Reading Strategies Archives - Faulkner's Fast Five

How to Host Successful Classroom Discussions

There are many methods, procedures, suggestions, tools, and ideas on how to best host a classroom discussion for literary analysis. Over the years, I’ve tried most of them, if not all of them. Some worked for certain groups of students and some didn’t. What I’ve learned through experimentation is that you really need quite a few tools in your toolbox, but also it is important to note that having the classroom discussion of your dreams takes time, practice, a clear understanding of the material, and a safe classroom culture. In this blog post, I’m sharing five things it takes to host successful classroom discussions in your middle and high school English classrooms.

Use Questions and/or Discussion Stems

Teacher-prepared questions or student-prepared questions can work successfully depending on what level your students are at in the discussion process. I would suggest that if your students are new to discussions, use the teacher-prepared questions approach the first couple of times because that models the right type of questions that students need to be asking about a text to get the most out of the discussion. Using task cards with pre-written questions is a good option. Give each student one or two cards at first, so they aren’t overwhelmed. Build in some time for them to answer before you open to the group, and make yourself available to give feedback individually before the discussion starts. It would be the same process if students are writing their own questions. Having questions and answers prepared ahead of time puts student on the same playing field, so to speak, at least initially. Everybody comes to the discussion with something to say that he/she can feel confident about, and student confidence is a key ingredient in having a successful classroom discussion.

Tools for useful and engaging questions/stems:

Another strategy I like to use to prompt comment preparedness is the 3-2-1 strategy. I explain it in this video:

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Let the Students Lead

It is not always easy to step back as the teacher and wait on students to speak up. We are trained to think that we have to do all the talking or that silence equals a lack of understanding. In some cases the latter may be true, but most of the time with classroom discussions, students need a minute to formulate an answer before they speak up in front of their peers. Letting the students lead also builds their confidence over time, and they learn how to encourage each other as well. An article on Edutopia entitled “Extending the Silence” suggests at least 15-20 seconds of wait time especially when students don’t know the answer. The article states, “Not every learner processes thinking at the same speed. Quality should be measured in the content of the answer, not the speediness,” and I wholeheartedly agree. The level of critical thinking and problem solving required to participate in a meaningful conversation about a text is arguably one of the highest that students might encounter, especially when they know they are going to be required to keep it going. I would suggest only speaking up when you can see that the productive struggle has just become more of a struggle: if the silence goes on for minutes, if there is nothing left to say, if comments begin to repeat, or if the tone shifts. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy your students’ perspectives!

Hold Students Account to the Text

I always tell my students that there is a ton of flexibility when it comes to literature. That means that most of the time their interpretations are acceptable when they can be backed up with line support. However, I do tell them that there are wrong answers. So, when they get out in the weeds or just have a blatantly erroneous reading of a text due to too much speculation, misreading, failure to remember details correctly, etc., we have to stop and go back to the text. Sometimes they will check each other, and other times I need to step in and ask students to take another look at the text. It is necessary to establish text dependency with all classroom discussions about literature from the start. We may reread passages being discussed. Other times I might ask for line support. When students are writing answers to their questions from the task cards, for example, always require textual evidence. Otherwise the purpose can get skewed, and the ultimate purpose of a classroom discussion is two-fold: teach students to correctly analyze a text and effectively communicate those ideas out to others.

Physical Positioning Matters

For this one, I’m taking a page out of one of my favorite professional development authors/speakers. Dave Burgess, author Teach Like a Pirate, suggests, “In order for all members of the classroom to be engaged and learning, both the teacher and the students need to be immersed in their instruction/learning.” Switching up your seating arrangement to a circle where everyone is facing each other sets the stage for better communication practices. Plus, it is something out-of-the-norm and builds excitement. This simple transformation according the Burgess “provides an uncommon experience for your students and they will reward you and uncommon effort and attitude.” I want that as a teacher, and I know my students want that, too.

Troubleshooting Problems

Over-eager students and reluctant students will likely be your biggest issues with classroom discussions. I don’t like to force students to speak up, and honestly, sometimes I rely on my more outspoken students at times. In some cases, the more quiet students need to see the process modeled for them. They have their questions and answers prepared, but they aren’t comfortable with their own voice. I just give them time and small pushes in the right direction. For your eager students, validate their enthusiasm and gently remind them that you’d like as many voices as possible to be heard. Ask the students who’ve had quite a bit of “airtime” during the discussion to “stick a pin” in their remaining ideas, so that we can come back to them if no one else covers them. That typically doesn’t cause them to shutdown, and it reminds other students they need to speak up!

Avoiding a question/answer session is another issue to watch out for when conducting classroom discussions. This happens a lot of times when students are new at discussions or if students know a quiz will follow. In the latter situation, students are just phishing for what the teacher is looking for and/or guessing what will be on the quiz rather than truly discussing the passage. There’s nothing wrong with giving a quiz after a discussion, but students need to know that the purpose of the discussion isn’t to “review” the material on a basic level. In other cases, it just goes back to letting the students lead, holding back, and resisting the urge to answer every question that is posed.

Grading is a sticky topic when it comes to discussions. I want my classroom discussions to be organic and free from judgement. I am usually enjoying the moment so much so that I don’t like to take notes or make marks on who talked or didn’t. I’ve done that in the past, and I know it works well for some classrooms. I’d rather give a reading quiz or a prompt where students write afterwards. Other times, students have done work prior to the discussion to prepare, and I’ll collect that. These days, I’m more in the space where I want to experience the discussion rather than evaluate it from the outside looking in.

The benefits of classroom discussion abound. Students are able to make text-to-text connections, text-to-self connections, and even text-to-world connections. Check out a few other posts I have regarding my book club procedures: I Don’t Do Literature Circles and Setting Up a Classroom Book Club.

Watch/Listen to a version of this post here.

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written by Julie Faulkner

Everything You Need to Know about Article of the Week

I started using an article of the week program several years ago, and I’ve always seen amazing results. I love how flexible the system is and how much the students gain from reading and responding to a weekly article. My system — which I put my personal spin on — is planned and structured unlike others I’ve seen, but I like knowing that this method provides my students with the best possible experience. In this blog post, I’m hoping to share everything you need to know about using an article of the week in your classroom.

What is Article of the Week?

An article of the week program is a system that presents students with one article per week that they unpack daily. The article may be controversial or just informational. The article may relate to current events, or it might cover more timeless topics. Each day students will revisit the same article with a different purpose for reading and responding: one day they use context clues with vocabulary words, while another day they answer text-based questions using textual evidence and citations. Giving students a new and meaningful purpose/task each day keeps the article fresh and sparks deeper critical thinking.

What Are the Benefits of Using an Article of the Week Program?

Reading regularly each day improves reading comprehension. Studies show that reading as little as 5 minutes a day improves reading levels, and the more time spent reading, the higher the percentile students are likely to rank in on standardized tests. Reading speed is also greatly affected by regular reading habits.
It strengthens writing and using textual evidence. Because I have my students use the RACE (or ACE) format when they are writing responses to their text-based questions, this system improves their writing drastically. Check out this post on using the RACE format for responding to constructed response questions. Grab my FREE sampler for teaching the RACE format. I also grade for grammar, usage, and mechanics as I am an English teacher and that fits my standards.
It makes “real-world” connections. Students are often lost, uniformed, or partially informed when it comes to what’s going on in the world. These weekly articles, chosen carefully, help provide them with critical information.
It is flexible for different types of classrooms and learners. I’ve used this program with inclusion classes all the way to dual enrollment college classes. I’ve used it with face-to-face classrooms and remote learning classrooms as well. Everything I’ve provided in my program (linked at the bottom) is editable and easy to modify.
Reading builds background and content knowledge as well as vocabulary. Students who read regularly can learn 4,000 to 12,000 words per year. I believe that words live inside of texts, so rather than giving my students lists of words to memorize, I prefer having them encounter words organically and uncover their meanings in context. In my experience, students are able to retain and actually use the new words using this method.
It prepares for standardized testing. The more exposure students have to reading grade-level material, unpacking vocabulary with context clues, and formulating written responses the better their test-taking skills become.

