Theme Graphing

My seventh graders are learning about theme, which is one of my very favorite things to learn about! We've already learned about what theme is and how to find it, so today it was time to take it to the next level. One of our standards says students have to analyze the development of multiple themes throughout a work of literature -- which sounds a little daunting for kiddos who spend the majority of their days flipping bottles and dabbing randomly for no reason whatsoever. A lot of my students are visual learners, so I decided to have them graph the themes in our book with different colors. Each student had to pick two themes and assign a different theme to each color. Each chapter of our book (Island of the Blue Dolphins) has a column on the graph. Students had to review each chapter to determine how strong they felt their themes were in that chapter, and then they plotted the themes on a scale of "absent" to "incredibly present" (or low to high). I heard my students discussing the themes, saying things like, "Death is a theme if animals are dying, right?" "I think the theme of loneliness is strongest in chapter 8 because Karana had just lost Ramo and hadn't found Rontu yet." I was so happy with them! Tomorrow we will start finding quotes to support the themes they chose.  I definitely think this is a project to repeat next year. How do you make themes tangible for your students?

 

  

Symbol Cymbals!

     This year my eighth-grade students are reading Audacity, by Melanie Crowder, and we are looking at the many symbols presented in the novel.  Of course, symbolism's subtlety can cause middle-school students confusion and frustration, so this year I decided to teach symbols with the most un-subtle thing I could find:  CYMBALS!  I borrowed a pair of the finest cymbals from our school's band director (conveniently my husband) and waited for class to start.  As the eighth-graders filed into the room, the shiny cymbals immediately caught their attention.  

     "I want to play the cymbals!"

     "No, I actually know how to play them!  Can I play them?"

     "She gets to play them all the time!  This is my only chance!  I want to play the cymbals!"

     After the initial commotion, the students settled down, eyes fixed on the cymbals at the front of the room.  I explained that the students would be taking turns playing our symbol cymbals, and I chose a student to take the first turn (next time, I will probably use an app to randomly select students).  The student stood at the front of the room as I read from our novel aloud.  During the first class, I asked the symbol cymbal player to clash the cymbals each time he heard something that may be a symbol.  Finding the symbol seemed to put the cymbal player "on the spot" more than he wanted, which was ironic since he wanted to clash loud metal disks together with all of his might and with a classroom full of peers watching.  Still, I decided I needed to adjust for the next group.  For them I put a symbol cymbal player at the front of the room, but had the class find symbols.  Each time they found a symbol and explained its meaning, the cymbal player got to clash the cymbals, and another classmate was able to take his or her place.  This was extra motivation for the class to find a symbol and its meaning, because the more symbols they found, the higher their chance was of getting a turn at playing the cymbals up front.  

     The cymbals probably would not have worked before my students understood what symbolism meant, but my students' problem was not a lack of understanding -- they simply did not notice the symbols because they were not actively searching for them.  Our symbol cymbals helped to draw attention to the symbols as they read, and that was exactly what my kids needed.  

     How do you make symbolism obvious for your students?  I would love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

Washi and the Novel

It's that time of the year again -- the time of year when a big brown box shows up in the front office, packed to the brim with copies of new-smelling novels for my freshman English class.  This year I decided to try something new with my teacher copy because after the first two class periods of our To Kill a Mockingbird unit, I was already driving myself crazy with the constant flipping back and forth, back and forth . . . trying to find students' questions, their favorite quotes, and the wonderful points they brought up in class.  I can easily use bookmarks to hold the place of my favorite quotes and insights, but I thought it might be helpful to find a more subtle way to mark each chapter of the book for future reference.  I have quite the stash of washi tape in my craft collection, so I lined the first page of each chapter with a variety of tapes.  I can now easily flip through the chapters with ease, and I am in love with the new look!

 I first cut a piece of washi tape long enough for the page, then pressed it down and folded it over to the other side.  I let the fold extend about 1/16" from the edge of the page so my fingers can easily find each chapter.  I also love the way this makes the pages look when the book is closed.

