems, alliteration, structures of poems and more! Are you looking for the ELA Weekly Assessments for 6th Grade? These are a great companion for the morning work to assess the skills covered. This ELA + Math Morning Work is available for the following grade levels: ELA + Math Bundles 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade ELA Bundles 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade ELA Weekly Assessments 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade Math Bundles 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade Let’s connect!  The Literacy Loft Blog The Literacy Loft on Instagram The Literacy Loft on Pinterest The Literacy Loft on Facebook - Jessica

This past school year was a great one. With every school year that passes, I like to take a moment and reflect on activities that were successful in the

Today I am excited to welcome Kim from English Oh My as our guest blogger. She has some great ideas for teaching students to comprehend poetry in a manageable way. Enjoy! Happy April, and Happy National Poetry Month! Poetry is a timeless genre, and it is a part of most English Language curriculum. When I tell […]

Learn the value of using music to promp writing. ****Hojo's tips for Kindergarten teacher. Great music lesson for teacher! Click & check our freebie!!

Speak is one of those powerful reads that, unfortunately, many students relate to. If not from personal experiences mirroring the main character, the reality of dealing with trauma and the fallout of PTSD, depression, and other ostracizing events. Teaching Speak, though, can be a challenging task. It becomes a deeply personal and empathetic read, so I make an effort to include it in my reading list throughout the year. Read on for activities and ideas to try in your own classroom.

If you are looking to read about how to teach personal statement writing, I've got you covered. Keep reading to learn more and to see valuable resources!

Of Mice and Men Themes: Lesson Plans, Supplemental Texts and Essential Questions to use in your high school English Classes.

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

Here are 15 engaging and creative TV episodes to use in ELA to teach genre, narrative techniques, characterization, and more. (Blog post)

Here are three tips for grading interactive notebooks quickly and easily, even in a high school ELA classroom. (Blog post from teachnouvelle.com)

Find resources for teaching story elements to kindergarten, first, second, and third grade students including books and hands-on activities.

Billie Eilish has suddenly surged in popularity, and her songs and her image offer a significant contrast to the larger popular culture landscape. (Her songs, their themes, and even the image with which she brands herself are all “darker” than what we might typically expect in popland.) This lesson bundle provides in-depth guided rhetorical analyses for students to engage with across two of Eilish’s hits – “Bad Guy” and “Bury a Friend.” Grab this lesson now for $4.99 -- or, join the TeachArgument Community to gain INSTANT access ALL of our resources!

It's time to go back to school! With the back-to-school season upon us, it is time to start planning back-to-school activities for the first week of school.

I recently asked my 7th grade students to share the titles of their favorite books of the school year so far. I asked them to do this in response to some posts I had recently seen on facebook and t…

