FUN POEMS FOR KIDS-Teaching poetry should ALWAYS be fun, especially when it comes to introducing poetry analysis to kids! If we start off by reading old poems with little to no context, focusing on high level language, or defining literary devices, we may turn kids off before we can get them excited about just having a good time listening to fun rhythms and rhymes. Don’t get me wrong; I want students to learn, but I want learning poetry to be fun. We can achieve both by connecting to various elements of poetry while teaching the standards and captivating our students! Let’s look at these 5 Fun Poems For Kids that will engage any student!
5 Fun Poems For Kids that will ENGAGE, ENTERTAIN, and EDUCATE!
This poem is fun and relevant as it gets kids thinking about who they want to be! You can teach character traits, rhyme, alliteration, etc. Plus, who doesn’t love unicorns?
This poem encourages kids to think about motivation! Why does the frog not move out the way for heaven sakes? You can also review internal rhyme, repetition, imagery, conflict, dialogue, and alliteration!
This awesome poem follows the speaker as he discovers his own shadow and how it changes in various situations! You can teach characterization, theme, rhyme, personification, and imagery!
This poem challenges students to figure out the answer to the riddle! Using free verse with a first person point of view, this riddle will engage students as the work to discover the solution! You can add in other riddles or different types of poems!
Creating Reading Comprehension High School Practice Worksheets takes tons of time and effort. They are not simple, nor are they easy, yet they are necessary! I don’t know about you, but it can seem overwhelming to constantly try to connect every activity with the standards and make them rigorous!
When it comes down to it though, students need to consistently come into contact with what they will experience on test day. They will never get a question about identifying a protagonist, a type of conflict, or a literary device. Instead, students will be questioned about how the characterization develops the theme, the impact of the conflict on the meaning, and the purpose for a specific description. You can help students by providing critical thinking questions with reading comprehension stems that mirror the standardized test. That way they will feel and actually BE more prepared when they see the questions on the exam!
Tips for Creating Reading Comprehension High School Worksheets
1. INCLUDE TEXT VARIETY
Make sure you include literary texts: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, novels, etc. Literature is fun to use as reading is one of the main reasons we became teachers! We love literature and reading in general! You can also include informational passages that link to literary passages, instead of rote information test prep passages. For example, you could choose excerpts from The Declaration of Independence or the speech Ain’t I a Woman? instead of random articles that you find across the internet. Additionally, be sure to include PAIRED PASSAGES that link 2 types of texts together as these seem to be the most difficult for students to read and comprehension; they require synthesis, which is a higher level skill! As William Cowper once said, “Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all it’s flavour.”
2. USE GOOD LITERATURE
Instead of preparing for state tests throughout the year, there is usually a push to begin test prep in January. I am not a fan of that, usually because teachers are “encouraged” to use district test prep materials. I like doing the unconventional as I have seen HUGE results by avoiding what other people are told to do. Why not incorporate test prep throughout the year by using literature students enjoy and love? My favorite texts are usually poems and short stories from Poe, Jack London, and O. Henry as well as my own narratives!
3. INCORPORATE WRITING WHENEVER YOU CAN
Typically, students who can respond in writing can answer any question! Think about it; if I can respond in a paragraph or a couple of paragraphs, I am thinking critically beyond what even a multiple-choice question might even present. Whether you ask for a couple of sentences or a paragraph, make sure students are ALWAYS writing and providing TEXTUAL EVIDENCE for all of their responses!
4. ASSIGN PRE-QUIZ QUESTIONS
Before you expose students to the reading comprehension questions AND answers, how about just giving them the questions? If they can answer the questions before they see possible responses, they will usually have a better idea of what the actual answer will look like!
5. PROVIDE ANSWERS IN DIVERSE FORMATS
Most standardized tests are NOT simple multiple-choice questions and answers anymore. Now, they typically include multiple-choice, multi-select, HOT text, 2 Part, 2 Part HOT text, and open / short responses. Plus, there may be a writing prompt for a full essay! Students need to see all types of questions and answers; they don’t have to see all of them every day, but you may want to take a day or week to go over each for practice. Even if you only do 2 of each per day, students will become old-hats by the time the state test arrives!
6. MAKE STANDARDS-BASED READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Unlike many quizzes that students see, there is no “studying” in the traditional sense for a reading test. Students can only practice with various standards, skills, and strategies. Because of the nature of the standardized test, the focus of questions should be on the standard. See below for question types for Citing Evidence, Central Idea, Words & Phrases, Structure, and Purpose!
