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Lesson Plans

Books

Lit Circles

Projects

Reading

Writing

Lesson Plans

Tips for Teaching CONFLICT in the Secondary ELA Classroom

When teaching conflict in the secondary ELA classroom, it’s important students really see its importance. The conflict is the ebb and flow of a story. It’s the interest to keep an audience reading. Its crux drives the climax. Its solution brings it to resolution. Read on to find some tips to bring into your ELA classroom. 1. Identify conflict in mentor texts This is one of the easiest activities to implement. Allowing students to see what conflict looks like in strong, recognizable texts is probably the easiest way to teach students how to identify conflict.  2. Specifically, conflict in YA realistic fiction Conflict is also freely on display in YA realistic fiction. Far from the Tree by Robin Benway (I

continue reading

6 Dialogue Writing Activities for the Secondary ELA Classroom

Dialogue writing activities are always a mainstay in any of my narrative writing units. I love seeing the creative writing my students turn in, but I often see it lacks dialogue or uses it incorrectly. It’s a skill that needs to be refined, but is sometimes overlooked in the grand scheme of things. I like to set aside time for activities that help review the mechanics of proper dialogue writing, as well as unique dialogue writing activities that let students practice the skill themselves. Read on for creative dialogue writing activities for your secondary students.   1. Create a Scene There are a lot of fun ways you can have students create scenes to practice writing dialogue. You can start with

continue reading

10 Spring Reading Activities for the Secondary ELA Classroom

Spring reading activities just bring a certain joy to the classroom. There’s more sun, the weather starts to improve, and we can almost feel the excitement of summer break creeping in. It’s the perfect time to refresh your lesson plans with engaging ways to foster a love of reading. Whether you’re looking to inspire reluctant readers, spark thoughtful discussions, or make independent reading more fun, spring offers a wonderful opportunity to bring new energy into your classroom. If your students—and you—are ready to see some academic bloom, take a look at my round-up of spring reading activities for secondary ELA. From creative projects to themed literature responses, these spring reading activities are designed to keep students motivated and focused as

continue reading

10 Student Project Ideas to Create in Canva

Need a round-up of activities to convince you Canva is amazing? Is there really anything better than Canva? It has so many options, pre-made projects, and amazing templates. You can take any content and turn it into a creative project where students can easily show 21st century skills. Gone are the days of the boring PowerPoint (except I definitely still use boring PowerPoint sometimes when appropriate). Enjoy this list of Canva inspiration. 1. Mood Boards Teaching mood is sometimes a confusing concept. Use Canva to help students create Mood Boards to pair analysis and artistry. I have a premade, purposeful, high-quality project here that can walk you through teaching this literary element in a fun way. Canva has plenty of

continue reading

10 Verse Novels to Celebrate National Poetry Month

Verse novels are a breed of their own, which is why I’m highlighting 10 of my favorites to celebrate National Poetry Month in April. I have a confession to make – I’m actually not a poetry super-fan. That probably sounds so terrible coming from an ELA teacher. Shouldn’t we like everything? The older I get, the more I enjoy poetry, but I have fallen in absolute LOVE with verse novels.  1. Clap When You Land – Elizabeth Acevedo Usually these lists are in “no particular order” but I adore Elizabeth Acevedo. She’s my favorite and I have no problems putting her in the number one spot. Clap When You Land is an absolutely stunning novel and is the one that

continue reading
day before spring break activities featured image

10 Day Before Spring Break Activities for Secondary English Language Arts

Spring break is on the horizon, and the energy in your classroom is shifting, so you know you need some solid day before spring break activities to make sure your students are engaged.. That last day before the break can feel like a challenge—students are eager, distracted, and counting down the minutes until their week of freedom begins. As a teacher, it’s easy to feel torn between wanting to embrace the excitement and ensuring your class time still has value. But here’s the good news: you can do both. By incorporating engaging, purposeful activities that still tie into your English Language Arts curriculum, you can channel that pre-break energy into creativity and meaningful learning. Whether it’s sparking imagination through writing,

continue reading

10 Young Adult Novels with Strong Female Protagonists

Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on the (at times, still overlooked) contributions of women. In honor of the dedication, ostracization, and relentlessness of women in our country’s history, I have put together a list of 10 YA adult novels with strong female protagonists. Read on for my favorites as well as a bonus resource at the end that pairs great with these YA novels.  1. Tierney from The Grace Year by Kim Liggett At the cusp of womanhood, Garner County girls are banished for their grace year. Believing their youth is a form of magic, young girls spend the year in the wild in order to return purified. As Tierney’s own grace year looms closer she realizes

