March 30, 2018

Making Vocabulary and Grammar Instruction Meaningful

Having a strong vocabulary and a solid understanding of grammar will make students better readers and writers. This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about vocabulary and grammar instruction. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed how to integrate grammar into the rest of your curriculum and make lessons less boring. Teachers also shared .their approach to teach vocabulary and fun practice activities. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about vocabulary and grammar instruction. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed how to integrate grammar into the rest of your curriculum and make lessons less boring. Teachers also shared .their approach to teach vocabulary and fun practice activities.

Hope you'll join us next week for another chat. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 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, links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

March 26, 2018

On My Bookshelf: A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen is historical fiction set in Berlin, Germany just as the Berlin Wall is built in 1961. Though she is only twelve, Gerta, the main character, and her brother Fritz, not much older, already have government files that will determine their fate in life. Their apartment is bugged and just looking at the wall on her way to school earns Gerta reprimand from the soldiers who guard it. Considering these conditions, it is amazing that Gerta and Fritz would even consider tunneling beneath the wall to be reunited with their father and brother. Gerta isn't fearless, but nothing can stop her from reaching her goal once she starts. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: From NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.

With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.

But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?
A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen is historical fiction set in Berlin, Germany just as the Berlin Wall is built in 1961. Though she is only twelve, Gerta, the main character, and her brother Fritz, not much older, already have government files that will determine their fate in life. Their apartment is bugged and just looking at the wall on her way to school earns Gerta reprimand from the soldiers who guard it. Considering these conditions, it is amazing that Gerta and Fritz would even consider tunneling beneath the wall to be reunited with their father and brother. Gerta isn't fearless, but nothing can stop her from reaching her goal once she starts. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

Why I liked it: A Night Divided is historical fiction set in Berlin, Germany just as the Berlin Wall is built in 1961. As a teenager, I visited the city and saw some of the few remaining pieces of the wall, but I had not remembered that it was built so long after World War Two ended. Seeing that date at the start of the book was startling as well as the reminder that it has been less than 30 years since the wall was torn down. It seems like something out of a dystopian novel that a wall dividing a city could go up almost overnight.

The parallels to dystopian literature don't end there. Though she is only twelve, Gerta, the main character, and her brother Fritz, not much older, already have government files that will determine their fate in life. Their apartment is bugged and just looking at the wall on her way to school earns Gerta reprimand from the soldiers who guard it. Considering these conditions, it is amazing that Gerta and Fritz would even consider tunneling beneath the wall to be reunited with their father and brother. Gerta isn't fearless, but nothing can stop her from reaching her goal once she starts.

Classroom application: The novel is appropriate for students in middle school and up. As a piece of historical fiction, it could be used in literature circle focused on the genre to compare historical events to their treatment in the novel. The novel could be paired with Between Shades of Gray to help students better understand what life was like under communist Russia during and after World War Two. Cross curricular connections could be made be by pairing the novel with a history unit on world governments or the Cold War.  Comparisons to North and South Korea and the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the land strip that runs across the Korean Peninsula and serves as a buffer between North and South Korea.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of A Night Divided for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

March 25, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 3/27 Topic: Vocabulary & Grammar

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about teaching vocabulary and grammar.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, even if you aren't on Twitter. 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.

On Tuesday, March 27, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about teaching vocabulary and grammar.

The Format:
8:00 – What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: Do you teach grammar separately or incorporate it into other aspects of your ELA curriculum? Explain. #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: How do you avoid boring grammar lessons? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: Do you teach vocabulary in isolation or incorporate it into other aspects of your ELA curriculum? Explain. #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: What are your favorite activities for practicing vocabulary? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Share your favorite grammar and vocabulary resources. #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
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.)

You can also check out a quick video tutorial in this blog post.

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 Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

March 23, 2018

15 Poem and Song Pairings to Liven Up Your Poetry Unit

Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. Read on for 15 song and poem pairings that will liven up your poetry unit.
Last year, in honor of National Poetry Month, I shared 32 poetry pairings (that's a total of 64 poems!) so that you could host a poetry tournament in your classroom. If you can't wait until April, there's still time for you to use the same poems to create a March Madness bracket. You can find the paired poems and tournament directions here.

Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. These 15 song and poem pairings will also help you to tackle the analysis of "how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take." If you are in a Common Core state, that's Reading Anchor Standard #9, and if you are not a Common Core state, it is still a worthwhile exercise.