5 Types of Questions with Answers for Reading Comprehension High School Worksheets
Citing Evidence-At all times, make sure students are citing evidence for EVERY answer! They can use details from the text for a paraphrase or direct quotations. Be sure to include both in your reading comprehension high school worksheets. Also, make sure to include multiple-choice, multi-select, open responses, HOT Text, and/or 2 Part Questions. Here is an example from my Paired Passages: Death and Plague Pack!
Ex. Which 2 quotations highlight how Edwin challenges Hare-Lip’s views in Passage 1?
“I tell you I seen ’em, last winter, when I was wolf-hunting with dad”
“Look here, Hare-Lip, you believe in lots of things you can’t see”
“And you can’t see these germ-things, Granser”
“You’re just as bad as Granser and his germs”
“’My feet! All sensation has left them”
“That’s to keep off bad luck”
2. Central Idea or Theme-The biggest issue with Central Idea or Theme seems to be the complexity required. You can’t just let students say “Love” is the theme of Romeo and Juliet or “Feuding Families” is the central idea of this iconic play. The central idea and/or theme should contain a complete sentence that captures the main idea or message of the text. Here is an example from my Romeo and Juliet Digital Quiz Pack!
Ex. What is the central idea of Romeo’s speech when Juliet appears at the window?
A. He ponders the beauty of Juliet and his love for her.
B. He recognizes that he and Juliet can never be together.
C. He understands why Juliet might reject his declaration of love.
D. He recounts the many girls who came before and wishes they were Juliet.
3. Words & Phrases-This type of question can be tricky as there is no ONE type! There are so many parts to this standard from meaning and tone to description and context clues. With this type of question, you really want students to hyper-focus on the word choice or diction. Whatever the author says, there is a purpose, and it is our job to figure it out! Plus, you want to be able to use textual evidence to support your ideas. For instance, if you are asking students to analyze tone, you should ALWAYS encourage them to find the evidence. I mean, they should cite every word that indicates a specific tone. Here is a 2-Part Question & Answer from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” Quiz Pack!
Part A: What is the speaker’s tone at the beginning of the poem?
A. Mournful
B. Comical
C. Joyous
D. Kind
Part B: Which 2 quotations support your answer to Part A?
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary”
“From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore”
“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping”
“As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door”
“Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore”
“Only this and nothing more”
4. Structure-This type of question can focus on order of events, tension, meaning of organization, etc. Most students struggle with these questions because they typically ask for the purpose of the structure. You will rarely see a question like “What is the first event?” Instead, students will be asked to analyze the purpose for a specific event. We need to cover the various types of structures, but knowing chronological, cause/effect, comparison/contrast is not enough. What is the purpose for each type of structure? How does it contribute to the meaning or theme? This situation is why students need exposure to a variety of texts. Here is an example from Sailing Paired Passages Pack!
Ex. How does the author develop his ideas in Passage 1?
A. He uses descriptions of various places he has lived.
B. He incorporates comparisons of experiences on different ships.
C. He presents varied details about difficulties sailing with his father.
D. He writes about the process of becoming a shipbuilder since he was a kid.
5. Author’s Purpose-I don’t know about you, but before teaching, I thought Author’s Purpose consisted of INFORM, PERSUADE, and ENTERTAIN! Boy, was I in for a shocker when I saw the answers had NOTHING to do with these words. But that is what I had been taught! Rather, I saw explain, emphasize, and clarify. I saw convince, argue, and influence. I saw illustrate, highlight, and depict. These verbs are clearly synonyms, but these are the words my students encountered. Check out my FREE Verb List for a list of purpose words! Here is an example from the reading comprehension high school worksheets Mark Twain’s “Life on the Mississippi” Pack!
Ex. What is the author’s purpose in this passage?
A. To relay his amazing adventures on the Mississippi River.
B. To share his experiences traveling on the Mississippi River.
C. To convey his story of taking a boat ride on the Mississippi River.
D. To illustrate the incredible characteristics of the Mississippi River.
Although making and incorporating Reading Comprehension High School Practice Worksheets is a tough task, it is well worth it! Ultimately, we want our students to be successful, and STANDARDIZED TEST PREP is a necessary evil. When we include test prep into a small part of our instruction instead of making it the focus, we kill two birds with one stone without sacrificing our students’ educations and love of literature.
Teaching with movies can be fun, yet tricky in the classroom. Maybe it is the end of the year with testing finally completed after weeks and weeks of state exams. Or maybe you are two days from Winter Break, and YOU just need a break… Instead of starting something entirely new, you simply want your students to watch a movie. It can be tempting, but when an administrator stops by, it can be hard at times to justify. Most administrators might see students watching movies and think the teacher is trying to avoid teaching. Instead, think of teaching with films as a vital part of the educational experience!
Most students watch more television shows and movies nowadays than read books. I am NOT saying this is good or bad, but it is true. Movies help us see stories, and let’s face it, they are fun to watch! Their impact is undeniable. (I think we all have a top ten list of movies we would take with us to a deserted island…) One of the biggest issues with watching movies seems to be that students don’t tend to truly examine what they are viewing. So let’s give them something to think about and critically analyze as they watch!
Teaching with MOVIES in 5 WAYS:
1. TEACH MOVIES As TEXTs:
My NUMBER ONE way to use movies is to think of them as reading texts unto themselves. Some movies take years to create, produce, and present to the general public. Many of them have something valuable to say about culture, identity, values, patriotism, responsibility, etc. Because of their noteworthy and diverse ideas, we can teach through movies as texts in several ways.
Theme-Every movie has a message, so teaching theme can be enjoyable and engaging. You can use entire movies or small clips. Remember though, analyzing themes requires students to discern the entire message, not just a topic. For example, “love” is not a theme. “Love requires sacrifice” is a theme. Click here for a THEMES MADE EASY Activity Pack!
Characterization–As you watch a film, students can also analyze how a character changes from start to finish. You may need to help students identify traits of that character at the beginning. (Check out this MY TRAITS FREEBIE for an activity to help students connect to their own personal character traits!) Be sure to model how to locate support from what the character says or does or even how the director depicts the character. After they gather their evidence, students can write about how that character changes from the beginning to the end of the film.
Mood–For a more basic approach, you could have your students examine the mood of different parts of a movie or how mood changes within a single scene. We all know that some stories start with a lighthearted, fun-filled atmosphere and quickly devolve into a horrifyingly chilling mood. The biggest element of teaching mood is having students examine HOW mood is created. You will want to encourage students to note what they see throughout the film to support the mood. (*Try out Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Notorious, or Lamb to the Slaughter for AWESOME mood analysis!)
Edward Scissorhands: Ice-Carving scene near the end of the movie
Rear Window: Opening scene with the view of the apartment complex
Jaws: Beginning scene with the girl on the beach
12 Angry Men: Last scene before the verdict
To Catch a Thief: The car chase
Raiders of the Lost Ark: The beginning scene with the idol and boulder
Back to the Future: The prom
Forrest Gump: The Run-Forrest-Run scene
West Side Story: The school dance
Singin’ in the Rain: The dream sequence near the end
Ben-Hur: The chariot race
Rocky: The steps scene
To Kill a Mockingbird: The courtroom scene with Mayella
Jurassic Park: When the characters first see the dinosaurs
2. TEACH MOVIES AS PARALLEL TO ANOTHER TEXT:
Another way to teach a movie is by pairing it with another text. For example, you could have a short story connect to the movie version. You could also have students compare and contrast major ideas from a traditional fairy tale like The Little Mermaid to a movie version. Be prepared with an actual assignment though. Simply sitting students in front of the screen and afterwards discussing the movie and text is NOT the purpose. We MUST have a goal in mind. Check out some assignment ideas for teaching PAIRED PASSAGES:
Equilibrium and Brave New World (Dystopic Literature)
Othello movie and play
3. TEACH MOVIES AS ELEMENTS OF HISTORY:
For using film to teach about history, you have to be careful. Some movies massively depart from the actual time period in terms of language, values, technology, etc. Now, Pride and Prejudice as well as Little Women both have film versions which, on the whole, adequately illustrate the time period. Other films like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or anything dystopic merely connect on a surface level, but they are not supposed to accurately illustrate a real time period. You could focus on these ideas and compare/contrast the film to other depictions from similar or even different time periods.