continue reading

7 St. Patrick’s Day Literacy Activities for Secondary ELA

You might be wondering if it’s worth it to incorporate St. Patrick’s Day literacy activities in your secondary ELA classroom, but let me assure you—it absolutely is! Celebrating this festive holiday can be a great way to engage students with themed lessons that reinforce reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills. St. Patrick’s Day has been recognized as a holiday since the Middle Ages, but its traditions have evolved significantly, especially in America. Why not use the opportunity to blend cultural exploration with your curriculum through fun and meaningful learning activities? To make planning easier, I’ve rounded up seven “lucky” St. Patrick’s Day literacy activities perfect for secondary classrooms. From creative writing prompts and close reading tasks to thematic vocabulary games and

continue reading

10 Tips for Teaching SETTING in the Secondary ELA Classroom

Teaching setting in secondary English Language Arts classrooms can be an overlooked literary element. It can certainly be tricky to identify and use, but rather than skim over it, I like to slow down and focus on setting as a stand-alone literary element. There are so many great activities that you can use to give it the spotlight it deserves. Read on for some of my favorite ideas.   1. Use rich mentor texts Having an example for good writing is so important for students. Use rich mentor texts from Young Adult historical fiction which always does a fantastic job of highlighting the setting. My favorites include All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The Lovely War by Julie

continue reading

Book Speed Dating: The Ultimate Classroom Activity to Spark Your Students’ Love for Reading

Give the traditional method of sorting students into reading groups a creative twist by using book speed dating— a fun and interactive activity that introduces students to a variety of texts in a short amount of time. This unique approach not only makes the process of selecting books exciting, but also allows students to engage with multiple genres or themes, sparking their interest in reading. Even if you’re not currently using reading groups, book speed dating is a versatile activity that can still be a valuable tool. It’s perfect for helping students discover new books for independent reading or literature circles. Plus, you can collaborate with your media specialist or local librarian to expand the selection of books available to

continue reading

Tips for Teaching CONFLICT in the Secondary ELA Classroom

When teaching conflict in the secondary ELA classroom, it’s important students really see its importance. The conflict is the ebb and flow of a story. It’s the interest to keep an audience reading. Its crux drives the climax. Its solution brings it to resolution. Read on to find some tips to bring into your ELA classroom. 1. Identify conflict in mentor texts This is one of the easiest activities to implement. Allowing students to see what conflict looks like in strong, recognizable texts is probably the easiest way to teach students how to identify conflict.  2. Specifically, conflict in YA realistic fiction Conflict is also freely on display in YA realistic fiction. Far from the Tree by Robin Benway (I

continue reading

6 Dialogue Writing Activities for the Secondary ELA Classroom

Dialogue writing activities are always a mainstay in any of my narrative writing units. I love seeing the creative writing my students turn in, but I often see it lacks dialogue or uses it incorrectly. It’s a skill that needs to be refined, but is sometimes overlooked in the grand scheme of things. I like to set aside time for activities that help review the mechanics of proper dialogue writing, as well as unique dialogue writing activities that let students practice the skill themselves. Read on for creative dialogue writing activities for your secondary students.   1. Create a Scene There are a lot of fun ways you can have students create scenes to practice writing dialogue. You can start with

continue reading

10 Spring Reading Activities for the Secondary ELA Classroom

Spring reading activities just bring a certain joy to the classroom. There’s more sun, the weather starts to improve, and we can almost feel the excitement of summer break creeping in. It’s the perfect time to refresh your lesson plans with engaging ways to foster a love of reading. Whether you’re looking to inspire reluctant readers, spark thoughtful discussions, or make independent reading more fun, spring offers a wonderful opportunity to bring new energy into your classroom. If your students—and you—are ready to see some academic bloom, take a look at my round-up of spring reading activities for secondary ELA. From creative projects to themed literature responses, these spring reading activities are designed to keep students motivated and focused as

