What is the purpose of literature circles? How do you structure a literature circle? How long should Literature Circles last? What is the teacher's role in

Teaching Shakespeare can be a rewarding experience, and incorporating creativity into your approach can make the material more engaging for students. Here are seven creative ways to begin a unit on William Shakespeare or a unit that studies his literature... 1. Create a scavenger hunt with facts related to Shakespeare's life, works, and the Elizabethan era. Hide or hang the facts around the classroom or school. Then, have students hunt for the facts. As they find each fact, have them add the information to their notes as they build background on Shakespeare. This activity gets students up and moving while providing them a historical base for their Shakespeare studies. Need ready-made facts? Find them here! 2. Have students choose a character from one of Shakespeare's plays and write a modern-day monologue for that character. This activity allows students to connect with the characters on a personal level and showcase their understanding of the language and themes. 3. Make learning about Shakespeare especially engaging with a doodle poster. Have students fill the poster with facts about William Shakespeare. Then, have students glue the pages together to make an extra-long infographic. As students color in their doodle poster, they'll be exposed to facts one more time. This activity makes building background creative and fun. Grab a ready-made doodle poster HERE. 4. Ask students to imagine that Shakespeare and his characters had social media profiles. They can create Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, or Twitter feeds for characters like Romeo, Juliet, or Hamlet. This activity encourages creativity and helps students relate Shakespearean themes to contemporary communication. 5. Give students a chance to investigate one of Shakespeare's sonnet. You can assign a sonnet or have students choose one of their own. Then, guide them through analyzing the poem with a Doodle Poem Analysis one-pager. This guide makes analyzing the poem approachable and creative. It's also a great way to get students to share their poem analysis with others. You can download the FREE Doodle Poetry Analysis HERE. 6. Use a simple craft like this "Will's Quill" activity to get students learning about Shakespeare. First, have them research facts about Shakespeare. They should also find a quote that they like from Shakespeare. Students will add their work to feather shapes. Then, they'll cut out and glue the feathers together to make a quill just like one William Shakespeare would have used. Find everything you need to do this activity HERE. 7. Devote a day to immerse students in the Elizabethan era. Encourage them to come dressed in costumes from that time, play Renaissance music, and even serve Elizabethan-inspired snacks. This thematic approach can set the stage for a deeper exploration of Shakespeare's works. ----------------------------------------------------------- These ideas are designed to make learning about Shakespeare fun and relatable. Taking the time to make Shakespeare approachable can be a great way to foster a lifelong appreciation for his work. I hope you give some of these ideas a try. (And don't forget get to save a TON of TIME with the William Shakespeare Doodle and Do resource!) Thanks for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. Find more ways to make learning fun here.

Reading can be a hard sell for students. Introducing middle school literature circles can be the game changer your classroom needs to foster reading.

What is blackout poetry? Poetry writing that all students can feel successful with. Here's how to teach it. Freebie included!

Literature class can be difficult but rewarding. What ideas do homeschool moms and co-op teachers have about literature that sabotage all of their good efforts?

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Need Wonder activities for your classroom or home school Wonder teaching resources? We have Wonder lesson plans, Wonder worksheets, and more ideas for book projects, kindness activities for middle school, and diversity lessons to make a great study unit for students using both the novel by RJ Palacio and teaching with movies (including the popular precepts project!).

Are you looking for ELA extension activities? Here are 25 ideas for classroom activities for teaching literature.

POEMS? That 5-letter word will send shivers down the spines of middle school students. Add in the suggestion of "poetry analysis," and the moans and groans can be heard throughout the hallways! If all this sounds familiar, I have a few teacher tips to help you boost engagement with poems that middle schoolers actually enjoy!

So the other day, I was looking at bathing suits for my kids at Target online. I put a few in my virtual cart, but then decided on buying from Lands End instead. Well, since

Teaching middle and high school co-op classes just got easier with this unique post of co-op class ideas for older students.

Ways to teach literary elements - three engaging ways to teach the elements of literature with strategies and teaching tips

Create a classroom of writers with these fun writing activities for middle school students! There's something for everyone!

Teaching the elements of fiction doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. See how I break it down and teach through stations!

Holes Novel Study Activities - resources for teaching a novel study on Holes by Louis Sachar - graphic organizers, questions, and projects!

Are you looking for Holocaust resources for your Anne Frank or WWII unit? Here are great ideas and resources to educate your students.

Dig deep to really get to know the characters.

After part one of guided reading and small groups in middle school ELA, this post outlines what the other students are doing during this time

This blog post shares activities to teach creative writing, along with creative writing prompts and lesson plans your students will love!

Adding a Reading Literature Journal to Your Instruction Sometimes, as English/Literature teachers, we have a hard time making room for short stories in our instruction. There is a focus on novels and longer texts. However, it

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.

