The Teaching ELA Podcast: Recent Episodes
Trent
Most ela teachers feel like they don't have enough time to get everything done that they need to get done. That's why every podcast episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast has a goal to get you something you can use right now, tomorrow, or a week from next Tuesday. That means you can leave on time today and still have a great lesson for tomorrow.Welcome to the Teaching ELA podcast where I help ELA teachers thrive in and out of the classroom. In this podcast I discuss real teaching for real classrooms--whether it’s lesson plans and lesson ideas for a specific piece of literature, a teaching strategy or life strategy, I talk about things ELA teachers need. My promise is that with each episode you'll have an ELA lesson plan or teaching strategy you can use right now and in the days to come. No more fruitless searches for short story lesson plans, novel lesson plans, poetry lesson plans, or writing lesson plans. They're all right here on the Teaching ELA Podcast.
Foreshadowing in literature is hints given by the author of what will happen later. To demonstrate mastery of foreshadowing in literature, students must achieve five levels of understanding:
- They must be able to define foreshadowing – Level 1 is simple memorization. It is possible for students (or even a really smart monkey) to recite the definition without understanding it.
- Students should be able to identify foreshadowing – Level 2 eliminates the monkey. It shows the ability to apply the definition in a literary setting. Any high school student can do this with a bit of practice. Identification, however, falls short of mastery.
- Students should be able to substantiate predictions based on the author’s clues. Level 3 is really close to mastery. It requires high level thinking, even if the predictions are wrong. It falls short of mastery insomuch that the skill is only relevant as it pertains to a specific story
- Students should be able to determine the author’s purpose in using the foreshadowing – Level 4 indicates mastery of foreshadowing in literature. The ability to analyze author’s purpose facilitates critical thinking and will help individuals make sense of advertising, political speeches, editorials, and news reports. In short, knowing what the author’s purpose is will help them make informed decisions.
- Students should be able to use foreshadowing in their own writing for a specific purpose – Level 5 is difficult to measure. Few students reach this mark and is a highly advanced skill.
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Why teach foreshadowing in Literature?
Teaching foreshadowing in short stories may cover the following Common ELA Standards.
- RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text
- RL.9-10.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
Two Minute Lesson Plan: Suspense Lesson Plan
I’m a big fan of charts. This chart deals with suspense. This link connects to short stories for teaching suspense.
- Discuss how writers create suspense: (1) foreshadowing; (2) pacing; (3) dangerous action
- Create a two-column chart.
- In the left column write an example of how the author creates suspense. In the right column, label it as pacing, dangerous action, or foreshadowing.
Check out this Suspense in the”Most Dangerous Game” chart. It’s a word document, so you can edit its contents to fit whatever story you wish.
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Charles Dickens’ father was a pay clerk in a navy office. Because of financial difficulties, the family moved about until they settled in Camden Town, a poor neighborhood in London, England. At the age of twelve Charles worked with working-class men and boys in a factory that handled "blacking," or shoe polish. While his father was in debtor's prison, the rest of the family moved to live near the prison, leaving Charles to live alone. This experience of lonely hardship was the most significant event of his life. It colored his view of the world and would later be described in a number of his novels.
Today’s quote comes from Great Expectations, a novel I first read in college when I was going through my read everything by Charles Dickens phase.
A great choice you can make is to head on over to elacommoncorelessonplans.com.
If you recall the novel, Pip grows up impoverished, receives a large sum of money from a generous benefactor, and makes a mess of his life. His financial mess can be attributed to a lack of financial restraint:
"So now, as an infallible way of making little ease great ease, I began to contract a quantity of debt."
Takeaways
- Great literature is more than a great story.
- Just because we’re teachers doesn’t mean we’re destined to be poor.
- Create a budget and stick to it.
Resources
- 15 Good Money Habits
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
Today’s quote comes from David Copperfield, a novel I first read in college when I was going through my read everything by Charles Dickens phase. Young David Copperfield meets Mr. Micawber who has many a problem with money; that is, he has no ability nor desire to manage his money well, always incurring debts and never able to pay them off, landing him eventually in debtors' prison.
By the way, if you’ve seen the movie that came out a couple years back, Mr. Micawber does not get the kind treatment that Dickens gives him in the novel. And since we’re talking about the movie, I must say I absolutely loved it.
Today’s money quote is very wise and ironically comes from the bumbling money manager himself, Mr. Micawber:
“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”
Takeaways
- Great literature is more than a great story.
- Just because we’re teachers doesn’t mean we’re destined to be poor.
- Create a budget and stick to it.
Resources
- 15 Good Money Habits
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
I’ll be honest. I usually stop reading Julius Caesar after Act 3 and show the movie for Acts 4 and 5 because everything after act 3 is just falling action. And there’s a lot of falling.
Takeaways
- I’m not sure the play’s worth teaching/reading after Act III. There are a couple good movies you can show on YouTube to give students the ending they crave.
- Shakespeare depicts Marc Antony as a cut throat politician.
- Back-stabbing is a topic high school students can relate to.
Resources
- Julius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r
Takeaways
- Habits create our future. What type of future are your habits creating?
- Consistent exercise will change your life.
- Start small, master it, go less small.
Resources
- Benefits of Exercise Blog Post https://thehighlyeffectiveteacher.com/how-exercise-boosts-teacher-wellbeing/
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
Shakespeare makes it clear that Caesar was a very popular ruler of Rome. It’s also clear that Mark Antony uses this to incite the people to rebellion. But does the literature represent reality?
Act III is one of the greatest acts in the history of drama, full of famous lines, such as “ET tu Brute?” but one must look to Marc Antony for the greatest lines in the plan and the greatest speech in all of literature. For those of you who haven’t ever seen a young Marlon Brando as Marc Antony, you really haven’t experienced the full Shakespeare experience.
Life Lesson
The assassination fallout would have gone much better for the assassins had Brutus gotten off his high horse just a little. It’s like, Brutus, you just stabbed your freaking best friend. You’re not all that honorable, dude!
Although I’ve never stabbed anyone, I sometimes get on my high horse in the classroom and act like I’ve never made a mistake. This could get you in trouble, alienate colleagues, and make you look like a total cornhole.
I’d also like to add a bonus life lesson. Caesar thought these people over whom he ruled were his friends. He was mistaken and paid for this mistake with his life. Too often, I’ve seen colleagues think his or her students were friends and the repercussions of such thoughts have brought trouble and disgrace upon many a teacher. Your students are not your friends. They are your students. I’ve always urged young teachers to maintain strict boundaries between themselves and their students. This includes social media.
Takeaways
- Smart people do stupid things.
- Watch Marlon Brando’s Julius Caesar speech. I’m sure it’s on YouTube.
- Your students aren’t your friends.
Resources
- Julius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
Today’s quote of the day is one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, which naturally makes it one of the most famous quotes in Literature.
Quote: Caesar: Cowards die many times before their deaths; / The valiant never taste of death but once. / Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, / It seems to me most strange that men should fear, / Seeing that death, a necessary end, / Will come when it will come. (II, ii, 32-37).
Analysis: Caesar shows bravery in these lines. His actions, however, demonstrate recklessness. Little does Caesar know, his death will come in the next act. This is irony, which we’ll talk more about in a few minutes.
That’s because Caesar is not showing bravery. He’s showing pride and arrogance and stupidity. It’s ironic that this quote is oft quoted for those trying to rally others to bravery. That’s one of the many delicious things about Shakespeare is that some of his best lines are said by his most tragic and foolish characters (I’m looking at you Polonius).
Takeaways
- Although Caesar is wise in his assessment of cowards dying many times before their death, it’s safe to say he didn’t realize his one death was coming so soon.
- Sometimes backing down is the more courageous act. It takes humility.
- Let’s not take unnecessary risks by not having good lesson plans.
Resources
- Julius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r
Caesar has good reason to worry about Cassius and if Cassius was his only threat, he would have survived the assassination plot. It’s the threats he couldn’t see that lead to his death. Those threats include his best friend Brutus and other noble Romans.
So what are we overlooking as we prepare for the upcoming school year? We can prepare for known threats, but how are we preparing for the unknown? What habits are we establishing in the classroom that will help us recognize and extinguish classroom problems?
I did a podcast episode long ago on the one habit that changed my career.
I’ve got a warning for you: If you don’t have good lesson plans, your class might be a disaster. That’s why I have 2 resources for you in the show notes:
(1) If you’re looking to make your summer a little more productive or perhaps you want to free up some time and not take the metaphorical knife to the back in the fall, I’ve got great news. I’ve created a course specifically designed for ELA Teachers on how to create a semester’s worth of lesson plans in just a few days. So imagine having all your lesson plans done for the entire first semester or even the entire year on the first day of school.
(2) I’ve put together a collection of Julius Caesar lesson plans over at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com. Of course, you can find more than just Julius Caesar lesson plans.
Takeaways
- Cassius and Julius Caesar are both astute politicians who sometimes ignore sound advice and accept bad advice.
- We all know Caesar dies, so why do we enjoy the play so much? It’s because of Shakespeare’s ability to use the English language with purpose.
- What habits are you cultivating to make you ready for the unseen dangers that lurk in the classroom?
Resources
- Julius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r
Oops! I did it again. I compiled some quotes podcasts and published them as if it were a new podcast episode.
Ray Bradbury holds a special place in my heart. In addition to having written some of my favorite short stories and one of my favorite novels, he was the subject of my first ever internet lesson plan back in 2002. It involved a visit to RayBradbury.com and students looking up information and writing letters to the author. Now it seems like a silly thing to have gotten excited over, but it was over twenty years ago and who knew what the internet would become.
Actually, Ray Bradbury probably did.
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Ray Bradbury Resources
I put a couple of Bradbury's short stories together in case you missed the original back in February.
My daughter like's Bradbury and it's her birthday.
In this episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss one of my favorite science fiction stories, “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury. I’ve got an emergency "Veldt" lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving setting and conflict. If you’re going to teach one thing from this story that will make everything else easier or no longer necessary, teach students to cite textual evidence to analyze theme. I discuss that along with the elements of science fiction, cause and effect, conflict, and a Methods of Persuasion Advertising Project.
- Use a setting/conflict 2-column analysis chart if you need a lesson plan right now.
- If you’re going to teach one thing from this story, go with theme. It will naturally lead to the elements of Science Fiction and help you teach cause and effect and methods of persuasion.
- This story was written in the 1950s, long before virtual technology existed.
- Science Fiction isn't just for nerds!
Show Links
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans Collection (4 teacher ready lesson plans you can use right now)
- “The Veldt” Lesson Plans at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- Analyzing Conflict in “The Veldt” handout (Different from the one we talked about)
- “The Veldt” text
- “The Veldt” movie
In case you missed an episode or two, I'll be putting together some compilations. Today's quotes come from "The Most Dangerous Game," "To Build a Fire," and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner."
Links
- ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
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- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
Caesar has ample information to ascertain there is a viable threat against his life, so why does he not heed these warnings?
