by Melissa Smith To make Frankenstein relatable to our world today, I have students read and discuss various science articles. I do this lesson within the first couple of weeks of reading as an introduction to some of the overarching messages of the novel. For this activity, you will need large pieces of butcher paper (one for each group), markers, and links to the articles accessible for students. I have articles linked here to use, but it’d also be neat to find some additional articles that are locally interesting to your school or region. Designer babies Frankenfood Head transplant – always a favorite! Cloning Stem cells In groups of four or five, students will sit around a large piece of butcher paper with a circle drawn in the middle. Each person selects one of the articles (with each student reading a different article) to read quietly to themselves. As they read their individual article, they should ... KEEP READING

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Are you getting bored teaching the same works but don’t have the resources to trade out novels? Or perhaps you are just looking to create a different unit from scratch? Look no further. The following list is compiled from a Twitter chat hosted by Talks with Teachers to brainstorm resources for teaching texts dealing with the theme of escape – perfect for a Halloween twist. These resources include major works, short stories, poems, songs, Ted Talks, films, documentaries, writing ideas, question ideas, and more. Pick and choose what you need to create your own unit. Q1. What major works — novels and plays — feature the desire to escape? 11/22/63 1984 The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian The Alchemist All My Sons The Awakening The Bell Jar Beloved Brave New World Breath Eyes Memory Catch 22 Catcher in the Rye Crime and Punishment The Crucible The Dew Breaker A Doll’s House East of Eden ... KEEP READING

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My classes have started blogging this year, and we are loving it. We participate in a blog exchange of AP Lit classes nationwide and read other student blogs monthly and comment on them. This has been such a great experience for us because my students’ writing is being read by someone other than me, they are considering thoughts of other students who live in different parts of the nation and have different perspectives, and students are learning how to navigate the blogosphere. Students choose a different poem each month based on what we’re studying. In September students wrote on a Clint Smith poem, last month they chose a Romantic poem, and next week they will write about a poem that relates to a theme they are tracing in Frankenstein. I typically teach a mini-lesson or series of mini-lessons on poetry format, poetic devices, or time periods depending on what our focus is for the month ... KEEP READING

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Writing an introduction can be hard; writing a conclusion is even harder. How does a student close a paper without summarizing what has already been said or introducing new material without time to fully unpack it? Below are two methods for writing effective conclusions: The Circle Back / Echo (by Melissa Smith) Ask students if they can identify an interesting word or phrase from the introduction or early in their first body paragraph that they can link back to in their conclusion. We certainly want to avoid regurgitating thesis statements and summarizing what’s already been stated; that’s not the goal of this strategy. The circle back method requires some finesse and stylistic nuance—because in order for it to be effective, it should only be a whisper or an echo from the opening. But when executed skillfully, the echo can give the paper a cyclical completeness, and possibly even serve as a wow-moment. Here’s an example from ... KEEP READING

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One week ago yesterday, I was on my way home from NCTE 2017 which gave me several strategies to take back to my classroom but also the inspiration to do the work of teaching. There’s no way I can put into words all I learned, but here are some thoughts that continue to linger in my mind: Choice in Reading – Student choice is so important in education and specifically in reading. I loved hearing several people including some prominent authors and teachers talk about how they hated school. HATED. But then they found that book – the one where a character was like them and suddenly they were no longer alone but rather swept into a world of fiction and understanding. We MUST be committed to getting the right books into the hands of students. In addition, whole class novels cannot be taught to death but rather presented in a way for students to ... KEEP READING

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It’s no secret: I am a fan of The New Yorker. I began my subscription to The New Yorker a couple of years ago when I decided to be intentional about learning how to write. If one wants to write well, she should read good writers, and everyone knows that some of the best current writing is in The New Yorker. Last week on my way out of the school library, I glanced over at the holiday display when what to my wondering eyes did appear but Christmas at the New Yorker so I halted my rear. The forecast of snow brought early dismissal and dread but visions of new mentor texts and lesson plans danced in my head. Okay – you get the idea. I immediately scooped up this book knowing that I had found a stocking full of ideas to keep us moving forward until break while giving us a break from the ordinary. Here are five lessons ... KEEP READING

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2017 has been a great year for APLitHelp and its community. We have posted 45 blogs by 11 different contributing authors offering teachers ideas and inspiration for instruction. The number of hits on the site increased from 73,388 in 2016 to 133,679 in 2017. The best part of the year by far for me as editor is the chance to meet, collaborate with, and serve other teachers. Thanks to everyone for making this site a strong and positive learning community; thanks to each of you for making me a better teacher and person. The top posts of the year (which were interestingly not all written this year) were: 1 – The Myth of the Poetry Prompt by Jill Massey and Adrian Nester (June 24, 2017) 2 – Thoughts from an AP Reader, “Juggler”  by Susan Barber (June 26, 2016) 3 – Annotations for Smarties by Jori Krulder (March 29, 2015) 4 – Shakespearean Musical Chairs by ... KEEP READING