Using mentor sentences for grammar instruction is one way to help your middle school learners understand the correct way to speak and write. Mentor sentences or properly written, model sentences are the best tools for teaching parts of speech. Here are some ways to teach parts of speech with mentor sentences. Label the parts of ... Read more

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

See Cindy's thorough description of her 6th grader's middle ages study that was full of lapbooking, literature, and creative hands-on activities.

5 pages of blank notes and 6 pages of keys to use to complete them. Notes include a fun light-hearted take on the characters of Beowulf (perfect for notes or making a class poster), detailed character notes covering the basic characters, notes on the origins of Beowulf and why we still study it tod...

hold students accountable while they independently read with these easy to implement reading tips and tricks and strategies

10 Great Discussion Questions for Homeschool Literature Co-op. Homeschool high school co-op classes are great for discussions!

Teaching Roald Dahl's Short Story The Landlady is my favorite lesson of the year. It’s such a powerful story to read during October or any time of year!

I'm always looking for new vocabulary journal ideas. I like these printable templates because they're simple, and students in both elementary and middle school can use them. #vocabularyactivities #firstgrade #secondgrade #thirdgrade #fourthgrade #fifthgrade

Helping students think about their future is important. If teaching job skills is a goal in your classroom, then check out these activities!

The British playwright W. Somerset Maugham once said “the crown of literature is poetry.” For the English teachers out there who have spent a good part of the year teaching complex novels, grammar rules and how to write a constructed response, this probably rings true! Teaching poetry can be such a treat. It’s fun to have the students interpret ever-deeper meanings from even the shortest of stanzas. And it’s satisfying to find just the right poem to complement the theme or unit you’re focused on right now – be it a rhyming bit about dogs to break up your reading of Where the Red Fern Grows or a more serious poem that pays homage to Memorial Day. The great thing about poetry is that it can be engaging, yet efficient; a couple read-throughs may take only a few minutes and can refresh your students on any number of skills, including close reading, determining central idea, interpreting figurative language, and citing text evidence. Or, it may simply open up a conversation. It’s always great to get the kids talking about literature! So, with all the poems to choose from and all the ways that they can be taught in the classroom where does a teacher start? Well, today, I thought I'd share with you my 5 favorite poems to read, analyze, and teach in the middle school classroom. "In Just" by E. E. Cummings This spring poem is told through the perspective of a child. It's the perfect example of Cummings's poetic innovations. In it, he plays with language, spelling, form, and punctuation. I love teaching and sharing this poem because it's fun and a wonderful way to illustrate how poetry is limitless. Students love discovering that all the typical rules that govern English Language Arts are thrown out the window with poetry. It's mud-luscious! Teach it with this Interactive Flip Book Resource. "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost Looking for a perfect way to combine literature and poetry? Well, look no further than Frost's poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay." You might already recognize it from The Outsiders. In the novel, Johnny Cade tells Ponyboy to "stay gold." This poem perfectly portrays the theme of the novel, but it works great in isolation, too. Its message that all good things must come to an end is relevant to so many experiences that our adolescent students are having. They'll love Frost's words and message. Help students analyze this poem and four others with this Poetry Analysis Unit. Great news! I've put together an exclusive free lesson for analyzing "Nothing Gold Can Stay!" Sign up below to receive the entire lesson plan, student resources and answer keys. Then, keep your eyes on your inbox because I'll be sending over 50 pages of more free poetry resources your way! Sign me up! "A light exists in spring" by Emily Dickinson I love a poem that makes students dive deep into its meaning and Dickinson's "A light exists in spring" does just that. This poem is complex enough for students investigate figurative language and tone before analyzing its meaning. I've also found that students love learning about Emily Dickinson. They're fascinated by the way she lived much of her life in seclusion. Pairing this poem with a study on Dickinson has always been a hit in my classroom. Celebrate this poem and Emily Dickinson with this reading comprehension learning centers and poem analysis resource. "Journey to Be" by Mark R. Slaughter Here's a contemporary poem that middle schoolers really relate to. It's "Journey to Be" by Mark R. Slaughter. His poem perfectly illustrates that life is about the journey and not the destination. I love sharing and teaching this poem with students at the end of the school year. It's a great read aloud. I've also used it as part of a journey-themed unit. Students love it! Teach "Journey to Be" with this collection of Journey Poems Analysis and Writing. You could even combine it with this FREE end of the year reflection book. "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes What's not to love about the message in Hughes's poem "Mother to Son?" I've taught this poem with students of all grade levels and they all love it. It's message of perseverance is not only important, but it's also so inspirational. This is a great one to share with students before standardized assessments or any time kids could use a little motivation. Help students interpret and analyze "Mother to Son" with this poetry analysis unit. Reading, sharing, and analyzing poetry with middle school students can be so rewarding. There's nothing like watching a class full of students discover a poem's deeper meaning and realize that poetry doesn't have to be intimidating. On the contrary, poetry can be super accessible and even fun! Don't forget... Sign up here: Sign me up! Thanks for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. Download this FREE Poetry Catalog filled with resources to make teaching poetry fun and engaging. There's even an exclusive poetry writing lesson included. Yahoo!