Have any other fun ways to section off a book in style?  I would love to hear all about them in the comments!

Canterbury Tales Playlist

As the wife of a music teacher, I find myself surrounded by a cacophony of musical inspiration each day.  Inevitably, this music works its way into my English lessons, as it did this week in the case of The Canterbury Tales.  This year my senior British Literature class took about five days to read through the Prologue, and after the first day of reading, I was already sensing some yawns and drooping heads.  I decided to break up the monotony with a daily "Canterbury Playlist" for the remainder of the week.  At the beginning of each class period, I played a song that reminded me of one of the Canterbury characters, and I picked a lucky student to guess which one.  We had a good laugh and tried another song until we had reviewed each of the characters from the previous day.  Then I had my students send me links to YouTube songs that reminded them of various Canterbury characters.  This is the most fun I have had with Chaucer's prologue in the four years I have taught this unit!

Here are the songs I chose for the different characters (I only played about 30 seconds of each):

Knight – “Battle Scars” Lupe Fiasco

The knight bravely fought in many battles.  Obviously, this song is talking about figurative scars, but it reminds me of the knight's courage regardless!

Squire – “I Get Around” Beach Boys OR “I Feel Pretty” West Side Story

I played "I Get Around" for my students since they seemed particularly amused by the Squire's exploits with the ladies, but next time I might play "I Feel Pretty."  This guy was dressed like a meadow, for goodness' sake!

Yeoman – “I’m Still a Guy” Brad Paisley

Any pilgrim wearing camouflage deserves this song played in his honor.  My students caught on to this one right away! 

Prioress – “Mr. Lonely” Bobby Vinton

Because The Canterbury Tales was written in a time when older siblings had to marry before the younger could enter matrimony, unattractive elder sisters were often given to the convent so their younger siblings could marry.  The Prioress is described as a very large woman with a forehead the width of an outstretched hand, making this scenario extremely plausible.  The poor, lonely, nun. :(

Monk – “My Way” Frank Sinatra

The Monk is known for breaking all the rules.  He does everything "his way." Clever, right?
  

Friar – “I’m Gonna Marry for Money” Trace Adkins

This one is more of a stretch, but the Friar is Mr. Charming in any situation that could get him a dime.  He sweet talks and gives gifts in order to beg for money.  "Marry for Money" follows the same theme.

Wife of Bath – “I Do” Colbie Caillat

I recommend starting this song right at the chorus.  The multiple I dos fit right in with our chatty, gap-toothed wedding addict.

Pardoner – “You Lie” Band Perry

Here's another song I start playing right at the chorus.  The Pardoner is such a slimy liar, and this song puts a humorous twist on the lies.  A few of my students suggested "White Liar," sung by Miranda Lambert, and I might actually choose that one next time!

Miller – “Mean” Taylor Swift

All the Miller will ever be is mean.  And mean.  And mean.  And mean.  And . . .  

Summoner – “Bad Boys” Bob Marley

This one cracks me up.  Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do when the Summoner comes for you?

Parson – “My Story” Big Daddy Weave

The parson is one character in the Prologue who devotes his life to following Christ's example and practicing what he preaches.  This is where we first see reformation thinking in The Canterbury Tales.  I chose a song about a man who follows Christ for this reason.
  

Oxford Cleric – “Quiet” Demi Lovato

I'm not a huge fan of this song, but the chorus mentions silence and being quiet, which is one of the qualities I was hoping my students would remember about the Oxford Cleric.  Hey, I'll take any chance to remind teenagers that every word counts.  Now, if only I could find a song that had that message specifically!  Leave a comment with any suggestions!