What should you avoid when implementing article of the week?

Articles that are too easy or hard for your grade level. While we need articles that have grade-level and above vocabulary and structure, we don’t want articles that student’s can’t even grasp. One size does not fit all.
Articles that are too long or too short. I like to use articles that print no longer than on the front and back of a sheet.
Articles with no relevance to students’ lives at all. You aren’t going to have 100% interest every week for every article, but if no one is ever interested, it might be that the selection of articles needs to be refreshed. Of course, we know students are going to complain, so while we do need to take most of that with a grain of salt, we do have to be open to the validity of those concerns.
Articles with no variety of topics/content. Selecting from all modes — argumentative, expository, and narrative — will ensure that you are providing a variety of reading material. Too many political articles or too many articles warning against the dangers of social media can get old quickly.
Not having clearly defined expectations for each article. I like giving students something new to do each day – a new task with purpose: summarizing, vocabulary, text-based responses, and real-world connections. I don’t like turning them loose 100% to figure things out. While some students are successful with that approach, most wouldn’t take it seriously enough, and that would defeat the purpose. If you like the idea of giving students “wiggle room,” a good time to do that is the first day when students first receive the article. Initially, they read highlight and annotate, and then throughout the week they can build on that work.
Not having a clear way to measure student response. The fastest way to ruin an article of the week program is for students to realize it’s busy work. If they are being told to “just go read this article and make notes” with no truly measurable standards, is that really accomplishing the list of benefits from above?
Articles that are too biased or always having biased articles. Teach students to read for and recognize bias, so that when you do encounter an article with author bias, they know how to process that. It’s not something to avoid entirely, but it is something that needs to be taught.

Tips for How-To Implement the Program

Step 1: Establish the format. What will students be doing each day? For my article of the week program daily layout, see below.

Monday: Read, annotate, and summarize
Tuesday: Vocabulary
Wednesday: Text-specific questions
Thursday: Figurative language scavenger hunt
Friday: Text-to-Self or Text-to-World connections and reflection

Step 2: Decide if students will be doing the work in class or out of class. This depends on your class schedule and students’ learning levels. If you have an honors class, consider assigning it as out-of-class work, and then carve out time on Friday to share and discuss. If your students will need more guidance, dedicate the last 15-20 minutes of class to work on their article of the week daily task. It’s super flexible.

Step 3: Select articles with the criteria above and prepare text-specific questions.

Step 4: Design a rubric and/or grading expectations. A rubric can be as in depth or as simple as you would like. It is just super important to have a clear and consistent grading plan in place and let students know that up front. I do grade for content and format on the questions and accuracy on the vocabulary. Everything else is a bit subjective. Since there are only five questions per article, it helps with the grading load. It does take some time, but it is also a really good time to give feedback on writing. As an English teacher, I tend to mark grammar and style here, as well, because that helps me meet more standards.

Step 5: Model with students the first couple of weeks. How should they read and annotate? How should they use context clues? What are their written responses supposed to look like? Check out this post on using the RACE format for responding to constructed response questions. Grab my FREE sampler for teaching the RACE format.

Step 6: Carve out time at the end of the week to discuss and share. Reading and writing are only enhanced by discussion!

Get Going with Some No-Prep Solutions

My article of the week program is a bit different than others you might have seen. Following the suggestions above, each article is selected for reading and interest level and comes with specific text-based questions. It is also provided in printable and digital for Google format. The articles are on hot topics, often current events, but also with timeless content, so you aren’t sharing “dated news” with students. The best “news”? My program is entirely no prep for you!

High School Article of the Week Complete Set
Yearbook/Journalism Article of the Week Complete Set
Middle School Article of the Week (Coming Soon)

Other news outlet and websites such as Newsela, The New York Times, Time for Kids, DOGO News, The Smithsonian Tween Tribune, and News for Kids also have articles you can grab. Some, but not all, of these have questions or prompts you could assign with no prep.

I discuss my Article of the Week Program a bit more here, too, on Instagram.

You know your students best, if you are looking to give an article of the week program a try, select one that works best for everyone — you included! Making the choice to include more reading is always a good choice!

Written by: Julie Faulkner, 2021

How To Select and Use Paired Texts for Teaching Reading

In my previous post on the Benefits of Using Paired Texts to Teach Reading, I discuss the advantages of this brain-based teaching method. It’s no secret that offering ways for students to making connections — text to text, text to self, and text to world — is an opportunity to exercise higher order thinking skills. Teaching shouldn’t happen in a vacuum, even though sometimes it does as we stress to move units along the conveyor belt, more acceptably known as pacing guides. Often and unfortunately, we teach one skill and move quickly onto the next. Confession: I don’t teach that way. Everything must build and connect from unit to unit, text to text, and skill to skill. That’s why paring texts is so important, and in this final post in the series, I want to share the practical, actionable ways that I select and use paired texts for teaching reading.

1) Select texts that have related themes.

Most standards now require something to the effect of, “Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.” In fact, in the CCSS, theme is mentioned in the second anchor standard for reading: “Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development.” There is no denying that teaching theme is an important part of teaching reading. Over the years, I’ve noticed that when teaching theme with one text, students do slowly grasp the concept. But, when I add that next layer of a paired text and ask them to consider what universal message the texts share, that’s when the light bulbs ding on. Since texts can have multiple themes, you’ll want to pick the one that is most overarching and/or universal — And the one that you really want students to focus on for the duration of the unit and possibly the one they will focus on for their final culminating task.

In my Lord of the Flies unit, for example, we read Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask,” and I ask students to synthesis between the novel and play how the concept of hiding behind a mask emerges as a theme.

How To Select and Use Paired Texts for Teaching Reading, Lord of the Flies Unit

2) Select paired texts that provide authentic and relevant background information.

When I start a unit that requires a bit of background information for students to fully understand the setting, conflict, etc., I like to provide that information. Rather than “read” a Power Point lecture to them, I bring in an article or excerpt from a history book that provides the content they need — only they are doing the work extracting that information instead of me just reading it to them. Sometimes, I can’t always find one text that does the job, so I’ll write up a faux article using several sources. If you have accelerated students, that would be an excellent task for them to do.

For example, when we read Their Eyes Were Watching God, I want students to understand the historical context of the Muck Bowl, so they can fully appreciate the conflict Tea Cake and Janie experience. Here I used several sources to craft this faux textbook excerpt. On the worksheet, I ask students questions about the historical content itself, and then they apply that information to the novel.

How To Select and Use Paired Text for Teaching Reading

Fire is such an important element in the novel Fahrenheit 451, so I don’t want students to miss its value as a literary element; thus, that understanding is further enhanced by gaining scientific knowledge about how fire works. From the first page, we track fire as a motif throughout the novel, and then near the end, I bring in a scientific article that explains how fire works. By then, they have a full picture and lots of textual evidence to make connections.

3) Select paired texts that represent another point of view or voice.

One of the benefits I mentioned the first post in this series of using paired texts for teaching reading was that pairing texts allows for diversity. If your curriculum calls for authors who are too close in ethnicity, gender, etc., pairing a text can open the door for more diversity. It also allows students to see themselves and see topics from different points of view.

In my Trifles unit, I pause to read Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “Sympathy.” Not only does this poem connect based on theme, but it relates the experience of being trapped from a Black man’s point of view — totally different from the white female author’s voice in the story. We can discuss how anyone can feel trapped and for so many different reasons. This type of paring really does open students’ eyes and free up higher levels of learning.

4) Select texts with intertextuality.

