Faulkner's Fast Five

Creating Classroom Success Stories

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Group Membership
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Success Stories

Greatest Hits of 2015: A Linky of Middle and High School Lessons

Ideas and Lessons for Middle and High School Subjects

As 2015 comes to a close and I think about the new crop of
students I’ll get in January, I like to spend some time reflecting on what
lessons and activities worked really well over the year. Those lessons, for
sure, I want to repeat.  I’m sharing 5 lessons
that I tried in my junior English class this year, and at the bottom, you can
find lessons, activities, and blog posts from other fabulous secondary teachers
who have linked up what worked for them as well! Happy New Year from Faulkner’s
Fast Five!
1) The Writing on the Wall Poetry Analysis: This is a
very low-prep strategy that works really well for poetry.  It was late one Thursday afternoon, and I needed
something for Friday’s book club lesson. 
I wanted to bring in Poe’s poem “Alone” with my novel unit, but I didn’t
have time to make a cute graphic organizer or really even make copies.  My goal was to use the poem to point out the
poet’s word choices and then relate the character in the poem to a character in
the book.  So, it hit me. I decided to
take loaded words from the poem and write each one a blue piece of paper. I
taped them up around the room, and I was set for Friday! When the students came
in, they were curious! Yes! I put them in small groups, and they had a few
seconds to brainstorm any words, ideas, images, etc. associated with that word.
I was short on time that day, and I really just wanted this activity to be a
lead-in. So, we just shared out, and they were able to begin formulating ideas
on the poem’s mood and even subject matter. 
Then we started to dig into annotating the poem.  It was an excellent way for me to draw their
attention to WORDS in a text, and how those words play a large role.  
Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky

Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky
2) Tear and Share Test Prep: I’ve actually used this
strategy several times this year, and I love it! The kids love it! I had a sub
once, and she loved it! And, I was even evaluated once while doing it, and my
principal loved it! So— what is it?  Again,
a super-low prep strategy that makes test prep game-like and truly promotes collaboration
among students.  Step 1: Use any test
prep booklet or material. This year I used FREE materials from
achievethecore.org.  We aren’t a CC state
anymore, but these materials are still spot on for our tests.  Step 2: Students create “hot dog” paper and
label both sides the same way. They will be writing their answers twice. Step
3: Students work through their test prep alone. After they write their answers
twice, they tear the paper in half and turn in the left side. That is the side
I grade. Step 4:  Students take their
other half to a group and work through the problems again to create a group
answer sheet. Step 5: Trade the group answer sheet to peer score, and take this
time to go over each problem and its solution. The group with the most correct
wins candy, points, etc.  You will be
amazed by the depth of the conversations about the material your students will
be having! 
Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky

Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky

Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky

3) Sentence Variety Writing Workshop – Back in September
Commissioner of Education, Candace McQueen, came to visit my classroom. My
students were in the process of revising their first argumentative essay. I had
identified syntactic variety as a point we needed to work on.  I wanted Dr. McQueen to see a snapshot of the
student-centered learning and engagement that takes place in my classroom.  For this lesson, I just used a couple of
tools: #1: Video clip from Whose Line where the actors play the 90 second alphabet
game.  Each line of the scene they act
out must start with a different letter. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHImgoOq024.  #2: Prints from the story The Mysteries of Harris Burdock. One for
each group.  After watching the video
clip to bring in a real-world connection and to set up the activity, students
were tasked with writing a story that solved the mystery of their picture, but
each sentence had to start with a different letter of the alphabet in
consecutive order.  Dr. McQueen and all
the VIPs in my class that loved it, and so did my students. I followed this
activity with a short workshop on sentence variety complete with examples and a
practice worksheet.  From that point on,
I was truly impressed with my students’ concerted effort to use syntactic variety
in their essays. 