It’s because of pride. He thinks he’s untouchable. He thinks that his decrees carry the force of god.
How are we like Caesar? Do we listen those who are “beneath” us or do we think we’re too good to listen to the advice of our students, our colleagues, and others? If so, we may be setting ourselves up for a huge downfall, hopefully nobody’s going to stab you, but we may be setting ourselves up for a metaphorical stab in the back.
Takeaways
- Julius Caesar shows why humility might be the best way to avoid a gigantic fall.
- “Beware the Ides of March” is probably the most famous warning in literature.
- What warnings are you ignoring in your classroom or personal life?
Resources
- Julius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r
Poe is the most famous of American Romantic writers. One aspect of this literary movement is a fascination with death and the supernatural. And is there anything more supernatural and portentous of death than a Raven that quotes “Nevermore.”
“Nevermore” is not the literary quote of the day, by the way, but it does come from Poe’s “The Raven.”
Takeaways
- “The Raven” is one of the most famous poems in the English language
- There’s a cool episode of The Simpsons about “The Raven.”
- “The Raven” is a great poem for teaching poetic devices.
Resources
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories
“Masque of the Red Death” is one of those stories that became more relevant around March of 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic. Plagues and pandemics have not only been a part of human history, but in many cases they have changed history. We are fortunate today that we have communication and medical capabilities that limit the effect of pandemics and disease. So despite the disruption to our lives and the personal tragedies some of my listeners may have faced due to Covid-19, I think it’s ok to look forward with optimism and faith. In the end, however, we control our thoughts and we can choose to look forward with faith or dwell on the negatives of the last couple years.
How might looking forward with faith and gratitude make a difference in your life?
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories
I don’t really know the exact truth about Poe’s personal life, but his writing expertness cannot be denied. One thing that makes him so iconic, in addition to his tales of horror, is his ability to innovate. You’ll notice that famous short story writer was not really an occupation before Poe. You’ll also note that detective stories did not exist before Poe.
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories
Poe is best remembered for his tales of terror and haunting stories and poems. He is credited as one of the earliest writers of short stories, the inventor of the modern detective story, and an innovator in the genre of science fiction.
Takeaways
- One can easily infer that Poe was a wee bit unstable based on passages like the one we read, but that’s not necessarily true.
- This is a great short story any time of year, not just Halloween.
Resources
- “The Black Cat” Blog Post
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories
Here's a replay podcast of one of my favorite poems. So on this 4th of July, remember those who secured our dreams.
Here's what a loss of freedom looks like, at least according to Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron"
I don't feel like doing podcasts over 4th of July weekend, but if you feel like listening, here are some old teaching poetry podcast episodes.
John Keats is my favorite poet. That’s not something I normally tell people. Perhaps that’s the real reason I do this podcast…so I can tell you who my favorite poets and poems are. It’s not like I sit around and discuss literary quotes with my friends like I’ve been doing all summer with y’all.
Life Lesson
The poem’s topic is perfection. And I think a lot of us become perfectionists in the classroom. I want to say that perfectionists and perfection are not the same. Because perfection is an impossible goal on Earth–even if it does exist in some form, according to Keats at least–doesn’t mean we need to achieve it to be effective in the classroom.
Takeaways
- Keats found perfection on an urn, so perfection does exist. It’s just not very practical in real life.
- Perfectionism is not the same as perfect.
- Be careful not to cast this pearl of a poem on the swine of a class that doesn’t appreciate literary greatness.
Resources
- “Ode on a Grecian Urn” Blog Post
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Poetry Lesson Plan Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/poetry-guides
Once Romeo sets his mind to something, he sees it through, even if there is evidence to the contrary. Because he’s convinced Juliet is dead and because he has already made up his mind to end his life, he ignores everything else that’s going on.
Links
- Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
As far as Friars go, you can’t do much worse than Friar Laurence. He conducted the marriage ceremony of two teenagers who had known each other for a couple of days without permission from their parents. Who does that?
Life Lesson
Be careful who you’re taking advice from.
Links
- Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Blog Post about Friar Lawrence
Life Lesson
Let’s get back to the ‘tis torture and not mercy quote. Romeo is governed by emotion. Guess who else is governed by emotions? Your students. And guess who else is governed by emotions? You and I! And what causes our emotions? Our thoughts. So what thoughts are we hearing over and over? I don’t know. I can’t read your mind. But it’s important to listen to the soundtracks playing in our brain and asking ourselves if they’re serving us. If they are, great. Keep playing it. If not, it’s time to change that soundtrack.
Are we governed by emotions in the classroom? There are days when we don’t feel like teaching. Note the term feel is about emotion. We can overcome those feelings with a well-prepared lesson. When we don’t have to drag a class through what we’re learning we’ll do much better, especially when it comes to a Shakespearean play.
Links
- Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
Let’s get back to the quote. Romeo is governed by emotion. Guess who else is governed by emotions? Your students. And guess who else is governed by emotions? You and I! And what causes our emotions? Our thoughts. So what thoughts are we hearing over and over? I don’t know. I can’t read your mind. But it’s important to listen to the soundtracks playing in our brain and asking ourselves if they’re serving us. If they are, great. Keep playing it. If not, it’s time to change that soundtrack.
Links
- Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
There’s like 8 examples of figurative language in these 3 lines. Examples include hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and personification. You could do a couple things with this once school starts again. And since it’s summer, who cares, right? But maybe you could bookmark this and come back to it or maybe you’re listening to this 4 months after I posted it: (1) Challenge students to write 3 lines of poetry that contains 5 examples of figurative language; (2) Make a chart. Duh! Like you didn’t know I was gonna do a chart did you?
If you want a bunch of already made Romeo and Juliet lesson plans then you’ve come to the right place. Actually, the show notes are the right place. Click on the link.
Life Lesson
Let’s get back to the quote. Romeo is governed by emotion. Guess who else is governed by emotions? Your students. And guess who else is governed by emotions? You and I! And what causes our emotions? Our thoughts. So what thoughts are we hearing over and over? I don’t know. I can’t read your mind. But it’s important to listen to the soundtracks playing in our brain and asking ourselves if they’re serving us. If they are, great. Keep playing it. If not, it’s time to change that soundtrack.
Links
- Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
Mr. Shakespeare reminds us that teaching ELA is more than just hosting a book club. There is a place for reading for pleasure during SSR, for example, but the purpose of teaching ELA is to help students develop critical reading and thinking and writing skills. That’s why knowing the end at the beginning isn’t really a big deal. In fact, there’s a lot more to literature than knowing the plot.
In a Shakespeare play it’s what happens in between the beginning and the end that matter. Life is the same way. We all know how this ends. We die. It’s what happens before then where we find the true import of things. So what are you doing today–in the classroom or at the beach since it’s summer vacation–that will matter?
Life Lesson
I’ve already touched upon the life lesson here that it’s what happens between the beginning and the end that really matters. We can also look at Romeo’s downfall as a series of bad luck combined with poor choices. Perhaps you can keep a running talley of Romeo’s poor choices and others’ poor choices that lead to his death (Spoiler alert).
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
- Romeo and Juliet Blog Posts
The novel’s protagonist, Gene, has issues. His best friend has a limp, a permanent limp probably and Gene is the one who caused it. Don’t you hate it when in a fit of jealousy you cause your best friend to fall off a tree limb and he becomes permanently crippled?
At this point of the novel, Gene debuts as the assistant crew manager on the rowing team. He remarks on the occasion.
Quote: "I supposed that Quackenbush was studying me to see if he could detect a limp. But I knew that his flat black eyes would never detect my trouble" (77).
Analysis: Gene knows that Quackenbush likes to assert his authority over those whom he considers inferior, on account of his own inferiority. It was common for the assistant crew manager, Gene's position on the rowing team, to have some physical malady that prevented him from participating in a sport. Gene's true limp, however, existed metaphorically in his soul. By expressing his deficiency in this manner, Gene highlights his desire to be just like Finny, whose limp is real, and whose limp he caused.
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
The first time I read Catcher in the Rye, I liked and felt bad for Holden Caufield. The second time I read it, I couldn’t stand Holden Caufield and was happy about his demise. These contradictory feelings toward one of American Literature’s most famous protagonists is in line with Caufield’s contradictory feelings toward just about everything.
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Catcher in the Rye Blog Post
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
I thought I had a well behaved class…until I got a student teacher. That’s when the Lord of the Flies broke out. Kids who had been angels in the classroom for over half the school year turned into savages. One day the student teacher left for the day and I resumed my role as teacher. And they suddenly turned to angels again.
That led me to think about civilization and the meaning of being civilized. Without rules do even the most civilized turn into savages? William Golding thought so.
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Lord of the Flies Blog Post
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
Twain exposes the illusion of security. He experienced many calamities toward the end of his life, a leading cause of his writing turning from fun to bitter.
This reminds me of my early years in teaching. I made sure I had everything prepared and written out because I knew I’d be spending much of my energy and time managing the oversized class I was teaching.
I made it a priority to be extremely prepared. I don’t recall the name of the story I was teaching that day, but the story was in the textbook and since it was the first time I’d used the textbook that day, I gave the simple instruction to go grab a textbook off the bookshelf.
I have no idea why students were in such a hurry to go grab a book for an assignment maybe a third of them would actually do, but a stampede ensued.
That’s one calamity I was not prepared for.
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Mark Twain Quotes Blog Post
- Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
Mark Twain once said, "Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won't fatten the dog." Despite this truth, that a lack of education often forces one to find alternative means to self-reliance, cash strapped states look to education cuts as the first remedy for budget deficits, not realizing that saving money on education in the short term costs them money in the long run. Education as a vehicle to self reliance shows itself especially during a national economic crisis--ironically, most common time for education cuts. According to CNN, the unemployment rate for college graduates is less than half of the rate for those with just a high school diploma. For those without a high school diploma, finding a job is nigh impossible. Make all the budget cuts you wish, governor, but make sure you use the money saved to build more prisons and welfare offices.
Links
- Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
- Mark Twain Quotes Blog Post
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
It’s safe to say these migrant workers have it tough, but is George and Lennie’s dream really impossible? I mean they actually almost have enough to buy the place. How much money does George waste on booze and prostitutes?
It’s easy to look back after a failure and blame our circumstances. It’s easy to blame society. After all, when people become losers in the US, they claim the American Dream is dead. Did you know that right now there are people walking from Honduras to Texas for a small chance of what writers like Steinbeck says is dead.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your dreams are dead just because you’ve failed once or twice.
Links
- Of Mice and MenThemes Blog Post
- Of Mice and MenUnit
- Short Stories for Teaching EmpathyLesson Plans
The first time I read chapter 5 of Of Mice and Men I was on a stationary bike at Gold’s Gym. When Lennie broke Curley’s Wife’s neck, I had to stop, walk outside, and collect myself. Today’s literary quote of the day comes from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
Links
- Of Mice and MenThemes Blog Post
- Of Mice and MenUnit
- Short Stories for Teaching Empathy Lesson Plans
Nick doesn’t drink very often, but when he does it’s usually at an apartment in New York with his cousin’s husband and his cousin’s husband’s mistress. In what might be considered the least fun party in literary history, Nick finds himself looking for something to read. And what does he choose. Let’s find out from Nick himself.
