Literature Study Resources
I am always looking for ways to engage my high school students when studying literature. Not unlike many, I find that often times the curriculum materials provided to teach short stories and novels are limited to worksheets and comprehension questions. I prefer to use a spiral approach when teaching that requires students to engage all aspects of a text. When ever have you read something that only required you to process one thing?
According to Kelly Gallagher, author of “Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It” ( a suggested read if you haven’t had the opportunity yet) , “Authentic interest is generated when students are given the opportunity to delve deeply into an interesting idea.” In my effort to do just that for my students, I created the novel study and escape room resources below that not only captured the interest of my students but also allowed them to think more critically and nurture their innate curiosity about the text. Check them out.
Informational & Argument Writing Resources
I simply love using rubrics; getting students to use them effectively, however, is always a challenge. Using the writing rubric for the state of Florida, I created a more ‘teen-friendly’ rubric that includes a few pictures to help students remember components needed in their formal writing. My students find it so user friendly and a bit ore interesting than the standard rubric usually given.
Click here to access the PDF version of both rubrics for free.
Blog Writing Resources
Wrapping up the school year is always a challenge, let alone trying to find ways to keep fostering their love for writing. Looking for a way to prevent that summer slide without them even realizing their reading and writing for fun? I am currently using this blog project with my Sophomores and boy what a ride it has been so far. Although I built this as a group project (really more so to aid in the grading process), it can certainly be tweaked and adjusted for individual blogs. I have been tweaking the facilitation of the lessons slightly but am finding that they are really excited about their blogs so far.
My intention was this… students select a topic of interest to build a blog on. They are then given a series of posts to complete ranging from opinion posts, lists, instructions and how to posts while also embedding videos and links that are related to their topic. Using a super easy blog-creator platform like WordPress or Blogger, kids become excited about writing on music, college life, entertainment, gaming, gun control and the psychology of the mind… at least that’s what my kiddos tend to write about.
My recommendations for launching the lesson:
- Use the guided power point for step by step instructions that include a daily bell ringer to elicit ideas for the day’s blogging task.
- Use these helpful and FREE resources from The EduBlogger to introduce yourself and your students to the process
The EduBlogger provides 10 ways to introduce students to blogging including the terminology of blogging, explaining how blogs are used, paper blogging, blog explorations, blogging kahoots, and even provide follow-up activities like this blogging vocabulary crossword.
Next:
- Provide students with the daily mini lessons using the embedded exemplar blogs for reference, discussion and to clarify their understanding of the day’s task.
- Provide students with the time and technology to collaborate and be creative.
- Allow students to peer edit and direct one another but be available to assist students with design and layout help.
- Sit back and watch them shine!