Book Talk For English Teachers and Other Lovers of Reading
We are starting our unit on Bears! Last week we read many versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Part of our work on the story i...
With these Transcendentalism projects, you'll be able to bring texts like Emerson's Self-reliance and Thoreau's Walden to life!
This week the movie Wonder released on DVD + Bluray. To celebrate I'm giving away two copies to two lucky readers. Plus, download these free printable Wonder activity sheets. Based on the New York Times
Teaching American literature: An outline of units of study and engaging activities for a high school American literature course
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, however, they have to understand it. I've always had a difficult time getting students to think deeply when it comes to poetry analysis, so I decided to develop a new process this year to help them practice. I ended up with a seven step process. To practice, I put together a packet of six of my personal favorite poems. We went through the packet together, in groups, individually, etc. until I felt confident that my students were getting it. Then, I gave them a pop quiz using the same process! I have put this packet on my Teachers Pay Teachers account for free, so go download it and use it! One thing that isn't on TPT, though, is the Google Presentation I used with the packet. You can check that out here! Here are the seven steps: Number the lines in each poem, and label the rhyme scheme if there is one. Read the poem several times. Circle any unknown words. Summarize each stanza. Annotate the poem by noticing and labeling any literary devices, figurative language, symbolism, imagery, etc. Identify the major theme of the poem, and provide evidence to support your choice. Identify your favorite line or phrase from the poem, and explain why you chose it as your favorite. Choose one of the unknown words you circled and develop a definition (in your own words!) based on context clues from the poem. And here are some examples of the poems once they have been analyzed!
Last year I set a goal to have Brooklyn be able to get her Good Canine Citizen award. Well if you spend more than two minutes around my dog you will instantly know we didn't reach our goal. She is a catalyst of bad behavior. So this year my goal has been for her to walk in Nashville's Christmas Parade with other Nashville Pitties. I always do a lesson on goal setting, but what good is a goal if you aren't organized enough to ensure the steps are in place to meet it? My goal for Brooklyn was a lofty one, in fact it was too big. So we are reorganizing to reduce the stress of dog and mother. This reorganization made and the stress I put on myself to accomplish made me think about how I could change my lesson on organization. After a lot of brainstorming and about 5 drafts here is my new lesson for 4th Grade on responsibility and organization: Lesson 1: We started with a scavenger hunt. I gave teams either an organized back pack or a messy back pack and a list of items. I started the timer and they were off. Most of the teams with organized back packs finished the scavenger hunt within 2-3 minutes and the teams with messy backpacks anywhere from 4-8 minutes. They really got into this, especially because I hid stinky socks, cereal, stuffed animals, and toys in the messy backpacks. Next we discussed that if you were organized that would save you about 2 minutes per day, just enough time to recheck your work, 14 mintues in a week, enough time to read a chapter or two in your new favorite book, and about 56 minutes a month, enough time to watch an entire episode of their favorite Disney show. We ended with a pre-test of work habits so they could identify what they specifically need to improve on. Lessons 2/3: We talked about responsibility and what it means. We watched the video "I Can Do It! Taking Responsibility" which shows the students different scenarios and allows us time to stop and discuss each one. Next we charted what kinds of responsibilities they had in 4th grade. We then role played different responsibilities (the examples are from AIM Education) and in teams practiced what we would do. For example: A new movie you and your best friend are dying to see has just opened up, and your friends wants the two of you to see it this Saturday. The trouble is, your science project is due on Monday, and you and your project partner agreed you would spend Saturday gathering plants in the park. What should you do? At the end of each skit we talked about the different feelings that come with responsibility: stress, disappointment, frustration, etc. That lead us to the postcard activity. I laid several postcards around the room each with a different picture on it. I asked the students to (in silence) find a card that represented how they feel about starting fourth grade and the new responsibilities they are taking on. When everyone had a card we broke into small groups and shared the card we choose and why. Next I asked everyone to set 3 goals for themselves: 1) Something they could accomplish this week. 2) Something they could accomplish in the next 2 months. (I like to remind them of their work habits pre test here) 3) Something they wanted to accomplish by the end of this school year. We then shared our goals with our small group and then with the entire class. I collected the cards and will give them to our students in two months with a personal check in note written on each. **In the past I have done this icebreaker with my faculty and with 6th grade. They filled out the card like an actual postcard and I mailed it to their homes half way through the year. Lesson 4: We continue our talk of responsibility and stress. First in groups they draw what it feels like to be stressed. Then each group shares and we look for similarities that we all have. Next we watch the Brain Pop on stress and at the end they go back to their drawings and surround themselves with things they can do to help alleviate their stress. To finish our series we take the same work habits post test and see if we have improved! Since I only see this grade once a month this 4 part series starts in Sept and ends at Christmas break. Before I know it the sleigh bells are ringing!