Links
- The Great Gatsby Unit Plan
- The Great Gatsby Blog Post
- Short Stories for Teaching Symbolism Lesson Plans
Meet Jay Gatsby, Nick's new neighbor. Gatsby stares at a green light in the distance. The green light he sees shines on the dock of Daisy Buchanan, whom Gatsby loves, even though they haven't seen each other for five years. Today, we call this stalking. The green light, in a broader sense, symbolizes the American Dream and the pursuit of wealth--something, despite his immense riches--Gatsby never achieves.
The novel has many symbols. The green light is one of them. If you feel like teaching symbolism in The Great Gatsby, list important symbols, such as the green light, the Eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg, The Valley of Ashes, East Egg and West Egg, and Gatsby’s gaudy yellow car.
Links
- The Great Gatsby Unit Plan
- The Great Gatsby Blog Post
- Short Stories for Teaching Symbolism Lesson Plans
Nothing screams summer fun like a dystopian novel that involves characters getting metaphorically stomped on the face over and over and over and loving it in the end. That’s why we’re going with our third and final quote from 1984.
Life Lesson
I believe there are honest financial advisors in the world. Unfortunately, I believe 85% of them are, at worst, dishonest and at best, incompetent. So if you want me to pay you to invest my money, there’s an 85% chance that I’m going to get screwed. There’s a correlation here between this and government programs, I suppose.
Links
- 8 Short Stories and Novels that Exemplify the Dangers of Big Government Blog Post
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
In addition to being ironic, the party's slogan is an oxymoron, a statement which on the surface is contradictory, but in reality contains truth. The party slogan holds different meanings, depending on who's reading it, making it an intelligent example of verbal irony: for the inner party it means as long as Oceania is at war, the masses are able to direct their anger at an enemy and not at the party; the inner party enjoys its freedom insomuch as it enslaves the masses, be it outer party members, proletariats, or workers in the war zone; as long as the masses remain ignorant to the truth, the party remains strong.
Those not understanding the machinations of the inner party believe peace can only be achieved by conquering the world and eliminating the enemies of the party and of Oceania. They believe that to act freely would lessen Oceania's strength and lead it to possible doom. They believe that any deviation from the party weakens the nation, preferring to remain ignorant.
Links
- 8 Short Stories and Novels that Exemplify the Dangers of Big Government Blog Post
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Big Brother is able to maintain absolute control over the citizens of Oceania by controlling all information. One critical aspect of information control is determining what history is taught and what information from the past remains. In the words of the Party
Quote: Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
Links
- 8 Short Stories and Novels that Exemplify the Dangers of Big Government Blog Post
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Although I live in the Caribbean and have spent most of my adult years in warm weather locations, I remember the cold of a Northern Ohio winter. Those of you from the North can relate to snot freezing to your nostrils and the need to give your hair time to dry before you exit the house in the morning.
But that’s nothing compared to our good friend who decides to walk alone in the Yukon when it’s 73 degrees below zero. Those of you familiar with “To Build a Fire” knows what happens to him.
Links
- “To Build a Fire” Podcast Episode
- “To Build a Fire” Blog Post
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
When I was in high school I borrowed my friends headphones and broke them. Instead of doing the right thing and replacing them, I avoided him and his mom for weeks. I think Madame Loisel from “The Necklace” should have followed my example.
Emotional Intelligence Moment
An attitude of entitlement is easy to spot in others. But in what ways are we feeling entitled? The next time you start to complain, ask yourself if there’s an attitude of entitlement present.
Entitlement stops growth. It gives power to forces we have no control over. So take back control.
Links
- “The Necklace” Blog Post
- Short Stories for Teaching Irony Lesson Plans
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
You’ve all probably heard the statistics on what happens to Lottery winners. A majority of them end up no better or even worse off than before their victory. In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, it’s clear that everyone who wins this town’s lottery ends up worse off than they were before.
How many things do we continue doing just because it’s how they used to be done or they were done that way when we were in school?
Links
- Teaching “The Lottery” Podcast Episode
- “The Lottery” Blog Post
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
“Harrison Bergeron” shows a dystopian society where government and the misapplication of equality has evolved with tragic consequences. In the year 2081–less than 60 years away–the meaning of equality has changed from being equal under the law as intended (with varying degrees of success) in the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution to equality meaning that everybody has to be equal on every which way.
In this case, government working under the pretense of promoting equality strips away individual rights in an effort to gain absolute control of its populace. Although the degree to which it is done in the story is extreme, the concept shouldn’t be foreign to anyone who follows current events.
Links
- “Harrison Bergeron” Blog Post
- Science Fiction Short Story Lesson Plans
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Today’s literary quote of the day involves an ironic short story from a great writer of ironic short stories. It’s from Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.”
It seems cruel that Mrs. Mallard would find joy in the death of her husband, but an understanding of the social limitations on women during this period makes this story and Mrs. Mallard’s reaction more understandable. She is now free to do as she wishes without the weight of being subservient to her husband.
Links
- Teaching Irony Lesson Plans
- “The Story of an Hour” Blog Post
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Sanger Rainsford thinks he’s pretty cool as he rides his yacht to go hunt in South America. In response to a fellow hunter’s observation that animals experience emotions like fear, Sanger Rainsford responds, “Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters.”
Now I suppose Rainsford is right. It is better to be the hunter than the hunted. Rainsford discovers first hand what it’s like to be the hunted.
Although I’m not sure the importance of showing empathy to animals in the wild, but it’s something Rainsford now has. This reminds me of one of my favorite novels, Ender’s Game. What makes Ender such a fierce warrior, despite being only 10 years old, is his ability to empathize with his opponent, to understand exactly what his opponent is thinking or feeling, to love his opponent…right in the instant he kills them.
Now I would hope we don’t try to empathize with others so we can kill them more effectively, but the emotional skill of empathy would solve a lot of what ails our schools and our society. Check out the short stories for teaching empathy lesson plans in the show notes.
Links
- “The Most Dangerous Game” Podcast Episode
- “Most Dangerous Game” Blog Post
- Short Stories for Teaching Empathy Lesson Plans
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Today’s literary quote of the day involves the master of suspense and a student favorite with young scholars. It’s from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum.”
Set the scene: The narrator finds himself in a dungeon, strapped on a board as a scythe slowly descends. He realizes that unless he escapes from the bands that secure him, the scythe will slice him in two at the heart. That’s when he comes up with a clever, yet disgusting plan, to rub the food he has nearby on the straps to attract the resident rats to come chew the straps.
Let’s talk about the power of positive thinking. You have to admit the narrator finds himself in one heckuva bad situation, yet he continues to think of a way out. Most people would have given up by now, but not our narrator.
So in what ways are you giving up? What if we succeeded and tried no matter what?
Links
- “Pit and the Pendulum” blog post
- The Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe Lesson Plans
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
How many times per day do you tell your students that if they believe in themselves they can achieve anything?
What you say is, “Hey if you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything!”
What they hear is: Blah! Blah! Blah!
In other words, they’re not buying what you’re selling:
- You don’t believe it.
- Because you aren’t accomplishing your dreams.
In this episode, I break down why believing in yourself is the ultimate key to getting what you want. I challenge you to put your actions where your mouth is. Learn how to handle the uncomfortable and scary obstacles in your path and practice your skill of believing harder.
When we start believing in ourselves then students will take that cue and start believing in themselves.
I want you to stop talking about it and start doing something about it.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
The following incident took place in the portables located out in the jungleish part of the school not too long ago.
UNLESS she alters her course and there’s no reason why she should, she’ll reach your classroom in two hours at the latest.”
Mr. Leiningen sucked placidly at a rolled up scantron about the size of a corncob and for a few seconds gazed without answering at the agitated Department Chair. Then he took the scantron from his lips, and leaned slightly forward. With his bristling grey hair, bulky nose, and lucid eyes, he had the look of an aging and shabby eagle.
“Decent of you,” he murmured, “waddling all this way just to give me the tip. But you’re pulling my leg of course when you say I must do bunk. Why, even a herd of superintendents couldn’t drive me from this portable of mine...
Links
- Short Stories for Teaching Conflict Lesson Plans
- Setting and Atmosphere in “Leiningen vs. the Ants”
- “Leiningen vs The Ants” blog post
- Short Story Teaching Guide Central
- Complete “Leiningen vs. The Ants” Unit Plan
Prioritize sleep - When we think about health and fitness, most people point to exercise and diet. What many people neglect is sleep. Your body needs to rest in order to function physically, emotionally, and mentally.
This is kind of a little talked about hazard of teaching. We start work super early. If you find yourself dragging, short-tempered, or unmotivated, it might not be what you’re doing at work that’s causing it. It could be what you’re not doing at home.
Why sleep is such an important part of mental and physical health.
- Sleep boosts immunity. Mmm? I’m trying to think if there’s been any viruses going around lately. One way to boost immunity–even more so than a silly cloth mask that ends up on our chin more often than not–is to get enough sleep. Now what constitutes enough sleep depends on the individual, but to aim for at least 7 hours and up to 9 hours is a good goal.
- Sleep boosts mood. It doesn’t take scientific research to recognize that a lack of sleep negatively affects mood. You will enjoy your day more when you’re well rested and not being Mr or Mrs Grumpy because you didn’t sleep enough last night.
- The third benefit to enough sleep is energy. Don’t lurch for the caffeinated beverage for energy. Lurch for your pillow at a decent hour.
I think we all know that sleep is important, but how can we get more of it. Here are suggestions.
Takeaways
- Sleep might be the secret to establishing a successful classroom.
- The key to getting enough sleep has more to do with night time habits than morning habits.
- Start simple habits and experience the joy of more sleep.
Resources
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
I mentioned in our last mental health podcast episode the dangers of self-criticism. So I want to share with you how to change your thoughts without telling what your brain will recognize as an obvious lie.
Remember our thoughts create our emotions, which influence our actions, which determine our results. So if we have thoughts such as I suck as a teacher or I can’t control my class, or nothing I do matters, or I do all this work and see no results, or the principal doesn’t appreciate my work.
How do these thoughts make us feel? What emotions do we experience when our thoughts are that we suck at teaching? I can’t imagine we feel very good. I can’t imagine we experience positive emotions and I can’t imagine our actions are going to be actions that will bring us success.
So how do we change that thought?
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
After teaching high school for 20 years, I was a little nervous about my new middle school teaching assignment. Then I realized it’s kind of the same as teaching high school, except students are smaller and the stories are different.
The skills, however, remain the same–just at a different level.
And of course the learning target stays the same: “I can cite textual evidence to support analysis.”
You mean, middle school students are capable of citing textual evidence and analyzing literature?
They are with this “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros lesson plan.
