April 30, 2018

On My Bookshelf: Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali is a beautiful coming of age novel, featuring Janna, your typical teenage girl dealing with your typical teenage girl issues: overprotective moms, annoying brothers, school stress, and mean girls. On top of all of that, the boy Janna thinks is perfect isn't Muslim (and Janna is) and the Muslim boy everyone thinks is perfect tries to force himself on her. Read on for more of my review and classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Saints and Misfits is an unforgettable debut novel that feels like a modern day My So-Called Life...starring a Muslim teen.
There are three kinds of people in my world:

1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They're in your face so much, you can't see them, like how you can't see your nose.

2. Misfits, people who don't belong. Like me--the way I don't fit into Dad's brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama's-Boy-Muhammad.

Also, there's Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don't go together. Same planet, different worlds.

But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right?

3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O'Connor's stories.

Like the monster at my mosque.

People think he's holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask.

Except me.
Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali is a beautiful coming of age novel, featuring Janna, your typical teenage girl dealing with your typical teenage girl issues: overprotective moms, annoying brothers, school stress, and mean girls. On top of all of that, the boy Janna thinks is perfect isn't Muslim (and Janna is) and the Muslim boy everyone thinks is perfect tries to force himself on her. Read on for more of my review and classroom application.


Why I liked it: Saints and Misfits is a beautiful coming of age novel. Janna is your typical teenage girl dealing with your typical teenage girl issues. She wants her mom to stop treating her like a child and her older brother to stop annoying her. She definitely does not want to share a room with her mom now that her brother is moving back home. She's stressed about upcoming final exams and trying to walk the fine line of appeasing the mean girls without becoming one or becoming their victim. 

On top of all of that, the boy Janna thinks is perfect, Jeremy, isn't Muslim and the Muslim boy everyone thinks is perfect, Farooq, tries to force himself on her. And just when it seems like things might work out between Janna and her crush, Farooq inserts himself into the situation and the mean girls take to social media, causing Janna to question how important her religion is to her, but more importantly, the kind of person she wants to be.

Classroom application: The novel would be a great addition to your upper middle school or high school library (there is an almost sexual assault scene and some alcohol use), especially if you are looking to add diverse protagonists. Janna's mother is Egyptian and her father is Indian. Like her mother and brother, Janna is a practicing Muslim, but her father and some are her friends are not.

The novel provides a window into the Islamic culture and some of the stereotypes surrounding it. The characters are varying degrees of religious and one of the most seemingly devout characters has criminal intentions. This combination of factors helps to dispel notions that there is any one type of Muslim and also that just being religious makes you a good person, though there are plenty of other characters in the book are are religious and good.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Saints and Misfits 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.

April 29, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 5/1 Topic: Tips for Surviving the End of the Year

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about tips for surviving the end of the school year.
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, May 1, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about tips for surviving the end of the school year.

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 final papers and projects do you do at the end of the year? Share favorites. #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: Do you have final exams at the end of the year? How do you make review interesting for students? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: Share tips on how you stay healthy during this busy season. #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: Do you have any special end of the year celebrations in your classroom? Academic focused or just for fun? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Share a lesson idea or tip for what to do with students on those really hot days. #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:

April 27, 2018

Making the Most of Google in the Classroom

Google Apps for Education, also known as the G Suite for Education, are transforming how teachers use technology in the classroom. In this this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed how they use Google Classroom and other applications as part of their instruction. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about Google Apps for Education, also known as the G Suite for Education. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed how they use Google Classroom and other applications as part of their instruction. Teachers also shared their favorite Google App and how they use it in the classroom.

Read through the chat below to find out how Google Apps can change how students interact and collaborate. You'll get ideas about new Google Apps, features or activities to try.  You'll also find ways to use Google Apps to help you work smarter, not harder.

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.

April 25, 2018

8 Nonfiction Texts That Will Captivate Middle School and High School Students

At any grade level, it is easy for English class to be solely a study of fictional literature, but students should be equally immersed in rich nonfiction as well. Here's nonfiction recommendations, many of them memoirs and biographies, that will captivate your middle and high school students.
At any grade level, it is easy for English class to be solely a study of fictional literature, but students should be equally immersed in rich nonfiction as well. Here's nonfiction recommendations, many of them memoirs and biographies, that will captivate your middle and high school students.

