7 Activities To Add To Your Of Mice and Men Unit

Teaching a novel or a novella requires careful planning and a variety of resources to keep student engagement high. Throughout a unit students should be engaging in close readings, reflecting on the text through text dependent writing prompts, applying literary terms and grammar skills, and showing their learning through activities that require creativity. Read on for 7 activities I use throughout my Of Mice and Men unit and how to add them to yours!

Teaching Of Mice & Men: Literary Elements To Focus On In Each Chapter

Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck is a classic text still alive in high school classrooms today. The novella’s short length makes it accessible, it is packed with literary elements to analyze, and its characters and themes lead to rich discussions. Below is a roadmap of how I maximize my time teaching Of Mice and Men and make this unit one that my students will remember as a favorite.

7 Projects to End a Unit or Novel Study (That Students Will Actually Get Excited About)

In English Language Arts we do a lot of reading and writing, so while I often wrap up a unit or novel with a major writing assignment, I also like to offer students' an opportunity to let their other talents and interests shine. Read on for 7 fresh ideas for projects that students will want to complete.

Teaching Novels in the Secondary ELA Classroom

This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about teaching novels at the secondary level. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed the novels they teach at different grade levels. Teachers also shared whether that reading is done in class or for homework, as a whole class or in literature circles.

Read through the chat below to find out what skills are most important to cover when teaching a novel. You'll get ideas about engaging activities. You'll also find valuable resources to use in your own classroom.

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.

Teaching Novels in the Secondary ELA Classroom

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 9/11 Topic: Teaching Novels

Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven, & Lisa Spangler, Mrs. Spangler in the Middle, 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, September 11, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about teaching novels.

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 tinyurl, bitly, goo.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:

12 Activities to Use During Literature Circles or Your Next Novel Study

A multiple choice quiz after reading is a quick and easy way to check student comprehension, but it doesn't allow you to assess deeper understanding and it certainly isn't fun or creative. If you are looking for more meaningful and engaging activities to use with students during literature circles or a novel unit, you'll find twelve ideas below that are favorites in my classroom and the Common Core standards they align with. Click the linked title of each activity for more information, student samples, and/or free resources.

1. Text Based Drawings
Asking students to cite evidence for every single question they answer when reading and responding to a text might be good practice and ensure that they are reading closely, but it also becomes repetitive. One way to mix things up is to ask students to draw a picture and label it based on details from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2. Summary or Synthesis Tombstones
Assess students' knowledge of an author or character by asking them to summarize their reading or synthesize information from multiple sources. Depending on the assignment, students may share important facts about the individual, reasons why he or she will or would be missed, or events that led up to his or her death.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3. Mind Maps
Mind maps are a visually appealing summarizing strategy, which can be used to enhance students' recall of information as well as to synthesize information from multiple sources. This strategy can be used with fiction or nonfiction texts and can be added to as student progress in their reading.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

4. Character Silhouettes
Creating character silhouettes is a creative way to conduct a close reading of character or figure from an assigned or selected fiction or nonfiction text. This activity can be used with any grade level, during or after reading any text, and reinforces the ideas of character and characterization while asking students to closely examine evidence from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

5. The Spirits of Christmas
Inspired by A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, students select a character and his/her weaknesses to analyze. After identifying and illustrating scenes that reveal the character's flaws, students determine a message to be shared by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

6. Tweet Sheets
Forget those boring chapter summaries you usually assign to accompany your students' independent reading. Instead, try out "tweet sheets." This activity reinforces characterization and point of view while also allowing students to use their creativity as they explore the characters in their novel.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

7. Literary Postcards
Literary postcards are a great writing activity to reinforce the ideas of character and point of view in any novel or short story and can be used with any grade level. Students must depict a key scene from their reading on the front of the postcard and then have choices as to the form of their writing on the opposite side.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

8. Personal Crests
Similar to a coat of arms, have students create a crest for a character in a novel. Students will select symbols and colors that represent the character to decorate their crests and then write a short paragraph explaining their choices. Have students compare crests made for the same character and defend why their choices were more appropriate, or hang them all and allow students to vote on the best ones.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

9. Word Art
Creating word art is a creative way for students to closely analyze a character and select a symbol representative of the character's traits. You'll be surprised with the creativity of your students and even "non-artistic" students will enjoy this activity on characterization and symbolism.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

10. Theme Collages
Theme is one of the concepts in literature that students struggle with most. Use a simple graphic organizer to help students determine the theme of any piece of writing and then create a collage of text and images to reinforce their theme's message about life.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

11. Collaborative Poetry
Incorporate opportunities for collaborative writing in your classroom by using collaborative poetry. Students will first write individually from a character's perspective and then work together as a group to create a communal piece of writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

12. Literary Theme Parks
This fun activity makes for a great end of a unit or year project or summer reading assignment. Students will review plot, setting. theme, conflict, characters, and symbolism as they create a poster and give a presentation of their amusement park. After choosing a theme for their park, students will design rides, attractions, shops, food, and souvenirs.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

You can find all of my activities for use with any text here.