Allusion Activities are fun and easy using song lyrics and music videos (Printable & Digital) - Editable lesson plans, student handouts, PowerPoint slides, Answer Keys, Rubrics, Google Docs, Google Slides for no prep distance learning or Google Classroom activities. Use song lyrics - instead of lengthy, boring fiction and nonfiction passages - to practice analyzing allusions in literature. Enjoy this no prep music as poetry lesson on allusions, complete with allusion worksheets and answer keys for all parts of the lesson. Use MUSIC LYRICS to introduce, practice, assess CCSS.ELA.RL.9: How does a work of modern fiction allude to or reinterpret a source text to enhance tone, characterization, conflict, main idea, purpose and/or theme? Product Includes: Lesson Plan Student Handouts PowerPoint ANSWER KEY Google Doc Google Slides Common Core Standards: Grade 9 - 12 Reading Literature RL.9 Learning Focus Question Introductory Script Mini Lesson: Allusion Definition and Examples URL Link to Printable Lyrics & Music Video: Love Story by Taylor Swift URL Link to Printable Lyrics & Music Video: Lost Boy by Ruth B. Guided Practice Independent Practice Exit Slip Early Finisher Activity 3-Point and 6-Point Reading Response Rubric for Effortless Grading Extra Reusable Assessment Handout to use with ANY text and 2 bonus lyrics! BONUS URL Link to Printable Lyrics: One Call Away by Charlie Puth BONUS URL Link to Printable Lyrics: Wings by Macklemore SEE PREVIEW Simply print the handouts, lesson and answer key, load the PowerPoint, lyrics and music videos, or share the Google Drive link (Google slides) with students to enjoy an effortless, engaging lesson or Google classroom activity to teach students about theme and summary using music videos and song lyrics! Reuse editable mini lesson and assessment handout with ANY text for repeated, spiraled practice and assessment. This is a lifelong tool. Reading Literature Common Core Standard # 9 (Grade 9 - 12): CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. Why using boring texts when you can analyze song lyrics? Perfect for reluctant readers and students with learning disabilities. Common Core ELA Test Prep is FUN with MUSIC LYRIC ACTIVITIES! CURE FOR DISENGAGED STUDENTS! Why wait? Use music to teach irony Use music to teach inferencing! Use music to teach theme! Use music to teach main idea and summary! Use music to teach plot, conflict, mood and tone! Use music to teach characterization! Use music to teach irony, dramatic, situational and verbal! Use music to teach rhetoric, ethos, logos and pathos! Use music to teach point of view and author's purpose! Use music to teach compare and contrast and synthesis! Use music to teach literary analysis! The list goes on and on! ******* THIS PRODUCT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY OF THE LYRICS, ARTISTS, PRODUCTION COMPANIES, LINKS, WEBSITES OR ORGANIZATIONS LINKED IN THE PRODUCT; IT IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. ******* YOU MAY ALSO LIKE ;) 15 LESSON FUN BUNDLE: Teach EVERY Reading Standard with Videos Persuasive Essay with 40 Inspirational Quotes FUN BUNDLE Literary Analysis Paragraph with Lyrics, Spoken Word & Film: 36 Prompts + Videos Comparative Writing with 80 Inspirational Videos BUNDLE Bell Ringers: Paraphrase 60 Inspirational Quotes Grammar Complete Guide Complete Roots, Suffixes & Prefixes SAT Vocabulary Bell Ringers - 180 Daily SAT Words, PPT, 36 Weekly Quizzes & Key Informational Text Bundle: 50 Articles & 200 Questions WANT MORE PRINT & GO CULTURALLY RELEVANT RESOURCES? Bell Ringers: Paraphrase 60 Inspirational Quotes Emergency Sub Lesson Plans (ELA) No Prep Research Paper Packet: Any Topic Social Media Exit Slips for Any Subject Social Media Activities for Any Text 32 Sports & Hip Hop Articles to Engage Apathetic Students Sports & Video-Game Homework for Reluctant Readers Sports & Video-Game Writing Prompt Task Cards to Engage Reluctant Learners Sports & Video-Game Reading Responses for Any Text Music as Poetry: Teach Poetry with Any Lyrics Nonfiction Reading Fun Bundle: 6 Engaging Articles & Videos Comparative Writing Fun Bundle: 6 Lyrics & Videos Allusion Activities are fun and easy using song lyrics and music videos (Printable & Digital) - Editable lesson plans, student handouts, PowerPoint slides, Answer Keys, Rubrics, Google Docs, Google Slides for no prep distance learning or Google Classroom activities.

One of the first things teachers learn in their pre-service teaching classes is the importance of establishing effective classroom routines and procedures for

Teaching CCSS-ELA 9-10.9 and 11-12.9 and handling the intersection of historical context and literature can be challenging. Check out these tips!

Much Ado About Nothing Act 5, Scenes 1-4 | Double Entry Journals This specialized two-page teaching resource is designed for educators at the grade 9 to grade 12 levels. Perfect for public school teachers and homeschoolers instructing in language arts or literature, it focuses specifically on Act 5, Scenes 1-4 of the classic Much Ado About Nothing. Flexible Format: Offering both a printed and an editable Word file version, this resource provides flexibility based on specific classroom needs or preferences. Educators can: Distribute hardcopies after printing this double-entry journal. Send them to students digitally so their work can be completed directly on their devices. Educational Goals: The aim of this educational resource is to guide students towards summarizing, reflecting on, and analyzing different aspects of these sections of the play. Five varied journal entry prompts are provided that encourage students not only to write about their personal responses but also draw direct textual evidence from the play's lines supporting their thoughts. Variety in Usage: This straightforward format enables its use in various settings such as: Whole groups : common ideas are collectively discussed. Small groups : deeper discussions may occur. Individual Assignments: foster independent thinking abilities. Homework Exercises: Promote further contemplation over time. In Summary… \ Much Ado About Nothing Act 5, Scenes 1-4 | Double Entry Journals presents an adaptable integrated literary analysis exercise. It caters perfectly to modern technology demands while maintaining traditional pedagogical values intact. Its adaptability for different group sizes and formats ensures consistency in learning outcomes. Much Ado About Nothing Act 5, Scenes 1-4 | Double Entry Journals