Links
- “Eleven” Support-Refute Organizer
- “Eleven” Blog Post
- Short Story Teaching Guide Central
- Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
There are times when you are going to say the wrong thing. You might give a lesson that just isn’t very good, You might hurt or disappoint your students or colleagues, hopefully unintentionally, but maybe sometimes on purpose.
It’s because sometimes, you suck. We all do, and it’s OK.
Takeaways
- Sometimes we suck and that’s ok. Forgive yourself.
- When we resist the emotions that come with making mistakes we lash out at ourselves and others.
- Stopping and analyzing the situation from a place of humility and charity will turn the situation around–at least in your own head and that’s all that really matters.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
When Mr. Vinny and three others new teachers dropped down into Mr. Ravine’s classroom, they entered a jungle thick with tangled ungraded papers and rumors of what might have happened to the dead teacher’s body. The paper trail was slick and, in places where it had fallen away, flat-out dangerous. In the midst of the paper pile, Mr. Vinny found what he had been looking for: A Character Analysis Lesson Plan for “The Ravine” by Graham Salisbury.
- Character Analysis Lesson Plan for “The Ravine”
- “The Ravine” blog post
- Short Story Teaching Guide Central
- Short Stories for Teaching Empathy Lesson Plans
As you may recall, Stress is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone. In fact, the human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. When you experience changes or challenges (stressors), your body produces physical and mental responses. That’s stress.
Stress responses help your body adjust to new situations. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger. For example, if your students have an important test coming up, a stress response might help their mind work harder and stay awake longer.
Today we’ll discuss practical actions to reduce stress.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
We’re going to focus mainly today on the signs of stress. We know that teaching can be stressful, especially when we add to it life circumstances.
Takeaways
- Stress is the only way we grow.
- Too much stress will kill you.
- Instead of hiding from the emotions through unhealthy behaviors, give yourself permission to feel the emotions.
Our next Teacher Mental Health Month Episode will focus on healthy behaviors for coping with stress.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
It’s 2026 and everyone is dead. All that’s left are four silhouettes on the outside wall. Oh, that and an automated house that carries on as if nothing has happened. The house performs its functions wonderfully until a tree crashes through a window, starts a fire, and destroys the house.
Not a ton of action, is there? This is one of those stories where the brilliance of it exists outside of what happens.
- Science Fiction Short Story Lesson Plans
- There Will Come Soft Rains Lesson Plan on setting and conflict.
- “There Will Come Soft Rains” Blog Post
- Short Story Teaching Guide Central
How to change annoyance?
- The first thing you want to do is just notice it and allow it. You’re not a bad person for being annoyed. It doesn’t mean you’re mentally weak.
- If you’re not feeling annoyed right now, think back on a time you’ve felt annoyed or things that annoy you frequently.
- Once you feel the emotion of annoyance, ask yourself what thought is causing it?
- Don’t resist the emotion. Feel it. Accept it. Analyze it. When you resist is when you lash out.
- Don’t attribute the emotion to the circumstance. Your emotions are caused by your thoughts.
- Once you let the emotion pass, take care of the situation or just let it go.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
“The Sniper” is set in the early days of the Irish Civil War during the Battle of Dublin. The action focuses on an unnamed sniper stationed on a rooftop. The story begins with the sniper eating a sandwich and smoking a cigarette. The latter action nearly kills him as the light attracts sniper fire from another rooftop.
Resources
- Short Stories for Teaching Point of View Lesson Plans
- Realism in Literature.
- “The Sniper” Blog Post
- Short Story Teaching Guide Central
Part of being a teenager is testing boundaries. It means developing social skills. It means acting without thinking. And when you put a whole lot of them in a confined space and ask them to do things they don’t want to do, that means they will probably test your boundaries, gain social status by going against you, and act impulsively.
That can be annoying.
Let’s start with some basics about being annoyed. Annoyed means slightly angry or irritated. The opposite of annoyed is delighted. There is no positive benefit to being annoyed. Remember our emotions lead to actions, which create our results.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
It’s May, a glorious month. A stressful month for some, but the glorious anticipation for summer vacation outshines all the negative that occurs at the end of a school year.
Takeaways
- Now is not the time to relax.
- Now is the time to prepare for August.
- Following these suggestions will remove a lot of the stress we feel over the summer.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- High Interest Short Stories for High School and Middle School
A long time ago in a kingdom far, far away, a semi-barbaric king discovers his daughter is having an unlawful affair. The male suitor is arrested and forced to go to trial, a trial that consists of an arena with two doors. Behind one door is a tiger, set to maul the unlucky criminal; behind the other is a beautiful bride, set to euphemistically maul the lucky criminal.
Links
- Short Story Lesson Plans for Teaching Conflict
- Making-Predictions-Chart
- “The Lady or the Tiger” Teaching Guide
- Short Story Teaching Guide Central
- “The Lady or the Tiger” Blog Post
I know it’s May. After all, it is National Teacher Mental Health Month. But when I think of myths surrounding mental health and achievement and success, I think of failures associated with New Year’s Day and its accompanying slew of New Year's Resolutions.
How many people do you know that made NYR? And how many people do you know who actually achieved them?
Many failures fall victim to the myths of mental health and achievements.
Takeaways
- Improving your state of mind requires changing your thoughts.
- Changing your thoughts is not the same as positive thinking.
- It’s ok not to be happy all the time. In fact, being happy all the time is evidence of being a sociopath, of someone who’s well adjusted.
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
The classroom was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two burnt out flourescent lamps replaced—hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. On the white board behind her, two tall glasses, soda water, whiskey. Fresh ice cubes in the Thermos bucket.
Mary Maloney was waiting for her principal's evaluation before going home from work. If only she had used these "Lamb to the Slaughter" activities and lessons, she wouldn't have stuffed a giant, frozen leg of lamb in her purse, just in case the meeting didn't go well.
Ever wondered what it would be like to have dozens of complete short story units already done with handouts, quizzes, assignments, and answer keys? You don’t need to wonder anymore.
Links
- Assorted Short Stories with Irony Lesson Plans
- Irony in "Lamb to the Slaughter” Lesson Plan
- “Lamb to the Slaughter” Blog Post
- “Lamb to the Slaughter” Movie Lesson Plan
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
To start National Teacher Mental Health Month, we need to lay the foundation for making ourselves mentally and emotionally stronger. This is not a quick fix solution. It’s a foundation.
The foundational belief is that you are in control. I’m not referring to being in control of your class. I’m talking about being in control of your thoughts because, ultimately, it’s your thoughts that create your reality.
Takeaways
- You are in control
- Your thoughts lead to emotions. Your emotions lead to actions. Your actions create your thoughts. You control your thoughts.
- Make sure your thoughts are believable
ELA Teacher Links
- Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy
- Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
I felt great. I had just taught an amazing lesson on annotating a poem. Finally, my students could write intelligent analysis in their poetry essays. My joy turned to horror as I read “this poem is awesome” 4,211 times. I whimpered as students mocked. Seconds before peppering the class with rusty finger nail clippers, I had an idea: maybe I should teach students how to actually analyze a poem using Emily Dickinson.
I put the nail clippers to their proper use, called my manicurist, and canceled my appointment. I had work to do. I had to create a list of teaching ideas for Emily Dickinson poems. Here’s what I came up with.
Links
- Dickinson Poems Post
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Theme in Poetry Lesson Pla
I felt great. I had just taught an amazing lesson on analyzing poetry. Finally, my students could write intelligent analysis in their poetry essays.
My joy turned to horror as I read “this poem is cool” 8,114 times. I sniffled as students laughed at my grief. Seconds before peppering the class with spiral notebooks, I had an idea: maybe I should teach poems by Carl Sandburg. I put the notebooks away, called my bookie, and placed a bet on Chicago.
I had work to do. I had to create a list of Carl Sandburg poems with teaching ideas. Here’s what I came up with.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Sandburg Page
- “El Dorado” by Edgar Allan Poe – Poe provides a gold mine of sound devices in Eldorado. Instruct students to identify ‘o’ sounds in the poem and analyze their purpose. In addition, “Eldorado” serves as an excellent example of a poem with repetition.
- “Anabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe – Poe’s deft use of repetition, assonance, consonance, repetition, and internal rhyme make “Anabel Lee” a classic love poem.
- “The Eagle” by Lord Alfred Tennyson – the repetition of the hard k sound mirrors the harshness of the eagle’s habitat. The Eagle makes a great poem for poetry speed analysis.
- “Travel” by Edna St. Vincent Millay – Millay uses assonance to replicate the mingled voices on a train. Instruct students to write a poem about an ordinary place that they enjoy–the school cafeteria, the halls during passing period, the school bus, for example. Require them to use assonance in addition to other appropriate sound devices.
- “Beat! Beat! Drums” by Walt Whitman – I’ve never in my life used the phrase “Tour de Force.” It’s a cheesy, trite expression whose meaning is unclear. That being said, Walt Whitman’s “Beat! Beat! Drums!” is a Tour de Force: it’s got consonance; it’s got assonance; it’s got internal rhyme; it’s got alliteration. It captures the war pulse like no other piece of writing can.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Sound Devices in Poetry Post
- Sound Devices in Poetry Lesson Plan
A Summary of the Romeo and Juliet Prologue
- The families in question are equal in rank and stature. The use of “dignity” suggests that both families are of noble blood.
- The setting is “fair Verona.” The use of “fair” to describe the city, by contrast, highlights the disruption caused by the families’ quarrel. It also indicates the time of year, Spring.
- The family fight began before anyone can remember and has recently escalated.
- “Civil” is used twice. “Civil blood” suggests that Verona citizens have died. “Civil hands” indicate that Verona citizens have caused the crime and are, therefore, “unclean.” “Civil” also indicates the feud is public and affects the affairs of government.
- Line 5 contains alliteration: “From forth the fatal loins of the two foes.” This begins the second quatrain and marks a change in focus from the feud of the two families to the dalliances of the two lovers in question. “Fatal loins” is also a pun. Both Romeo and Juliet have come from the loins of feuding families. Loins also represent sexual organs, and the young lovers’ lust for each other contributes to their downfall.
- The lovers mentioned in line 5 are cursed and commit suicide.
- Their tragic fate…
- causes the feud between the families to end.
- What happens to these two lovers whose love ends their lives…
- The end to their parents’ hatred…
- which can only be ended by the death of these two lovers…
- is what the play’s about.
- The final couplet of a Shakespearean Sonnet comments on the preceding twelve lines and offers some sort of resolution. In this case the last two lines inform the reader that the play they are about to see will answer any questions they might have.
Links
- Prologue Blog Post
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “Eldorado,” the knight, as well as the reader, is encouraged to find joy in the journey, because just like the mythical city of gold which shares its name with the poem, dreams often prove to be elusive, like a shadow. The poem begins “Gaily bedight / A gallant knight” (1-2), and why is this knight so gaily dressed? And why is this knight singing a song? It is because he is on a quest. He has not found anything, has not achieved anything. It’s the quest that brings him happiness, that causes him to dress gaily and sing songs. The knight fails to understand the cause of his happiness. He laments his failure, never having found Eldorado. He does not fail, however, to continue searching. The first thing he asks after “his strength / Failed him at length” (13-14) is “Where can it be / This land of Eldorado?” The shade doesn’t take him there, of course; he simply tells him to “Ride, boldly ride,” for that is Eldorado.