5 Novels Dealing with Mental Health Issues to Recommend to Your High School Students

Mental health issues may not be more prevalent in today's society, but they are certainly more visible. It is just as important for students to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders as it is for students to have compassion for the people suffering from them. A novel is a great starting point for discussions about and further research into mental health issues. Here's 5 novels dealing with mental health issues that I've recently read and would recommend to high school students. Click the title of each to read my full review and ideas for using it in the classroom.

1. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
The novel portrays the terrible reality of a teenager suffering from mental health issues. In his head, Caden is aboard a ship headed for the deepest part of the sea; in reality, his behavior is growing increasingly concerning to family and friends.

2. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
Tamara Ireland Stone, Samantha can't stop thinking about boys, her friends, or anything that worries her because she suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A new friendship seems to have a positive impact on her life and her control over her obsessions, but can it last?

3. Mosquitoland by David Arnold
Mim hops on a bus to see her ailing mother without her father's permission. This teen girl's journey from Mississippi to Ohio, is filled with adventure, misadventure, and a cast of colorful characters.

4. I Don't Want to Be Crazy by Samantha Schutz
In this memoir, author Samantha Schultz recounts her struggles with anxiety disorder while trying to navigate the newly found freedoms of college life. Written in verse, this memoir makes the experience of having a panic attack almost tangible for the reader.

5. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Finch and Violet's paths intersect in a most unusual way: on the ledge of the school's bell tower as each contemplates jumping. Neither does and their ensuing relationship brings the light back into Violet's life, but will it be enough to save Finch from his own darkness? 

14 World War II and Holocaust Novels to Recommend to Your Secondary Students

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and within that, World War II and the Holocaust are my favorite historical events to read about. It is likely because those are the events that shaped my grandparents' generation and I had a close relationship with my grandparents. It's also a time in history of fascinating extremes, a time when people demonstrated amazing courage and selflessness, but also a time when people were consumed by terrible cruelty and evil.

Here's 14 historical fiction titles, focused on World War II and/or the Holocaust and separated into middle school and high school, that I've recently read and would recommend. Click the title of each to read my full review and ideas for using it in the classroom.


Middle School
1. Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Told using a third person limited narrator, the novel focuses on Bruno, a young German boy growing up during World War II. Although a fictional account, it presents a child's perspective of the choices one family makes during a terrible time in history.
Note: A careful discussion with students about the deficits of this book should accompany the reading of it.

2. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg
Though also fictional, this novel is an amazing tale of a young man's successful escape from a concentration camp in hopes of warning the rest of the world about its horrors. The novel is full of action and adventure without being overly violent or gruesome.

3. Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin
Focused on a little known event in American history, This narrative nonfiction novel is a fascinating story of the prejudice and injustice that faced black men and women in America's armed forces during World War II.

4. The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The lives of Ada and her brother Jamie are changed forever when the threat of bombing forces them to leave London for the English countryside. After realizing what poverty and ignorance they once lived in, Ada hopes that they'll never have to return.

5. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This is the tale of two best friends serving in unusual roles during WWII. The two girls face danger and losing each other in this gripping narrative.

6. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Like Code Name Verity, this novel is set during WWII and features young women in non-traditional roles. As a female pilot, Rose can only transport planes, not engage in combat, but when she goes astray on a mission, she is forced into enemy territory and eventually taken to a concentration camp.

7. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
This novel chronicles the harrowing experience of Lina and her family, labeled as anti-Soviet during the 1940s and imprisoned in a labor camp into the 1950s. Taken from their home in Lithuania to the coldest edges of the globe, each day is a struggle to survive.

8. From Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Four young adults trek toward the Baltic Sea during World War II, hoping to board a ship and escape the advancing Russians. The historical fiction novel, told in alternating points of view, reveals the struggles of each of the narrators leading up to the deadliest maritime disaster in history.

High School
9. Broken Angels by Gemma Liviero
The lives of Elsi, a young half-Jewish girl in the Lodz ghetto, Matilda, a Romanian child taken from her home to be Aryanized, and Willem, a Nazi doctor, become intertwined as each struggles to survive.

10. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Two sisters have two very different experiences in occupied France during WWII. Despite the struggles of everyday life, both women risk their lives to save others.

11. China Dolls by Lisa See
Three young Asian women meet while auditioning at a San Francisco nightclub and quickly become friends despite their differences. But the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the start of World War II will change everything.

12. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The lives of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German orphan recruited by the Nazis, intersect in extraordinary ways in a tale full of magic and beautiful details.

13. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
This nonfiction biography, reads like a great narrative. Louis Zamperini survives unbelievable odds as a POW during WWII.

14. Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
This literary nonfiction reads like a spy thriller. America's efforts to build the atomic bomb, the sabotage of German weapon manufacture, and the Soviets attempts to steal American secrets are woven together in this action packed story.