4) Four Square Poetry Analysis: “True Blue American” is
a poem that I’ve taught many times, and you can actually read an entire blog
post about it here
and get the complete teaching
pack for it here
.  This time around,
though, I only had one day to do a close reading of the poem and then focus in
on the irony.  So, we have another
super-low-prep strategy I called Four Squares. 
Students folded their papers into four squares and labeled them Author’s
Purpose, Tone, Organization/Structure, and Figurative Language/Word
Choice.  For this poetry analysis after a
quick close read alone, I put students in groups.  I’ve done this where each group is
responsible for only one square or they do them all. It’s a good idea to have
them do just one square as a group the first time you ever do it, then move to
having them do them all on different texts later on for scaffolding purposes.  Then, we always share out with the large group
and have discussion.  I had time to go
around and prompt some groups to dig more deeply and encourage others to keep
going on the right track. I was so impressed with how this simple FREE strategy
allowed my students to dig deeply into a text. 
Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky

Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky

Faulkner's Fast Five New Year 2015 Reflection Linky
Poetry Close Reading Lesson: "True-Blue American" w/ Video


5) Guest Speaker – On Fridays my junior honors
class turns our attention to the novel we’ve been reading for our book club.  One Friday, I asked a local psychology professional
to come speak to the class on teen suicide, which is a poignant topic central
to the book we were reading at the time. 
I gave the students a sheet with some questions to complete before and
after the speaker came.  What I liked
most about this was that the students were able to hear about this topic and
ask questions with a professional, and we were able to use the information he
shared throughout the remainder of the book study. Get
the sheet I used here for FREE.
 

Do you have a lesson or activity that worked really well for you this year? Link up below with the product, website,  or blog post, and leave a comment below sharing why and how it worked so well! Be sure to share the linky on social media!

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: Guest Speakers, Middle and High School English Lessons, Poetry Analysis, Poetry Close Reading, Poetry Strategies, Test Prep Strategies, Uncategorized, Word Choice 18 Comments

Teaching September 11 with Poetry

Teaching September 11 can be tough.  But teaching September 11 with poetry can make the process easier and more meaningful.

Over the years I’ve noticed that my students are getting further and further away from knowing what happened on September 11, 2001, and feeling the weight of its magnitude on our nation’s history.  I was in college when the towers were struck, and I remember sitting on the bed in my dorm room feeling crushed and scared and praying for every family affected by that senseless act of terrorism.  I will never forget how I felt.  Now, over a decade later, we are still impacted by choices and decisions made that day.  Each September, I try to pause for a quick lesson in honor and remembrance of our freedom in America. Teaching September 11 can be tricky, but with poetry, it is much more manageable and meaningful. Here are 5 reasons why I love using poetry to teach the events of September 11.

Covering Standards with Poetry

One thing I love about poetry is that it packs a big punch. So many standards can be met when teaching just a tiny poem. Theme and use of language are two standards that might be hard to teach with a larger text, but they are much more manageable when examining a poem. Specifically when dealing with tough issues such as the terrorism and loss on September 11, theme is an important discussion — what do we need to learn from this event… from history, so it doesn’t repeat? These are pertinent questions to ask, and they are perfect questions for understanding and inferring theme.

In both of the lessons I’ve linked at the bottom of this post, theme is heavily examined, and because theme is so universal, a poetry study is the perfect type of lesson to make connections across texts as well. In my lesson plan for “True-Blue American,” students will explore the idea of entitlement v. gratitude and how that fits into their role as an American. The subtle ironic tone of this lesson will challenge your students to reflect on their own lives and choices. Its ultimate goal is for students to be able to delineate how theme develops and how two different texts can share the same theme. By the time they’ve finished looking at the poem, you’ve met numerous standards in depth. Then, when you add the additional texts and other exercises, you’ve taught even more standards — in a meaningful and authentic way.

Close Reading and Annotating Poetry

I think of close reading as dissecting a text in stages — stepping into the four corners of the text multiple times with different goals each time.  First, we read for just the main point or to summarize. (I use my SWBST strategy.) We also go ahead and catch any unfamiliar words here, too.  I usually play an audio version of the poem for this round, if one is available. I always provide a highlighter and encourage them to make notes in the margin.  Next, I have a student volunteer to read it again aloud, and here they looking for deeper meaning, language usage, word choice, and tone. If students have a new purpose each time, I’ve found they are less likely to get “bored” with looking at the same text multiple times.  After students have worked individually with the texts, we have a group discussion.  To reinforce their ideas and model strong annotating, I will get a blank copy of the text and annotate under my document camera as they discuss and share.  In the “True-Blue American” poetry lesson since we were ultimately leading up to comparison, after annotating, I provided them with a thematic Venn diagram on which they recorded their analysis. 

Teaching September 11 can be tough.  But teaching September 11 with poetry can make the process easier and more meaningful.

Another approach I like to use for annotating is the guided annotations technique. Basically, I give students prompts to point their attention to certain details that they should notice and note. This is a perfect strategy for differentiating for students who are learning to annotate. My “We Grow Accustomed” lesson plan includes guided annotations right on the page. See more information about using guided annotations at this Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Julie (@juliesclassroomstories)

Teaching September 11 with Poetry

Collaborating and Discussing Poetry

Academically productive talk has become a staple in my classroom the past few years. I admit that I was so unwilling to even try it at first, but as a Common Core Coach for my state, I felt highly obligated.  Once I began to realize the value in it – students talking about texts and ideas to prepare them for their own individual task, to learn how to express themselves accurately, to form rebuttals purposefully and respectfully – I was sold.  When I conducted the “True-Blue American” poetry lesson, I tried something new– the interactive anchor chart.  The two forms of text we were comparing were a poem and a video lecture/talk.  I wanted to make anchor charts for each type, but I didn’t want to just stand up in the front of class basically writing answers for them.  Instead, I formulated 4 questions about each genre and gave them a few minutes to work individually.  I’ve written a host of questions for analyzing poetry in task card format that are in printable and digital form. You can grab those here. Second, students collaborated with their shoulder partner about their responses. (Watch a quick tutorial about shoulder partners here.)  The next step is where the interactive anchor chart comes in.  Each group got one sticky note and was assigned to be the expert on one of the questions.  They wrote their answer to that one question on their sticky and placed it on the anchor chart in the designated space.  To review the answers, I read them out loud and we added and deleted ideas as necessary.  This strategy could work with any type of situation where you want students to have notes about a topic and maybe they have some prior knowledge you could activate.  Plus, they were doing the work- not me.

Teaching September 11 with Poetry

Making Personal Connections with Poetry

Some of my students are usually slightly familiar with what happened on 911, but it’s generally pretty foggy.  I know that their history teacher is covering the facts, so I don’t usually need to take time to do that. However, I did want to do something and as an ELA teacher, and a thematic approach with textual analysis seemed fitting. While these poetry lessons could work for many other patriotic holidays or just as a stand-alone mini unit, I did it to bring up issues surrounding the events at Ground Zero.  Most of the time, we are so focused on skills and objectives, that we forget to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections — and that is where the real magic happens. I like that these lessons allowed us to do that.  To close the lessons, then, I give students a creative prompt. In the “True-Blue American” lesson, they designed a flag that illustrated what it means to really be a true-blue American.  In the “We Grow Accustomed” lesson, students drew a picture that reflected light and hope. Looking at what they wrote and drew makes me proud to be a teacher in this great country.

Teaching September 11 with Poetry
Teaching September 11 with Poetry

Our actions and words affect other people and make this world we live in what it is – for better or worse. Poetry is one tool we have in our teacher toolbox that can allow us to share light and hope with our students while teaching standards as well. I hope that in my classroom I can do a few things that achieve both objectives.

“True-Blue American” Poetry Lesson

“We Grow Accustomed” Poetry Lesson

 

Love this content? Join a group!  There are already tons of ideas, freebies, and fabulous teachers in my new groups, and joining is simple.  Just click over to the following links, answer a few questions, and voila! Thanks again for following along my classroom stories and small-business journey. I really do hope you to see you over in my new “backyards” where we can chat and share all things English and Yearbook.

Written by: Julie Faulkner

Filed Under: 9/11, America, anchor charts, CCSS Anchor R.9, interactive lesson, Patriot Day, Patriotic Lesson, Poetry Analysis, Poetry Close Reading, poetry month, Poetry Strategies, secondary ELA, September 11, Spirit Week 2 Comments

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • Pinterest

Categories

Latest on Pinterest

  • This student data tracking pack for collecting student data is unique because it is 100% student-directed. That means that it will work! You'll have easy prep tools in printable and digital format for setting goals, weekly reflections, numerical data collection. It's great for RTI, parent night, student portfolios, teacher evals, bell ringers, test prep, new year resolutions, informing instruction, and more. Use it all or just what you need.
  • In this easy-prep writing prompt pack, students will analyze texts that discuss a topic which is a major driving force in the world: the future of fuel in the vehicles we drive. They will then write an essay where they take a stand on the issue of "banning gas-powered vehicles" after reading those articles/texts. If your state requires students to synthesize from multiple sources for state testing, then this prompt meets that requirement.
  • My data program started with just a simple chart years ago where students would color in their scores each time we would write an essay. Now it has grown into a teaching strategy, a method, and a routine embedded into my class structure and student learning process that truly informs instruction. My process for collecting data in the classroom is meaningful for both me and my students.
  • Teacher Planners for Multiple Preps, Middle-High School Fruit of the spirit
  • Lord of the Flies Unit Plan
  • BENEFITS OF USING TASK CARDS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
Follow Me on Pinterest

LATEST ON FACEBOOK

Julie's Classroom Stories

1 day ago

Julie's Classroom Stories
Make your classroom personal with pictures you've taken from your travels - near and far. Kids enjoy the view, and they are often great conversation starters. More on decorating your classroom at my blog. juliefaulknersblog.com/journey-classroom-theme-ideas/ ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Julie's Classroom Stories

5 days ago

Julie's Classroom Stories
New Writing Prompt Pack! Added to my argument writing bundle and curriculum. If you have either of those, you can get this for free. If not, follow the link to grab it. Perfect current events topic for summer school! www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Prompt-Pack-Argumentative-Essay-on-Gas-Powered-Vehicl... ... See MoreSee Less

Writing Prompt Pack, Argumentative Essay on Gas-Powered Vehicle Ban

www.teacherspayteachers.com

In this easy-prep writing prompt pack, students will analyze texts that discuss a topic which is a major driving force in the world: the future of fuel in the vehicles we drive. They will then write a...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Julie's Classroom Stories

1 week ago

Julie's Classroom Stories
Have you ever heard of or used task cards with your classes? I use them for reading and writing. Check out this blog post where I explain all about task cards. juliefaulknersblog.com/using-task-cards-in-middle-and-high-school/ ... See MoreSee Less

Benefits of Using Task Cards in Middle and High School - Faulkner's Fast Five

juliefaulknersblog.com

There are plenty of reasons and ways to use task cards in any middle or high school classroom. This post shares practical ways for using task cards.
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Julie's Classroom Stories

2 weeks ago

Julie's Classroom Stories
18 - the magic number today 🪄6/5/04 is our “marry day” anniversary- that’s what my niece called weddings before she knew that word. If you think about it, though, her way makes so much more sense. A wedding is special, but having a great life with someone is really about focusing on the marriage. I’m thankful God sent me this guy (🦄) and I know he feels the same way about me🤣🤣😜😜 Prayers for 18 x infinity more. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Julie's Classroom Stories

4 weeks ago

Julie's Classroom Stories
Thinking of setting up a classroom library over the summer or updating yours? Check out (pun intended) my free supplies. www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Library-Materials-Free-4733097 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Latest on Instagram

