The Literary Maven

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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hHywrGskia0/XTZg52g92NI/AAAAAAAAO-M/7ZF3LWeMMLQa6MSXjqMvLmWrzFXxjCVHwCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide33.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about nonfiction and real-world connections." border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hHywrGskia0/XTZg52g92NI/AAAAAAAAO-M/7ZF3LWeMMLQa6MSXjqMvLmWrzFXxjCVHwCLcBGAs/s400/Slide33.PNG" title="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about nonfiction and real-world connections." width="400" /></a></div>
Brynn Allison,  <a href="http://theliterarymaven.com/">The Literary Maven</a>, & Lisa Spangler, <a href="https://mrsspanglerinthemiddle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. Spangler in the Middle</a>, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Sunday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Friday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Sunday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last year and we hope that you will join us again.<br />
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We'd also love for you to join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>, even if you aren't on Twitter.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.</div>
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On <b>Sunday, November 17</b>, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about nonfiction and real-world connections.<br />
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<b>The Directions:</b><br />
1. Log into Twitter on Sunday from 8-8:30 PM EST.<br />
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”<br />
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.<br />
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @spanglermiddle) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.<br />
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.<br />
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.<br />
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.<br />
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You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like <a href="https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/">TweetDeck</a> or <a href="http://signup.hootsuite.com/pro-ent-na-english-r7t/?mkwid=sDAsRitua_dc&pcrid=44033846494&pkw=hootsuite&pmt=e&cntry=na-usa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hootsuite_pro_google_search_usa_english_branded_alpha&gclid=CjwKEAjwlPOsBRCWq5_e973PzTgSJACMiEp20deRUBEuNIc3-ysreF3wIpeNKNT2xjnz9NpEMAnVhhoCvPDw_wcB">HootSuite</a> (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged as well as using images is also encouraged when relevant.</div>
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<b>New to chats? Here are the rules:</b><br />
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!<br />
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.<br />
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.<br />
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.<br />
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.<br />
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)<br />
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You can also check out a quick video tutorial in <a href="http://www.2peasandadog.com/2016/01/how-to-use-twitter-chats.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a>.<br />
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Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Sunday evening and in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>!<br />
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<b>Get caught up on past chats here:</b><br />
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More From The Blog

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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jc02DiJSXQ/XVxA9G3BtpI/AAAAAAAAPbc/lUkiP0i7h64KgYCLvcTmeXe7H6vhvaChQCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hosting a "photography contest" is an engaging way to reinforce figurative language and imagery by having students select a photograph connected to a theme and write a description for their image using imagery and figurative language." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jc02DiJSXQ/XVxA9G3BtpI/AAAAAAAAPbc/lUkiP0i7h64KgYCLvcTmeXe7H6vhvaChQCLcBGAs/s400/Slide1.png" title="Hosting a "photography contest" is an engaging way to reinforce figurative language and imagery by having students select a photograph connected to a theme and write a description for their image using imagery and figurative language." width="400" /></a></div>
I have written in the past about the <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/02/teaching-figurative-language.html" target="_blank">activities and texts I use when teaching figurative language</a>, but also wanted to share an activity I used this past year to specifically reinforce imagery and personification.<br />
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I needed a quick activity for practicing these concepts that would keep students engaged before winter break, so I came up with the idea of a winter themed "photography contest."<br />
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Students had to select a picture the captured some element of winter and write a description for their image using imagery and personification.<br />