Links
- How to annotate and analyze a poem.
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Here’s a poetry analysis lesson plan with handout for doing an “Eldorado” poetry analysis lesson: Eldorado Poem Analysis Lesson Plan.
- “Eldorado” Blog Post
Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
“Bright Star” Blog Post
British Romanticism Blog Post
Takeaways
- This is a great lesson to do when you have an observation coming.
- This assignment is best when you use the same poem.
- Success depends on preparation.
Links
- how to annotate and analyze a poem.
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- The Speed Poetry Analysis Blog Post
Poem: “I Hear America Singing” – Whitman pays tribute to the people who make America great–its workers.
Brief Analysis – Singing is a metaphor for the goods and services produced by American workers. Whether you consider it a Marxist cry for the workers of the world to unite or a celebration of the Capitalistic notion that each man’s work is his own is open to interpretation (I lean to the latter). America is an example of synechdoche, with the whole representing the parts.
Takeaways
- There are plenty of Whitman poems to teach
- Whitman’s poetry was revolutionary for its celebration of the common person
- It’s ok to celebrate yourself
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Theme in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Walt Whitman Page
Brief Analysis: “O Captain! My Captain!” is a lyric poem (a poem that attempts to express a strong feeling). Whitman uses the following poetic devices to express his grief at the death of Abraham Lincoln:
- apostrophe – the poem’s speaker addresses a dead captain (Lincoln) in the style of an ode.
- repetition – phrases such as “heart! heart! heart!” and the repeating of “fallen cold and dead” emphasize the poet’s grief.
- word choice – even in the lines that describe the victory celebration, the use of doleful phrases cast a gloomy shadow.
- extended metaphor – the poem is an extended metaphor with Lincoln as the captain and father, a term which deepens the reader’s sadness.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Theme in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Walt Whitman Page
A key component of a villanelle is the two refrains. In “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” the poem’s title and “Rage against the dying of the light” are each repeated several times. Not only does this emphatically state one of the poem’s theme—to fight and struggle even when loss seems inevitable—but it shows the imploring nature of the poem’s speaker’s tone as he begs his father to stay alive as long as possible.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Theme in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Blog Post for “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”
- Poetic Form Handout
- Emily Dickinson’s Nature Poems Post
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Theme in Poetry Lesson Plan
The Bust of Pallas: Pallas Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom. It is upon this wisdom that the raven settles, adding credence, at least according to the narrator, to its utterances. The bust of Pallas and the raven’s subsequent perch on it may be ironic, for it is the narrator that gives the bird such wisdom. A casual observer would assume the bird sits there because it seems like a logical resting place. If you’re ever in Europe, note how the pigeons perch themselves on statues in the center of town. Only a moron would assume a bird takes on the character of a statue on which he perches. I don’t think, for example, that a bird resting on Napoleon’s shoulder suddenly becomes a ruthless general.
Links
- “The Raven” Symbolism Chart.
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- “The Raven” Symbolism Lesson Plan
- “The Raven” Lesson Plans: Quotes for Writing a Literary Criticism of “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
- Stanza by Stanza Summary of “The Raven” with Lesson Plan
The mariner reveals himself as some wandering story-teller, bringing peace to his soul and trouble to the hearts of his listeners by telling his story. The moral of the tale is that love is the solution to one’s problems.
The mention of the wedding feast may be an allusion to the Parable of the 10 Virgins. In the parable, those left out of the wedding feast are consigned an awful fate. In this poem, however, the wedding guest hears an important tale. So what exactly is the wedding guest missing out on? Why does he need to hear the mariner’s story?
Links
- For a side-by-side summary of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” click on this “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” summary pdf download.
- “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” Blog Post
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Sara Teasdale wrote “There Will Come Soft Rains” during World War I, commonly known as the Great War or the War to End All Wars during the time Teasdale wrote the poem. The poem asserts that nature cares not for the wars of humans and that the impending destruction of humankind would not be heeded by Nature.
Links
- How to annotate and analyze a poem.
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- "There Will Come Soft Rains" Blog Post
- "There Will Come Soft Rains" Poetry Analysis Lesson Plan
If I were writing a poetry analysis, I would begin with the poem's theme: In 'What Happens to a Dream Deferred" Langston Hughes uses imagery and figurative language to show how an oppressed people can turn from passivity to violence if not allowed to pursue their God-given rights.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- "Dreams" and "What Happens to a Dream Deferred" Blog Post
- Langston Hughes Page at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Imagery in Poetry Lesson Plan
If I were writing a poetry analysis, I would begin with the poem's theme: (1) In "Dreams" Langston Hughes uses figurative language to stress the importance of having dreams; or (2) In "Dreams" Langston Hughes uses metaphors to show how miserable a life without dreams becomes; or (3) In "Dreams" Langston Hughes uses personification and imagery to contrast a life with dreams and a life without dreams.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- "Dreams" and "What Happens to a Dream Deferred" Blog Post
- Langston Hughes Page at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Metaphor: The entire poem is a metaphor, with the caged bird representing those who have not freedom. Let’s take a look at the second and third stanzas:
“But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage / Can seldom see through his bars of rage / His wings are clipped and his feet are tied / So he opens his throat to sing. / The caged bird sings with a fearful trill / Of things unknown but longed for still / And his tune is heard on the distant hill for / The caged bird sings of freedom.”
Analysis: A caged bird is unable to enjoy the freedom of other birds due to its cage, clipped wings, and tied feet. African-Americans during Angelou’s time were restricted by unfair laws and societal oppression. Freedom is symbolized by the caged bird’s beautiful song. As long as the bird is in the cage, he will not reach his true potential. Although the context of the poem is important, one shouldn’t limit its application to one group of people or one period.
A caged bird could be any group of oppressed people. It could mean individuals. The cage could represent society, physical barriers, fear, addiction or any self-defeating behavior, with the bird’s song representing the true self that longs for something greater in life.
Takeaways
- Teach Extended Metaphor
- Teach Imagery
- Great Companion Piece to “Sympathy”
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar Post
- "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou Post
Metaphor: I know why the caged bird beats his wing / Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; / For he must fly back to his perch and cling / When he fain would be on the bough a-swing; / And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars / And they pulse again with a keener sting-- / I know why he beats his wing!
Analysis: Dunbar uses a metaphor comparing a caged bird beating its wings against its cage until they bleed to his own struggle against oppression. The bird's physical scars metaphorically refer to the mental scars of oppression.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar Post
- "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou Post
Simile: The entire poem is a simile. Line 2 contains the comparison "and we are like the deer" and the rest of the poem describes in what manner his people are like the deer.
Analysis: Momaday writes of the fate of Native Americans, having himself grown up on the Kiawa Indian reservation. The deer is portrayed as submissive, yet noble, able to break forth without warning.
Links
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- "Simile" Blog Post
The first question I have is in regards to the title. It’s not an ode to a Grecian urn; it’s an ode on a Grecian urn, which would indicate, at least on the surface (no pun intended), that there is an ode on the actual urn. The poem begins as an ode should, with an apostrophe, the act of speaking to someone not there, or to an object, such as an urn, which means either the urn is speaking, unlikely even in a poem, or the poet is translating a picture on a Grecian urn into an ode.
As I continue reading, however, it’s obvious the poet is speaking to the Urn about what’s on the urn; it is, therefore, both an ode on a Grecian urn and an ode to a Grecian urn. The title, I’m guessing, is “Ode on a Grecian Urn” in order to emphasize the painting on the urn and not the speaker of the poem.
“Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats describes a perfect scene of beauty and peace sprinkled with philosophical truths regarding Truth, Beauty, and Eternity. The scenes on the urn are frozen in time, frozen in their perfect form, as only an artist, or a poet, could depict them. Keats asserts, “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter” (11-12). Music exists in perfection only in art. Any attempt to replicate it lessens its beauty. He writes of “happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed / Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu” (21-22). In the perfect world, youth, synonymous with beauty, can only exist in the artist’s mind. As it progresses, it loses its perfection. The final stanza concludes the poet’s thoughts with an eternal suggestion that perfection exists, Beauty exists and “that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know” (49-50). In other words, learn that perfection exists and don’t worry about figuring out the rest.
Takeaways
- This poem might be too good to teach
- If you teach it, teach it to a class that knows how to annotate and analyze a poem
- I don’t understand how or why Keats’ poems elevate my soul
- “Ode on a Grecian Urn” blog post
- John Keats’ Poetry: “Ode to a Nightingale” Analysis and “Ode on Melancholy” Analysis
- An Overview of British Romanticism and the English Romantic Poets
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
In Emily Dickinson’s “Far from love the Heavenly Father,” the speaker examines the paradoxical view that through trials and tribulations are the chosen brought to heaven. It is not an evil-doer who brings about trials, but the very Father in Heaven who does so. Although the images suggest the action in the poem takes place in the physical realm, a more pragmatic, worldly application can be found: those who seek comfort, rarely find it; those who take upon themselves challenges, eventually do find comfort. Unlike Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” which suggests individuals choose their path, Dickinson implies that the path is thrust upon the individual, an assertion supported by her Calvinistic beliefs.
The speaker in Emily Dickinson’s “Proud of my broken heart since thou didst break it” is pathetic. I’m not sure if the object of her desire has a restraining order, but he should. She’s proud to have been dumped? Sounds like someone has a self esteem issue, which she rationalizes as humility. If Dickinson lived in a trailer park, she’d be prime for an abusive relationship. No wonder she was a reclusive freak.
Dickinson captures the inner turmoil associated with love and rejection in “Heart, we will forget him.” She vows to her heart, personified as a dear friend, that they will forget “him.” While in the act of forcing herself to forget, the speaker focuses on the person whom she is trying to forget and his good qualities. She realizes she and her heart are fighting a losing battle as the speaker urges her heart to forget quick, for she is helpless to forget otherwise.
Links
- Dickinson Love Poems Post
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Theme in Poetry Lesson P
Poetic form and structure often enhance a poem's theme or meaning. Frost's ironic use of meter and rhythm in "Fire and Ice" underlies his hidden theme that moderation is the world's salvation. Frost uses two extremes, fire and ice, as the poem's controlling images, images which symbolize the two extremes of lust and hate. These two extremes, he expostulates, will eventually destroy the world. The rhythm and meter of the poem and the use of meiosis offer an alternative to extremism--moderation--and provides a solution to the world's impending doom. Frost chooses the fast-flowing, less serious iambic tetrameter mixed with iambic duometer over the more serious, slower-moving iambic pentameter as a framework for his understated theme of the world's destruction and potential salvation, a meter that brings to the forefront his use of meiosis: he casually states "I hold with those who favor fire" (4), and "for destruction ice / Is also great / and would suffice" (7-9) to comment on cataclysmic events. Although his poetic form contrasts the overt theme of the poem, it underscores its underlying meaning.