1. Night by Elie Wiesel
While perhaps the most well known piece of Holocaust literature, this literary nonfiction is also a coming of age tale. Elie's struggle with his relationship with his father, with his faith, and with his own identity are ones most teenagers face. Wiesel tells his story in simple language and remains fairly objective even in the most painful moments. To supplement my unit on Night I use variety of resources to help students make a personal connection with the Holocaust, such as assigning them the identity of a real Holocaust victim and looking at how food (or lack of) was used as means of control in the ghettos and camps. As not to limit my students knowledge of the holocaust and genocide to a single experience, I also use excerpts of Night as part of a larger unit on genocide.

2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
I love teaching the non-fiction book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey with secondary students. This is a self-help book that provides students with 7 “habits” that will enable them to be more successful and independent individuals. It also helps students to establish clear goals, as well as the steps that must be taken to accomplish these goals. Throughout the book, Covey uses different text structures, specifically compare and contrast and problem and solution, to give students a better idea of the various habits being addressed. This is when I implement my Digital Text Structure Flip Book & Interactive Graphic Organizers in order to have students take notes on the different types of text structures being used, in addition to identifying the examples given in the book.
*Recommended by Lyndsey, Lit with Lyns

3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
This book made me fall in love with biographies, which I never thought would happen! As a teacher who completely identifies with students who stray away from nonfiction - and especially from biographies - I was stunned at how rich this book is and how quickly it drew me in. I consistently recommend this novel to my advanced freshmen because it is a more complex text, but it's engaging for both boys and girls. I run a book club in my classroom, so students can read any novel they wish. However, this book is always one of my top recommendations during our nonfiction month. For differentiation purposes, it pairs well with other novels (Night, Between Shades of Gray, Salt to the Sea, and All the Light We Cannot See, just to name a few) as a literature circle option. When we study WWII through literature, students engage in self-generated research questions. Unbroken offers a plethora of extension options: eugenics, the Olympics, POW camps, survival at sea, and nihilism, for instance. At the heart of the book is an underlying thematic question to explore with teens: How did Zamperini survive the atrocities he faced, and why are some people more resilient than others?
*Recommended by Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven
At any grade level, it is easy for English class to be solely a study of fictional literature, but students should be equally immersed in rich nonfiction as well. Here's nonfiction recommendations, many of them memoirs and biographies, that will captivate your middle and high school students.

4. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
It took many years to implement literature circles effectively in my American Literature class, but now that I’ve done them for a while, I love how they get students to take ownership of their reading and learning. I always include several nonfiction books and recently added The Other Wes Moore. My students are falling in love with this book, and it has a special appeal to my reluctant readers who often need books that have real-world connections. The book, a memoir and biography, tells the stories of two men, both named Wes Moore, who lived within minutes of one another in Baltimore, Maryland. The power of their alternating stories stems from their divergent life paths which occur because of the varied influences in their lives and choices that each makes. No doubt, this compelling novel leads to rich discussions as my students think about their own decisions, and how those choices will affect their own futures.*Recommended by Kim, OCBeachTeacher

5. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
Beah's memoir, A Long Way Gone, makes abstract, unpleasant, complicated and relevant topics-- war, genocide, child soldiers-- approachable. His affection for American hip-hop gives readers so far removed from his experiences of war in Sierra Leone a way to connect to him...and a little levity in a book brimming with difficulty. Students come to care about Beah. They learn from his experiences, and make connections between his experiences, their own lives, and and current events.

6. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
I first introduced Into the Wild to a group of students who were struggling to connect to the canonical literature in the course. They were tired of reading bleak stories of the past; they wanted something modern they could relate to. Into the Wild delivers, with a young man in search of meaning, who chooses to travel across the country so he can find it. It's almost a modern version of On the Road. This was a very popular read in my class, with plenty of good fodder for discussions and writing connecting the book to students' own lives.
*Recommended by Betsy Potash from Spark Creativity

7. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Angela's Ashes is well-written and gives students an insight into life in both America and Ireland during The Great Depression. Although the story is very sad there are humorous parts to it. I use this text with seniors as part of our non-fiction unit along with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Into the Wild. While reading Angela’s Ashes, we do some research in the library about the time-period of the novel. It’s interesting to compare the firsthand account in the memoir with articles written about the time-period. After reading, I have students write their own memoirs. I find that students really enjoy reading memoirs like Angela’s Ashes because it’s something that really happened to someone. Often when we read realistic fiction novels (Speak, Monster, etc.), my students will ask me if the book was based on a true story and they get mad when I tell them it’s only fiction.*Recommended by Tammy Manor, Juggling ELA

8. How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg
How They Croaked interests even my most reluctant freshmen readers, and it especially appeals to boys - score! The book is actually a series of mini biographies broken down into bite-sized chunks. Each chapter tells the story of how a different famous person - e.g. - King Tut, Henry VIII, Edgar Allan Poe - croaked. The details are humorous, intriguing, suspenseful, informative, and well-written. I use excerpts from this text in my genre unit, my Shakespeare unit, and (my favorite) during my reading strategies unit. Reading a chapter from How They Croaked is the perfect way to help students practice nonfiction and informational text summarizing skills. Because of the book's design, teachers can easily incorporate differentiation by allowing students to choose the person or chapter they would like to read. I like to expose students to a fraction of this book because they often want to check it out from the library and read more!
*Recommended by Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven

You can find all of my resources for teaching nonfiction skills here.

April 23, 2018

On My Bookshelf: Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub

Still Star-Crossed by Melina Taub picks up where Romeo and Juliet, my favorite of Shakespeare's plays leaves off. With the two young lovers dead and buried, the play's minor characters become major ones. At the center is Rosaline, Romeo's love interest before Juliet, niece of Lord and Lady Capulet, and childhood playmate of Prince Escalus.  Read on for more of my review and classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Soon to be an ABC TV show by producer Shonda Rhimes! Still Star-Crossed follows the aftermath of the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet, as mysterious figures in Verona are determined to reignite the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets.

In fair Verona, enemies still walk the streets.
Two news hearts. Same two families.
The fight to the altar is about to happen.
All. Over. Again.

This homage to the classic Shakespearean tale of Romeo and Juliet will have readers pining for a star-crossed love of their very own.

Why I liked it: Still Star-Crossed picks up where Romeo and Juliet, my favorite of Shakespeare's plays leaves off. With the two young lovers dead and buried, the play's minor characters become major ones. At the center is Rosaline, Romeo's love interest before Juliet, niece of Lord and Lady Capulet, and childhood playmate of Prince Escalus. Escalus calls on Rosaline to marry Benvolio Montague, Romeo's cousin and best friend, to solidify the peace between the two families while unknown forces seek to continue the feud by vandalizing the statue of Juliet.
Still Star-Crossed by Melina Taub picks up where Romeo and Juliet, my favorite of Shakespeare's plays leaves off. With the two young lovers dead and buried, the play's minor characters become major ones. At the center is Rosaline, Romeo's love interest before Juliet, niece of Lord and Lady Capulet, and childhood playmate of Prince Escalus.  Read on for more of my review and classroom application.

The characters in the novel are consistent with Shakespeare's descriptions but truly come to life in the novel with a few new additions who are equally interesting, such as Livia, Rosaline's sister and Isabelle, Prince Escalus's sister. Benvolio is still benevolent, the Nurse is still as bumbling as ever, and Friar Laurence is still feeling responsible for Romeo and Juliet's tragic deaths. The novel is peppered with language from Shakespeare's play and its plot twists surprised me throughout.

Classroom application: This novel would be a great addition to your high school classroom library. The action and suspense will draw in both male and female students. Middle schoolers might not appreciate the connection to Shakespeare's play (typically read in ninth grade) as much and it does include alcohol, violence, and an almost rape scene. I'd also recommend it as a whole class novel following reading Romeo and Juliet. It would be a great way to introduce students to fan fiction writing.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Still Star-Crossed 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.