Man of Law – “I’m in a Hurry and Don’t Know Why” Florida Georgia Line Feat. Alabama

The lawyer always appears busier than he is.  When we talked about this character, I showed my students a Seinfeld clip in which George demonstrates the secret to looking busy:  "I just look annoyed!"   This song is all about being too busy without good reason, and it is one of the song choices that I am most tickled with.

Merchant – “Thrift Shop” Pentatonix

First, make sure to play the Pentatonix version of this song to avoid any expletives.  Other than that minor concern, I love this song for the Merchant!  My students guessed this one right away, as the Merchant's secret debt seemed to meet their fancy.

Plow Man – “I’m a Hard-workin’ Man” Brooks & Dunn

Our poor pooper-scooper is best represented with this blue-color song by Brooks & Dunn.  Actually, I'll take any excuse to listen to some good old-fashioned Brooks & Dunn.  I'm still in denial that they have split up!

Manciple – “Smarter” Eisley

This is another song I wouldn't mind replacing if anybody out there has a good suggestion, but I love that it focuses on the singer being smarter than people think.  This seemed to fit the illiterate-but-secretly-intelligent Manciple perfectly.

Skipper – “Calypso” John Denver

Replace the name "Calypso" with "Maudelayne," and you have a poetic description of the Skipper's life at sea.  I used to play this song on repeat as a kid.  It just makes me so happy!

Franklin – “Party Rock Anthem” 

Everything about the Franklin screams PARTY!  Just don't be surprised if the entire class starts busting a move when this song comes on. :)

Doctor – “Stars” Switchfoot

My students are usually surprised to learn that the doctor treats his patients based on the positioning of the stars, rather than their symptoms.   This song immediately popped into my mind!

Reeve – “One Piece at a Time” Johnny Cash

I know the Reeve isn't the only thief among the Canterbury crowd, but because he steals from his work stealthily, just as the singer steals from his job at the car factory sneakily, I thought this was a spot-on match.
  

Cook – “Apples and Bananas” Barney and Friends

Since none of us wants to listen to a song about chicken cooked with the pus from a knee ulcer, I am a big fan of this more innocent take on a cook's life.  Apples and bananas all the way!  And opples and bononos! (Did anybody else sing this as a small child?)
  

Host – “Be Our Guest” Beauty and the Beast

Need I say more?
  

I would love to hear any suggestions you may have for an updated playlist, as I plan to play this game a few more times with my students before we continue with our unit.  For more Canterbury Shenanigans, feel free to check out my Canterbury Tales Speed Dating Printables in my TpT store!

I look forward to hearing your spectacular ideas!

Olivia Gold

Creative English Classroom

My DIY Writer Shoes

The internet is flooded with teacher-specific wardrobe options:  t-shirts that look like notebook paper, knee-socks that look like pencils, and fingernails plastered in handwritten script.  English nerds such as myself would buy every writing-themed article of teacher clothing we could get our hands on if it weren't for our modest teaching salary.  I scroll past each blue-lined t-shirt and sharpened sock toe, practically drooling over my keyboard, but still I held tightly to my dear paycheck.  Then I thought of an option that let me have my paycheck and wear it too.

My first book will be published in October, and I'm planning a big launch party in my community (for friends, family, fellow teachers, administrators, students and families, church members, etc.).  I want to keep my outfit classy, but when else will I have such a wonderful excuse to deck myself out in writing attire?  I determined that the solution was DIY writer shoes -- a pair of thrift-store heels transformed with pages from my own book.  I rummaged around in my closet to find a pair of $4 high-heels I had purchased from Goodwill about 5 years ago, and I grabbed a bottle of $6 Mod Podge from the dining room (because that's where all good teachers should keep their bottles of Mod Podge).  Then I printed out a few pages from my book--making sure to print the passages about shoes, clothing, and the like--and cut out small strips of text to apply to the shoes.