Intertextuality might be an unfamiliar word, but it is a very common practice in the literary world. There is certainly “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The term was first coined by the Bulgarian-French philosopher and literary critic, Julia Kristeva in 1966. According to Kristeva, when readers read a new text, they are always influenced by other texts, which they have read earlier. When a writer borrows from other texts while writing his/her own, he/she attaches layers of meanings to his/her work as well. When that work is read under the light of the others, it gives it a new meaning and interpretation.

Thus, intertextuality is the relationship between texts, especially literary ones. In fact, it can be argued that every text is a product of intertextuality. It’s that feeling of Deja vu: You’ve read this somewhere before. Well, you likely have. Essentially, intertextuality is the retelling of an old story or the rewriting of popular stories in a different set of contexts. It is not a remake, though, as in the instance of one of the Hunger Games books being made into a movie or the various remaking of every Disney movie ever from cartoon people to real people. It’s also not allusions to other texts, either, as in the way Collins infuses elements from Fahrenheit 451 or Greek Mythology in The Hunger Games. However, the entire concept and plot of The Hunger Games is a modern retelling of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery — that’s intertextuality. Another example of intertextuality is between Miller’s The Crucible and Jodi Picoult’s Salem Falls: modern setting, same plot, conflict, and themes. More examples include:

Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby retold in Sparks’s Dear John
Shaw’s Pygmalion created into My Fair Lady and again into the movie Miss Congeniality
Shakespeare’s Hamlet rewritten into The Lion King
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet retold in the Twilight Series
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus
Anderson’s The Snow Queen refashioned into the beloved Frozen

Because you must experience both texts from beginning to end to fully grasp and evaluate the intertextuality, it can take some planning in how to pair these types of texts in the classroom. If it’s a movie remake, that’s the perfect way to close the unit. Ask students to make a Venn diagram to compare/contrast the differences or have them create a mirrored set of plot charts. I’ve also shared the modern versions as part of my First Chapter Friday readings and had students check out the paired text. You could also do it for out of class reading for advanced students or as summer reading, as well.

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5) Select paired texts to advance a character study.

The characters are why we read: we fall in love with them, we love to hate them, we want them to survive, we share in their triumphs, we feel their joy and sadness. Selecting paired texts to teach characterization is an excellent way to enrich the reading experience. You can have students compare how the two main characters handled situations different and why. You can have students study the way the author chose to develop them: point of view, descriptions, voice, and more. Sometimes you can compare characters in different texts from the same author or characters from two entirely different texts. It depends on your purpose.

In my A Rose for Emily unit, I bring in a nonfiction article about a woman who couldn’t let go of her dead family member either and a poem from Emily Dickinson wherein the speaker wishes to be alone. Here, I’m making the story relevant and extending our study on characterization: What motives do they share for this behavior and why? Why do they choose isolation? This technique opens up a whole new world of analysis.

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It’s important to conduct a close reading of each text individually first before comparing texts or integrating the information from the layer. Teach the process; teach students how to compare/contrast and explain why. We want students to be successful and really experience the higher order thinking that studying paired texts can offer, so we have to be prepared to teach those skills explicitly first. This means it could actually take a week or more to walk students through close reading and annotating each text individually, especially if it is going to be part of an in-class unit. Check out my Textual Analysis Worksheets if you don’t teach these texts I shared. You’ll find tools for comparing your favorite text pairs.

Aside from all the standards that are covered when you begin adding layers and pairing texts to teach reading, imagine the doors that you’ll be opening up for students — doors (in the form of novels, articles, movies, poems, etc.) that they may have never “walked through” before. As English teachers we love reading and know it’s value; pairing texts to teach reading is just a sneaky way to share that love ♥ Speaking of sharing — please drop your favorite paired texts for teaching reading in the comments below!

Written by: Julie Faulkner, 2020

Benefits of Paired Texts for Teaching Reading

Paired passages or paired texts are texts that are connected in some way. When the Common Core State Standards rolled out years ago, the concept of teaching with paired texts surfaced. At first, English teachers were worried that the demand for more nonfiction and the requirements of CCSS, R.9 would limit the amount of fiction they could teach. Over time, it became evident that pairing texts and teaching students how to “analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take” (CCSS, R.9) actually has more advantages than disadvantages. Many states are moving away from CSCC (mine included), but the standard of pairing texts is still required. Not only does pairing texts meet this specific standard, but also it allows you to address several others at once. Once I began to see the benefits of paired texts for teaching reading, it stuck. This is one strategy that will be a permanent part of my teaching reading toolbox. In this blog post, I’ll share why I use paired texts to teach reading in my secondary English classroom.

Benefit of Paired Texts #1: Differentiation

The origin of pairing texts was derived from the need to make reading instruction more rigorous, and adding layers of texts and passages certainly can do that. However, I think one of the benefits of paired texts for teaching reading is that, if chosen carefully, this is a strategy that teachers can use to reach all learners whether they are excelling or emerging readers. For example, if you are reading a longer text, struggling readers might get lost in the volume of material. Pairing that text with another shorter, simpler, or less complex text with a similar plot, conflict, or theme could give those students a stepping stool for understanding the larger text. In this way, a paired text acts as a scaffold for the emerging readers.

On the flip side, if you are teaching a piece of fiction to excelling readers, you can bring in a more complex nonfiction piece to challenge those students. Here a paired text challenges students and increases the depth of knowledge.

Benefit of Paired Texts #2: Diversity

Many reading lists are derived from the traditional canon of literature, and if we are being honest, that list doesn’t present as very diverse. However, districts set those reading lists for various reasons, and teachers are required to comply. I am pro-canon, but not in the sense that I don’t recognize that there are gaps in the traditional canon. It’s ~~our~~ my job to erase those gaps and fill them with more timely and audience-appropriate choices. Pairing texts allows me to expand by adding material with a variety of authors and characters. If your reading list is heavily balanced or fixed on while male authors, it is 100% possible to branch out with pairings by women, Black, and multicultural authors.

Addressing and acknowledging diversity for me isn’t just about checking the box, so to speak, either; the richness of a diverse reading list is interesting and inspiring, and I wholeheartedly believe it is one way to dismantle the perpetuation of racism in curriculum. The benefit of paired texts to teaching reading in this case is twofold: it opens students eyes to others’ experiences, and it acts a mirror for all students. Inclusion starts in our classrooms.

benefits of paired texts to teaching reading

Benefit of Paired Texts #3: Real-World Readiness and Research

Whether students are on the track to a college or career, they will likely be required to sift through multiple pieces of information for various reasons. If students head to college, they will undoubtedly be asked to read multiple reports and synthesize in science class. If students head to work, it is very likely they will be required to manage reports, emails, or sets of directions to accomplish their job. Pairing a memoir or movie with a primary source document teaches students to look for more. It teaches the need for and value of research and facts. It teaches the need for awareness and unpacking of current events. When we make the choice to pair texts that take students beyond the four corners of one text to open up a new world of information, bias, points of view, and more, then, in our English classrooms, we are not only increasing their reading comprehension, but also we are preparing them to be successful beyond our classrooms — in the real-world.

Benefit of Paired Texts #4: Cross-Curricular Connections

Sometimes I think students have the mistaken idea that each class they take operates in a silo. We know that couldn’t be further from the truth, but how much effort do we make to show students that subjects are connected? We are busy, right? We have enough of our own standards to cover, right? But what if we can cover those standards and have students make connections? According to an article by bigthink.com, “Pattern recognition is one of the things human brains are exceptionally good at.” When we offer students texts sets from different subjects — a scientific info text article on how fire works when reading Fahrenheit 451, for example — they begin to make connections.

Pairing texts from other subjects also expands vocabulary. Students see how their knowledge of domain-specific vocabulary in one subject can actually help them process information in another subject. Higher order thinking skills involve applying knowledge, finding connections between facts, understanding the material, and manipulating the information in order to find new ways to discover solutions to problems. Pairing texts opens the door for all of the above.