This study guide and infographic for Bram Stoker's Dracula offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
14 Literary quotes about life 1. “If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” 2. “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” 3. “There is nothing like looking if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
Kids will have fun learning about colors, shapes, and other early skills with these FREE Mouse Paint Worksheets for Kids.
Time for another scene-by-scene retelling of an entire play! This time around it's that classic (i.e. one you probably all had to study in school at sometime in your life) Romeo and Juliet ! Let's start, as always, with a look at the dramatis personae:
Here are 8 videos that focus on teaching students college basics, writing, literature, & multimedia. Multiple free tools are also discussed!
Want a new way to enjoy Fairy Tales with your kids? Read together, then explore math and engineering with this set of Fairy Tale STEM challenges for K-5!
Engage secondary students in meaningful literary analysis by pairing short films with poetry. Visual texts inspire students who are normally reluctant to read poetry to dive in and look for comparisons.
Do you love to read to your students? If your answer is yes, which I am sure it is check out this list of "must read" books. It is recommend for Kindergarten but any age should enjoy them. Reading a book to my students is one of my favorite things to do as a teacher. I love the way kids get so engaged in a story. It makes me feel like I am five years old again. Well here is the list....enjoy! 100 Books
What are the best poems for kids to memorize? Read this to discover the 12 poems every child (and adult) should know by heart!
This week the movie Wonder released on DVD + Bluray. To celebrate I'm giving away two copies to two lucky readers. Plus, download these free printable Wonder activity sheets. Based on the New York Times
Incorporate classic literature into your homeschool lessons with these FREE Unit Studies and Printables for Charlotte's Web.
An English teacher’s life is packed, and for the most part on top of that, we are doing more than just teaching English. For me, I’m the yearbook adviser, the graduation coordinator, senior class sponsor, member of the leadership committee, etc. I’m sure your situation is similar. So, when I can cut down on what […]
Love podcasts? Listen to this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast !
If you have ever taught Shakespeare’s plays or sonnets, then you know students can struggle to unlock the language and meaning of the text. The following two anchor charts have been tremendou…
Are you looking for ELA extension activities? Here are 25 ideas for classroom activities for teaching literature.
FREE Amelia Earhart Printables Pack
Talk about a difficult concept with the help of a book! Plus, check out our tips for reading to your kids to increase comprehension.
Teaching empathy is important. In the simplest of terms, empathy is the ability to notice, understand, and share the emotions of others. It is a critical social skill for all people to have. In many ways, empathy is the social skill that paves the way for all other social skills. It helps us to take
FREE Magic School Bus Unit Study Resources for Homeschoolers
Open When letter ideas perfect for your loved one who lives far away. What to put inside your open when letters. Open now, Open when you need to laugh.
Novel Brochure - Pamphlet for Google Classroom Freebie! This resource allows students to create a pamphlet that can be edited for ANY novel! The file contains a Google Drive link that can be used for Google Classroom. **Be sure to MAKE A COPY of the link and save to your own Google Drive Enjoy! Ratings on freebies are greatly appreciated! :) YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 5th Grade Novel Studies Bundle (5 Novels) Wonder Novel Study Holes Novel Study Number the Stars Novel Study Esperanza Rising Novel Study Bridge to Terabithia Novel Study ______________________________________________________________________ Tips for Savvy TpT Shoppers: How to receive credit on TpT to use for future purchases: • Go to your My Purchases page. Under each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. Be the first to know about my new discounts, FREEBIES, and products: • Look for a green star near the top of any page within my store and click it to become a follower. You will now be able to see FREEBIES and customized emails from my store! ©2017 StudentSavvy All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. (unless you purchase the multiple license)
Check out these 7 activities to use with the novel Charlotte's Web including spider web synonyms, how to draw a pig, spider web art, and more.