I painted a thin layer of Mod Podge to the shoe and placed each strip of paper onto the shoe slowly, painting Mod Podge over each scrap of paper before moving on to the next section of shoe.  That was all there was to it!  Because I wasn't fond of the heel color, I used some 78-cent acrylic paint (again from my dining room) to paint the heel and platform of the shoe and sealed it with acrylic spray (surprisingly not found in my dining room because it had migrated to the guest room), but even if I had skipped the painting, I think I would have been fairly thrilled with my new-to-me writer shoes.  I can't wait to wear them to my party, and I'm sure I'll wear them to class in the future, as well!  What kind of teacher-nerd/writer-nerd wardrobe options do you love to DIY?

Writers' Notebooks -- What's the Big Deal?

As a self-proclaimed writer and soon-to-be-published author, I'm a tad embarrassed to admit that I never understood writers' notebooks until this summer.  I understood journals -- journals are easy -- but the difference between a journal and the ever-elusive writer's notebook?  I didn't get it.  Then everything changed.

This summer I attended a professional development class to help me teach writing based on standards and built on passion.  I never expected a writer's notebook to enter the conversation.  But boy, did it ever.  My professor had a bursting behemoth of a notebook on her desk, all but spewing papers, clips, and napkins onto the floor.  When she held it up for the class to see, she pointed at travel brochures she had accumulated over many road trips, menus with exotic food names, notes handwritten by friends and family, and an endless conglomeration of paraphernalia from her daily adventures.  Nowhere did I see an obligatory run-down of a blah-blah day.  Not once did I glimpse an essay.  Or haiku.  Or short story.  So this was a writer's notebook -- a concrete thought bubble brimming with inspiration.

Not thirty minutes after class, I stood in the back-to-school aisle (which seriously appears earlier every year) and picked out my fifty-cent composition book to claim as my own faithful companion.  I decided to glue scrapbooking paper to the right-hand side of each page spread as a background on which to washi-tape my inspiration.  The left-hand side I left blank for little notes to myself.  (I know I would forget why I taped that randomness in there otherwise.)  See, isn't it pretty?

Still, I needed to find a way to make this concept work in my classroom.  My students constantly complain that they "can't think of anything to write" or "don't care that much about anything."  Yeah, right!  I often wish I could point to something in a student's brain and say, "See?  You're interesting!  You think!  You notice things!  You have opinions!"  Now I can point to their writers' notebooks.  But how can I measure something as abstract as inspiration?  First, I put together a checklist of various inspirational categories I would like to see in my students' notebooks.  I then created page dividers for each of these categories:  fascinating words, inspirational quotes, sensory photos, etc.  Each divider has several examples so my students can get a good idea of what to look for in that category, and hopefully my examples will inspire them, as well!  I probably could have left it there, but I know some of my kiddos (especially the guys) will want a little direction as to the actual taping in of ideas, so I created a few cut-outs with space to write, as well as some comment cut-outs to eccentuate what they've found.  I think they turned out pretty well!

I can hardly wait for the school year to begin so I can descend upon my classroom with passion and inspiration, but until then -- happy planning it is!  (If you would like to see my student version in more detail, check it out in my TpT store!)

Happy Planning!

Cough, Though, and Rough -- There's a Reason

We've all heard rants on the confusing irregularities of our English language:  "Why doesn't cough rhyme with though?"  "If the plural of goose is geese, why isn't the plural of moose meese?" Most of us have even seen this image floating about the internet when some woe-is-me English student is especially distraught:

Richard Lederer has a point -- our language can seem confusing.  This is why on the very first day of British Literature class, before we've even taken out our notebooks and pencils, and before we have opened our literature books,  I show my students the image above and tell my class, "English is a crazy language."  I then show them the fictional word ghoti, and inevitably one of the kids sitting near the back will call out, "I saw that on the internet!  It's fish!" The studious kiddos (who are reaching for their notepads already) cast nervous glances around the classroom as I affirm the internet-meme savant's observation.  If you take the gh from laugh, the o from women, and the ti from lotion, these sounds do sound out the word fish.  It's true.  Our language is messed-up, awkward, and seemingly random, but I emphasize that the English language is not arbitrary.  These incongruous spellings, awkward pronunciations, and frustrating usage rules have a rich history that begins with soldiers who painted themselves blue like smurfs and refused to bathe.  (Finally, each student has begun to take down notes, and the real "lesson" has begun.)