1. "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe and "Annabel Lee" by Tiger Army
This is an easy pairing to start out with as the song is simply a retelling of the poem. I like to show students the lyrics first before playing the song for them as hearing the music that accompanies the lyrics can be quite a surprise. Tiger Army is considered a psychobilly band, part of the rock music fusion genre that mixes elements of rockabilly and punk rock. After listening, discuss with students whether the music changes the meaning and tone of the lyrics. This pairing is also a perfect addition to your unit on Edgar Allan Poe.

2. "The Lighthouse" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and "The Lighthouse's Tale" by Nickel Creek
Students love the lighthouse imagery in each of these texts, and are quick to suss out the symbolism. However, once they push further, they can analyze the different perspectives offered (the song is from the POV of a lighthouse, while the poem's narrator simply admires and assesses the lighthouse from afar) and the impact on the audience. Both texts together work well to show students the effect of mood and tone. The song also works well alone as a first foray into song analysis as it offers a rich melody and emotional lyrics.
*Recommended by Danielle Hall from Nouvelle ELA
Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. Read on for 15 song and poem pairings that will liven up your poetry unit.

3. "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman and "Sake of the Song" by Blackmore’s Night
One of the verses of "Sake of the Song" reads, "Could you ever be just for the sake of being? Could a melody ever be wrong? Could you ever sing just for the sake of singing? Set your spirit free for the sake of the song." Those lines capture much more simply, and succinctly, Whitman's message in "Song of Myself." I don't suggest reading the whole poem with students. I recommend just the first three sections unless you assign each student a different section or two (there are 52 total) to try to translate. Add this pairing to your American Literature unit.

4. "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson and "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles
"All the lonely people, where do they all come from?" Each of these texts creates a rich character sketch of someone who wears a mask for the world, but deals with some tough emotions. These two texts offer easy opportunities for comparison: both have strong settings and character development. I like to have students follow up with writing their own character portrait poetry, zooming in on someone real or made up. Students always surprise me by creating an intense portrait in a very small amount of space.
*Recommended by Danielle Hall from Nouvelle ELA

5. "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson and "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks
With this poem and song, students can consider the poet and artist's feelings about death. Do they fear death or do they welcome it? How do the poet and artist feel about the life they have lived? Both the poem and song have lines that require some thinking. For example, what does Terry Jacks mean when he sings,  "But the stars we could reach were just starfish on the beach"? In Dickinson's poem, students can examine her use of personification. How does death become a character in her poem? Students can also consider her use of capitalization and how it affects (or doesn't affect) meaning in the poem.

6. "Pyramus and Thisbe" by Ovid and "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne
Forbidden love is a theme that always engages my students. When my freshmen read Romeo and Juliet, I begin with a thematic hook. As a class, we listen to songs like Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" and The Shangri-Las "Leader of the Pack." We also read "Pyramus and Thisbe" and discuss popular movies like Shrek, Hitch, Divergent, Lady and the Tramp, and the Titanic. All of these examples help us pose the question: Why are stories of forbidden love so popular? As students make connections, offer opinions, and draw thematic conclusions, we prepare to begin Shakespeare's play. This discussion is the perfect way to make classic poems relevant. Why read Romeo and Juliet? Why read "Pyramus and Thisbe"? The stories reflect modern issues that impact modern teens.
*Recommended by Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven

Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. Read on for 15 song and poem pairings that will liven up your poetry unit.
7. "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar and "Caged Bird" by Alicia Keys
The lyrics of "Caged Bird" are a direct nod to Dunbar's poem. In comparing the poem and song, first have students focus on the birds. What are the conditions of their imprisonment? Then move on to the tone of the poet and artist. Are they similar or different? How does that connect to the experiences of the birds? Finally, have students discuss the use of the different gender pronouns. How does Dunbar's use of he and Keys's use of she potentially transform the meaning in the poem versus the song?