Benefit of Paired Texts #5: Student Interest

Teacher enthusiasm, past experiences, schema, text selection, reading ability: all of these play a role in students’ enjoyment of reading. Pairing texts from different genres, authors, etc. is like providing a buffet of texts for students to sample. Eventually, students will find something they like, and hopefully, they will continue reading down that path. I love it when students ask me, “Does that author have anything else?” or “Could I borrow that book to read it again?”. When we are willing to step out of our comfort zones, students see that. It models for them how to be open-minded and how look for more. At the end of the day, my number one goal — standards aside — is for students to enjoy reading.

When the choices we make regarding curriculum and pedagogy benefit the children we teach, then we know we have might the right choice. Access the next blog post in this series for practical tips for how to select and use paired texts in the classroom. Be sure to follow along my blog by subscribing to email notifications, so you won’t miss new posts.

Written by: Julie Faulkner, 2020

Tips for Distance Learning Book Club Meetings

Hosting a book club meeting with my high school English students is generally the highlight of my week. There is the possibility, however, that for some reason — sickness, school cancellations, breaks, etc. — that your regular in-class book club meeting might not take place within the four walls of your classroom. (If you want to read more about what my traditional books clubs are, check out this post first.) That doesn’t mean, though, that you and your students have to miss your book activities and discussions. Here are five tips, ideas, and strategies for making your online distance learning book club meetings a success.

Reading Schedule

A reading schedule is always part of my traditional classroom book club process, but when students are tackling it on their own, they will need a more defined reading regiment. When students are learning to juggle their own schedule and they have multiple assignments to complete, “rolling deadlines” might be a detriment to your book club. So the book club meeting can go as planned, we want students on the same page, quite literally. Flexibility is important in understanding not all students can and will work/read at the same pace, but just giving a day-by-day guide for pages that need to be read is a simple fix. Normally, I assign a certain set of pages to be read each week, and that works pretty well. In this distance learning environment, a calendar for daily pacing would be more beneficial.

Extra Support

While students are working through the reading and assignments alone, they will face a different set of challenges than they would in class. For book clubs, my students are always reading a book out-of-class, but they have more access to things they need such as dictionaries, art supplies, enthusiasm from the teacher and their classmates, classroom decor, hearing the text read aloud, and quick answers to their questions.

For difficult vocabulary, consider providing a list of words and their definitions up front.
If you are going to be assigning artsy tasks, be sure to offer students the opportunity to come pick up supplies.
Build excitement by sending encouraging messages, posting fun quotes from the book, sharing funny memes, or linking in video clips from the movie or of the author speaking.
With every novel/book club I start, I do just a little bit to decorate my classroom. With distance learning book clubs, I still want to do that. If you have posters that match your text, snap a picture of them and post on the wall of your online learning platform. If you are using Google Classroom, join my Teaching English Facebook Group, and get a set of “Love Reading” Google Classroom headers free!
Whether I am in school or at home teaching a book, I always link in the audio of the text. Providing students with audio for a text is controversial, but in this case for sure, we need to offer students as much support as possible. Audio will provide, at the very least, extra support for your struggling readers.
To answer as many questions as possible while students read, you might offer short summaries of the chapters or “reading points” to guide them along. Posing a daily question can also guide reading and lead to better comprehension.

Tips for Distance Learning Book Club Meetings

Creative Activities

During my book club meetings, we always do some kind of activity that makes the text come alive and helps us do a deep dive into text: body biographies, “Twidder” summaries, paired poetry with guided annotations, making letter boards, etc. This is the time when students are reviewing what they’ve read, re-reading the text to formulate responses and cite, and just having a good time! During an online classroom situation, you don’t have to skip this; it just takes a little bit of re-thinking. What can students do at home that they would normally do in class, and how? Instead of cutting out magazine pieces for a character collage, have them make a meme. In place of acting out a readers’ theater script in class, have students create a video on their device and post it to their favorite social media app. Many paper-based tasks can also easily be uploaded or converted to digital. Check out my Creative Activities for Any Text Pack, which includes BOTH printable and digital activities (ready-made for Google). These often aren’t long activities — just enough to get the creative, critical thinking juices flowing. My friend Melissa over at Reading and Writing Haven also has some really practical tips for ways to create digital one-pagers over at her new blog post (here.)

Discussions

I always enjoy seeing what students create during the activity portion of the book club meeting, but getting to TALK with students about a book is my favorite part. During the discussion, I am usually playing a facilitator role, but I do jump in every now and then to clarify, keep things going, pose an opposite viewpoint, or hold students accountable to the text. Click over to watch a free video tutorial where I explain more about classroom discussions. So, how can we host these beautiful discussions in a remote learning environment? Video chats using your chosen platform (Zoom, Google Meet, Social Media Groups etc.) is probably the go-to method. You could also start a group Google Doc, and students can have a conversation that way. Google Classroom has a feature where students can comment and respond to a stream post, if you allow open commenting. Within these platforms, though, you might face some challenges:

To support shy students, consider having every student come prepared with one thing they are wondering and one comment.
To support struggling readers, consider what their challenges are. Perhaps, struggling readers may not really be able to formulate a question, but they could write a favorite line/passage or something about a character that they like. I often find those topics spark a ton of discussion. You can also provide questions or small tasks for students. My Response to Literature Task Cards Bundle (Printable and Digital) would make that super easy for you.
To support students with limited or no Internet and/or limited access to a device, consider having them email or text you their comments questions prior to the virtual meet up. You can be their voice. Most online platforms will allow you to record the meeting, but again, if students have limited to no Internet access, they likely wouldn’t be able to view it. In that case, take notes during the discussion, so you could post those for students to read later.
My friend Lauralee at The Language Arts Classroom discusses use “live streaming” meetings to bring her virtual students into literacy time. Check out her method and more ideas over at her new blog post (here.)

Assessment

My book club meetings always end with some sort of “formal” assessment; usually a short quiz or set of questions if we are at the end of a major section. The same will be true for my distance learning book club meetings. Google Forms will work wonders in this case, but you can also use digital worksheets, too. Members of my Teaching English Facebook group have access to a free Google Forms Quiz Template. If you are concerned about cheating or too much parental help, try long answers instead of short or multiple choice answers. These are often more involved and require more originality. Websites like Grammarly or TurnItIn have plagiarism checkers. There are also online quiz platforms that have timers, etc. to help prevent cheating. In assigning graded work while learning virtually, it’s important to have reasonable expectations.

In fact, in a virtual setting, whether you teach in an online school regularly or if you are teaching remotely due to school closures, setting reasonable expectations is key. Perhaps, the most important piece of keeping book club meetings going during distance learning is continuing to foster reading — and not just reading because we have to, but reading because we LOVE to. In everything I do to teach reading, I want students to enjoy it… to be transported on a journey to a place they’ve never been. Mason Cooley said, “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” After all, reading has always been about going the distance – while distance learning or not.

Find links to the Top 100 public domain books at Project Gutenberg, if your students don’t have a hard copy and you are looking for free, online materials. Openlibrary.org is also a free place for obtaining books online. Finally, Librivox offers full audio versions of public domain books.

What Not to Miss When Teaching Fahrenheit 451

There is so much to teach and learn when reading Ray Bradbury’s magnum opus: Fahrenheit 451. I’m compiling this list of not-to-miss points when teaching Fahrenheit 451 after having taught it for years and years, but also with the disclaimer that every time I teach it, I see something new. However, these five aspects of the book surface each time through as the topics that spark the most learning and enjoyment.

