Tag: language arts

Suspenseful Stories in Language Arts: Writing the Story

Writing suspenseful stories in the Language Arts classroom can be a fun way to teach students how stories work. In previous posts I shared model texts that I use to teach kids how suspense works.  In another post I discussed how you can teach literary devices while creating the suspenseful story. In

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suspenseful story writing

Suspenseful Story Writing in Language Arts: Model Texts

Students love to write suspenseful stories, especially around Halloween. They can be a fun diversion in a secondary Language Arts classroom which can sometimes be dominated by essays. But if done properly, they can also teach students a great deal about how stories are constructed using suspense and imagery to

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What Makes a Book Great?

If you’re a high school English teacher – especially of the AP variety – it’s easy to get smug about books. We believe that some books are better than others and that every student should believe that Hemingway is a better author than Sparks or Rowling. We may not believe

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Why Read Books?

This summer I had two wonderful experiences reading books. The first was reading War and Peace, which took me the better part of the summer, but was one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I have ever had. The second was The Importance of Being Earnest, which I read in an afternoon, laughing

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Shakespeare Comics: Sonnet 18

Just listed at Teachers Pay Teachers: Shakespeare Comics: Sonnet 18. Here’s a preview: The packet contains a cartoon that explains the poem as well as comprehension activities and lessons on the sonnet form. Check it out at my store. Look for more Shakespeare Comics coming soon.

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End of the Year Fun: The AP Lit Olympics

This is the second post I’ve done about how I keep my students engaged at the end of the year. I teach seniors, and after prom they’re pretty much checked out. However, I don’t just want to show movies when there are plenty of fun things to do that can

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