8. "I, Too" by Langston Hughes and "The Times They are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan
Poetry challenges many students, but I’ve found that if you can present songs as poems, you can often get students to have a better understanding of their reading. In fact, when I introduce American Literature at the beginning of my semester, I use poetry, music, and art to get students engaged. One of my favorite pairings is to use “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes with “The Times They Are A-Changin’” from Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan. Both the poem and song share a purpose to improve American society, the song as an anthem for the Civil Rights movement and the poem as an appeal for equal treatment of all Americans. Excellent for analysis of poetic devices, both include examples of rhyme, alliteration, figurative language, symbolism, and allusion. If the poem is too long or complex for your students, Hughes’s “I, Too” also makes a strong connection to the song.
*Recommended by Kim, OCBeachTeacher

9. "The Road Not Taken" Robert Frost and "Any Road" by George Harrison
As their titles suggest, both this poem and song focus on the road, a symbol of our journey in life. Once the symbolism is discussed, you can have students practice identifying rhyme scheme. Do students prefer one pattern over the other? This pairing can also lead to a deep philosophical discussion about choices and fate. Robert Frost maintains that "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference, " while George Harrison claims that, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." Poll your students for their opinions on whether our fate is pre-determined or whether the choices we make determine our fate. Then allow students to debate the question using examples from literature.

10. "Chicago" by Carl Sandburg and "This City" by Patrick Stump
These two voices are so distant in time and genre, but share such a scrappy, unapologetic sense of pride for their cities. Both poets use a counter argument structure: they acknowledge the faults of their cities, then come right down and defend their homes. Stump identifies the “unethical politician” while Sandburg references having “seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again.” The reason I enjoy pairing these two together is because Stump’s version is so simple and approachable. His language is plain and the song is catchy, so it makes for a nice scaffold. Once you layer on “Chicago,” the language gets more difficult, but since you’re approaching it in the same context as “This City,” the students already have a frame for the poem. As you look through these parallels with students (and there are several more!), I would suggest focusing in on four major aspects of the poems: the tone, the message, the speakers, and the figurative language. Depending on your class, you might even narrow that list down to just two things to focus on. I use a structured Venn diagram lesson as well as a deeper analysis writing activity with these two poems that would also work with any other pairing.
*Recommended by Amanda Cardenas, Mud and Ink Teaching
Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. Read on for 15 song and poem pairings that will liven up your poetry unit.

11. "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes and "Dear Mama" by Tupac Shakur
Paired together, this poem and song create a beautiful dialogue of a mother sharing her struggles with her son and a son recognizing the difficulties faced by his mother. After sharing with students that the poem was published in 1922 and the song was released in 1995, discuss what the "tacks" and "splinters" might symbolize in Hughes's poem and if they are the same types of struggles Tupac's mother endured. For a more contemporary song, you could also use "Hey Mama" by Kanye West (just be sure you are comfortable with all of the language before sharing it with your students). As a follow up to reading, students could write their own mother to son, father to daughter, etc. piece and a response, which are wonderful writing pieces for students to give as gifts.

12. "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop and "Hall of Fame" by The Script
My sophomores love our poetry unit because I infuse music throughout it as often as possible. Music is such a powerful way to teach poetic and rhetorical devices, but it can also bring poems to life. When paired well, music can make the thematic relevance of a poem tangible. Our poetry unit explores various poem structures, one of which is narrative. We use "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop because it's so rich in imagery - an important story element. In order to hook students, we surround this poem with multiple examples of songs that have a similar theme of resiliency. As we listen to "Hall of Fame" by The Script, "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten, and "It's Not Over Yet" by King and Country, we analyze the message, the author's purpose, and the social, cultural, and historical significance of the songs. With this prior knowledge in tow, we read "The Fish" and make as many connections as possible between characters and themes in the poem with those in the lyrics. It's fun to use the same analyzing music assignment when reading the poem as when studying the songs to prove to students that music really is poetry. My students always love this study because it makes poetry engaging, they get to listen to music, it scaffolds analysis, and everyone leaves in a good mood. Teenagers themselves have quite a bit to overcome, and our discussions often focus on positive ways they can address their own obstacles.
*Recommended by Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven

13. "Saturday’s Child" by Countee Cullen and "Cat’s in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin
The importance of time versus money is at the center of this comparison. "Saturday's Child" is narrated by a child reflecting on his impoverished childhood, while "Cat's in the Cradle" is narrated by a father who regrets not spending more time with his son. Both the poem and song make reference to a silver spoon, but have students determine whether the allusion has the same meaning in both pieces. "Saturday's Child" can be examined for personification and irony can be discussed with "Cat's in the Cradle."

14. "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes and "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac
Few can resist a love story and a classic song. The combination of the two make Alfred Noyes' poem, "The Highwayman," and Fleetwood Mac's song, "Everywhere," a perfect combination for bringing narrative poetry into the class. I begin with the poem. Students dissect the narrative elements and tease apart the storyline. We talk about what happens and the poetic devices Noyes uses. (It's strong on repetition, rhyme, alliteration, similes and metaphors.) Then students listen to the Fleetwood Mac song and watch the video. We discuss the similarities, the themes of each, and the ways the song's video connects to the poem. If there is time for more, we compare both to other song and video renditions. In the end, students have a solid appreciation for narrative poetry and this poem. Introducing them to a classic song and band is a bonus.
*Recommended by Writing by Rachel, Rachel Cummings
Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. Read on for 15 song and poem pairings that will liven up your poetry unit.