I truly believe in the transformative power of narratives. I believe that through stories we challenge assumptions, expand our understanding, and make connections with others. It is why I became an English teacher. As idealistic as it sounds, I hold tightly onto my belief that literature has the power to make us more empathetic, more compassionate, more human. But this also means that we, as teachers, have a responsibility to introduce our students to a diverse range of stories, of authors, of content. The most convenient place to do this is often in a short story unit, as we can wind our way through multiple continents and differing perspectives, all within a couple of weeks. While all types of diversity and representation matter, for this post I want to take a moment to focus on including global perspectives in our curriculum: including voices and stories from around the world to broaden students’ horizons, while also helping them find commonality with those seemingly different: thus exploring our common humanity. So here are some of my recommendations for short stories to include in your classroom. [*Note: Most of these would be most appropriate for grades 8-12; though some content might be mature for some classes. Do use your professional discretion; you know your classes best!] “The American Embassy” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [found in The Thing Around Your Neck] Adichie’s powerful TEDtalk “The Danger of a Single Story” is how I always open my short story unit. In this talk she explores the problems of only reading stories from a homogenous group (often white, western, male). As a Nigerian female writer herself, she knows this well. As she eloquently explains in her talk: “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.” While I use many of her stories and essays in my classroom, I love reading “The American Embassy” with students, as it speaks to universal themes of fear, loss and grief. As the protagonist queues outside the American Embassy in Lago, Nigeria, waiting to make an application for asylum, she is confronted with recent tragedy and heartache. The narrative includes flashbacks as the painful death of the protagonist’s son is conveyed; thus it is an engaging story for teaching narrative perspective and plot structure. “Borders” by Thomas King [found in One Good Story, That One] In this compelling first-person narrative, King - himself of Cherokee and Greek descent - explores the concept of identity in a changing world: particularly as it relates to indigenous peoples. Set on the border between the US and Canada, a proudly First Nations woman asserts her own idea of identity and belonging, refusing to conform to imposed concepts of citizenship. Told through the perspective of a young boy, I have found that students connect with this complex topic in a way which is accessible, opening up fruitful, engaging conversations about nationhood, identify, and belonging. The story is constructive for teaching the importance of setting, as the problem of crossing the physical border clearly parallels the deeper theme as it relates to the restrictions often placed on others’ identities. You can access all my teaching materials for this story here. “The Kettle on the Boat” by Vanessa Gebbie [found in One World] In this brief-but-powerful narrative, Welsh author, Vanessa Gebbie, tells the painful story of Qissunguaq, a six-year-old Inuit girl, who is separated from her family as a result of climate change impacting the food chain and their means of survival. The narrative voice is clearly defined as the simplistic language reflects the young child’s confusion about her situation, building suspense and evoking sadness in the reader. While the underlying theme is important in this story, I often find it is a compelling piece to use in the classroom as a means of exploring the language and craft of the short story form. [Click here for a FREE graphic organizer for analyzing ANY of these short stories] “Spilled Water” by Djamila Ibrahim [found in Things Are Good Now] Born in Ethiopia, Ibrahim immigrated to Canada in the 1990s, and the short stories in her debut collection examine the weight of the migrant experience on the human psyche. What I find extremely powerful about these stories is Ibrahim’s portrayal of the complexities of being an immigrant in a foreign land: the often daily humiliations and hidden struggles. In “Spilled Water” the narrator is a young Ethiopian orphan who is adopted by a Canadian family. As she tries to navigate the daily cultural shocks, the reader sees the familiar through a new and surprising lens: everything from simply shopping at the mall to the more unique tradition of celebrating Halloween. This opens up great opportunities for discussing what might be usual in our own cultures, but seem strange to others. “A Contract Overseas” by Mia Alvar [from In the Country - read the full story here] As explained in the cover blurb, Mia Alvar “gives voice to the women and men of the Philippines and its diaspora… [her] stories explore the universal experiences of loss, displacement, and the longing to connect across borders both real and imagined.” To me, her short story, “A Contract Overseas,” epitomises these crucial themes. The young female narrator, living in Manila, wrestles with her own identity as budding writer, feelings of isolation in her own family and surroundings, and her relationship with her brother who - like many Filipinos - moves to Saudi Arabia to work and send money home. The characters in this enthralling story are bold and beautifully-defined, which opens opportunities for teaching characterization. That said, the protagonist herself grapples with fleshing out conflicts in her own stories, which is intriguing to explore in the classroom. “The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve [in Grandpa Was a Cowboy and an Indian and Other Stories] Written in 1975, this may be one of the older stories in the list, and more commonly taught in middle/high schools already. Yet it is well-known for good reason. The young protagonist struggles with his own sense of cultural identity as he is confronted with his conflicting feelings surrounding his Native American heritage. When his worlds collide and his Sioux grandfather comes to visit their Iowa home - far from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota - the protagonist wrestles with his own adolescent feelings of pride, shame, and confusion. Raised on an Indian Reservation herself, much of Sneve’s writing is concerned with dispelling stereotypes and negative images of Native Americans. Due to its dealing with issues of personal struggle, “The Medicine Bag” provides engaging opportunities for exploring characterization, conflict, and shifts in perspective. “War Years” by Viet Thanh Nguyen [in The Refugees] Viet Thanh Nguyen - Pulitzer prize winning author of The Sympathizer - has written a timely and weighty short story collection called The Refugees, and aptly dedicated to ‘all refugees, everywhere.’ In the story "War Years" Nguyen conveys the fictional account of a Vietnamese family who fled to the US because of the war in their home; yet when they are confronted with a fellow immigrant - a zealous anti-communist woman trying to raise money for an uprising back in Vietnam - they find that they cannot leave the past behind them. The story explores how these different characters have been afflicted by the horrifying impacts of war: both directly and indirectly. Thus conflict is central to this story, and serves as a helpful lens for analyzing the narrative’s deeper themes of loss, grief, and the lasting impact of war. “A Ride Out of Pharo” by Dina Nayeri [read it here: LitHub] Nayeri, an author of Iranian descent, won the prestigious O. Henry prize for this captivating short story. In it, Shirin, a once-prominent doctor in Iran, moves her life to Thailand to work as an English teacher, having already spent many years as in the US. While the story clearly explores cultural identities across continents, it also deals with more personal, universal issues of motherly love, aging, the complexities of building relationships, and one’s sense of purpose. In this way, it can be an absorbing story for teaching theme. As the protagonist battles with her own adult-daughter - who was brought up in America - the author presents the differences in culture and the impact of society on one's preferences; it is thus an interesting story for exploring unspoken cultural practices, and the influence of place on one’s identity. *Please note that there are a few profanities in this story. “Ishwari’s Children” by Shabnam Nadiya [read it here] Nadiya is a writer and translator from Bangladesh, whose story, "Ishwari's Children" explores the culture and social practices of a rural Bangladeshi village. The protagonist is a 6 year-old boy who journeys with his grandfather to visit of group of isolated, vulnerable people. The complexities of power, privilege and societal status are explored in this story, and done so with vivid imagery and delicious descriptions. Interestingly, the author has written about her underlying motivations here, which makes for a great class conversation: so often we discuss the author’s underlying message, yet rarely do we actually get hear their thoughts about their craft directly. Looking for a complete 5 week short story unit for grades 8-10? CLICK HERE While I believe that all these authors’ works would be valuable additions to any classroom library, if you are looking to buy just one book, I would highly recommend One World: A Global Anthology of Short Stories. Plus, all the authors’ royalties for the book are donated to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctor’s Without Borders). If you are looking to read more about diverse literature, please check out this great post from Danielle about YA novel suggestions, and this helpful post about building a diverse classroom library from Brittany, The SuperHERO Teacher.