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I pushed <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_QCEMiKdY9eIbMkw2Wn_LezTLLeUwhmdswyedesKCI4/copy" target="_blank">the assignment</a> out to students on Google Classroom using Google Slides. The first slide had the directions, the second had an example, and the third was a blank template for their photo, description, and title.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67PL4lP9ulc/XVxBEr6LFRI/AAAAAAAAPbg/tQlvW8TpFIEdjka5V3X6nm_pdnXI9lIngCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Hosting a "photography contest" is an engaging way to reinforce figurative language and imagery by having students select a photograph connected to a theme and write a description for their image using imagery and figurative language." border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67PL4lP9ulc/XVxBEr6LFRI/AAAAAAAAPbg/tQlvW8TpFIEdjka5V3X6nm_pdnXI9lIngCLcBGAs/s400/Slide2.png" title="Hosting a "photography contest" is an engaging way to reinforce figurative language and imagery by having students select a photograph connected to a theme and write a description for their image using imagery and figurative language." width="208" /></a></div>
I looked through them as students were working just to make sure there were no repeat images and then printed them out when students were finished. After hanging them, students voted for best photograph, best description, and best overall.<br />
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The activity could easily work for any season (or any theme really) and the use of other types of figurative language could be required. With a little more advance planning, I would also love to have students actually take their own photographs for it.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GU06G3RFVCY/XVxBWnIoBNI/AAAAAAAAPbs/ez-FGUg_o0cB3BLOXSxcGVZp3Mw17boXwCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hosting a "photography contest" is an engaging way to reinforce figurative language and imagery by having students select a photograph connected to a theme and write a description for their image using imagery and figurative language." border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GU06G3RFVCY/XVxBWnIoBNI/AAAAAAAAPbs/ez-FGUg_o0cB3BLOXSxcGVZp3Mw17boXwCLcBGAs/s400/Slide1.png" title="Hosting a "photography contest" is an engaging way to reinforce figurative language and imagery by having students select a photograph connected to a theme and write a description for their image using imagery and figurative language." width="208" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5EBeWQnkxc/XTufNOmultI/AAAAAAAAPAU/_FPPv0Jo6PQvrUAYH6AvRlAr4x4IScupgCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp centers around the guilt Corey feels after her best friend's suicide, explores the stigma around mental health issues, and includes elements of magical realism. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5EBeWQnkxc/XTufNOmultI/AAAAAAAAPAU/_FPPv0Jo6PQvrUAYH6AvRlAr4x4IScupgCLcBGAs/s400/Slide3.png" title="Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp centers around the guilt Corey feels after her best friend's suicide, explores the stigma around mental health issues, and includes elements of magical realism. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Corey moves away, she makes Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return.<br />
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Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated―and confused. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones about the town's lost daughter, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger.<br />
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Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets―chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter...<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2RvLT68" target="_blank">Before I Let Go</a> </i></span>is dark like her first novel, <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/01/review-this-is-where-it-ends-marieke-nijkamp.html" target="_blank">This Is Where It Ends</a></i>, though slightly less unsettling. The novel centers around the guilt Corey feels after her best friend's suicide, explores the stigma around mental health issues, and includes elements of magical realism. It is unclear at times what is real versus imagined by the main character.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FzSRdgMkM8s/XTufXow6aFI/AAAAAAAAPAc/eqJZ64HO2MYMT1XN212ide3WqGHD6QvsACLcBGAs/s1600/Slide10.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp centers around the guilt Corey feels after her best friend's suicide, explores the stigma around mental health issues, and includes elements of magical realism. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FzSRdgMkM8s/XTufXow6aFI/AAAAAAAAPAc/eqJZ64HO2MYMT1XN212ide3WqGHD6QvsACLcBGAs/s400/Slide10.png" title="Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp centers around the guilt Corey feels after her best friend's suicide, explores the stigma around mental health issues, and includes elements of magical realism. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
The main character is exploring a best friend’s suicide after a period of separation similar to <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/07/review-i-was-here-gayle-forman.html" target="_blank">She Was Here</a></i> by Gayle Forman. Corey  suffers from survivor guilt, but also all of the what ifs in their strained friendship.<br />
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Kyra was diagnosed as bipolar, but the medications she was prescribed were not effective and her therapist recommended more serious treatment unavailable in the small town in Alaska where Kyra lived, largely cut off from the rest of the world. Her parents withheld her medication and refused to let Kyra seek additional help because of the amazing art she produced during her manic periods.<br />
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After being pushed away for so long, Kyra was at first happy to feel wanted by the townspeople, but quickly realized it was her art, not her that people were interested in. Her art predict a happier future, so the town, particularly her father would not let her leave. She fell through the ice after a failed attempt at running away. Everyone watched her die and no one interceded because her death had been foretold in one of her own paintings.<br />
