Sep 26
This year my students are coming up with their most complex characters yet, and I know it’s because of the creative prewriting activities we did. Bonus – my students really enjoyed the activities! What Inspires Authors? I start my unit by looking at what has inspired some prominent YA authors. We look at Laurie Halse …
Jun 05
1. Students have something to do in case they finish their work early. Students work at different paces. Often I have a few who finish with five, even ten minutes to spare. With the writing contest bulletin board you always have something extra and meaningful for them to work on. Teachers can post flyers for …
Jun 04
Reading “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl always leads to lively discussions in the classroom about the culpability of Mary Maloney. So of course I’m compelled to create a lesson where students battle out her guilt or innocence “Law and Order” style. The Perfect Episode You can’t just ask students to imitate “Law and …
Apr 28
“Night” is a staple in most high school English classes because of Mr. Wiesel’s amazing ability to so eloquently describe the horrific circumstances he endured and witnessed as a Holocaust survivor. The content itself is critical, but his writing is what sets it apart from other historical accounts. This is why I always include a …