This fun attention-grabber is my favorite way to start the year!  What tricks do you use to hook your students' attention for a semester of English class?  Comment below!

Also, check out my fellow ELA bloggers' ideas through the link-up below.  Happy Back-to-School season!

An InLinkz Link-up

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5 Reasons Your High School Students Need to Read Audacity, by Melanie Crowder, NOW

Last week I picked up a young-adult novel and didn't put it down until I finished it four hours later.  This is not normal for me.  But neither is the book.

Audacity, by Melanie Crowder, incorporates everything I love about literature into a relevant novel for teenagers.  Here are five reasons your high-school students need to read this novel today:

1.  Relevant Themes of Courage, Difficult Decisions, and Standing Up for Others

Although this novel is set in the early twentieth century, its themes are spot-on for teenagers in 2015.  Clara, the protagonist, continually pushes herself out of her comfort zone -- even giving up some of her own dreams -- in order to speak out against her co-workers' mistreatment and inequality in the workplace.  These themes spawn excellent discussion questions:  "Which is more important -- the process or the outcome?"  "Who or what has the greatest influence on the decisions you make?"  "Which factors can hold people back from pursuing their dreams?"  The possibilities are endless.

2.  Free Verse

This may initially deter some young readers, but Crowder's free-verse writing style is perfect for teenagers with short attention spans.  Each "chapter" takes only one-three minutes to read, which helps readers find the main point quickly and accurately.  Besides, many teenagers have little to no experience with modern poetry, and Audacity provides an excellent example of this writing style without the seemingly irrelevant subject matter of some older authors.

3.  Stunning Figurative Language

I have never been this blown away by an author's use of crisp, clean imagery.  Both physical and abstract images came to life as I read Crowder's verses, and the many similes and metaphors stopped me in my tracks -- I had to re-read many lines simply because they were too good to read just once!  For students learning figurative language in the classroom, this novel can provide excellent examples of integrated literary devices.

4.  Historical Context

Equality can be difficult to discuss in many classrooms with its heated debates and current events.  Audacity's early twentieth-century setting helps to place distance between its events and students' emotions, while still addressing this sensitive issue.  Clara Lemlich, the novel's protagonist, was a real-life women's-rights activist, and this novel gives students a better picture of her life and mission as they wrestle with the complications of equality today.

5.  Female Protagonist

Clara Lemlich is one of the greatest female role models of the early twentieth century, but her courage and selflessness are worthy of emulation by both male and female teenagers. Let's hear it for powerful women of history!

I loved this book more than I have loved a book in a long time, and I am so excited that books of this quality are still being added to the market.  Have you read the book?  Let me know what you thought in the comments section below!

5 Reasons to Promote Publishing in the ELA Classroom

Many teachers devote a classroom bulletin board to the display of exemplary student work.  I have my own version of this "brag wall" for my students, but instead of posting the papers with the highest grades or most impressive quality, I choose student work that has actually been real-world published -- for money.  Here's why:

1.  I want my students to realize that there is more to life than good grades.  Straight-A students know that they're smart, and most get plenty of praise from their teachers already.  However, many successful adults had terrible grades in high school, and many straight-A students have thrown their lives away.  This year I worked with a student who had learning disabilities that made writing especially difficult for her.  I encouraged her to write about those struggles, and she did.  She sent in her story to an inspirational magazine for teens, and even though her verbs weren't conjugated correctly and her commas popped up where they shouldn't, the magazine editor appreciated her story and published it for payment.  Now other teenagers who have the same struggle will read her article and have hope.  That's the kind of thing I'm proud of -- students actually using what talents they have to make a difference.