Links
- "Fire and Ice" Blog Post
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- British Romanticism Page
- "Tyger! Tyger!" blog post
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
A literary analysis of "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates the mastery of sound devices and creates a sensory extravaganza. Let us, therefore, begin our journey with examples of onomatopoeia, internal rhyme, alliteration, assonance, and consonance.
Links
- "The Bells Blog Post"
- Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Figurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
- Sound Devices in Poetry Lesson Plan
"The Lamb" by William Blake provides a simple and profound answer to a simple and profound question: Who made us? (the topic sentence states the title and author of the poem as well as the poem's theme). Because the poem addresses a child it takes on the form of a child's song, containing rhymed couplets and repetition (we've taken a fact about the poem and explained the significance of the fact to the poem's overall meaning). Because the poem addresses a child, the answer to the question must be at the level a child can understand. In this case, the Lamb--meaning the Lamb of God, made thee, isn't that great? (this is the simple answer alluded to in the topic sentence).
The answer, although understood by the child, deals with a philosophical religious question that scholars have discussed for centuries (this addresses the profound answer mentioned in the topic sentence), leading one to think that perhaps we all need to become like a little child to understand our eternal nature (note how the author of this paragraph adds a Biblical allusion and ends his paragraph by restating the poem's theme and tying it into his topic sentence).
Resources
- Poetry Lesson Plan Bonanza
- British Romanticism
- "The Lamb" Blog Post
An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
Of all Robert Frost poems, none are more famous than "The Road Not Taken." My analysis of it leads to the following observations and queries.
- The rhyme scheme is a b a a b
- The poem uses the well known metaphor of a path being compared to life, and a divergent path representing a choice.
- Both paths are appealing to the poem's speaker (2).
- He can only see so far down the first path and took the other (4-5).
- The first path is full of undergrowth; the second is grassy (5,8).
- They are both worn just the same (10).
- He chooses the second path, yearning to take the first another day, but deep down inside knowing he won't (13-15).
- He knows he makes the wrong choice and sighs (16-17).
- He lies by saying he "took the one less traveled by" (19).
- The last line is ambiguous: is he rationalizing or is he being ironic.
Links
- Symbolism in Robert Frost Poetry Lesson Plan Free Download PDF
- "The Road Not Taken" Blog Post
- Poetry Lesson Plan Bonanza
Of all the famous poems of Wordsworth, none is more famous than "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". To fully understand the poem and any William Wordsworth poetry analysis, a brief look at the tenets of British Romanticism is in order. British Romantics emphasized the following.
British Romanticism
- The Beauty of the Supernatural - a William Wordsworth poetry analysis will invariably identify a connection between nature and the supernatural. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is no exception.
- The Importance of Nature - The obvious theme of the poem is the beauty of nature and its ability to allow one to connect with God.
- Championing the Individual - The narrator's experience in the meadow is personal and individual.
- The Dangers of Technology - There is no overt reference to technology. Romantics, however feared that man's ability to connect with nature was being compromised by technological advances.
Links
- "Daffodils" Analysis at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Poetry Lesson Plan Bonanza
- British Romanticism page at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Two-Minute Lesson Plan
Symbolism
All symbols point to death. They include
- Darkest night of the year
- Frozen lake
- Woods–lovely, dark and deep
- sleep
In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Robert Frost contemplates death. The setting symbolizes death. There's a "frozen lake" nearby a woods filled up with snow on the "darkest evening of the year." The speaker is enchanted with the woods, death, and stops to ponder. The rhyme scheme, with one line of rhyme present in each preceding stanza, mirrors the thought of death reaching into the speaker's thought. Although the woods become inviting to the tired traveler, as death does for some, the speaker realizes he cannot yet stop and rest because of his "promises" (14). The last two lines seem to be a lament at what lies ahead--a long life without rest.
Links
- Stopping by Woods lesson plan at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- Poetry Lesson Plans Galore
If there's one lesson plan you use during National Poetry Month or when you teach poetry, this is that lesson plan!
Resources
- Poetry Lesson Plans Bonanza
- How to Annotate and Analyze a Poem at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- Immediate Access to numerous poetry lesson plans and handouts
“Harrison Bergeron” Lesson Ideas
- Read the Declaration of Independence. Discuss the phrase “all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” What did Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers mean? Why does Martin Luther King allude to it so often in his “I Have a Dream” speech? How have modern politicians warped the expression? Can an equality of results be obtained? Has equality under the law been obtained?
- Read the United States Constitution Bill of Rights. Discuss which rights have been abused in “Harrison Bergeron.” Feel free to partner up with the U.S. History or government teacher and try this Bill of Rights lesson plan.
- “Harrison Bergeron” makes a great companion piece of literature to Brave New World, 1984, or Fahrenheit 451.
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- This is an outstanding movie. It’s about 1/2 hour long. Rent it from Amazon and stream it.
- Theme
Takeaways
- Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
- 2081 The Movie
- Science Fiction isn’t just for nerds.
Links
- Analyzing Irony in Literature Lesson Plan
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans
- “Harrison Bergeron” Page
- 2081, the movie
- Short Story Lesson Plans Galore
The battle for your students’ soul rages. Today we’ll discuss several high interest short stories for middle school and high school
Let’s not mess around. Here’s the one thing you can teach to keep students engaged while engaging them with great short stories.
Links
- 9 High Interest Short Stories at ELAcommoncorelessonplans.com
- Lit/Movie Comparison Handout
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans Collection
I just taught this last week and I forgot just how good it was. I’m talking about Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment by Nat Hawthorne.
Takeaways
- DHE isn’t exactly what it appears to be. The participants believe it’s a scientific experiment, but it’s actually an experiment on human behavior.
- There’s a ton of symbolism in here that adds depth to the story.
- Use the cringy movie to enhance instruction.
Links
- Short Stories for Teaching Science Fiction
- "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" on ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Literary/Video Comparison Handout
Gift of the Magi
The next day would be an evaluation from the principal and the teacher had no “Gift of the Magi” Activities or “Gift of the Magi” lesson ideas.
There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little teachers’ lounge couch and howl. So the teacher did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that teaching is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
Then the Internet was invented and “Gift of the Magi” activities and lesson plans became easy to find. Which instigates the moral reflection that teaching is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with smiles predominating.
2-Minute Lesson Plan
Expectations vs Reality is more than a theme in ironic short stories. It’s the subject of this two-minute lesson plan.
- Draw a line down the middle of the board. Students will copy this line on their paper or digital document.
- On the left side make a list of important events in your life. You can either generate this as a class, individually, or in groups. Once you’ve made your list, instruct students to write about their expectations leading up to the event.
- On the right side of the line students will write about how the event actually turned out.
Sample events include the first day of school, Christmas, Birthdays, Dates, vacations, remote learning, etc.
This establishes a good foundation for irony in life as well as the events of the short story.
Takeaways
- Surprisingly, there’s not a whole lot of Christmas short stories.
- If you’re going to teach irony in literature, there are very few better authors to teach than O’Henry and this is his most well known.
- Life is full of the unexpected.
Links
- "Gift of the Magi" page at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- Irony in Short Stories Lesson Plan Collection
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss science fiction short stories for middle school and high school: “The Fun They Had,” “All Summer in a Day, “Examination Day,” “They’re Made out of Meat,” “Harrison Bergeron,” “There Will Come Soft Rains,” “The Machine that Won the War,” “The Machine Stops,” and whatever else comes to mind
I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now.
And the One Thing you can teach with any of these stories is in the show title. It’s the elements of Science Fiction. By teaching students to analyze the elements of Science Fiction, you’ll be hitting standards that involve theme, characterization, setting, and all those other things we discuss when we get all literary up in this mug.
Takeaways
- Science Fiction isn’t just for nerds. You’ll get a higher percentage of students who enjoy science fiction short stories than just about any other type.
- What makes good science fiction stories so good is their ability to connect with readers despite futuristic settings and characters.
- Teaching the Elements of Science Fiction will make teaching many of the elements of literature easy.
Links and Resources
- SFLesson Plans Collection
- Science Fiction Short Stories
- “Harrison Bergeron” lesson plans can be found here.
- “There Will Come Soft Rains” lesson plans can be found here.
- “A Sound of Thunder” lesson plans can be found here.
- Rappacinni’s Daughter
- “The Fun They Had” lesson plans can be found here.
- “All Summer in a Day” lesson plans can be found here.
- “The Veldt” Lesson Plans can be found here.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories for teaching Point of View: “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” “Cask of Amontillado, “Contents of the DMP,” “Scarlet Ibis,” “Jumping Frog and “Sniper.”
I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right. And if there’s one short story involving Point of View you need to teach, we have that, too.
Takeaways
- There’s more to point of view than explaining 1st person and third person.
- Writing from a different point of view gives students opportunities to empathize and see things from a different perspective.
- Everything I do at the Teaching ELA podcast I try to see from your point of view..
Links and Resources
- POV Lesson Plans Collection
- “Content’s of the Dead Man’s Pocket” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- "The Scarlet Ibis" theme lesson plan at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- "The Cask of Amontillado" at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss the one habit that changed my life. I know that sounds like a bit of hyperbole--because it is--but if you do this one thing before you leave school today (and every other day), you’ll sleep better at night, feel a lot less stress, and be present when you’re with the people you care about most.
Takeaways
- There’s no sense in leaving on time if you’re stressed out all the time.
- Once you get your end of the day routine dialed in, this will become automatic and staying after your contract time will be rare.
- It’s good to have a selection of quick lesson plans (like the ones in the notes section of this episode) for those days when you’re just not on top of things.
Links/Resources
- Some quick and ready to use lesson plan handouts to help you start the one teacher habit that will change your life.
- ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset
Those with a fixed mindset view their talents, shortcomings, successes, and failures as fixed traits that cannot be improved. According to Dweck, those with a fixed mindset believe that talent produces success without relation to hard work, that talents are to be chronicled and not developed. Because they see no correlation between hard work and success, fixed mindset individuals are less likely to accept challenges and more likely to view failure as permanent.
Those with a growth mindset believe basic abilities and talents can be developed through hard work and education. For the growth mindset individual, brains and talent are just the beginning. Challenges and failures are learning opportunities. This belief that one can learn more and learn faster through hard work and perseverance has far-reaching consequences in the classroom and beyond.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories with a focus on symbolism: “Masque of the Red Death,” “Through the Tunnel,” “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” “The Moustache,” “A Worn Path,” “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and whatever else comes to mind.
Takeaways
- Citing textual evidence to support analysis leads to exploring a story’s theme, which is pretty much THEE standard of all standards.
- Most literature has symbolic meanings that contribute to the story’s overall theme.
- Symbols can be universal or textual,.