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<b>Classroom application: </b>Because of the dark content, I would recommend this one for high school and up. After reading it would be interesting for students to research the connection between witches of the past and the mentally ill.<br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Before I Let Go</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2RvLT68" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note:</i> The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9klR1AX_WQ/XTufGeHiAKI/AAAAAAAAPAQ/PHmYrs06NP0z7q4J8CVnCyiFVfANKHZqwCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp centers around the guilt Corey feels after her best friend's suicide, explores the stigma around mental health issues, and includes elements of magical realism. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9klR1AX_WQ/XTufGeHiAKI/AAAAAAAAPAQ/PHmYrs06NP0z7q4J8CVnCyiFVfANKHZqwCLcBGAs/s320/Slide3.png" title="Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp centers around the guilt Corey feels after her best friend's suicide, explores the stigma around mental health issues, and includes elements of magical realism. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YlQeE3FcA5Q/XTZgHLc6GOI/AAAAAAAAO98/xDpLZG--T0sUw5_weuCkaVEiEOR_HKDFgCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide31.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about movement in the classroom." border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YlQeE3FcA5Q/XTZgHLc6GOI/AAAAAAAAO98/xDpLZG--T0sUw5_weuCkaVEiEOR_HKDFgCLcBGAs/s400/Slide31.PNG" title="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about movement in the classroom." width="400" /></a></div>
Brynn Allison,  <a href="http://theliterarymaven.com/">The Literary Maven</a>, & Lisa Spangler, <a href="https://mrsspanglerinthemiddle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. Spangler in the Middle</a>, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Sunday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Friday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Sunday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last year and we hope that you will join us again.<br />
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We'd also love for you to join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>, even if you aren't on Twitter.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.</div>
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On <b>Sunday, November 10</b>, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about movement in the classroom.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CsWzVAU4X8/XTZgM2n3kCI/AAAAAAAAO-A/542C_IgsqIw8rPnwvGk3clWS-8tAL5AmgCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide32.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about movement in the classroom." border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CsWzVAU4X8/XTZgM2n3kCI/AAAAAAAAO-A/542C_IgsqIw8rPnwvGk3clWS-8tAL5AmgCLcBGAs/s400/Slide32.PNG" title="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about movement in the classroom." width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Directions:</b><br />
1. Log into Twitter on Sunday from 8-8:30 PM EST.<br />
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”<br />
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.<br />
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @spanglermiddle) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.<br />
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.<br />
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.<br />
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.<br />
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You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like <a href="https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/">TweetDeck</a> or <a href="http://signup.hootsuite.com/pro-ent-na-english-r7t/?mkwid=sDAsRitua_dc&pcrid=44033846494&pkw=hootsuite&pmt=e&cntry=na-usa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hootsuite_pro_google_search_usa_english_branded_alpha&gclid=CjwKEAjwlPOsBRCWq5_e973PzTgSJACMiEp20deRUBEuNIc3-ysreF3wIpeNKNT2xjnz9NpEMAnVhhoCvPDw_wcB">HootSuite</a> (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged as well as using images is also encouraged when relevant.</div>
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<b>New to chats? Here are the rules:</b><br />
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!<br />
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.<br />
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.<br />
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.<br />
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.<br />
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)<br />
<br />
You can also check out a quick video tutorial in <a href="http://www.2peasandadog.com/2016/01/how-to-use-twitter-chats.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a>.<br />
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Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Sunday evening and in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>!<br />
<br />
<b>Get caught up on past chats here:</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fFQXgDJXqQ/XTudx7iHwPI/AAAAAAAAO_0/NKS7nJXSoLEZ5bVPLNdfTyJVtV2UFzmkgCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide23.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is just as much about coming of age and figuring out who you are as it is about love. As if it isn’t enough that Jessie is grieving the loss of her mother, her father fairly quickly remarries and moves Jessie across the country from Chicago to California during her junior year of high school. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fFQXgDJXqQ/XTudx7iHwPI/AAAAAAAAO_0/NKS7nJXSoLEZ5bVPLNdfTyJVtV2UFzmkgCLcBGAs/s400/Slide23.png" title="Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is just as much about coming of age and figuring out who you are as it is about love. As if it isn’t enough that Jessie is grieving the loss of her mother, her father fairly quickly remarries and moves Jessie across the country from Chicago to California during her junior year of high school. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son, and to start at a new school where she knows no one.<br />