You can find all of my teaching resources for the Holocaust here.

8 Realistic Fiction Titles to Recommend to Middle and High School Boys

Boys can be pickier customers than girls when it comes to choosing a book to read. They need just the right book to hook them. Is it that too many boys see reading as an activity "for girls"? Or do teachers, many of us female, read too many "girl books" and not enough ones "for boys", and are therefore unable to give good recommendations?

Whatever the reason, here's 8 realistic fiction titles, separated into middle school and high school, that I've recently read and would recommend for boys. Click the title of each to read my full review and ideas for using it in the classroom.

Middle School
1. Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
Jackie is from Kansas, but after his mother passes away suddenly, his father, an officer in the army post-WWII, places him in a boys boarding school in Maine. He eventually befriends Early, the only boy at school who is more of an outcast than he is. Their adventure, equal parts magic, pirates, and strange coincidences, leads the boys to find things they didn't even know they were looking for.

2. My Cousin's Keeper by Simon French
Kieran is pretty happy with his life with his mom, his soccer-playing dad, and his younger sister Gina. But in the midst of his fifth grade year, his cousin Bon arrives at the same time as the new girl Julia. Kieran struggles to decide if he wants to fit in with his friends or stand by his strange cousin Bon. What will it take for him to do what is right?

3. Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Doug is a fourteen year old boy with seemingly endless problems, both at school and at home. When he moves to a new town his troubles don't end, but he makes some new friends that make it all a little more bearable.

High School
4. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky AlbertalliSimon is a typical teenager, trying to figure out where he fits in and decide who he is; he just also happens to be not so openly gay and being blackmailed by a classmate for it. The themes of friendship, relationship, betrayal, and trust will draw in teen readers.

5. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Summer in a small town in Alabama is anything but dull when Cullen's cousin overdoses, his brother disappears, the most beautiful girl in town becomes his girlfriend, and the town goes nuts over the alleged sighting of a rare bird.

6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
This novel tells the tale of an outsider determined to make his own path in life. The novel also provides opportunities for teens to reflect on the loved ones they've lost.

Both
7. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
This fast-paced novel written in verse. Josh, a 12-year old basketball player, must learn to balance school and basketball, as both family and friendships change.

8. Code of Honor by Alan Gratz
Kamran Smith used to have it all: a starring role on the football team, a beautiful girlfriend, the title of Homecoming King, a loyal best friend, and a spot at West Point in the fall. But after his brother is named as a suspected terrorist, Kamran and his parents are deatined by Homeland Security and Kamran must fight to prove to everyone, even himself, that his brother is innocent. 

8 Fantasy & Dystopian Titles to Recommend to Your Secondary Students

Fantasy isn't many favorite genre, but it is currently the genre of choice for many students. If you are a reluctant fantasy reader like I am, here's 8 titles, many of them part of a series, that I've recently read and would recommend to middle and high school students. Click the title of each to read my full review and ideas for using it in the classroom.


1. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
In Book One of the Chaos Walking series, Todd is the only boy left in a town of men, all of whom hear the Noise, the thoughts of other men. When Todd unexpectedly finds a girl, the two must flee his home town and he discovers that the world is not the place he was raised to believe it was. The two other books in the series, The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men, are great follow ups.

2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
In Book One of the Lunar Chronicles, the classic tale of Cinderella is set in a futuristic world of cyborgs and androids. The familiar plot is filled with surprises and twists that will keep you turning pages and eager to read the next books in the series: Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, and Winter. Stars Above is a short story collection that accompanies the series.

3. Ever by Gail Carson Levine
Kezi and Olus are young, playful, and in love. The only problem is that Kezi is mortal and fated to die while Olus, god of the winds, can't live among humans.

4. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Tana thinks she is infected with vampirism, so not wanting to pose a threat to her family, she heads to Coldtown, a quarantined city for vampires and the Cold, those infected by vampires. Tana is accompanied by her definitely infected ex-boyfriend, Aidan, and Gavriel, a centuries old vampire and adventures ensue.

5. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll love this book, which is a mix of fantasy and dystopian young adult literature. Despite all of the odds being stacked against her, the main character is fearless even before she discovers her superhuman powers. I haven't finished the whole series yet, but Glass Sword, the second book, is just as entertaining.

6. The Light of the World by Ellen Simpson
This novel is a mix of The DaVinci Code meets The Golden Compass with a struggle between good and evil, the protector of "the light of the world" versus its seekers, possible conspiracy, and secrets that can't be revealed.

7. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Realistic fiction is infused with fantasy and the supernatural in this book. Mike is just an average senior trying to graduate high school and make it to college, but then there's the zombie-like creatures, explosions, and incidents in the past that adults won't speak of. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

8. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
Jacob must lead Miss Peregrine's peculiar children to safety while fending off zombie-like creatures with which only he can communicate. The mix of genres in this young adult novel will hook readers with varying interests. Don't miss the first book in this series, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.