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Each Wednesday, I will be posting five articles related to ELA instruction. Since most of us are easing back into work, still reflecting on 2017, and planning for 2018, the first post is all about books. I hope these links help you stay current with the myriad of new books on the market.  2017 Nerdies: Young Adult Fiction (Donalyn Miller) The 10 Best Books of 2017 (The New York Times) The Poetry I Was Grateful for in 2017 (Dian Chiasson, The New Yorker) 30 Best Young Adult Books in 2017 (Paste Magazine) NPR’s Book Concierge – I like this site because it categorizes books. Just for fun – 10 New Year’s Resolutions You Should Make Based on Literary Characters Poem (actually several) of the Week – New Year’s Poems from The Poetry Foundation (My students are choosing one of these poems to blog on as a first-day activity tomorrow).  And one more poem for good measure – Rain, New Year’s Eve Finally, here’s my personal ... KEEP READING

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One of my goals for the year was to make this site better by posting five articles to the site every Wednesday related to ELA instruction. Imagine my dismay last Friday when I realized I had failed to post on just the second Wednesday of the month; needless to say, I am still trying to settle into the rhythm of the new year. What’s Going on in This Graph? from The Learning Network at the New York Times is a new monthly feature to help students read graphs and info pictures. I see this as having potential to pair with both fiction and nonfiction pieces. Why Giving Feedback is Trickier than It Seems from MindShift has lots of food for thought for teachers and lots of classroom application. I like this article because it doesn’t say “this is the way to give feedback” but instead gives considerations. 9 Misconceptions about Student-Centered Writing Instruction (Heinemann) explains the myths associated with giving students choice in their writing. Aiding Reading Comprehension with Post-its from Edutopia ... KEEP READING

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I don’t know about you, but I usually end the first semester somewhat in a frenzy, jump into the holidays without (rightly) thinking about work, and begin the second semester with thoughts of regrouping and refocusing. Enter the #aplitchat two weeks ago which focused on basic essay components; this proved to be just what I needed to help me refocus and think about what it truly important in terms of writing the AP essay. The responses have been summarized by questions (here’s a list of all of the answers) and some application activities follow. As an added bonus, a list of favorite winter poems from our community is at the bottom of the post; I definitely see this list being a great resource for a class activity on a cold day.  Now to essay writing –  What is the purpose of an introduction in an AP Lit. poetry or prose essay? What should be accomplished ... KEEP READING

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Happy Wednesday! Here’s to a great week of instruction in the classroom. Citations and Citing Your Work (Common Craft Video) from Richard Byrne is a good resource for students to understand what needs to be cited and what’s common knowledge. (The video is approximately 4 minutes). Literature Circle 2.0: Technology Infused Book Clubs in the Digital Age offers specific strategies for using technology to encourage collaboration in literature circles as opposed to having students working alone on a device. Moving from Feedback to Feedforward posted on Cult of Pedagogy keeps teachers asking the right questions: what is the most effective type of feedback for my students? how can feedback move students to growth? what type of feedback is most effective? when do I offer feedback? Lots of good food for thought here. Paragraphs Give Us a Break from Teach Write provides strategies for helping students know when to begin new paragraphs. Encouraging a Love of Reading in a Culture of Assessment – I guess this falls ... KEEP READING

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The mid-year slump. That summarizes how teachers of year-long classes feel in the late January to early February time period. We’re settled back into a routine from our holiday break (even though my fellow southerners had a few extra snow days last week), the weather is bleak, and energy is lacking. The year is no longer new yet we’re not close enough to feel the excitement of graduation. We are in the mid-life crisis of AP Lit (there is no personal parallel here). Here are a few ideas to bring some energy to your classes until spring kicks in and the adrenaline for the finishing kick to the exam takes over. Get kids out of their desk and moving. I plan on introducing Hamlet with Shakespearean Musical Chairs by Brian Sztabnik this week in hopes that it will combat some of the lethargy felt during the last couple of weeks; Brian also gets his students ... KEEP READING

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Do you use Writing Checklists? My freshmen are starting a writing checklist today and will be adding to it the rest of the semester. This article provides practical ideas for creating and using them. Teaching Literary Approaches in the Classroom lists specific stories to go with critical lens. The more our students recognize patterns, the easier for them to make meaning of texts. Breaking Through the Midyear Slump provides several ideas to mix things up in the classroom during these long winter weeks. Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing links to several posts centered on NCTE’s beliefs on the teaching of writing. There’s tons of great info and ideas here. I am not familiar with EdPuzzle but looks like a good option if you’re wanting to do a flipped lesson. I’d love to hear from anyone who has used this about its functionality. Poem of the Week: White Eyes by Mary Oliver

