#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Nonfiction and Real World Connections

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.

Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.

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, August 29, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about teaching nonfiction and making real world connections.

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 nonfiction texts and media in your classroom?
8:10 Q2 What is your favorite resource for finding nonfiction texts that are timely and apply to teens?
8:15 Q3 What short/long term benefits do you find from using nonfiction materials related to current events and real life issues?
8:20 Q4 How do you handle sensitive topics in the nonfiction materials you use in the classroom?
8:25 Q5 Describe your favorite lesson or unit that incorporates nonfiction material related to a current event or real life issue.

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:

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Making Real World Connections

After students finish reading Act V of Romeo and Juliet, I don't want them to write off the play as just a far fetched love story from the past.

I use three nonfiction articles to show students that love, and the hate that can tear that love apart, are very much still a part of today's world.

Romeo and Juliet in Bosnia
Our first read is an opinion piece from the New York Times titled "In America; Romeo And Juliet In Bosnia." The piece was written in response to a PBS documentary focused on Bosko Brkic, an Eastern Orthodox Serb, and Admira Ismic, a Muslim, who met and fell in love, but died together trying to escape Sarajevo and the Bosnia-Serbian conflict taking place there.

In our discussion following the reading, we compare and contrast Bosko and Admira's conflict with the one Romeo and Juliet faced. We also compare and contrast the feelings of Bosko and Admira's family members to feelings of the Montagues and the Capulets. Finally, we compare and contrast the death of Admira and Bosko with the death of Romeo and Juliet.

Besides comparing and contrasting the characters of Shakespeare's tragedy and this real life couple, we also focus on the hate that complicated Bosko and Admira's relationship, and whether that kind of hate still exists. The Bosnia-Serbian conflict lasted from 1992-1995, and while that was only twenty some years ago, it can feel very far away for students. Showing the documentary or clips from it, can make the events seem even even further in the past for students because the quality of the video is so different from what they see today.

Romeo and Juliet in Afghanistan
Our second read is a series of articles from the New York Times focused on two young Afghans in love. "2 Star-Crossed Afghans Cling to Love, Even at Risk of Death" is followed by other articles and several video interviews. Zakia is 18 and Mohammad Ali is 21, both the children of farmers in this remote mountain province. Mohammad Ali is a Hazara, who are mostly Shia Muslims. Zakia is a Tajik, a Sunni ethnic group. Despite threats of death from her family, the young lovers elope and become fugitives. The articles, the first of which was published in the spring of 2014, follow their attempts to flee the country until they are able to seek asylum in the United States in the spring of 2016.

In our discussion following the reading, we compare and contrast Mohammad Ali and Zakia's conflict with the one Romeo and Juliet faced. We also compare and contrast the feelings of Mohammad Ali and Zakia's family members to feelings of the Montagues and the Capulets. While their love story does not end in death, we discuss the challenges that still remain for the couple.

Dear Juliet
Our final reading is more about love than hate. "Dear Juliet: Let Me Tell You About My Problem" explains the letter writing phenomenon more recently featured in the film Letters to Juliet. The Club of Juliet is a private organization that receives, translates and answers Juliet's mail; she now receives 50,000 letters a year.

In our discussion following the reading, we examine the reasons why people write to Juliet. Some of the letters described in the article mirror the plights of Bosko and Admira and Mohammad Ali and Zakia. I also have students write their own letters to Juliet. The letters can be a response to the play, filled with unanswered questions, or of a more personal nature. The last time I mailed them off, it did take a year, but my students did get a response from Juliet!

Assessment
After reading all about all three topics as a class, students have a choice of which one to follow up on with further reading, research, and completion of a project. For Romeo and Juliet in Bosnia, students compose an interview script with a member of Bosko or Admira’s family 20 years after their deaths. For Romeo and Juliet in Afghanistan, students create an informational pamphlet about seeking asylum in the United States. And for Dear Juliet, students write a movie review of Letters to Juliet, including analysis of the accuracy of the representation of Juliet’s Club.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to make connections with the play, here.

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Nonfiction and Real World Connections

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 night and we hope that you will join us again.

Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.

New in 2016 is our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, which we would love to have you join 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, October 4, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about nonfiction and real world connections.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: How do you use nonfiction texts and media in your classroom?
8:10 Q2: What is your favorite resource for finding nonfiction texts that are timely and apply to teens?
8:15 Q3: What short/long term benefits do you find from using nonfiction materials related to current events and real life issues?
8:20 Q4: How do you handle sensitive topics in the nonfiction materials you use in the classroom?
8:25 Q5: Describe your favorite lesson or unit that incorporates nonfiction material related to a current event or real life issue.

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 “All tweets.”
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.)

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:

Teaching the Classics: Strategies & Resources For Challenging Texts

This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about teaching the classics in the ELA classroom. Middle and High School English Language Arts discussed which titles we teach, why they are still important, how to support students who struggle with them, and making connections with modern day issues. The highlights are below.