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Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?<br />
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In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-htnX1a1BX_k/XTud9qx2eyI/AAAAAAAAO_4/Xpcl2eEQ8IsUn1MV6SR0Q_i24Xj1WN19ACLcBGAs/s1600/Slide11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is just as much about coming of age and figuring out who you are as it is about love. As if it isn’t enough that Jessie is grieving the loss of her mother, her father fairly quickly remarries and moves Jessie across the country from Chicago to California during her junior year of high school. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-htnX1a1BX_k/XTud9qx2eyI/AAAAAAAAO_4/Xpcl2eEQ8IsUn1MV6SR0Q_i24Xj1WN19ACLcBGAs/s400/Slide11.png" title="Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is just as much about coming of age and figuring out who you are as it is about love. As if it isn’t enough that Jessie is grieving the loss of her mother, her father fairly quickly remarries and moves Jessie across the country from Chicago to California during her junior year of high school. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b></span>I'm not usually a big fan of young adult romance, but I loved <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2X1nN8Y" target="_blank">Tell Me Three Things</a> , </i>which was just as much about coming of age and figuring out who you are as it was about love. As if it isn’t enough that Jessie is grieving the loss of her mother, her father fairly quickly remarries (a woman he met through a grief group: her husband has also recently passed away) and moves Jessie across the country from Chicago to California during her junior year of high school.<br />
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Jessie at first struggles to fit in with her wealthier peers, some of whom seems like they stepped right off the set of <i>Mean Girls.</i> But when an anonymous classmate calling themselves Somebody/Nobody reaches out to her online and offers to help her navigate her new school, Jessie finds herself making new friends, hoping to meet Somebody/Nobody, and eventually falling for someone.<br />
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While struggling to find herself in a new place, Jessie also struggles to find balance in her relationship with her dad, her new stepmother and stepbrother, and her best friend back in Chicago. I enjoyed these minor characters just as much as I liked the protagonist. Rachel, her new stepmother wasn’t the stereotypical evil, controlling witch, but also didn’t try to force a relationship with Jessie. Theo, her new stepbrother, tries to ignore Jessie, but eventually becomes a fierce ally. Scarlet, Jessie’s best friend back in Chicago, struggled with fitting in after Jessie left because the two had such an exclusive friendship.<br />
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<b>Classroom application: </b>I would recommend this for high school and up, mostly because the book is set in high school. There's some references to sex and drug use, but nothing is actually depicted.<br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Tell Me Three Things</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2X1nN8Y" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note:</i> The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SIY7Dze5cM/XTueH8XXfcI/AAAAAAAAPAA/moub8HlkxO4F0JP6TXBjcjJrLKxUMwymwCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is just as much about coming of age and figuring out who you are as it is about love. As if it isn’t enough that Jessie is grieving the loss of her mother, her father fairly quickly remarries and moves Jessie across the country from Chicago to California during her junior year of high school. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SIY7Dze5cM/XTueH8XXfcI/AAAAAAAAPAA/moub8HlkxO4F0JP6TXBjcjJrLKxUMwymwCLcBGAs/s400/Slide23.png" title="Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is just as much about coming of age and figuring out who you are as it is about love. As if it isn’t enough that Jessie is grieving the loss of her mother, her father fairly quickly remarries and moves Jessie across the country from Chicago to California during her junior year of high school. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vdp-i5uawI/XTZfOzU106I/AAAAAAAAO9o/VAGrc3WoJyEYBWsGY8eUV2NRP7txU-bMQCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide29.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about professional development." border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vdp-i5uawI/XTZfOzU106I/AAAAAAAAO9o/VAGrc3WoJyEYBWsGY8eUV2NRP7txU-bMQCLcBGAs/s400/Slide29.PNG" title="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Sunday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about professional development." width="400" /></a></div>
Brynn Allison,  <a href="http://theliterarymaven.com/">The Literary Maven</a>, & Lisa Spangler, <a href="https://mrsspanglerinthemiddle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. Spangler in the Middle</a>, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Sunday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Friday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Sunday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last year and we hope that you will join us again.<br />
