When my students complete a formal essay in class, I make it a point to go through the entire writing process with them. Once students have brainstormed and selected the main ideas for their essays, it is time to write the thesis statement. Since the thesis statement is such a crucial part of any academic paper or essay, I make sure I spend some time on each essay teaching my students how to write their thesis statement. When I teach my high school English students about the thesis statement, I tell them that it is a roadmap or framework sentence that encapsulates the entire main argument or claim of the essay. I have my students write their thesis statement at the end of their introduction, and I like to have them keep it to one sentence. For middle school and high school students, writing a thesis statement can be a challenging task. Here are some steps that I walk my students through to help them craft a strong thesis statement . 1. Identify topics, supporting arguments, and main re...

Getting to the end of a novel is exciting. I love when all of our ideas and discussions come together. I feel like we can have “meaty” conversations and the students see there was a method to my madness. However, if you’re tired of passing out an end-of-novel exam or essays, consider one of those activities. End of Novel Activities Socratic Seminar Facilitating a Socratic Seminar in the classroom is a great way to discuss, review, and analyze literature. Students partake in discussions and voice their own questions and opinions. Socratic Seminars can be used for any novel. You can accommodate by breaking your class up into smaller group sizes, so if you have a large class or vastly differening abilities, you can create better opportunities for students to have open discussions. This Socratic Seminar resource is great for teachers who are looking to assess a student’s understanding of literary analysis. Comic Strip Analysis A comic strip analysis activity for the end of a novel is not ...

An informative essay is a staple in middle school ELA and high school English classrooms. An informative essay is a type of writing meant to inform the reader about a specific topic. Informative essays are based on facts and evidence and are not meant to persuade or argue a particular point of view. When I teach informative essay writing to my students, I specify that essays should all be in one tense and written entirely in the third person. To help my students keep their writing in the third person, I like to use this Writing Spotlight: Writing in the Third Person mini-unit alongside my Informational Essay Writing Unit .  I've got you covered if you are looking for informational, informative, or explanatory writing prompts to use in your classroom! Here are 25 informative essay writing prompts to get you started. Write an informational essay about the history and significance of a major world event (e.g. the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first moon landing) Write an informational...

Classic literature is classic for a reason. There are themes that resonate across generations and timeless characters. The trouble is, students hear those classic titles and freeze up at the prospect of reading something “so old”. Instead of fighting them on it, I have paired modern novels to some of those classic works to help bridge that gap. Read on to see my suggestions for modern pairings to Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  Classic Focus Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of young boys who become deserted on an island. Although they begin with creating rules and organization with no adult help, they eventually collapse into brutality.  When my students begin their study of this novel, I tend to focus on a few major themes that I can mirror in my modern selections. Civilization vs. lawlessness is one of the biggest themes of the novel. It drives most of the instincts of the boys on the island. Loss of innocence is another biggie, as well as the dangers of mob menta...

Introducing students to graphic novels can be a great way for them to dive into literature and art. One of the great pulls of a graphic novel is that they help pull in readers because of their rich design and graphics. Graphic novels are a unique blend of words and illustrations that can tell powerful and engaging stories. Here are ten young adult graphic novels that are perfect for high school students. 1. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi This autobiographical graphic novel tells the story of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. 2. Maus by Art Spiegelman This Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel tells the story of a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust and his relationship with his son. 3. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel This coming-of-age graphic novel explores the author's relationship with her father and her own journey of self-discovery. *Suggested only for mature high school students. Please follow state and district guidelines for book suggestions.  4. Amer...

With finals season approaching, students and teachers alike are feeling the frenzy of panic looming over the classroom. Studying (a term sometimes believed to have its origins in the compound word "student-dying") is probably not high on your students' list of things to look forward to. However, while tests can be brutal, studying doesn't have to be! So long as you remind your students to be diligent and forgo any cramming, studying can be painless and gratifying. One thing that I also like to do is incorporate good study skills into my classroom. I encourage my students to take notes as they read, and before a test or quiz, I'll have my students review their notes. Teachers can easily model proper studying to students by reading texts critically, taking notes, and outlining sections in a book. Whether you are assigning a traditional multiple-choice exam or a Socratic Seminar ,  here is a list of study tips to share with your students to help them prepare for fin...