15. "Choices" by Nikki Giovanni and "Change" by Taylor Swift
Begin with a comparison of tone and theme as you examine "Choices" and "Change." While both the poem and song deal with the quandary of not getting what you want, Giovanni and Swift have very different attitudes about their problems, which results in the presence of two very different messages. "Choices" is from Giovanni's poetry collection titled Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day, which was published in 1978, and "Change" is a song from Swift's album  titled Fearless, which was released in 2008 and used during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Discuss whether students attribute the difference in tone and theme to the time period, the women's racial identities, or a combination of both. What made Swift's song an appropriate choice for the Olympics? After reading, students could write about the changes they'd like to make in themselves or the change they'd like to see in the world.

You can find all of my resources for teaching poetry here.

For more song title suggestions and ways to use them in your English Language Arts classroom, check out this blog post: 15 Songs to Use in ELA.

March 19, 2018

On My Bookshelf: Once And For All by Sarah Dessen

Once And For All by Sarah Dessen is just as charming as her other novels. And while the protagonist, Louna, is relatable for most teen girls, it was really the other characters in the novel that drew me in. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Is it really better to have loved and lost? Louna's summer job is to help brides plan their perfect day, even though she stopped believing in happily-ever-after when her first love ended tragically. But charming girl-magnet Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged now that he's met the one he really wants. Maybe Louna's second chance is standing right in front of her.

Sarah Dessen’s many fans will adore this latest novel, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story with humor, romance, and an ending that is so much more than happily-ever-after.

Why I liked it: I was a huge Sarah Dessen novels as a teenage girl, so I approached reading Once And For All with caution. Would I still love her books, or as an adult reader would I find them contrived? I am happy to report I found this new novel just as charming as I remember her others to be. Louna, the protagonist, is similar to all of Dessen's female leads in that she is extremely relatable. Dessen's protagonists are never the "it" girl, never the most popular or beautiful girl at school. As a teenage girl, it was easy to see myself in Dessen's characters. Also similar to Dessen's other novels, is the love story at the center of it and a mostly happily ever ending.
Once And For All by Sarah Dessen is just as charming as her other novels. And while the protagonist, Louna, is relatable for most teen girls, it was really the other characters in the novel that drew me in. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

While Louana was relatable, it was really the other characters in the novel that drew me in. Her mother, a hippie turned wedding planner, and her gay business partner, William, are a dynamic duo. Equally endearing are Ambrose, the confident, yet bumbling and kind-hearted young man who eventually wins Louna over and Louna's boy crazy best friend Jilly and her posse of siblings.

Classroom application: This novel is perfect for your budding romantics and lovers of author Nicholas Sparks (though I find Dessen's novels much less cheesy and more realistic). The novel is pretty clean, there is one mention of a sexy scene, so I would recommend it for upper middle school and up.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Once And For All for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

March 18, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 3/20 Topic: Measuring Student Learning

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about measuring student learning.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, even if you aren't on Twitter. 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.

On Tuesday, March 20, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about setting up the English Language Arts classroom.

The Format:
8:00 – What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: What types of informal assessments do you use to measure learning in your classroom? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: What is your favorite or most creative way of assessing students? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: Are you required to use certain formal assessments or do you design your own? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: Are your assessments based on standards? Skills? Content? How does that affect the design? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: How do you use data from assessments to plan future lessons? #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
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.)

You can also check out a quick video tutorial in this blog post.

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 Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

March 16, 2018

Supporting Struggling Readers & Writers

A classroom full of average or on-level students is a thing of the past. Educators need to be able to differentiate to meet all levels of students and support those struggling with reading and writing. In this #2ndaryELA chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed strategies to use with students who need remediation in reading and writing. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about supporting struggling readers and writers. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed strategies to use with students who need remediation in reading and writing. Teachers also shared favorite high interest titles and writing lessons as well as tips and resources for supporting struggling students.