Links and Resources
- Symbolism Lesson Plans Collection
- The 2-minute Symbolism Lesson Plan
- “The Minister’s Black Veil” lesson plans
- “Masque of the Red Death” lesson plans
- “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” lesson plans
- “The Necklace” lesson plans
- “A Worn Path” lesson plans
- “Yellow Wallpaper” lesson plans
- “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs lesson plans
Habits
If you’re going to succeed at weight loss or any positive life change you’re going to need to establish habits that serve you. Habits are the things we do automatically, without giving it too much thought. Here are a few habits that will increase your chances of success as you lose weight.
- Movement - You need to get in the habit of moving. The prevailing wisdom is to aim for 10,000 steps and I think that’s a good goal. If you don’t currently exercise regularly, don’t feel you need to do some crazy workout routine. Just start walking more. There are low cost step tracking watches as well as smart phone apps that will help you track steps. I want to stress that the key to weight loss is not exercise, it’s eating smart. And movement can be an effective way to leverage healthy eating habits. Now if you already exercise regularly, bravo! Keep doing it.
- Food Tracking - Those who track what they eat are more likely to succeed at weight loss. I’ll be honest: I hate tracking food--to the point where I’ve not eaten it because I didn’t feel like logging it--which turns out to be one benefit of tracking it. Now that I’ve consistently tracked my food for almost a year, it’s not that big of a deal anymore. I recommend MyFitnessPal but I’m sure there are others that do the same thing.
- Sleep - Your body and mind function better when you get enough rest. How much sleep do you need? Probably more than you’re getting. Chances are you’re up and getting ready for work much sooner than most people and since your boss isn’t going to change the entire school schedule to accommodate your weight loss goal, you need to get to bed sooner.
- Meal Planning - Was that groaning I heard? The #1 habit I strengthened that helped me lose weight and maintain weight is meal planning. Now when I say meal planning, I don’t mean some hieroglyphic-like chart with every meal from now until 2032 on a calendar with listed ingredients. For me it simply means that before I go to bed, I make my lunch for the next day. That’s my meal plan strategy.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories for Halloween that weren’t written by Edgar Allan Poe. They include “The Monkey’s Paw,” “The Lottery,” “Rappacini’s Daughter,” “There Will Come Soft Rains,” “Sonata for a Harp and a Bicycle,” “Lamb to the Slaughter,” “The Landlady,” and “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.”
Takeaways
- Teach suspense with scary short stories with a simple chart and by identifying the three methods author’s use to create suspense.
- Setting and mood play a critical role and strongly affect other literary elements such as plot and conflict.
- You can teach these stories any time of year.
Links and Resources
- Halloween Stories Lesson Plans Collection
- “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs lesson plans post
- “The Lottery” lesson plans post
- "The Landlady" lesson plans post
- "There Will Come Soft Rains" lesson plans post
- "Lamb to the Slaughter" lesson plans post
- "Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" lesson plans post
From my coaching perspective, self confidence is knowing you can trust yourself to do what you say you’ll do. It’s increasing your integrity with yourself. Self confidence is also being kind and feeling compassion for yourself. It’s seeing your strengths and your weaknesses, your successes and failures and trusting that it’s all ok and choosing to believe in yourself anyway.
Self confidence is also a willingness to feel any emotion that comes from trying something new or scary (failure, embarrassment, loss, anxiety, humiliation, rejection) and trusting you won’t be harmed by it. When you are willing to feel any negative emotion, knowing that you’ll be ok no matter what happens, that gives you incredible self confidence to take action. You can move towards a goal or do something new, knowing you might fail or struggle and feel uncomfortable, trusting that it’s ok and you’ll be ok. That’s self confidence.
How to increase self confidence
No surprise here - increased self confidence comes from changing your thoughts about yourself. It comes by considering the possibility of what you can create in the future.
If you are afraid of failure and afraid of disappointment, that’s normal. Instead, try imagining what your life would be like if you were willing to experience failure without it meaning anything had gone wrong or that there’s anything wrong with you.
Fear doesn’t prevent self confidence. An unwillingness to feel the fear does. You have to be willing to experience discomfort in order to be self confident: Be willing to feel humiliation, rejection, embarrassment and isolation. Once you know how to process those emotions, they really aren’t so awful.
Beliefs that create self confidence
The good news about self confidence destroying thoughts is that you have the power to change them. In fact, your mind has the power to change everything about your world, but it will take a little work.
You’ll have to intentionally train your brain to think confident thoughts. These examples will help:
- What others think about me is 100% about them.
- I was made for this.
- Fear is no big deal.
- I am capable.
- The worst that can happen is a feeling.
- I have my own back.
- My potential is limitless.
- Failure earns success.
- The better I fail, the more confident I am
- Worry only pretends to be necessary.
- So what??
- What I make it mean is the worst that can happen. It’s just a thought.
- I can do hard things.
- I’ll figure it out.
- I can’t fail unless I stop trying.
- Add your own! Make them believable and feel good.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories by perhaps the most popular American short story writer ever, and certainly one that resonates with young scholars. Let’s talk about the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe.
Today, we’ll discuss classics, such as “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Black Cat,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” and more.
Takeaways
1. Students’ interest in Edgar Allan Poe establishes not only the probability that teenagers are weird but that students will fight through reading complexity if they find interest in the stories they are reading.
2. Help reluctant students fight through the complexity by helping them with the story openings.
3. Although primarily known for suspense, Poe stories are also excellent for teaching just about all literary elements.
Links and Resources
1. Poe Lesson Plans Collection
2. “Masque of the Red Death” lesson plans
3. “The Cask of Amontillado” lesson plans
4. “The Tell-Tale Heart” lesson plans
5. “The Pit and the Pendulum” lesson plans
6. “The Fall of the House of Usher” lesson plans
7. “The Black Cat” lesson plans
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories for teaching irony: “The Necklace,” “The Interlopers,” “The Machine that Won the War,” “The Blue Hotel,” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now. And if there’s one short story involving irony you need to teach, we have that, too.
Takeaways
1. Students love stories with irony and there are a ton of them.
2. The understanding irony lesson plan can be used with any short story that contains irony. It will help students master the standard of citing textual evidence to support analysis.
3. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” is easy to read, easy to teach, and serves as a great short story for teaching irony.
Links and Resources
1. Irony Lesson Plans Collection
2. “The Necklace” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
3. “The Interlopers” theme lesson plan at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
4. “The Story of an Hour” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
5. Short Stories for Teaching Irony at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
6. More Short Stories for Teaching Irony at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
With the mentality that we are already great, we approach goals from an abundance mindset. We approach goals from a place of love and acceptance, from a place of joy. Now before we start holding hands and breaking out into song around a campfire, let’s get rid of the notion that all we have to do is love ourselves to achieve our goals. It just means we’ll enjoy the process a lot more and exponentially increase our odds of success.
There is work involved.
This is not a “think pretty thoughts” approach kind of philosophy, or as I like to call it positive thinking mumbo jumbo, fake it ‘til you make it nonsense. This is accept things as they are. Accept your greatness. And get to work philosophy.
It’s an “align your thoughts with the end goal in mind” kind of philosophy. It involves asking yourself critical questions such as, “Can I find a way to think about my goal that I CAN truly believe and that fuels the work I am doing?” kind of philosophy.
It’s “embracing the identity of someone who achieves whatever goal it is you’re trying to achieve” philosophy.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories with a focus on conflict: “The Most Dangerous Game,” “To Build a Fire,” “The Monkey’s Paw,” “Through the Tunnel,” and “Harrison Bergeron.” I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving conflict.
Takeaways
- Everyone can connect with conflict. Use the 2-minute lesson plan involving conflict and point of view to help students internalize literature.
- Although most stories involve multiple types of conflict, I’ve given you exemplary texts for teaching the five major types of conflict.
- Teaching the skill of citing textual evidence to support analysis makes teaching all other standards either no longer necessary or easier to teach.
Links and Resources
- Conflict Lesson Plans/Handouts
- “To Build A Fire” by Jack London at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connel at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- Short Stories for Teaching Conflict at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
Last week we talked about thought management as it related to time. A lot of people call this time management, but last time I checked time goes on at the same exact pace no matter how much we try to manage it.
We approached the subject of time management from a thoughts management perspective. That is, the time we have as teachers remains constant. It’s a neutral circumstance. We can think of it as a lot or as a little. We can think we don’t have enough time to get what we need to get done or we can think of it as plenty of time to get some things done.
- The more you plan the more free you are and the more you are in control of your life. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard teachers boast about their spontaneity. That’s bull. We can be spontaneous only when we have a plan. Planning brings confidence. Planning allows us to be spontaneous because we don’t have to worry about what we’re doing next. Do you really think being spontaneous during your planning time helps you with your planning time? Of course not, that’s silly. It doesn’t help you with class time either.
- Planning delivers results, helps you enjoy free time more, helps you feel more in control, helps you create the classroom you want, the lessons you want, and ultimately the life you want.
- Planning creates time. Remember when I said we don’t really manage time. Well, I’m going to contradict myself. If you have 90 minutes and you need to prepare lesson plans for the next day, you can give yourself a 45-minute task to get your next unit ready. During that 45 minutes, you promise to focus on that unit and nothing else. You will eliminate distractions and just do it. Or you can start your 90 minutes without a definite plan of what you want to do and it will take you the entire 90 minutes to get that unit done, if you ever get around to working on it. So by planning you just doubled the amount of time you have.
We must approach our planning time with an abundant mindset, that we are capable of getting done what needs to get done. And this can be done through planning.
- Create time by planning: Decide firmly how you’re going to spend your planning time and take massive action. Just do it.
- Honor the plan no matter how you feel. Not feeling like doing it is never a reason not to do it. If you plan, for example, that you will write a short story unit during today’s planning time, then write a short story unit during your planning time, no matter how you feel. Emotional adult vs emotional child.
- Focus on one thing at a time. Give examples.
- Practice saying no.
- Delegate if necessary.
- Stop trying. That’s the whole Yoda thing.
- Stop distractions.
- Busyness is mental laziness. It’s how much you are thinking, not how much you are doing.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss a classic short story from one of America’s most famous short story writers, “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving imagery and sensory details. If you’re going to teach one thing from this story that will make teaching this story easier, teach students Naturalism and get them to cite textual evidence to support literary analysis. I discuss this along with suspense, theme, cause and effect and writing a literary analysis.
3 Takeaways
- "To Build a Fire" provides excellent examples of imagery--especially touch sensory details.
- If you’re going to teach one thing from this story, go with Naturalism. It will naturally lead to the story’s themes and other elements.
- "To Build a Fire" provides opportunities for a good cause and effect breakdown.
Links
- Naturalism Lesson Plans Collection
- “To Build a Fire” at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- “To Build a Fire” Movie
- “To Build a Fire” Movie Lesson Plan
- Overview of Naturalism
You’ve got enough stress without falling victim to these ELA lesson plan myths. Top 12 ELA Lesson Plan Myths that cause you stress and waste your time.