April 22, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 4/24 Topic: Google Tools in the Classroom

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about using Google tools in the classroom.
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, April 24, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about using Google tools in the 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: How do you use Google Classroom or Apps as part of your instruction? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: What is your favorite Google App to incorporate into lessons? How do you use it? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: How have Google Apps changed how students interact and collaborate? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: What is one new Google App, feature, or activity incorporating a Google App that you want to try? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: What Google Apps or features do you use to help you work smarter, not harder? #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:

April 16, 2018

On My Bookshelf: Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

In Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, Tenneyson, the protective, older by a few minutes brother, doesn't approve of the guy his sister Bronte is dating. Bronte's love interest, Brewster, has a bad boy reputation, but Tenneyson soon discovers while that perception is a misconception, Brewster does have something to hide.  Read on for more of my review and classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: 
Tennyson:
Don't get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school. He's the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, BrontË, dating him? One of these days she's going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it's not going to end well.

BrontË:
My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way—no right to threaten him. There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends—why he can't care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can't be explained. I know, because they're happening to me.

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman has crafted a chilling and unforgettable novel about the power of unconditional friendship, the complex gear workings of a family, and the sacrifices we endure for the people we love.
In Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, Tenneyson, the protective, older by a few minutes brother, doesn't approve of the guy his sister Bronte is dating. Bronte's love interest, Brewster, has a bad boy reputation, but Tenneyson soon discovers while that perception is a misconception, Brewster does have something to hide.  Read on for more of my review and classroom application.

Why I liked it: Bruiser is primarily narrated by a set of twins: Tenneyson, the protective, older by a few minutes brother, and Bronte, the just as headstrong younger sister, who is dating someone her brother doesn't approve of. Both of their parents are English professors, hence the literary names. Bronte's love interest, Brewster, has a bad boy reputation, but Tenneyson soon discovers while that perception is a misconception, Brewster does have something to hide.  

Brewster has the ability to take on the physical injuries and emotional hurt of the people he loves. This "gift" brings peace to the lives of those around him, but also threatens to destroy him. He struggles with wanting to live a normal life versus wanting to to just survive.

Classroom application: This novel is one you could add to your middle school or high school classroom library. While the main characters are in high school, there is no mature content in the book. The topics, plot twists and variety of narrators would appeal to both male and female students.

The variety of narrators would  make this a great mentor text to use when teaching voice. Students could examine the different chapters and discuss how the author creates the voice of a 16 year old boy versus his twin sister versus a 10 year old boy or a 50 year old man. Students could then try out creating their own different gender and/or age characters' voices.

The novel could also be used as part of a modern day mythology or superhero unit, paired with novels such as Black Panther: The Young Prince, Batman: Nightwalker, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman: Warbringer.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Bruiser 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.

April 15, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 4/17 Topic: Inquiry in the ELA Classroom

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about inquiry in the ELA classroom.
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, April 17, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about inquiry in 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: Do you do project based learning (PBL), genius hour, or 20% time in your classroom? What purpose does it serve? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: How did you get started with this type of learning and how did you introduce it to students? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: What PBL units have you done or are you interested in doing? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: How do you plan final products that are standards-based and rigorous while still engaging for students? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Have you done or plan to do any type of service learning in your classroom? #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:

April 13, 2018

Inspiring Student Writing with Mentor Texts & Sentences

Providing a model for student writing, whether it is through a mentor text or even just a mentor sentence, can give students direction and improve the quality of their writing. This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about using mentor texts and sentences to inspire student writing. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed the purposes of using mentor texts and sentences as models for student writing. Teachers also shared where and how they find mentor texts and sentences to engage their students. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about using mentor texts and sentences to inspire student writing. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed the purposes of using mentor texts and sentences as models for student writing. Teachers also shared where and how they find mentor texts and sentences to engage their students. Read through the chat below to also find out how to connect what students learn from mentor sentences to larger writing assignments.

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.

