Future of History / Real world applications
by Aaron Brock · Published 04/13/2014 · Last modified 12/02/2019
There’s no room in an adolescent’s world view for the loftier goals of history study, says Aaron Brock. So when teaching about American rights of assembly and petition, Brock has students write petitions about issues close to their own school lives.
Too much close reading is boring, say Mike Fisher & Danielle Hardt, as students comb through fiction, constantly analyzing lots of text. Ask them to read and write digital microstories. They’ll build evaluation & synthesis skills and have some fun.
Book Reviews / English Language Learners
by MiddleWeb · Published 04/13/2014 · Last modified 12/05/2019
Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners by Jane E. Hill and Kirsten B. Miller is valuable for ensuring that English learners are challenged at Bloom’s higher levels of thinking and understanding, with the appropriate scaffolding, says reviewer Jennifer Underwood.
If persistent inequalities in urban and rural classrooms continue across the public system, reading expert Laura Robb says, it will be impossible for many children in poverty to achieve the deeper levels of learning anticipated by the Common Core.
Donalyn Miller’s Reading in the Wild is a great workshop-focused resource for any ELA teacher who wants to cultivate lifelong reading habits and is “looking for a viable alternative to traditional instruction,” says teacher-reviewer Tyler McBride.
In The Literacy Teacher’s Playbook, Jennifer Serravallo provides a step-by-step approach to analyze the data that teachers already have to help them find ways to meet the needs of their students by finding their strengths and weaknesses, says reviewer Casey Gilewski.
Teaching allegory / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 03/25/2014 · Last modified 11/23/2019
A convergence of events – from the Cold War-tinged Ukraine crisis to World Read Aloud Day and the birthday of Dr. Seuss – helped inspire 6th grade ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson’s recent lessons on allegory and the difference between nonfiction and truth.
Continuing a long tradition, Mary Tarashuk reads a novel aloud to her fourth graders after lunch. But this year, in pursuit of “close reading,” she tries out several graphic organizers to help them probe deeper into the dramatic novel Red Kayak.
Experiential lessons / Future of History
by Aaron Brock · Published 03/15/2014 · Last modified 12/15/2019
In history class, experiential lessons have great potential to transport students to another time and place, says teacher Aaron Brock, but they are difficult to orchestrate and can present ethical dilemmas. Brock shares a hands-on lesson from his Civil War unit.
It’s Not Complicated: What I Know for Sure About Helping Our Students of Color Become Successful Readers will motivate teachers to redouble literacy efforts, says Maribeth Wicoff, but she wishes the author had included more about effective strategies.
