Category Archives: HIGH SCHOOL ELA READING
It’s Time to Teach Fahrenheit 451
Are you concerned about censorship in the world? in America? in your library? in your classroom? I am. I am angry. What better time to teach Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451? Let’s warn students about what our world will be like if censorship continues. Illustrate to them what total reliance on technology might look like. Demonstrate the dangers of ignorance in a society. Discuss this iconic dystopian novel today. In this post you’ll find inspiration, strategies, and resources to teach Fahrenheit 451 in your high school ELA class. Your high school English students will be intrigued by the fascinating setting, engaging characters, and relevant themes of Fahrenheit 451; hopefully, they will also become vigilant citizens and gain a strong voice to call out the injustices that currently surround them. Continue reading
Why and How I Teach Brave New World
Brave New World is a scary novel. I tell my kids that right from the start. Although the novel presents a lovely world where everyone is happy, everyone is healthy, everyone has a job, everyone has a place, it is a perfect world. However, upon a closer look, readers recognize the sacrifices that have been made to establish this Brave New World: family, love, God, art, freedom, the capacity to think. This is why high school English curriculums should include this important novel.
In this post, I will share with you some inspiration, tips, and resources from my experience teaching this dystopian classic for 35 years. CLICK on links throughout the discussion to have a closer look at my resources and teaching materials. Continue reading
Why and How I Teach All American Boys
My favorite thing about All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kieley is that while narrating this story about racism, brutality, and injustice, these two authors, one BLACK, and one WHITE, provide two perspectives: one BLACK and one WHITE. They present both BLACK AND WHITE stereotypes, and both BLACK AND WHITE injustice experiences. In this novel, there can be no argument that someone is not represented.
There’s no argument that TRUTH IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
Read this post to find inspiration, teaching strategies and tips, and no-prep resources for teaching this poignant, important young adult novel. Continue reading
Posted in HIGH SCHOOL ELA READING, Teaching All American Boys, Teaching All American Boys, Uncategorized
Tagged books, education, ela, english class, fiction, high school ela, high school english, literature, literature lessons, novel study, novel units, reading, school, secondary ela, Teaching All American Boys, tpt, writing, young adult novels
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Using Movies Effectively in High School ELA
There’s a common core standard that encourages English teachers to provide a different format of the literature their students are studying. Providing various formats encourages students’ appreciation of literature, gives them different perspectives, and prompts them to use of different … Continue reading
Long Way Down, My Kids’ Favorite Lit Unit!
Long Way Down, a Favorite Among Teen Readers. How to create a compelling teaching unit. Inspiration, tips, and resources. Continue reading
Holding High School ELA Students Accountable for Assigned Reading
I can remember telling my high school students to not read ahead, beyond the assigned pages, because I wanted to share their reactions to the literature: “Don’t read Chapter 8 of Gatsby without me!” “Wait until class to read the … Continue reading
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O Some Great Stuff for English Teachers 