4. TEACH MOVIES THROUGH FILM TECHNIQUES:
I love having students examine FILM TECHNIQUES. Like poetry, short stories, plays, and novels, movie directors utilize various techniques to convey the story. Once students begin to see these techniques, they won’t be able to escape into movies like they did before. Instead, they will see purpose beyond what is happening. They will look into how the director constructs the film and see the film more deeply instead of merely accepting it without thought.
Here are some FILM techniques you could have students analyze FOR TEACHING WITH MOVIES:
Types of Lighting
Camera Shots
Camera Movements
Camera Angles
Editing
5. TEACH MOVIES AS RHETORICAL ANALYSIS:
Documentaries are the BEST for teaching movies as a source of rhetorical analysis. The best documentaries leave the audience guessing who the director sides with. They present both sides of the argument with interviews and stories from many sides. There are so many films on politics (be careful with this), health, sports, etc. that students can examine rhetorically. You teach rhetorical appeals within these films as well as the entire rhetorical situation, as any movie can be viewed the lens of RHETORICAL ANALYSIS! Check out these appeals you could have students focus on as they watch:
By incorporating film into your classroom, your students will grow in their reading comprehension, writing skills, and critical thinking. Integrate teaching with movies, and your students will thank you EVERY time!
“Tips for Online Learning” by Kristin Menke, The Integrated Teacher
For the past year and a half, I have been a 9th Grade English 1 Teacher for an online virtual school in my state. I absolutely love the freedom, flexibility, colleagues, and, most especially, my students. They are awesome! I get a range of students from full-time home school students to seniors who need one last credit to graduate. Some play sports overseas and others enjoy selling art and poetry online. My students teach me so much every day, and teaching them online has been a huge blessing in my life. Before becoming an online teacher, I taught in local public schools in Jacksonville, FL for 13 years. I have taught everything from Intensive Reading to College English Composition. Making the transition to teaching online, however, has NOT been an easy one. Don’t get me wrong; I love so many things about online learning, but there is a transition period for most teachers. My goal is to share with you 5 Tips for Online Learning, so you too can grow with your students in their Distance Learning Experience.
7 Tips for Online Learning
1. Be flexible.
Now, I get it. Teachers have been told since the beginning of time to be flexible; however, do we really take this mantra to heart? When I first began teaching, I was told to be flexible about everything. This included grades, students’ behavior, my working conditions, my pay, etc. As I started to leave the traditional school setting, the term flexibility came with a whole new meaning. My day went from 7:15am-2:25pm to 8am-8pm using a schedule of my own. At first glance, you might say, “That is awesome!” Then, you start to live in your place of work. All of the things from student calls and messages to continuous grading can overtake every thought of every day. Instead, I live by this motto: I will do my best to get everything done in a flexible way. For example, if a student calls and I am in the middle of grading, I may wait to call the student back. It’s okay; the call can wait 5 minutes. If a particular student needs more help than I can give on a certain day, I will encourage him or her to schedule an appointment with me for the next day. If I am about to sign off to have supper with my family, and I see an assignment uploaded, I just might wait until the next day to grade it. It is okay! Things will get done. Just give yourself grace, especially during this time of chaos.
Tips for Online Learning
3 Ways to Be Flexible for Online Learning: (Tips for Online Learning)
DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF- If a student doesn’t submit something on time, or if you called a student a million times and he/she wants to talk right as you are about to leave for a dinner out with your sweetheart, let the phone call or text wait. Let it go…and let it wait.
DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY- When my husband transitioned to becoming an intensive reading teacher, the struggle was real. He would get emails from parents at the end of each quarter asking why students were failing and what he was going to do to help. Now, you can come at the situation with a prideful heart. I already texted you. I already called you. I already emailed you. About 100 times each. Now, you want help? (I am not at all saying my hubby responded this way, but he could easily have.) This mindset does nothing to help the situation. It is not personal. People get overwhelmed by….life. When parents contact you with this mindset, all they are asking is “How can you help me to solve my problem?” They don’t want to hear that they avoided you or forgot to respond or that their child has not done any work yet. What can you do to help now? Trust me; humility goes a long way and costs us nothing but our pride. After falling off a desk my fourth year of teaching in front of a classroom of 9th graders, I have no pride 🙂
DON’T MAKE IT HARDER THAN IT HAS TO BE-If there is a shortcut, take it! With awesome colleagues, you can tag-team on creating resources together. Also, read up on other articles that offer “Tips for Online Learning” as more information can help you create a plan that works best for you! Be sure to check out materials online that you can use for your own students, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