2.  I want my students to get paid.  Sure, this may sound superficial.  We should write because we want to write, right?  But I have found that an 80-dollar check makes writing suddenly more relevant to a teenager.  I can hardly believe the astonishment on my students' faces each year when I tell them they have the opportunity to make a couple hundred bucks, just for doing their homework in my class.  They ask me to repeat myself, they ask me to clarify, and they ask me to repeat myself again.  They have the hardest time believing that schoolwork could actually lead to their financial success.  Personally, I feel like high school is the best time to learn this truth.  Besides, high-school kids are often either broke or dependent, and I want to teach them how to use their own talents and resources to provide for themselves.  A few paid articles here and there probably won't make them a living, but it's certainly a noble way to earn some extra income!

3.  I want to improve my school's reputation.  Getting students published is obviously good PR for a teacher, but I genuinely want to improve the reputation of my school's program in order for them to attract a larger number of students and donations, as this will lead to even greater success in the future.  Parents want to enroll their students in a program that pushes them to achieve impressive milestones beyond the normal academic expectations.  A program that pushes its students to submit articles for community or national publication will naturally attract more people!  I believe that each teacher should become a team player for his or her school.  This is my way of contributing to our academic community

If any teachers would like to add their own student-publishing successes, please comment below.  I would love to hear from you!

3 Ways to Make Vocabulary Instruction Fun

"Are we playing vocab games today?"
"Hey, can we do vocab today?"
"We're doing vocab!  Yes!"

I love hearing these comments and questions shouted back and forth as my teen-aged students trickle through my classroom door.  In a texting age in which numbers stand for words and one letter can substitute for an entire sentence ("k?"), vocabulary instruction matters now more than ever.  Years ago, I had wonderful high-school English teachers who made class fun with games and activities that we teenagers couldn't resist.  When I finally had my own classroom and my own English classes, I knew that I would do whatever it took to make the English language -- and especially its vocabulary -- even more fun to learn for today's teenagers.  

Here are some of my teens' favorite vocabulary review games:

1.  Vocabulary Charades

My students and I get a lot of laughs with this fun and hilarious game.  Typically, I split up my class into two teams, and each team takes a turn sending up one contestant.  I give the contestant a vocabulary word from our most recent list, and then I set the timer for 30 seconds.  Believe me, when a class sees their friend jumping around on one foot with a box of tissues on her head, they won't forget the anomaly for quite some time!

2.  Slap the Bucket

For classrooms with a high kinesthic-learner rate, this game is almost necessary!  I take my class to they gym (or outside if the weather is irresistible) and have my kids line up around the half-court lines.  I plop a bucket in the middle of the floor and call out a definition from our most recent vocabulary list.  Whoever can run to the bucket, slap it, and yell out the correct word first wins a point for his team!  This game may not explore the words in their context, but a little healthy repetition goes a long way if it's paired with other quality activities.  Even my most distracted students stay focused when I give them this athletic outlet!

3.  Vocab Pictionary

My visual learners love expressing their vocabulary words with pictures.  I often assign vocabulary cartoons, vocabulary posters, and other fun projects of the like, but Vocab Pictionary carries extra intensity for those with a competitive streak.  Again I split the class into two teams and allow the teams to take turns sending up a contestant.  The team gets 30 seconds to guess the vocab word behind its contestant's picture, and again the results leave a lasting impression.

After implementing these and many other vocabulary activities in my classroom, I was pleased, amazed, and impressed to discover that my students' vocabulary-quiz grades almost always averaged higher than 90% as a class.  I certainly can't take credit for their intelligence and creativity, but I do like to think that someday as they sit in their college dorm room, trying to find that perfect word for their impending term paper, they will remember that kid jumping up and down with the tissue box -- and smile.


Find More of My Vocab Games Here!

Make the dictionary come alive with fun for every learning style!