Learn how to put together a fantastic high school literature and composition course using just a few library books! This plan is completely customizable.

Middle school novel study favorites - top novel study picks for grade 5-9 to engage and encourage young readers.

Public speaking activities: 5 fun speech exercises, with instructions and extension activities, to build skills and confidence. For middle school upwards.

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These picture books that demonstrate narrative writing can be used to help older students learn to write narratives.

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Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.

Teaching note taking to your students? Read for 6 easy tips for teaching note taking - more than a Cornell method note taking template

Find all the best writing games and activities here! Plus get a free printable creative writing game. You'll find card games, board games, and online games.

Welcome! The following is the 15th in a series of 24 lesson plans, Learning the ABC’s through Literature, the 1st year. It was written especially for classroom use within a homeschool co-op, and was designed to teach the alphabet, over the course of a school year, using classic …

Ready for one of my favorite ways to teach students about writing, reading, creativity, and even kindness? It’s something that elementary teachers have known all along…it’s the picture book! The picture book is a powerful instructional tool that can work in any classroom…and I thought I’d share some examples of my favorites with you today. I’ve put the collection of books in a simple (and free) PDF with links that you can download by clicking this LINK. I’ve also paired each book with a ready-made unit that you can easily teach in your classroom too. Feel free to download the PDF at any time. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of my favorite picture books for any classroom. First, I’m sharing a book that is great for the beginning of the year as you’re building a positive classroom community. Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts taps into a child’s innate need to have what everyone else has. In this case, the main character longs for the “cool” shoes even though they are too expensive for his grandmother to purchase. After finding a pair that is much too small, the main character makes the ultimate sacrifice for a classmate. It’s a touching story that celebrates kindness and classmates…perfect for any time of year. (Click HERE to check out the book.) Picture books are also wonderful examples of creativity. Since learning to be creative has shown to be one of the most powerful skills for helping students thrive in life, it’s important to celebrate creativity in the classroom. These two books do just that… Not a Box by Antoinette Portis is fairly simple at first glance. A box shape is turned into everything expect a box – a robot, a hot air balloon, even a rocket ship. It’s a fun example of “thinking outside of the box,” just imagine all the creative lessons you could do as an extension to this story. (Click HERE to check out the book.) The Three Pigs by David Wiesner is another example of creativity. This time students see how a traditional story can be flipped on its head and come to life with a little imagination. This book is the perfect springboard for lessons about thinking in new and creative ways. (Click HERE to check out the book.) Picture books are wonderful for adding a little humor and whimsy into the classroom. You can keep these two books on your shelf for a rainy day and pull them out when students can use a laugh. And…as a major bonus, humor produces psychological and physiological benefits that help students learn. One of my favorite funny books is The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak. While there are no pictures in the book, there are plenty of silly words and crazy sentences that you, the reader, must read out loud. Students love how “powerless” you become against the words Novak makes you say. You’ll all be laughing together with this book! (Click HERE to check out the book.) Another funny book filled with voice (and a sweet message) is Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea. Not only is the book funny as the goat laments about the new Unicorn in town, it’s also cleverly written. There’s a lesson in this book along with a few laughs. (Click HERE to check out the book.) What about using picture books to teach critical ELA skills? That’s a genius idea. For instance, if you’d like to teach theme, try The EmptyPot by Demi. It’s one of my favorite stories because the reader learns its themes of honesty and integrity along with the main character that shows up to a gardening challenge with an empty pot. Not only is it a great way to teach theme, it’s a lovely way to showcase important character traits too. (Click HERE to check out the book.) The next time you’re putting together a writing unit, have students begin by reading mentor texts in the form of pictures books. It’s a super engaging and quick way for students to learn about the critical elements of the genre. I always started my memoir writing unit with a review of several picture books like The Baby Sister by Tomie dePaola. (Click HERE to check out the book.) Want to each about figurative language? It’s easy with picture books. Send students on a figurative language hunt in a book like WhiteSnow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt. The story has a poetic quality as it tells about the first snowfall of the year. (Click HERE to check out the book.) Alright, I could go on for days…but I better stop right here. I just love how picture books are a powerful way to help students learn about critical ELA topics and build character. Remember, you can check out a list of all my favorites in this FREE download. Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope some picture books make an appearance in your classroom! See you soon! Mary Beth *This post contains affiliate links.