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We'd also love for you to join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>, even if you aren't on Twitter.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.</div>
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On <b>Sunday, November 3</b>, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about professional development.<br />
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<b>The Directions:</b><br />
1. Log into Twitter on Sunday from 8-8:30 PM EST.<br />
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”<br />
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.<br />
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @spanglermiddle) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.<br />
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.<br />
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.<br />
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.<br />
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You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like <a href="https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/">TweetDeck</a> or <a href="http://signup.hootsuite.com/pro-ent-na-english-r7t/?mkwid=sDAsRitua_dc&pcrid=44033846494&pkw=hootsuite&pmt=e&cntry=na-usa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hootsuite_pro_google_search_usa_english_branded_alpha&gclid=CjwKEAjwlPOsBRCWq5_e973PzTgSJACMiEp20deRUBEuNIc3-ysreF3wIpeNKNT2xjnz9NpEMAnVhhoCvPDw_wcB">HootSuite</a> (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged as well as using images is also encouraged when relevant.</div>
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<b>New to chats? Here are the rules:</b><br />
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!<br />
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.<br />
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.<br />
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.<br />
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.<br />
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)<br />
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You can also check out a quick video tutorial in <a href="http://www.2peasandadog.com/2016/01/how-to-use-twitter-chats.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a>.<br />
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Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Sunday evening and in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>!<br />
<br />
<b>Get caught up on past chats here:</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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This year I am pushing my students to write and rewrite, to look at their word choice and choose stronger verbs and more specific nouns, to add sensory details. This Halloween will be no different.<br />
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I like to do a writing activity on Halloween because although I teach sixth grade, I think older kids should get to enjoy some holiday fun just like the little ones. Last year I had my students write two sentence horror stories and I'll be doing it again this year. To set the mood, I picked out some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=spooky+music" target="_blank">spooky music from YouTube</a>. There's a ton of choices out there, but this year I have a bunch of Harry Potter fans so I may use <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7z8HGXVR80&list=PL-dbzvjFWGJrNT3vsjF3gNDQgd0auIFAn" target="_blank">this playlist from the films</a>.<br />
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I start out introducing two sentence scary stories by showing students just a few examples. I show them one that uses dialogue, one that is fairly short, and one that has more description. I don't like to show them too many because then they'll struggle to come up with their own ideas. For that same reason, the examples I show are not the the spookiest either. If you are looking for more examples, there's some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=spooky+music" target="_blank">spine tingling ones here</a>.<br />
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After looking at examples, students brainstorm a plot for their two sentence story, responding to a series of questions covering the who, what, when, where, and why? Then students write a first draft.<br />
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Next up is peer revisions. Students swap papers with a peer who identifies places to add sensory details, possibilities for stronger verbs, and nouns that could be more specific. After getting a peer's feedback, students write a second draft which must be approved by me before they can write out and decorate a final copy. I put in this approval step mostly to just make sure nothing inappropriate is written, but mostly last year I had to keep telling students their story wasn't actually spooky.<br />
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If you'd like to use this lesson, you can find the instructions <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ep2No0aDN52NqxJLNZ5zZ_hIU7H9inVGDKdINwcAY8U/copy" target="_blank">here</a> and the handout <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n_RdX4EGCqvzhqkhVod1xNfwBtcVAYk6kkUPmtAyaD8/copy" target="_blank">here</a>. Happy writing!<br />
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#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Sunday 11/17: Nonfiction & Real-World Connections

Host a Photography Contest to Reinforce Figurative Language & Imagery

On My Bookshelf: Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Sunday 11/10: Movement in the Classroom

On My Bookshelf: Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Sunday 11/3: Professional Development

Two Sentence Horror Stories: Build Students' Writing Skills Even on Halloween

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