1. The Language & Allusions: I suppose this wouldn’t be a proper English-teacher approved blog post, if I didn’t include the beautiful word choice, figurative language, and carefully chosen allusions throughout. One criticism or challenge students might face with this novel is Bradbury’s “overuse” of figurative language; it can often be difficult for readers to wade through. Thus, I provide students with a list of the figurative language from each section, and they identify what type of figurative language that is used. Sometimes students do that alone for a grade or in the form of my beautiful Fahrenheit 451 coloring sheets. Other times, we do it as a game in groups: I set a timer and they identify as many as they can before the timer goes off. (Use a song about fire as a timer for thematic fun!). Even though identifying the types of figurative language is not an “application” level task, it teaches students to notice the language as they read. In turn, that creates reading with a more critical eye and allows them to see patterns, themes, symbols, and more – which is a higher level skill. In this book, that is really important as Bradbury uses the figurative language to illuminate major themes and concepts such as in the way he describes the book pages as feathers early in the novel, which connects to the Phoenix allusion later on, for example. The allusions in the novel also add layers of meaning. Of all the books and mythology mentioned, Bradbury chose each one carefully, I believe. In my Complete Unit Guide for Fahrenheit 451, I provided tools for figurative language and allusions.

2. The Predictions: In the early 1950s when Fahrenheit 451 was published, it was considered a science-fiction novel, and it typically still is considered as such. Bradbury stated in interviews that his primary motivation for writing Fahrenheit 451 was concern for “how television destroys interest in reading literature.” With that fear as the guiding conflict, he traced the implications of too much television on a society… but not just television. I picture him wondering “Where could this talking box take us? and What else could possibly be invented?” What we got was the picture of a dystopian society that is frighteningly all too familiar to us less than 100 years from then. These “predictions” of technological advancements and the state of humanity ultimately serve as warnings to our culture and our students’ generation. That’s not to be missed. In fact, it’s so important to me that I close my unit by having students investigate those predictions (earbuds, robot dogs, smart homes, etc.) to determine if they are really predictions or not. That short research project is included in my Complete Literature Guide for teaching Fahrenheit 451. By completing the project students note how the “predictions” really do come true and that they weren’t really all that far-fetched to begin with. We discuss, then, how that allows us to truly connect with the text, and it really does become the mirror that Bradbury intended.

3. The Motif of Fire: I am a fan of tracking while reading novels. Just ask my students — insert eye roll from them here. But now, every time we start a new text, they ask me “What are we tracking this time?” Truthfully, even though they may not enjoy the discipline of the tracking process, they do enjoy seeing how a motif, symbol, or character can be developed throughout the course of the novel. It keeps them tied to the novel in a meaningful way and keeps them alert while reading. I also like that it teaches the practice of annotation and since it’s so specific, it’s perfect for struggling readers. Advanced readers also excel with this type of practice because they begin to see the connections quickly. With Fahrenheit 451, we track the motif of fire, flames, burn, burning, heat, sparks, and the like. It may seem “typical” or “obvious” to track fire, but Bradbury is both implicit and explicit in his use of this motif, and I want my students to pick up what he is putting down. Throughout the course of the novel, students begin to see how the use of fire changes from something destructive in nature to an entity that provides warmth and new beginnings. Through tracking, students will also be able to see how each of the sections in the book end in fire, and in that, they’ll really begin to appreciate the writer’s craft. I also have students note Bradbury’s choice of section titles as part of this exercise. A fire tracker along with prompts about fire are included in my Complete Literature Guide for teaching Fahrenheit 451, or just have students grab a sheet of paper and make a list as they read.

4. The Themes of Emptiness and Happiness: A case could certainly be made for many more themes than just emptiness and happiness, but I think these two concepts bookend the novel. As a pre-reading exercise, I have students write in response to a quick journal prompt: The word empty is mentioned forty-three times in the text of the novel. It is safe to say that Bradbury intended this emptiness to be a theme throughout the text. So, how do we get to this place? How do we get so empty? Write about a time when you felt empty. What filled your bucket back up? Students make text-to-self connections right away as well as tuning into this theme right away and what causes this internal conflict in the characters. About half way through the novel, I have students do another prompt on happiness: When Montag first met Clarisse McClellan she asked Montag is he happy. Now that you’ve seen the plot and conflict develop, is it happiness that Montag needs or something else? Explain. (This prompt and others are included in my Complete Literature Guide for teaching Fahrenheit 451.) Despite the heavy warnings fused throughout the text, I don’t think Bradbury wanted to write a tragedy; I believe he wanted to show the causes and effects of darkness in order to inspire the light. It was Faber who gave us the recipe for happiness: choose quality books and take time to actually read them.

5. Censorship: I can’t imagine a world where people don’t want books, but I don’t live under a rock, either. As an English teacher, I regularly face resistance to reading from my students, and I see them moving further and further away from choosing to read. Books introduce ideas; they enable to us to travel to new places and meet new people; they give us education; they move us; they make us think; they make us look more closely at ourselves, which is what I think this book does so well. Bradbury’s gift was being able to look at the world around him and wonder… “what if?” and “why?” Ultimately, controlling books through censorship removes a sense of wonder from the world, and if nothing else, I want students to walk away from a unit on Fahrenheit thinking critically and knowing it’s ok – and encouraged – to wonder. After all, “There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house.” I love doing my banned book project around Banned Book Week that asks students to research why certain books have been banned throughout history. This project is included in my Complete Literature Guide for teaching Fahrenheit 451.

There’s so much within the pages of this beautiful novel that it was really hard to narrow it down. One important thing to remember, though, when planning a novel unit is to ask yourself “Why?” What really do you want to accomplish with the novel, and go from there. It’s easy to want to include it all, but that is only frustrating for you and your students. While it was Bradbury that said, “Quantity produces quality,” it isn’t necessary to cover all the things with everything you read, it’s just necessary to cover everything with all the things you read. So, read all the things. 🙂

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Title Photo by Fred Kearney on Unsplash

Setting Up a Classroom Book Club Meeting

You may have read my “Why I don’t do literature circles and what I do instead” post, and now you want to try my classroom book clubs method. But you have some questions: What does it look like inside a “book club” meeting? What types of activities do you do? What questions do you ask students? What do you discuss and how? How do you keep it all organized? In this blog post, I hope to shed a little more light on the anatomy of my book club meetings. If you haven’t already read my first blog post about the concept or structure in general, click here. If you are ready to dive in and build your own classroom book club, keep reading!

1) Summarizing: Summarizing is a critical part of reading comprehension, so lately, I’ve been starting my classroom book club meetings out with a short summary exercise. I like to use SWBST, and I have a teaching pack available if you’d like to give that method a try. It comes with materials you can use with any text including Twitter summaries and these new SWBST Sketch Notes for any text. I usually have students doing that as their bell ringer, and it only takes about 2-3 minutes, then we share out for another 2-3 minutes. I usually type some examples on the board as they share.

2) Engaging, dissecting, and enjoying content from the week’s assigned pages: This part, to me, is the “fun” part of reading a novel. There are so many activities and creative projects and paired reading tasks that you can do to “make literature come alive” for the students during a classroom book club meeting — or anytime! I always start the classroom book club meeting off with one of these little bite-sized nuggets that relates specifically to something covered in the pages we read. I like to start with this “fun” piece because it sets the tone, and I really want students to enjoy reading!

For example, during our classroom book club meeting for Chapter 2 of Lord of the Flies, my students created a 3D map of the island using textual evidence. An activity like this requires students to go back and review those chapters and dig for details, while having fun. I played a little island music while they worked, and they had a good time.

After reading Chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby, I feel it’s always important to discuss domestic violence. We close read that section of the chapter highlighting details like the cause of the conflict and the disparity between the men’s and women’s reactions. We set up a KWL chart, and I found a really great TED talk on the topic that we watched. (BTW: My The Great Gatsby Complete Unit is coming late 2019! You can get my The Great Gatsby video viewing guide here now!)