Popular classic titles:
Lord of the Flies, Gilgamesh, Oedipus Rex, Julius Caesar, Of Mice and Men, To Kill A Mockingbird, Romeo & Juliet, The Odyssey, Fahrenheit 451, Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby,  A Separate Peace, The Crucible, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Daedalus and Icarus, Antigone, Our Town, The Death of a Salesman, Doll's House. 

Strategies for teaching challenging texts:
*Work backwards chronologically which will allow you to begin the year with more accessible texts and build up to the more challenging ones.
*Pair texts with the seasons: Frankenstein at Halloween, A Christmas Carol during the holidays, A Midsummer Night's Dream as summer approaches.
*Look on YouTube for short, often goofy adaptations to show at the start of teaching.
*Find a meme, quote, or reference to the text to engage students.
*If it is a play, act it out or go see it.
*Read modern translations and just excerpts of the original text.
*Use side-by-side texts (No Fear Shakespeare).
*Use Storybird to have students translate archaic language into storybooks.
*Read graphic novel versions.
*Listen to audiobook versions.
*Keep a visual list of readings to refer back and connect to as you read new texts.

Resources for teaching the classics:
*Video on Shakespeare's rhythm
*Blog post on adapting classic text's basic elements into video game, movie, or story
*No Fear Shakespeare for side-by-side texts
*New York Times & National Public Radio for modern day news articles
*Pop sonnets for teaching Shakespeare
*Blog post on group annotation
*Thug Notes videos like this one on The Outsiders (be sure to preview for adult language)
*Crash Course videos like this one on The Great Gatsby
*NewsELA text sets
*Sassy Gay Friend videos like this one on Romeo & Juliet (be sure to preview for adult language)

Hope you'll join us next Tuesday, November 24 at 8pm EST to discuss argument writing. The questions for our next chat will be posted here on Sunday. If you missed this chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

Page Turners: Hands-On Learning {4/8}

Greetings and welcome to week 2 of Page Turners, a weekly Wednesday linky, where I will feature great blog posts I have read (and sometimes that I have written). Hopefully you will find ideas that inspire you in your classroom and your teaching and maybe even a new blog to follow. Read down to the end of the post for directions if you are interested in linking up a post of your own.

And now on to this week's topic, hands-on learning. As an English teacher I am always looking for ways to engage my students. Of all the subjects, I think incorporating hands-on activities is toughest to do with English because students have to read, a "passive" activity, before using the information to do something more active.

Simulations are a great way to bring learning to life. Jennifer of Mrs. Laffin's Laughings explains in Bringing the Fur Trade to Life with Book Bartering how she showed her students the importance of the fur trade to Native Americans by doing a book trade in her classroom. I love how she substituted books, something her students would care about, for furs, something her students wouldn't care about. A simulation doesn't always have to be an exact replication of an idea or event. Centering the simulation around books allowed students to make connections to the events they were studying in Social Studies. Think about a difficult or distant concept in a text you are reading. How might a simulation help students better connect and understand?

Another great simulation I came across was one Kristen Dombrowski shared in her High Five for Friday post about assembly lines. In this simulation, students were responding to an inquiry question about the pros and cons of assembly line production and traditional craftsmanship. A set of questions helped guide students in their inquiry and would be a great lead in to a writing piece. Real life experiences ensure that students will have plenty to write about. 

Page turner #3 was an idea I had never seen or heard of, trioramas! Angela of The Teacher's Desk 6 has more great photos in her post, Wordless Wednesday: Responding to a Novel if trioramas are new to you too. Like a diaorama, trioramas allow students to create 3-D representations of elements in a novel such as characters, conflict, setting, or an important part of the plot. Because the triorama is made of paper, there is no need to collect shoe boxes. These would also take up less space and be easier to hang up.

Page Turner #4 is connected to math, but the idea was so delicious I wanted to share it. In "Oreo Stacking Contest for Mean, Median, Mode Lesson" Mary from Teaching with a Mountain View shares one of her students favorite activities. Students stack Oreos into towers and then using the data, practice with mean, median, and mode. I liked that the activity was a bit competitive and students got creative with their stacking strategies so it challenged students to think as well as apply math concepts. 

For a hands-on activity where students work directly with a text, check out this post, Teaching and Assessing Writing Organization, by The Daring English Teacher. Cut up a fiction or nonfiction text and then have students place the events or ideas back in the correct order.

My last page turner this week is one of my own blog posts about Character Silhouettes. The idea came from Linda Christenson's book, Teaching for Joy and Justice and allowed students to dig into a character from a recent text while creating a visual representation. This activity could be done with a fictional character or a real life/historical figure.

Be sure to check out the posts linked up below and come back next week for some great posts about instilling a love of reading in students.

An InLinkz Link-up