Even though most secondary ELA students have a plethora of English classes to choose from, at some point or another they probably are reading “classic” literature. And while I love that students can choose to take courses such as Contemporary English or Creative Writing, I still want them to see the power and timelessness of those classic works. Check out some of these tips for teaching these classics to modern readers. 1. Make it fast and friendly We live in a high-speed world. Sometimes I am more concerned with students getting the “gist” of a work rather than reading the entirety of a novel. No matter what I do, some students are just not going to find Victorian-era literature tantalizing. Instead, we might read passages and discuss connotations, or try to mimic writing style, or I’ll have them search for examples that make the novel fit into its genre. Think about what you want students to get out of the experience of reading the novel, play, or collection, and decide if it would b...

Grammar is one of those “you’ll use it in the real world” skills that, unfortunately, can be difficult to implement in the classroom. Especially if you are hitting on it as a stand-alone unit and not throughout the year. Here are five suggestions to help students improve their grammar. 1. Use real-life examples I have found humor to be the best example, which is why I love looking up “Grammar Fails” with my students. It is a great way to solidify grammar rules. You might also have students look for Grammar Fails throughout the year. They can bring it in for extra credit, and you can build a display in your room of student-found samples. 2. Daily practice I’ve never understood cramming grammar as its own unit. That’s a lot of rules for students to make sense of, and students who don’t already have a good grasp of grammar will struggle. If you want to see improvement, grammar should be practiced daily. Even if you dedicate 2-3 days a week to include grammar practice, you are helping your...

When it comes to teaching writing, there is just so much to teach. To build strong writers, students need to be well-versed in sentence structure, grammar, and how to organize their ideas, just to name a few skills. One of the best ways to teach middle school ELA and high school English students to become stronger writers is by focusing on specific skills one at a time. This way, students are not overwhelmed, and teachers can more easily assess a certain writing skill. Here is a look at ten resources middle school ELA and high school English teachers can use to help build strong writers. Introduction and Thesis Statment Teaching Unit Teaching students how to write a thesis statement is a crucial step in the essay writing process. Whenever I begin a new essay with my students, I always take some time to review thesis statement writing with my students by using this thesis statement teaching unit . This teaching unit comes with an editable presentation and student resources. This unit is...

I can hear it now. One student defiantly raises a hand as I introduce our Latin vocabulary. Before I can even begin explaining the benefits, the student asks, “Why are we learning about this in English class?” Next time you have a student asking why they need to study roots and vocabulary from Greek and Latin, have this list on hand. 1. Greek and Latin are foundational You will be hard-pressed to find vocabulary without influence from Greek or Latin. The truth is, these “ancient” languages heavily influence our modern languages (particularly the Romantic ones). In fact, students who hope to learn other languages, especially Romantic ones, would do well to focus on building vocabulary in English rooted in Latin. Romance languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish, and Latin influences about 80% of the vocabulary in all of these languages. That’s 800 million people whose language is built on Latin alone. 2. Greek and Latin are building blocks English is not consid...

You’ve come to the end of another novel or short story. Now what? If you’re looking to spice up your review activities with something fresh, unique, or just plain different than your average paper, read on! Here are ten ways to review a novel or short story. 1. Socratic Seminars Why write when you can discuss? If you’re unfamiliar with a Socratic Seminar , it is a method to understand information by creating a dialogue in class. Students should find deeper understanding and discuss complex ideas. Works that are “heavy” or require your students to really think about issues are perfect for Socratic Seminars. Socratic Seminar for ANY text! 2. Create a Game You can either have students create their own game with various templates they find online, or you can create a game that students will play in order to review. Either way, it’s a fun excuse to host a game day in your classroom and breaks up the monotony of review, papers, and tests. I really like having students create their own games,...