When I design literature units, I try include something “creative” or a “paired text/close reading task” for each chapter or section. I mostly turn to those for this part of the book club meeting. Every now and then, there won’t be something specific for the chapter we’ve read, or I’ll just be in the mood for something different. In that case, I’ll use a quick activity from my “Response to Literature: Making Literature Come Alive” bundle. These are short, little activities that pack a big punch. Each activity is text-based, so it’s a purposeful use of your time. Some require students to take on real-world role create something: T-Shirt Designer, QVC Sells Person, Sports Broadcaster, Crime Scene Reporter.

Others are derived from social media: Twitter Subtweeting, Cell Phone Conversations, Character Song Lists, Making Memes. Plus, every time I think of something new, I add it to the bundle, so you get those updates for free!

3) Small-group discussion: There are several ways you can go about this portion of the classroom book club meeting, and you also need to decide if it’s something you think your students need or not. I started small-group discussions as a precursor to large-group when I had a group of lower-level/reluctant readers because they would come to large group discussion with nothing to say, their thoughts weren’t organized, or they were too embarrassed to speak up. Once I started doing it, it just stuck for every group I had. Now, even with my most advanced groups, we almost always have a small-group discussion. They even ask for it, so they can get their thoughts together in a smaller, safer setting.

One method I use is the 3,2,1 approach. This method allows for more open-ended discussion. Students just take a blank sheet of paper out and jot 3 questions about the section/chapter, 2 comments, and 1 connection or key quote. Sometimes they can answer their own questions in the small group, and I love that. They are always going back and digging through the pages to look for info and answers. Depending on time, I give anywhere from 5-10 minutes in small group for 3-2-1. Since they are reading out-of-class, several of them bring questions and comments with them to class, and I love to see them bubbling and wanting to talk about books! Then, they bring that list to large group.

Another approach for small group is a guided focus. After reading Chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby, I wanted students to discuss findings from the color tracker sheet they had done in their “packets” for that section. The idea of color symbolism hadn’t gelled with them quite yet, so I felt it necessary to break them up into groups and have them discuss. I had them discuss all the colors on the chart, and then I just gave each group one color to be the “experts” on, and they led the discussion for that color. In that case I set up a specific framework and topic for their small-group discussion.

Another way to guide small group discussion is with literary analysis task cards. You could even use task cards for large group, too. It’s totally flexible. Task cards are perfect to differentiate different levels of readers or just to mix up what students look for and discuss. My Response to Literature Literary Analysis Task Cards come in my “Response to Literature: Making Literature Come Alive” bundle. The task cards come in both printable and digital format. Read more about using task cards in this blog post.

My literature worksheets that come digital and printable in the pack are also a good way to focus small-group discussion if there’s something specific you want to students to note or focus on for a certain set of pages or chapter. These would also work really well for the out-of-class packets you could assign students, especially if you are building your own book clubs or your unit needs more meat. (More on the packets below.)

4) Large-group discussion: In large group, I have us sit in a circle when we can. I usually just let anyone start with a question from 3-2-1, and we go from there. I encourage them to answer each other’s questions and go back to the text where necessary. I model that often. I only interject if I think they are off-base, if they ask a question I know will be answered in a later chapter, or when a little prompting could lead them to a much deeper discussion. Large-group discussion can last anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on what else you have done that day and how much time you have. I have had groups that skip small group entirely, and we go outside on a nice day and discuss for the majority of the class period.

In the case that students are reluctant to speak up or if you have students who dominate (especially if you are hosting longer discussions) I require every student to say something. I also made cute emoji puppets for discussion. Those work really well for younger students. Here’s a quick video where I explain a bit more about the accountable talk emoji puppets.

Emoji Puppets for Accountable Talk, Review & More
Sharing some classroom discussion snippets today using my new emoji puppets! These are perfect for any subject and upper elementary to high school! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Emoji-Puppets-with-Stems-for-Discussions-Review-and-Reflection-3064752 #classroomsuccessstories #iteachenglish #iteachhighschool
Posted by Julie's Classroom Stories on Friday, March 17, 2017

Here’s a quick video tutorial where I explain large-group discussions a bit more.

5) Assessment: Since my students are reading out-of-class, they do take a quick quiz at the end of the book club meeting because I do want to hold them accountable. They are also working through packets as they read alone as well. Those are for a grade, too, and include comprehension questions, figurative language, grammar work, journal topics – just whatever I’ve created for the unit plan that would work to guide students through the reading and enrich learning. Every student completes every page in the “workbook” on his or her own. These packets replace the old-fashioned literature circle sheets students do that can be arbitrary or vacuous if not done correctly or managed correctly. I even think when done as well as possible, they don’t always teach students to really dig in and analyze a text. Here’s a link to a short IG story that shows a glimpse of a Lord of the Flies packet I put together.

I have 75-minute periods, so we have to keep it moving. We do all the above steps in that time period and always on Fridays, but if you have shorter periods, you might want to consider doing a two-part classroom book club meeting each week. Every now and then I’ll do that, especially when I have a bigger project in mind. We might start on Thursday or end on Monday. Everyone’s schedule is different, so it’s hard for me to predict what might work best for your timeline. One thing that I’ve starting doing this year is making a slide show (PPT) for the meeting, so that students can see where we are going, and we can keep up with progress more easily. It also gives them a visual because I add pictures, but it’s also helpful for differentiation purposes to meet various learning styles. I’ve also had admin drop in for pop evaluations during book club meetings, and it helps them see at-a-glance what we are working on. I just make one slide per “segment” of the class (see 1-5 above), plus a “Daily Objective” slide at the beginning.

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, and I really do hope you to see you over in my new “backyards” where we can chat and share all things English and Yearbook.

Feb 2019

End-of-Year Reflection: Top Five Classroom Success Stories of 2018

It seems to me that 2018 has been quite the long year… but then again it does feel like I was just rounding the corner of 2018 not too long ago, and here we are already at 2019. One of the most important things we can do as teachers is reflect, and so that’s why I love this annual blog post. It’s been my new year tradition for the past several years (2015, 2016, 2017), and choosing only five moments is always so hard, but here goes: My top five classroom success stories of 2018! This year in review…

1) Read-o-Lution: Reading is the hallmark – the cornerstone – of any English classroom, but let’s face it: In today’s time, even reading can sometimes take a backseat to everything else we cover. And with our teens walking around with tiny TVs in their hands at all times streaming the latest Netflix Original or watching the newest Youtube sensation, there isn’t much reading going on. I started the second semester (Jan 2018) with a focus on reading and having my juniors make a reading resolution or “read-o-lution” after studying an article about the importance of reading. If you are a Common Core state, you can use the reading passage from Appendix A to discuss the importance and value of reading. If not or if you just want something ready-to-go for the new year, I have this super simple informational hot topics lesson on how Reading Is Good For Your Brain. Throughout the year, I implemented my Article of the Week program, too (another blog post to come on that this year but you can get the materials for it here now). We also read more full-length short fiction texts in class, and my honors students read an out-of-class novel for book clubs. (See more about my book clubs here). I also set up a mini classroom library, and students checked out books all year long that way. I left their poster up the rest of the semester, and many students truly did make efforts to take reading more seriously and achieve their reading resolution.

2) Podcasts: I love introducing students to something new, and surprisingly Podcasts were actually kinda new to my students. They had, of course, heard of them, but they never really listened to them. Again… why would they when they could just watch something on the tube? I actually used Podcasts two ways this year. First, with my yearbook staff, we listened to a Podcast crime series when we finished our book. Up and Vanished (Season 1 carefully edited) was the perfect way to get my staff engaged. They completed a casebook to keep track of their listening and crime solving. That casebook is free in my TeachersPayTeachers store. Second, in my English class, we did some spooky Podcasts from Lore during Halloween, and students took notes on a podcast worksheet I created. (Get those here.) Then, they wrote their own spooky stories. My students wrote some really amazing stories: We had many laughs and many spooky cold chills, too! Readers of my email newsletter Teaching Tidbits with Julie Faulkner got that activity for free back in October. Be sure to sign up for that email at the bottom of the page, so you don’t miss anymore goodies. You can also see some of my Podcast suggestions via this link over to my Facebook page at Julie’s Classroom Stories.