April 9, 2018

On My Bookshelf: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

In When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandya Menon, narration alternates between the two main characters Dimple and Rishi, two Indian teenagers struggling to define themselves as they exit high school and head off to college. This light romance story with a happy ending also tackles tough topics like gender and cultural norms, arranged marriage, and parental expectations. Read on for more of my review and classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
In When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandya Menon, narration alternates between the two main characters Dimple and Rishi, two Indian teenagers struggling to define themselves as they exit high school and head off to college. This light romance story with a happy ending also tackles tough topics like gender and cultural norms, arranged marriage, and parental expectations. Read on for more of my review and classroom application.

Why I liked it: When Dimple Met Rishi is a fun, light, romance story with a happy ending and a nice change of pace from many of the darker themes in current popular young adult literature. Despite being fun and light, the novel is not frivolous. It tackles tough topics like gender and cultural norms, arranged marriage, and parental expectations. 

Narration alternates between the two main characters Dimple and Rishi, two Indian teenagers struggling to define themselves as they exit high school and head off to college. Their voices are equally well written and convincing with frequent humorous inner dialogue.

Classroom application: If you are looking to make the offerings of your high school classroom library more diverse, this novel would be a great add. I can't think of another young adult novel I've read that features two Indian teenagers as the leading characters. The author sprinkles in Hindi phrases and Indian customs.

As it is at heart a romance novel, there is some sexual content and some references to alcohol so I wouldn't recommend it for middle school. If students love the book, be sure to recommend Bend It Like Beckham as well as some Bollywood films.


If you are interested in purchasing a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi 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.

April 8, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 4/10 Topic: Mentor Texts & Sentences

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about using mentor texts and sentences.
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, April 10, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about using mentor texts and sentences.

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 use mentor texts as models for writing in your classroom? For what purposes? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: Where/how do you find mentor texts that will engage and inspire your students? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: Do you use mentor sentences as models for writing in your classroom? For what purposes? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: Where/how do you find mentor sentences that will engage and inspire your students? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: How do you connect what students learn from working with mentor sentences with larger writing assignments? #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:

April 2, 2018

On My Bookshelf: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba

In The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, author William Kamkwamba describes his life in Africa in a way that does not make the reader pity him or look down upon the differences in his culture. Many of his experiences are ones the average child can relate to, but are set against the backdrop of third world struggles. Read on for more of my review and classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.

Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy's brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William's story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family.

Why I liked it: I read the young reader's edition of The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. I most appreciated that William describes his life in Africa in a way that does not make the reader pity him or look down upon the differences in his culture. Many of his experiences are ones the average child can relate to: being picked on by older children, having a dog as a best friend, tinkering with electronics. These experiences, however, are set against the backdrop of third world struggles: not having electricity or running water, not being able to afford to go to school, disease, famine, and drought.
In The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, author William Kamkwamba describes his life in Africa in a way that does not make the reader pity him or look down upon the differences in his culture. Many of his experiences are ones the average child can relate to, but are set against the backdrop of third world struggles. Read on for more of my review and classroom application.

Classroom application: This autobiography would be an excellent piece of narrative nonfiction to add to your middle school or high school library. Warning! There is a very sad dog moment and some discussion of dying from disease and starvation, but otherwise no mature content. This novel would be a great pairing with a unit on physics as William experiments with pulleys, levers, circuits, electricity, etc. Students could be encouraged to bring in discarded objects and household items to create their own simple machines.

The novel, or excerpts from it, could also be paired with the stories of other inventors and innovators of the past and present like Galileo Galilei, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, etc. Student discussions could explore how these individuals were largely self-taught, how they reacted to criticism of their ideas, and the impact of their creations.

William attends a TED conference, so after reading that section of the novel, students could be introduced to TED and some of its videos, perhaps even creating a mock video of their own.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind 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.

April 1, 2018

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 4/3 Topic: Interactive Notebooks & Hands-on Learning

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about using interactive notebooks and hands-on 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, April 3, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about interactive notebooks and hands-on learning.

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 use interactive notebooks in your classroom? What positive impacts have you seen from using them? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: What struggles or questions about interactive notebooks do you have? #2ndaryEL
8:15 Q3: What are other ways you make reading hands-on in your ELA classroom? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: What are other ways you make writing hands-on in your ELA classroom? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: How can you use technology to create hands-on learning opportunities for your students? #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: