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

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!

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