After finishing the “What I’m Teaching This Week” series for last year’s freshman English classes, several folks asked if I’d also share my agenda for my junior-level American Literature course. It’s

Check out these exciting TED Talks about poetry and choose your favorites to share with your high school students.

Are your students stuck in an individualistic mindset? Integrate collaborative posters into your classroom to help students learn a valuabl life skill.

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, […]

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.

Are you looking for a stress-free first week of ELA activities for high school classroom? Look no further! Keep reading for ideas, tips, and lesson plans for the first week (and beyond)! #backtoschoolactivities #elateacher #highschoolela

If there are two things my students know, it is that I assign paragraphs often and that I grade them rather harshly -especially in the second semester. It’s

Dystopian short stories for middle school and high school - list of dystopian short stories to engage young readers.

Help parents and students out this year by giving them all of the information they need in one neat place. This listing is for a syllabus that is 100% customizable once you download it! The syllabus is all set for customization. All you need to do is change the information! Since it is customizable, you can change the fonts, wording, categories, colors, pictures, and sections to suit your needs. It is 100% editable. Since this is a PowerPoint file, you will need the program (or one that can edit a .pptx file) in order to edit it. Once it's downloaded, it's yours to customize and use year after year. Love this? There's more! I have tons of things you can print or edit for your classroom. Check out the links below! Classroom Decor https://etsy.me/2vn804E First Day of School Posters https://etsy.me/2vn804E I can also create a custom syllabus for you! https://www.etsy.com/listing/634895183/custom-class-syllabus-infographic

This week in 5th grade, reading has been all about main idea. So, I tried starting our work on main while reading a text about September 11th…and it was fine. I did learn though that my friends nee…

Today I am excited to welcome Kim from English Oh My as our guest blogger. She has some great ideas for teaching students to comprehend poetry in a manageable way. Enjoy! Happy April, and Happy National Poetry Month! Poetry is a timeless genre, and it is a part of most English Language curriculum. When I tell […]