3) Victorian Tea Party: Another focus I had this past year was on careers. Whether students were going straight to a career or college after senior year, I still wanted them to be focused on their futures in terms of where will they work when it’s all said and done. I’ve found that this year especially, my students are so uncertain about what they want to do, and they don’t even really have any idea what’s out there. I’m going to be adding a few more career-based lessons in the new year to possibly help students get a better idea of what their options are and what might be a good fit for them. But this project was an interesting way for students to really think about who they are as a person and what they’d like to become — just like our gal pal Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. Hats are a huge symbol in this text, and I wanted students to not only understand and recognize that symbol and it’s role in the characterization, but I also wanted them to make text-to-self connections as well. I loved seeing how their hats turned out, and it was a fun way to make a class party text-based. See this activity and all the instructions here in my TpT store.

4) Sieve and the Sand Experiment: I’ve lost count how many times I’ve taught Fahrenheit 451 over the years, but this year I did something new that I’d never done before: a science experiment. No we didn’t burn anything… though it alarms me how many people want to burn books as part of teaching this unit. (Insert “I dunno” emoji here.) This was actually an experiment that brought the text to life and helped students get hands-on with Bradbury’s choices. I hid a few “surprises” in the sand for students to find, but ultimately, my goal of them being able to use the experiment as a jumping off point for discussion during book club meeting was super successful. I was really proud of how they went back to the text to see what Bradbury said and truly analyzed Montag’s memory. Get my 451 unit here.

5) Character Stockings: About once a year I can get it together to make a huge reading display outside my classroom door. I wish I could do it more often, but quality over quantity, right? This year, we were inspired by Fahrenheit 451 to design a hearth and decorate it for Christmas. I drew the outline for the hearth and printed up the stockings using clip art. Several of my students drew the fire and bricks and put on the finishing touches with paint. Each student then chose one character from the novel and designed a stocking for that character using text-based details. I LOVE the way it turned out!! I’m so proud of it, I’ll probably be “one of those people” who leave their Christmas decorations up year-round. LOL!

As you can probably see, this year was about all about a focus on reading — fiction and nonfiction. I wanted students to see the value in reading and truly immerse themselves in it. Making text-to-text connections, text-to-world connections, and text-to-self connections really taught students to dig in and read closely. I think the reading focus paid off: Just seeing students doing more guided reading in class and independent reading out was fulfillment enough, but we also saw major improvements in ACT reading scores with students making gains of 5-6 points on the reading section and some students scoring 30+. That sounds like a great year to me! Share your best moments of 2018 below, and here’s to having your own classroom success stories in 2019!

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A Movie Review of HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 from a High School English Teacher

Finally… the moment my students and I have been wishing and waiting for – an updated movie remake of one of our favorite novels: Fahrenheit 451. We always have a little fun playing the role of director, choosing which of our favorite actors and actresses should play Montag, Beatty, Mildred, Clarisse, and all the other memorable characters. However, we do always wonder… would Bradbury actually approve of any screen adaptation of his magnum opus? I had so many questions before watching HBO’s hot, new adaptation: Who would play Montag? Would it capture the theme accurately? What would be removed or added? And most importantly… would it be a good fit for using in class? Keep reading for the answers. WARNING: There are spoilers.

1) Characters/Characterization: Not everything about the characters was 100% spot on, but that is to be expected, I suppose. So what works and what doesn’t?

Beatty – Captain Beatty is our resident manipulative, maniacal manager of the fire. He’s the villain through and through, loving to control the narrative and burn anything that gets in his way. Right. Right? Well, maybe not. Beatty’s ambiguity is what makes him so compelling, confusing, and complex. In my opinion, the film does a nice job of painting a picture of Beatty of which Bradbury would approve.

Faber/Granger – These fiction-loving fellas aren’t named characters in the film, but their archetype is certainly present. In fact, they play a huge role in the film in terms of propelling the conflict. In the novel, the bulk of the conflict is driven by Montag’s internal struggle, but the film really hinges on both the person v. person and person v. society conflict with the “Eels” to move the plot. I suppose that’s a pretty decent substitution.
Montag – I’m not sure anybody can really live up to our Guy Montag. He’s always the hardest one to pinpoint and agree upon when we do our exercise in class of picking the actors/actresses. Everyone just always has a different idea of who he should be. He fumbles through most of the book trying to figure himself out, so maybe that’s why he is so hard to pinpoint. HBO’s Montag experiences a similar struggle, but I am still not quite satisfied for some reason. Montag the confused – yes, I can get on board with that. Montag the superstar – nah, I’ll pass on that interpretation. Maybe my hopes were too high. That said, I would give Michael B. Jordan a B+.
Ms. Blake – What a powerful scene. Glad she – and it – was included. Enough said.

Mildred – Initially, I was bothered by the fact that Mildred wasn’t included. The more I think on it, though, I can accept the choice. In the movie, she wasn’t just an obsessed robotic tv watcher, she WAS the robot. Clever. In the text, Bradbury needed a vessel to paint the picture society’s bad behaviors, etc. On the big screen and with today’s special effects, it is possible to just make it evident in other ways. Figuratively, too, it speaks to the whole idea of how little she actually contributed anything to Montag or society at all and how truly forgettable she was. Gone like a freight train (puns are intended), gone like yesterday. Wait, who was Millie again?
Clarisse – Clarisse provides the most mystery in the book, and the kids always love her. Bradbury is even quoted as saying he is Clarisse in the book: full of wonder and curiosity. It’s with Clarisse that the film falls of the wagon in the characters/characterization category. Clarisse is supposed to be light and airy and a picture of innocence, but in the film, she is too dark and brooding for my liking. And then there’s the whole spark between Montag and Clarisse. Not. My. Favorite. My students always think they’ve “picked up” on something between Montag and Clarisse when they read the scenes with her, and I always stress how incorrect that reading is. Clarisse is a catalyst for Montag’s path toward the truth. In that that way – and only in that way – might she serve as a femme fatale, luring him to the light. Am I surprised “Hollywood” used her character as a way to provide some on-screen romance? No, but it’s just textually inaccurate. As an aside here: My students didn’t like her in the film either.

2) Setting: So much of what Bradbury penned was futuristic – and dare I say prophetic – in the 1950s. Today, though, just about every bit of it has come to fruition, and what hasn’t can be computer generated for the movies. I was pleased to see the infusion of the large screens; they are, in fact, everywhere: in homes, in streets, and even on the skyscrapers. Bradbury’s biggest fear was the detrimental effects of people’s over consumption of and obsession with television. The TVs are ever present and “large and in charge.” However, I’m not so certain the intended dystopian city that Bradbury envisioned really seemed “all that bad” in HBO’s version. The setting, for me, kinda fizzled out.

3) OMNIS: This is a massive change from the book, but it may just be this detail that shows us – 2018 watchers of the film – how close we might actually be to Bradbury’s dystopian future. OMNIS holds every piece of literature, art, and history in a DNA strand, preserving the long forgotten culture that the firemen tried to erase. While there are underground members of society, like Granger and his “railroad” crew that memorize entire books in order to preserve them, it is this OMNIS that they work to protect and preserve. Once the OMNIS is introduced into the plot, it becomes the major source of the conflict, as it is the focus of the firemen’s revenge. The twist is that this DNA strand has been implanted in a bird. After some thought, I decided I might be satisfied with this change as I see connections with it and the prominent role of the Phoenix in the novel. OMNIS becomes a symbol of hope in a bleak, literature-loathing society that hints at the emergence of a better future. It’s a reminder that it doesn’t matter how much “graffiti” (books) the firemen decide to burn, there’s still hope out there for a free-thinking future — much like the Phoenix that is burned but rises again.