- I Don’t Have Time to Plan
- I Don’t Need to Plan
- I Am Spontaneous without a Plan
- I Have to Cover the Material
- I’m the Only One Who Needs to Know the Plan
- Standards are for Administrators
- Each Lesson Covers Only 1 Standard
- Each Lesson Must Cover Multiple Standards
- I Only Need to Teach a Standard Once
- Differentiation Requires Multiple Lesson Plans
- Lesson Plans Begin with Standards
- I Can Ignore Standards
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss a classic short story from one of America’s top female short story writers of the 20th-century, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving imagery and sensory details. If you’re going to teach one thing from this story that will make teaching this story easier, teach students Naturalism and get them to cite textual evidence to support literary analysis. I discuss this along with suspense, theme, cause and effect and writing a literary analysis.
Takeaways
- If you’re going to teach one thing from this story, I would go with symbolism. I provided a 2-minute lesson for teaching symbolism in this podcast.
- Speaking of Symbolism, the lottery is the story’s symbol that holds the key to understand the story’s themes, which include the randomness of life and the silliness of sticking with traditions and superstitions.
- Don’t miss this opportunity to teach irony.
Links and Resources
- Assorted Short Stories with Irony Lesson Plans
- “The Lottery” Lesson Plans Collection at ElaCommonCoreLessonPlans.com (Includes links to lesson plans and videos)
- Analyzing Irony in Literature Lesson Plan
“Most ELA teachers feel they don’t have enough time to get everything done that needs to get done. That’s why every lesson plan at ELAcommoncorelessonplans.com is ready to use right now. That means you can leave on time today and still have a great lesson tomorrow.”
In that statement I recognize the number one pain point that ELA (and pretty much all teachers) experience: They don’t feel they have enough time to get everything done.
My primary goal on my website is to help teachers gain back that time by providing ready to use lesson plans.
I solve an external problem: the need for good lesson plans.
I solve an internal problem: wanting to spend more time at home and less time at school without sacrificing teaching quality.
I also solve a philosophical problem: Teachers should not be expected to spend hours after school each day and on weekends doing a job that contractually only requires them to work for a specific amount of time.
That’s precisely what I’m going to be talking about today.
Takeaways
- Time Management isn’t real. Thought management is the key to getting more done in less time.
- Look at the time you have during your day and create a plan that helps you get done what needs to get done.
- Establishing time-saving habits will increase your productivity.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss one of my favorite short stories to teach, “The Interlopers” by Saki. I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving conflict. If you’re going to teach one thing from this story that will make teaching everything else easier or no longer necessary, teach students to cite textual evidence to analyze irony. I discuss that along with the suspense, theme, and a look at the literary movement known as Naturalism.
Takeaways
- Use a conflict 3-column analysis chart if you need a lesson plan right now.
- If you’re going to teach one thing from this story, go with irony. It will naturally lead to the elements of Naturalism and the story’s themes.
- This is one of the more popular stories I teach
Links and Resources
- Selected Short Stories with Irony Lesson Plans Collection
- “The Interlopers” Page at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
- Conflict in “The Interlopers” Lesson Plan
- “The Interlopers” Text
- “The Interlopers” Movie
- Another “Interlopers” Movie
- “Interlopers” Movie Lesson Plan
Let's face it, the start of the school year can be challenging. You might even say it sucks. Today's podcast addresses the true reason the start of the year is so bad and it probably isn't the reason you think it is.
This is definitely the podcast episode you'll want to share with all your colleagues.
Skip to about 9:40 if you can't wait to discover the real reason the start of the school year is the way it is and what you can do to change it.
The only thing you need to know is that the ELA Teacher at your school (that's probably you) is the most important employee at your school.
That's why everything I do at the Teaching ELA podcast is to provide the tools to help you get better and get home on time.
After all, the most important person at the school has the right to spend time with the people he or she values the most.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories for teaching theme: “The Necklace,” “The Interlopers,” “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “A White Heron,” and “The Short Happy Life of Frances Macomber.” I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right. And if there’s one short story involving theme you need to teach, we have that, too.
Takeaways
- Determining theme is the ultimate end in citing textual evidence to support analysis.
- The analysis chart allows differentiation for all levels. You change the necessary levels of complexity while getting all students to master the same skill.
- Teaching the skill of citing textual evidence to support analysis and determine theme makes teaching all other standards either no longer necessary or easier to teach.
Links and Resources
- Theme Lesson Plans Collection
- “The Necklace” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “A White Heron” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “The Interlopers” theme lesson plan at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “Minister’s Black Veil” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “The Story of an Hour” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, we discuss “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. After a brief summary, we take a look at teaching conflict, suspense, and other literary elements that make this classic a great teach for an ELA classroom. We also look at two ideas for writing a comparison essay using “The Most Dangerous Game” as inspiration.
Three Important Takeaways
- A Wordsplash Lesson takes about 2 minutes to prepare. You can use it right now!
- The Super Bowl of Hunting: Teaching Conflict in “The Most Dangerous Game” is the one thing to focus on that makes teaching the rest of the unit easier
- There are a couple opportunities for writing comparison essays.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
- “The Most Dangerous Game” Teaching Page at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.COM
- Suspense in “The Most Dangerous Game” Lesson Plan
- 4 Conflict Lesson Plans/Handouts
- Link to Context Clues Challenge
- Most Dangerous Game WordSplash
Here’s a story that became very popular right around March/April of 2020. It’s called “The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov. It’s more of a middle school level text but the themes, in light of recent events, makes it applicable to all grade levels. This podcast contains an emergency lesson you can create 2 minutes and an in depth discussion of this science fiction short story.
3 Takeaways
- The One Thing that makes everything else in this story easier to teach is the Elements of Science Fiction.
- If you’re looking for a quick assignment, a 2-column making connections chart will do.
- Science Fiction can be mind-blowing.
Resources/Links Associated with This Episode
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans Collection (4 teacher ready lesson plans you can use right now)
- "The Fun They Had" Lessons Page
- Science Fiction Short Stories for Middle School and High School
*Note, the audio for portions of this episode aren't great. The content is outstanding.
Most ela teachers feel like they don't have enough time to get everything done that they need to get done.
That's why every lesson plan at elacommomcorelessonplans.com is ready to use right now.
That means you can leave on time today and still have a great lesson tomorrow.
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories with a focus on imagery. I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving imagery and a breakdown of what it means to master the standards for teaching imagery, a breakdown that will make teaching everything easier.
Takeaways
- A 2-column chart that takes no more than 2 minutes to put on the board covers the most important standard taught at your school.
- Teaching imagery is more than teaching a definition and how to identify it. Making the lesson meaningful requires citing textual evidence, critical thinking, and using evidence to support analysis.
- Edgar Allan Poe is more than just a master of suspense. He's a master of imagery.
Links
- Imagery Lesson Plan Collection
- "The Pit and the Pendulum" Lesson Plans
- "The Scarlet Ibis" Lesson Plans
- "A Sound of Thunder" Lesson Plans
- Short Stories for Teaching Imagery
In this episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss the number one thing I learned about teaching writing during a pandemic. I thought I was just doing something that helped with online teaching, but when I got back to a physical classroom, I realized it was the best way to teach writing anywhere. And it's so simple!
Takeaways
- Most administrators--especially those who've never been in a classroom--and 94% of parents have no idea what differentiated instruction is.
- Differentiate instruction with Google Docs or other collaborative technologies.
- Provide immediate feedback to your students whether you're in a physical or virtual classroom.
Links
- ELA Common Core Lesson Plans Website
- Essay Types Lesson Plan Collection
In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories with a focus on characterization: “The Catbird Seat,” “Leinengen vs The Ants,” “A White Heron,” “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket,” and “The Story of an Hour.” I’ve got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving characterization and something from one story in particular that you may not be familiar with.
Takeaways
- Characterization is easy to teach with a simple 2-column chart that requires students to cite textual evidence and requires students to use this evidence to support analysis.
- The analysis chart allows differentiation for all levels. You change the necessary levels of complexity while getting all students to master the same skill.
- Teaching the skill of citing textual evidence to support analysis makes teaching all other standards either no longer necessary or easier to teach.
Links and Resources
- Characterization Lesson Plans Collection
- “The Cat Bird Seat” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “A White Heron” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “Leiningen vs. the Ants” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- “The Story of an Hour” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
In this episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss one of my favorite science fiction stories, “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury. I’ve got an emergency "Veldt" lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving setting and conflict. If you’re going to teach one thing from this story that will make everything else easier or no longer necessary, teach students to cite textual evidence to analyze theme. I discuss that along with the elements of science fiction, cause and effect, conflict, and a Methods of Persuasion Advertising Project.
- Use a setting/conflict 2-column analysis chart if you need a lesson plan right now.
- If you’re going to teach one thing from this story, go with theme. It will naturally lead to the elements of Science Fiction and help you teach cause and effect and methods of persuasion.
- This story was written in the 1950s, long before virtual technology existed.
- Science Fiction isn't just for nerds!
Show Links
- Science Fiction Lesson Plans Collection (4 teacher ready lesson plans you can use right now)
- “The Veldt” Lesson Plans at elacommoncorelessonplans.com
- Analyzing Conflict in “The Veldt” handout (Different from the one we talked about)
- “The Veldt” text
- “The Veldt” movie
*The Official Launch for the Teaching ELA Podcast is August 2, 2021. Come back then for three additional podcast episodes. In the meantime, enjoy this Teaching ELA Podcast special preview episode*
Because ELA teachers are the most important contributors in a middle school or high school, it's essential that we understand what it means to master literature standards, notably the one standard that by so teaching, teaching all other standards become easier to teach or no longer necessary.
The 4 levels of mastering citing textual evidence to support analysis:
- Define the key term.
- Cite examples of the key term.
- Analyze and explain the example.
- Apply the key term in one's own speaking or writing.
Key Takeaways
- Mastery is much more than regurgitating information.
- All students are capable of mastering differentiated ELA Standards.
- Mastering ELA standards supports every subject at your school.
Links
- Graphic Organizers for Teaching Mastery
- The One Standard that Rules Them All Video Episode
*The Teaching ELA Podcast officially launches on August 2, 2021. This is just a preview of what to expect.
ELA Teachers are the most valuable people at any middle school or high school. They are responsible for teaching the one thing that makes teaching everything else at the school easier or no longer necessary. In this episode of the teaching ELA podcast, I discuss the one thing, that by teaching it, teaching everything else in your class and in your school easier to teach or no longer necessary.
3 Takeaways
- Teaching students to cite textual evidence to support analysis is the most important skill students at your school can learn.
- By teaching this one standard, everything else becomes easier or no longer necessary to teach.
- This skill transfers to all ELA standards categories and to all other subjects.
Links
- 5 Specific Lesson Plans to Teach Citing Textual Evidence to Support Analysis (MSWORD).
- More Student Ready and Teacher Ready ELA Lesson Plans
- An Enhanced VideoCast on The One Standard to Rule Them All
*The Teaching ELA Podcast officially launches on August 2, 2021. This is just a preview of what to expect.