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Multiple Types of Assessments with Whole Class Texts by Julie Swinehart has some great ideas if you’re stuck in an assessment rut. I especially loved the graded video discussion and will be trying this soon. How Do We Give Meaningful Feedback to Student Writers – the trend in assessing writing continues to move from teachers editing writing to coaching students to better writing. I especially like the Praise, Question, Wish strategy (similar to Glow and Grow). Promoting Community in the Workshop Classroom from Three Teachers Talk offers some great ideas for celebrating the reading lives of students. Janet Nayer has pulled together a list of  Podcasts, so if you’re needing a break from grading or a fresh voice in education to listen to, try one of these. Humble – Boldness – it’s no secret I’m a Dave Stuart, Jr., and this article by him, though non-ELA, is such a good reminder of why we do what we do and how we should approach it. Poem of the ... KEEP READING

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I remember when Mrs. Roby, my high school English teacher, told our class on the first day of junior English that we would never understand literature until we had a firm grasp of allusions and proceeded to assign of the New Testament and Proverbs for reading; it was due the next Monday. How could she possibly expect us to read the New Testament in a week? But the following Monday we were testing on our reading – the entire New Testament and Proverbs. The next week we proceeded to read Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, in a week, and were tested on that as well. And now, Mrs. Roby claimed, we were ready to read and understand literature. There’s a lot of value in what my high school English teacher was teaching us: in order to understand allusions, one must know the context of the allusion to understand how it relates and gives meaning to a text. ... KEEP READING

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Faster Feedback: Creating Shortcuts in Google Docs has a GREAT tip allowing for more efficient feedback! Thanks, Catlin Tucker! 3 Teacher Stances for Writing Conferences by Rebekah O’Dell breaks down three different approaches to writing conferences with suggestions for starting conversations. I have had 9 writing conferences this week and cannot stress how much more effective these are as opposed to simply giving comments on essays. I am always looking for different ways and different words to explain and 3 Ways to Help Students Write a Better Thesis Statement from the Daring English Teacher provides just that. I am using this in class today with my 9th graders to help them with their thesis statements without giving them a formula to follow. Independent Writing Time: Beyond the Fundamentals of Writing Workshop from Melanie Meehan at the Two Writing Teachers blog offers some great reminders and things to consider for writing workshop – especially this time of year when I am just trying to survive. These help anchor me. ... KEEP READING

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The Rhyme Equation: 1+1=3 by Melissa Smith shows how rhyme scheme in poetry can reinforce the overall meaning of a poem. This helps from sending students on a scavenger hunt in poetry but rather understand how devices add to meaning. Four Tips for an Active Minilesson by Lanny Ball (Two Writing Teachers) is a good template for making sure mini-lessons offer students a chance to be active participants. Rhetorical Analysis with a PAPA Square from The Daring English Teacher is a creative and hands-on way to get students thinking about rhetorical analysis. She provides a free download with instructions and a rubric in this post. Five Ways to Publicly Celebrate Student Reading from Three Teachers Talk gives some quick ways to keep class reading on display in the classroom. I am going to do one of these this week – I have definitely fallen behind here. The Question Game: A Playful Way to Teach Critical Thinking from Teach Thought details an idea to move students to deeper thinking. I envision ... KEEP READING

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March 4th is National Grammar Day – the day to march into good usage, command of writing, and strengthen stylistic choices. The teaching of grammar has brought about much research and debate in the past few decades, and respected educators have varying approaches of how it should be taught. My research both at the masters and specialist level is centered on holistic grammar instruction (no surprise now where I stand), and I continue to be fascinated with the approaches to grammar instruction. I wish I had a methods book or grammar curriculum to give you and say, “this is the best and what to use; the end of your grammar instruction woes are over.” But it’s not that easy. Here – in no particular order – are some things to consider when teaching grammar. Rules are made to be followed – unless they are intentionally broken Most English teachers know the rules, follow the rules, ... KEEP READING

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Students Learn More When They Do The Work by Catlin Tucker details how teachers can shift the workload from themselves to students. I use this approach from my lowest to highest levels; we should not be working harder than our students on their work. 50 Alternatives to the Book Report from NCTE – fantastic ideas for summative projects when students finish reading a book. Writing is Innovation by Matt Renwick – I love the picture in this article that shows the linear vs. the nonlinear model of the writing process; rethinking process definitely deserves some thought as most writers draft and edit at the same time now. The Quote Sandwich from Free Technology 4 Teachers is a short video that explains how to integrate quotes into an essay and can be shown in class as a quick reinforcement. 10 Things I Believe about Writing from Teach Write is a few months old but really sums up my feelings about writing instruction. Take a few moments this week to ... KEEP READING

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This post by Kelly Herrera is the first in a four-part series on poetry to align with NCTE’s emphasis on poetry in preparation for National Poetry Month in April.  Join the NCTE Twitter chat tonight at 8 then stay around for #THEBOOKCHAT at 9.     When I start poetry in my AP Lit class, I always begin with sonnets. At this point in the year, we’ve done some poetry multiple choice questions, but the focus of our work has been novel study and question three. Every summer I think about revamping my calendar, but it usually ends up the same. I use this lesson to bring a little fun into class and we start with white paper, colored index cards or 3×5 pieces of paper (five colors), and glue sticks. My students don’t get as many opportunities for arts and crafts in their AP classes, so this is a welcome change. The gluing of colored ... KEEP READING

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