"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
SECONDARY LEVEL LESSON PLANS
The Great Gatsby Setting Map - I find this assignment to be very creative and educational. It helps students learn to visualize their reading and gives them a unique class project, in the way it is not just another book report or research paper. I like the group sizes (2-3 students) and I think the point system works pretty well. I would be sure to give them at least 2 or 3 in class work days to complete the assignment in case students do not have the ability to get together outside of class.
Biography/Autobiography Book Report- I love this project! Students have two choices for doing this assignment; choose a character to perform a psychological interview with or create a scrapbook that describes and shows the meaning of the character's life. I think this is a very "outside of the box" idea. I like both options, and would love to see what students come up with for each option, so I think instead of letting them choose between the two, I would make each one separate assignments for two different books. I would also have to come up with my own grading system and time period that the students have to finish the project, seeing how the creator of this idea does not provide their's.
Great Books, Great Art - I find it important to give students assignments that deal with more than just the subject of English. I enjoy other subjects than only English, and I know that many students share the same feeling. So in an effort to help build a bridge between English and Art, I would love to use this assignment in my classroom. Not only does it make students critically analyze the text they have just read, but it also gets them thinking beyond just the book, and similarly to the Great Gatsby project mentioned above, forces them to think about the events of the books for vividly and visually. This project may even interest some students in the subject or art, and would make them want to study it more closely after this project is over with (which would be awesome!).
Fahrenheit 451 Webquest - I really like Webquests. I believe that they are good ways for students to become more familiar with technology and the internet, while still doing something related to English and Literature. Furthermore, Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite books, so that makes this project *that* much more sweet! I really like how the assignment integrates English with History and how it uses a lot of steps from Bloom's Taxonomy. If I were to implement this assignment in my own classroom, somethig I would have to change is the choice of internet links. Many of the links in this webquest are now unavailable, but I could easily give students alternate site for finding out the historical information they need to create this project.
ENGLISH ARTICLES (must have subscription to English Journal or access to JSTOR for links to work properly)
Follett, Richard J. and Rayna Larson. English Journal. Vol. 71, No. 4. April 1982. 18-21.
This article really dives deep into the pros and cons of teaching students about homosexual literary figures. It is presented in a clear debate form and both sides bring up good points supporting their cause, as well as understanding the points of their counterpart. It talks about the idea of whether or not it is necessary to mention to students a writer's sexual orientation.
Language: A Pernicious and Powerful Tool
Parker, Jessica. English Journal. Vol. 91, No. 2. November 2001. 74-78.
This is a great article written by an actual high school English teacher who decided to come out to her students about her sexual orientation, and it tells of the thoughts, worries, and hopes both she and her students felt when she did so.
What is a "Regular" English Classroom? Language and Diversity in Today's Schools
Cook, Lenora. English Journal. Vol. 85, No. 8. December 1996. 49-51.
This article talks about the fact that regular English classes should really be no different than a well taught ESL class. The author mentions a lot of good classroom lesson ideas, such as read alouds and margin-notes.
OTHER LINKS
ReadWriteThink - Website run by the NCTE that provides resources for teachers and students for language arts and reading studies.
Beyond Books - Provides interactive textbooks online and tons of study guides for all different school subjects.
Bibliomania - Has thousands of books available online for reading, along with study guides, reference books, biographies, and more!
Literary Worlds - Where you can have students research and role play in literary worlds made up of different literary works.
PBS Teachers - A site great for teachers of all grade levels and subjects, with great lessons topics.
NY Times Learning Network - Has a number of lesson plans and activities for all different school subjects, including social studies, history, civics, and current events.