continue reading

10 Student Project Ideas to Create in Canva

Need a round-up of activities to convince you Canva is amazing? Is there really anything better than Canva? It has so many options, pre-made projects, and amazing templates. You can take any content and turn it into a creative project where students can easily show 21st century skills. Gone are the days of the boring PowerPoint (except I definitely still use boring PowerPoint sometimes when appropriate). Enjoy this list of Canva inspiration. 1. Mood Boards Teaching mood is sometimes a confusing concept. Use Canva to help students create Mood Boards to pair analysis and artistry. I have a premade, purposeful, high-quality project here that can walk you through teaching this literary element in a fun way. Canva has plenty of

continue reading

10 Verse Novels to Celebrate National Poetry Month

Verse novels are a breed of their own, which is why I’m highlighting 10 of my favorites to celebrate National Poetry Month in April. I have a confession to make – I’m actually not a poetry super-fan. That probably sounds so terrible coming from an ELA teacher. Shouldn’t we like everything? The older I get, the more I enjoy poetry, but I have fallen in absolute LOVE with verse novels.  1. Clap When You Land – Elizabeth Acevedo Usually these lists are in “no particular order” but I adore Elizabeth Acevedo. She’s my favorite and I have no problems putting her in the number one spot. Clap When You Land is an absolutely stunning novel and is the one that

continue reading
day before spring break activities featured image

10 Day Before Spring Break Activities for Secondary English Language Arts

Spring break is on the horizon, and the energy in your classroom is shifting, so you know you need some solid day before spring break activities to make sure your students are engaged.. That last day before the break can feel like a challenge—students are eager, distracted, and counting down the minutes until their week of freedom begins. As a teacher, it’s easy to feel torn between wanting to embrace the excitement and ensuring your class time still has value. But here’s the good news: you can do both. By incorporating engaging, purposeful activities that still tie into your English Language Arts curriculum, you can channel that pre-break energy into creativity and meaningful learning. Whether it’s sparking imagination through writing,

continue reading

10 Young Adult Novels with Strong Female Protagonists

Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on the (at times, still overlooked) contributions of women. In honor of the dedication, ostracization, and relentlessness of women in our country’s history, I have put together a list of 10 YA adult novels with strong female protagonists. Read on for my favorites as well as a bonus resource at the end that pairs great with these YA novels.  1. Tierney from The Grace Year by Kim Liggett At the cusp of womanhood, Garner County girls are banished for their grace year. Believing their youth is a form of magic, young girls spend the year in the wild in order to return purified. As Tierney’s own grace year looms closer she realizes

continue reading

7 St. Patrick’s Day Literacy Activities for Secondary ELA

You might be wondering if it’s worth it to incorporate St. Patrick’s Day literacy activities in your secondary ELA classroom, but let me assure you—it absolutely is! Celebrating this festive holiday can be a great way to engage students with themed lessons that reinforce reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills. St. Patrick’s Day has been recognized as a holiday since the Middle Ages, but its traditions have evolved significantly, especially in America. Why not use the opportunity to blend cultural exploration with your curriculum through fun and meaningful learning activities? To make planning easier, I’ve rounded up seven “lucky” St. Patrick’s Day literacy activities perfect for secondary classrooms. From creative writing prompts and close reading tasks to thematic vocabulary games and

continue reading

10 Tips for Teaching SETTING in the Secondary ELA Classroom

Teaching setting in secondary English Language Arts classrooms can be an overlooked literary element. It can certainly be tricky to identify and use, but rather than skim over it, I like to slow down and focus on setting as a stand-alone literary element. There are so many great activities that you can use to give it the spotlight it deserves. Read on for some of my favorite ideas.   1. Use rich mentor texts Having an example for good writing is so important for students. Use rich mentor texts from Young Adult historical fiction which always does a fantastic job of highlighting the setting. My favorites include All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The Lovely War by Julie

continue reading

Book Speed Dating: The Ultimate Classroom Activity to Spark Your Students’ Love for Reading

Give the traditional method of sorting students into reading groups a creative twist by using book speed dating— a fun and interactive activity that introduces students to a variety of texts in a short amount of time. This unique approach not only makes the process of selecting books exciting, but also allows students to engage with multiple genres or themes, sparking their interest in reading. Even if you’re not currently using reading groups, book speed dating is a versatile activity that can still be a valuable tool. It’s perfect for helping students discover new books for independent reading or literature circles. Plus, you can collaborate with your media specialist or local librarian to expand the selection of books available to

continue reading

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