#teacherproblemsinsummer #teachersonbreak #teacher #teacherproblemsinsummer #teachersonbreak #teacherhumor #teacherfunnies
#fridayfoodforthought #summertime #summerquotes #fridayfoodforthought #summertime #summerquotes
Pinch and zoom... This dress has lemons on it 🍋 Pinch and zoom... This dress has lemons on it 🍋 - I immediately thought of the caption: "When life gives you lemons..." But, since I'm super interested in the psychology of the #enneagram, I thought it would be fun to explore how each person would respond to a potentially sour situation. So here goes!⁠
When life gives you lemons...⁠
🍋 Type 1 (The Perfectionist): you make the most perfect batch of lemonade #bethechange
🍋 Type 2 (The Helper): you make sure no one else has to taste the lemon #bigheart
🍋 Type 3 (The Achiever): you deny ownership and get rid of the lemon as fast as you can by finding someone else to whom you think it belongs #notmylemon #saveface
🍋 Type 4 (The Individualist): you record a vlog, make a caption for IG, Tweet, and write post blog about how the lemon made you feel ⁠ #sigh
🍋 Type 5 (The Investigator): you research the best way to use lemons and then experiment with a few of those options⁠ #knowledgeispower
🍋 Type 6 (The Loyalist): you wonder if there are more lemons and if this is the biggest lemon you will get. Then you make a plan to avoid the next lemon.  #expecttheunexpected
🍋 Type 7 (The Enthusiast): you plan a fun and adventurous trip and pack the lemons as a snack⁠ #letsgo
🍋 Type 8 (The Challenger): you squeeze the juice in the eyes of your enemies⁠ #nomercy
🍋 Type 9 (The Peacemaker): you keep calm and ignore the lemons⁠ #everythingisfine #lifegoeson
--⁠
Put your #enneagramtype in the comments and let me know if I got close on your response!⁠
...⁠
⁠
⁠
#teacheroutfit #wearitwednesday #teacherstyle #teacherootd #whattheteacherwore #outfitoftheday #fashion #personalitytypes #whenlifegivesyoulemons #psychology #enneagramlife #enneagramtalk
On the blog: Everything you need to know about ess On the blog: Everything you need to know about essential questions in lesson planning. ⁠
...⁠
⁠
#teachingenglish #juliesclassroomstories #classroomsuccessstories #iteachenglish #highschoolenglishteacher #teachinghighschool #highschoolteacher #lessonplanning #teachingtips #tipsfornewteachers #essentailquestions #faulknersfastfive #faulknersfastfiveblog #teacherprofessionaldevelopment
#fridayfoodforthought #summertime #summerquotes #fridayfoodforthought #summertime #summerquotes
My teacher planners are designed exclusively for t My teacher planners are designed exclusively for teachers with multiple preps and are perfect for getting your lesson plans and goals organized! With the PDF and ready-made-for-Google formats, you'll have everything you need to plan successfully. There are options for A/B Block Schedule or up to 4 Preps. Link in bio. ⁠
...⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
#teachingenglish #juliesclassroomstories #classroomsuccessstories #iteachenglish #highschoolenglishteacher #teachinghighschool #highschoolteacher #backtoschool #teacherplanners #classroommanagement⁠
#plannergoodies
I wore this outfit to my mother's retirement lunch I wore this outfit to my mother's retirement luncheon. She served our community in education for 45 years as an English teacher and then in administration. That kind of commitment is often unheard of these days. I'm super proud of her accomplishments!⁠
...⁠
Top - #targetfinds⁠
Jeans - #loveloft⁠
...⁠
⁠
#teacheroutfit #wearitwednesday #teacherstyle #teacherootd #whattheteacherwore #outfitoftheday #fashion
Finished my first book of summer. Here are my thou Finished my first book of summer. Here are my thoughts on Dolly's #runroserun: ⁠
💡The voice is engaging, but I do wonder if it would have been better if it were told in first person. ⁠
💡Overall the characters were fun, but pretty predictable and somewhat flat. ⁠
💡There was enough suspense to keep me reading; however, the turning point seemed rushed and thus the main "secret" was underdeveloped. The secret wasn't what I was expecting, so that was nice. ⁠
💡Most of the time I felt I was reading a commercial: there was a lot of brand-name dropping. In many cases, I had no idea what was even being referenced. Perhaps that was a choice to show the stark contrast between the main character and the person she was trying to become. ⁠
💡I enjoyed the way the song snippets were incorporated in. ⁠
💡I'll always enjoy reading a story set close to home #tennesseeismyhome. ⁠
💡Favorite quote: "How had she became as necessary to his life as oxygen? ...The world is full of mysteries. He supposed the human heart - his human heart - had turned out to be one of them."⁠
⁠
Overall, I give it 3 stars out of 5. ⭐⭐⭐⁠
...⁠
⁠
#bookish #reader #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #currentlyreading #dollyparton #jamespatterson #summerreading
18 - the magic number today 🪄6/5/04 is our “m 18 - the magic number today 🪄6/5/04 is our “marry day” anniversary- that’s what my niece called weddings before she knew that word. If you think about it, though, her way makes so much more sense.  A wedding is special, but having a great life with someone is really about focusing on the marriage. I’m thankful God sent me this guy (🦄) and I know he feels the same way about me🤣🤣😜😜 Prayers for 18 x infinity more.
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Group Membership
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Success Stories