4) Theme: Ultimately, Bradbury wants readers to put themselves in the characters’ shoes: What role would you have played in this dystopian universe: perpetuator, bystander, fighter? Would you see the truth like Montag, or continue to fumble your way through the pursuit for ~~emptiness~~ happiness like Mildred. Would you fight to manipulate and cover the truth like Beatty or use truth to lead others to it like Faber or Granger? It is the growth from within that he wants – that really can bring the change that this culture needs. Truth, knowledge, morality — all erased and replaced with what people see rather than what they think. The movie does a good job of making that clear — maybe a little too clear (some points didn’t leave much to the imagination), but in order to bridge the gap to “modern audiences,” I can see the need. Maybe that’s a tad ironic, and telling, in and of itself. Nonetheless, tons of lines from the book are woven throughout, and I enjoyed hearing Bradbury’s voice.

5) The Ending: Bradbury’s ending is open, or so many of my students say, and most really do hate that. I always pose the question to them, though, Is it really open ended? Throughout the entire book, Bradbury wants readers to realize that the value of books is to provide information, but more importantly to make people think. On one hand, the open ending forces readers to do that. On the other hand, maybe the ending so open at all. Montag did figure out his purpose, and if you read it that way, then what else was there? Either way, the movie definitely provides us with Bahrani’s idea of what he thought should be Montag’s purpose: keep the “books” alive. But die? I could see a case for his death in the book, but die at the hand of Beatty. That idea should be torched. In the movie, the books “rise from the ashes” to live on and that offers some hope, but having Beatty kill Montag gives the villain way too much power, and erases hope that the books — and future — will really be safe. To link in another once “hot” film, President Snow said, “Hope, it is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as it’s contained.” (Sidebar: Does anybody else see the HG connections? I can’t unsee it.) If Bahrani intended to remove that hope, that’s dark and maybe it’s a little too dark. But perhaps that’s just me trying to look on the bright side.

Final thoughts: Is it appropriate for class? HBO rated the film TV-MA for violence and language. That said, just about any novel we pick up is going to have violence and language or worse. I am not a fan of it either, and I don’t want to convey that at all. Otherwise, it’s pretty benign. All in all, I did think it was time well spent showing it to my students. It brought up so many conversations; and we really did decide that the book is better. It doesn’t get much better for my little English-teacher heart. In my school, anytime we show a film, we have to get our principal to approve it. So, I did that, and I wrote a parent letter and created a set of questions student would answer during the viewing. He was fine with that, and I had zero parents ask for an alternative assignment. I do have older students, but if you cover your bases this way you should be fine. (See my Teacher Talk Video on Facebook here about dealing with novels with difficult content.)

Get the letter I drafted and the questions HERE for free!

If you teach Fahrenheit 451 as a novel unit, stop over to my teacherspayteachers store and take a look at my complete unit plan. Also, did you enjoy the memes above? I have to brag on my students. Those were all their original work, and I have to admit, I laughed out loud at most of them.

Best of 2017

It’s been my tradition the past few years to reflect on my best teaching moments of the year. I’m so fortunate to get to work with such amazing students, so it’s hard to pick just a few moments that have been amazing! But I have selected five times throughout the year when I have been most proud of my students! Plus you get to see some more snapshots of the resources from my store that I use in my classroom.

The American Dream Project – There are SO many possibilities for teaching Gatsby. When I have time in my schedule, I love to have students complete the “Making Your American Dream Come to Life” project to end our Gatsby unit. The details, instructions, and rubric are all in my Gatsby complete movie guide. I do hope all their dreams come true!

Vacation Bible School Maker Fun Factory – This year my husband, mom, sister, dad, and I had the task of teaching the nightly lesson to our church’s vacation bible schoolers. Our church had chosen the theme of Maker Fun Factory: Created for a Purpose. We knew we wanted to convey the message that each kid was created for a purpose and God is working on them – shaping and molding them to be something great. So… we transformed our classroom, where students could come and hear the lesson every night, into the inside of a machine! I crafted the lesson each night to tell the story of an important bible character who did great things because they were sensitive to God’s call and were willing to fulfill the plan and purpose He had for them. Those people, our precious church members, dressed like the bible characters, entered as a special delivery, and told the story from their point of view. Each night, the students couldn’t wait to enter the Fun Factory, and they were talking about going into the machine forever! See my entire catalog of kids for Christ materials here!

Break Out Escape Box Games – I had been seeing and hearing about break-out games and escape rooms and even people using them in the classroom, but I’d never seen or done one before. I knew it was something I wanted to try, but I have to admit, I was really apprehensive. So, I attended a training, and the facilitator conducted a game with us, and after that, I knew it was something I had to try with my students. This semester, I’ve done several, and my students are crazy for these games! Since I felt there was such a huge learning curve for me to figure out how to conduct one of these games in my classroom, my escape box games are super user-friendly. They include a simple print-and-go pack of clues for students, three ways for you to play the game, and a video tutorial where I explain everything to you! I have several already prepared for you in my store, so if you are ready to unlock some fun, check them out! All my escape games can be found here!

Canterbury Tales Puppet Show – I’ve never done a puppet show before with my secondary students, and certainly not any seniors. But when I was deciding how to teach the Tales in a modern and engaging way, for some reason a puppet show came to mind! I assigned students in my class one of the tales, and they had to read (from the Prologue) about that character. Everyone took notes on his/her travel log during the show! Then using the super cute clip art puppets I made and a puppet show curtain I borrowed from my nieces, voila! We had a puppet show. My students really got into it, and other teachers have shared their success stories with it, too! The puppet show materials can be found in my Canterbury Tales complete teacher’s guide.

Generational Interview Project with Fahrenheit 451 – When my seniors read 451, the project I assign during part 3 of the book is inspired by the passage where Granger reflects on how his grandpa influenced his life because of the things he was able to do and leave behind. I ask students to close read that passage and answer a set of questions. Then they are required to interview a person several generations older than them and write a report of that interview to share in class. I encourage them to interview a grandparent, and most do. When my seniors presented this year, it was overwhelmingly impressive how many of them took it seriously… and personally. When your seniors cry during a class presentation, you know it just got real. All the materials to conduct this close reading lesson and interview project can be found in my 451 Close Reading Lessons pack or in my 451 Complete Teacher’s Guide.

Please share in the comments below what you tried this year that worked!

How to Host Successful Classroom Discussions

Use Questions and/or Discussion Stems

Let the Students Lead

Hold Students Account to the Text

Physical Positioning Matters

Troubleshooting Problems

Everything You Need to Know about Article of the Week

What is Article of the Week?

What Are the Benefits of Using an Article of the Week Program?

What should you avoid when implementing article of the week?

Tips for How-To Implement the Program

Get Going with Some No-Prep Solutions

How To Select and Use Paired Texts for Teaching Reading

1) Select texts that have related themes.

2) Select paired texts that provide authentic and relevant background information.

3) Select paired texts that represent another point of view or voice.

4) Select texts with intertextuality.

5) Select paired texts to advance a character study.

Benefits of Paired Texts for Teaching Reading

Benefit of Paired Texts #1: Differentiation

Benefit of Paired Texts #2: Diversity

Benefit of Paired Texts #3: Real-World Readiness and Research

Benefit of Paired Texts #4: Cross-Curricular Connections

Benefit of Paired Texts #5: Student Interest

Tips for Distance Learning Book Club Meetings

Reading Schedule

Extra Support

Creative Activities

Discussions

Assessment

What Not to Miss When Teaching Fahrenheit 451

Title Photo by Fred Kearney on Unsplash

Setting Up a Classroom Book Club Meeting

Feb 2019

End-of-Year Reflection: Top Five Classroom Success Stories of 2018

A Movie Review of HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 from a High School English Teacher

Best of 2017

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