Hope you'll join us next week for another chat. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 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, links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

March 12, 2018

On My Bookshelf: One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive, is accurately described as “Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club.” The four survivors of detention narrate the book and each has something to hide, a secret only the outcast knew, which means each of them has a possible motive for murder. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive, is accurately described as “Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club.” The four survivors of detention narrate the book and each has something to hide, a secret only the outcast knew, which means each of them has a possible motive for murder. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
Why I liked it: One of Us is Lying, the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive, is accurately described as “Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club.” The four survivors of detention: the brain, the beauty, the criminal, and the jock narrate the book and each has something to hide, a secret only the outcast knew, which means each of them has a possible motive for his murder.

The book is suspenseful, with the kinds of twists and turns that make you want to pick it up and not put it down until it is finished. While focused on the mysterious death, the novel also touches on depression, abusive relationships, trying to fit in, and all the other pressures of being a high school student.

Classroom application: One of Us Is Lying is the perfect read for high school students who loved books like The Westing Game when they were in middle school. The book does contain mature content (references to sexual relationships, drug and alcohol use, etc.) in addition to a death scene so I wouldn't recommend it to younger students. It is also set to become a TV series, which would allow for comparison of how the written word is translated onto the screen.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of One of Us is Lying for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

March 11, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 3/13 Topic: Struggling Readers & Writers

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about supporting struggling readers and writers.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, even if you aren't on Twitter. 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.

On Tuesday, March 13, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about supporting struggling readers and writers.

The Format:
8:00 – What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: What strategies do you use to support struggling readers? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: What books you have found most engaging for struggling readers? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: What strategies do you use to support struggling writers? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: What writing lessons have you found most engaging for struggling writers? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Share any tips, ideas or resources you have for assisting struggling readers and writers. #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
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.)

You can also check out a quick video tutorial in this blog post.

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 Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

March 5, 2018

On My Bookshelf: Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green is just the right combination of seriousness and fun with a little mystery thrown in to the mix. It deals with friendship, the loss of a parent, teenage relationships, and mental health issues. I particularly appreciated Green's treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and Daisy's mostly autobiographical Star Wars fan fiction writing. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green is just the right combination of seriousness and fun with a little mystery thrown in to the mix. It deals with friendship, the loss of a parent, teenage relationships, and mental health issues. I particularly appreciated Green's treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and Daisy's mostly autobiographical Star Wars fan fiction writing. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

Why I liked it: Turtles All The Way Down just might be my favorite John Green novel so far, just surpassing my love for Looking for Alaska. I definitely liked it better than An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns (I think it is safe to say I'm not a big fan of guys who waste their time chasing after girls), and it didn't have the same over the top feel goodness of The Fault in Our Stars.

The novel is just the right combination of seriousness and fun with a little mystery thrown in to the mix (which made me realize John Green is fond of the missing person plot line). It deals with friendship, the loss of a parent, teenage relationships, and mental health issues. I particularly appreciated Green's treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and Daisy's mostly autobiographical Star Wars fan fiction writing.

Classroom application: Turtles All the Way Down is a great addition to a high school classroom library. While there isn't much in the way of mature content (some romantic kissing scenes), because of some of the darker content: death and mental health issues, I wouldn't recommend it for middle school. The novel could be used in literature circles themed around mental health issues with other novels like Every Last Word and Wintergirls.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Turtles All The Way Down for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

March 4, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 3/6 Topic: Teacher Self Care

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about teacher self care.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, even if you aren't on Twitter. 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.

On Tuesday, March 6, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about teacher self care.

The Format:
8:00 – What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: Grading ELA assignments can be time consuming and stressful. How do you ease your grading load? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: What lessons or activities do you do with students when you need a break from grading or to relieve stress? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: What other strategies do you use in school to help manage stress and avoid burning out? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: What strategies do you use outside of school to help manage stress and avoid burning out? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: What advice would you give to new teachers to encourage them that teacher self care is important? #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
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.)

You can also check out a quick video tutorial in this blog post.

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 Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

March 2, 2018

Digital Literacy in the ELA Classroom

Can your students spot fake news?  Can they tell the difference between a reliable and an unreliable website? This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about digital literacy. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed what it means to teach digital literacy: teach basic computer use, intellectual property awareness, and more, and how they connect those lessons with the rest of their curriculum. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about digital literacy. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed what it means to teach digital literacy and how they connect those lessons with the rest of their curriculum. Teachers also shared struggles and successes in teaching digital literacy. Read through the chat below to find out how teachers teach basic computer use, intellectual property awareness, and more.

Hope you'll join us next week for another chat. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 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, links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.