2. Communicate as much as you can.
Students and parents may struggle with transitioning to online learning. Because of this difficult transition, our whole job is motivating and encouraging students to get to work and improve as they go along in the course. In my English 1 class, we can communicate via phone calls, texts, and emails. Just recently, I have started texting a couple of days before an assignment is due and then a reminder the day an assignment is due. This process has cut my non-workers in half. I always text a parent with the student in the same thread solely for accountability. A quick text will motivate the parent to check in with his or her student. It can’t hurt. If you can’t text or call a student specifically because of school restraints, I encourage you to text/phone the parent and post updates a lot on the online forum/platform. Too much communication is way better than not enough.
3. Set boundaries for work time.
When I first started teaching online, I noticed that I could work 12 hours a day if I really wanted to. But who wants to do that? We have a 1200 square foot house, so it is really easy to hop on the computer and start texting; then, the texting becomes calling, calling becomes “I am going to call just 5 more students” and so on. I encourage you to create a schedule. If you are on a schedule for your local school for the next school year, still do this. No one is requiring you to sit at your computer for 8 straight hours. At least I hope not. You have the right to have a lunch time, bathroom breaks, a planning period to work on other things, etc. Here are 2 schedules based on a 12 or 8 hour workday:
12 Hour Flexible Schedule/8 Hours of Working
8-9am: Grade
9-9:30am: Take a break; go for a walk; whatever 🙂
9:30-11am: Contact students and parents through Phone, Text, or Email
11-12pm: LUNCH
12-1pm: Check Email & Grade
1-2pm: Contact more students/parents
2-2:30pm: Take a break
2:30-4:30pm: PD, Plan, Grade, Do a Live Lesson
4:30pm-6:30pm: Family Time
6:30-8pm: Check in 1 more time to catch up on grading, return calls/texts
8 Hour Schedule
7:30-9am: Grade, Plan
9-9:15am: Take a break; go for a walk; whatever 🙂
9:15-11:30am: Contact students and parents through Phone, Text, or Email
11:30-12pm: LUNCH
12-1:15pm: Check Email & Grade; PD, Plan, Grade, Do a Live Lesson
1:15-1:30pm: Take a break; go for a walk; whatever 🙂
1:30-2:20pm: Contact more students/parents
2:20-2:30pm: Small Break
2:30-3:30pm: Check in 1 more time to catch up on grading, return calls/texts
4. Plan ahead.
Knowing what you are going to do a couple of weeks ahead of time can be an amazing way to ensure you don’t lose your hair with online learning. My students are on a flexible schedule, but I like to know where they currently are at all time, so I can prepare for discussions, send final exam information, recommend a specific live lesson to attend, etc. Having an outline for each quarter is vital, and if you can set up your entire quarter with all of the assignments ahead of time, it will make your job that much easier. Yes, it takes time, but really 2 hours a week of meaningful activities is enough for most students for a specific subject area. I have noticed that as many teachers transition to online learning, they are suddenly asking students to write entire research papers with a week or two or complete a packet of 50+ pages. When it comes to teaching online, if students know what is expected in terms of what is due and when it is due way ahead of time, it makes your job easier. Include relevant assignments and offer live lessons, but don’t expect students to do things at the last minute just because you posted the assignment the night before.
5. Have a heart to serve.
My views of teaching have changed dramatically since becoming an online teacher. I now see myself as a servant in the very best sense. My goal is to serve my students to the best of my ability. They don’t have a traditional timeline like many students in public, private, or charter schools, but they do have goals. We set goals based on their own timelines, create schedules that work for them, maneuver times to chat they work for both of us, and allow for more time and help if needed. If you think of your students like customers, it might help with the transition to online learning. Now, this does not mean that they get to say whatever they want or do whatever they want, but we get to create the best individual experience for each student!
6. Create a place to work.
Like I said before, we have a smaller home. We have 3 bedrooms in a 1940’s house, but one of the rooms is a dedicated office. You may not have that spare room (our daughters sleep in the other bedroom together) to use, so you might have to get creative. You do, however, need to create a space for you to actually work. If your kids are home with you, as mine are, you need to be sure it has the following qualities:
Quiet: You can sequester yourself away from everyone else, or use headphones to drown out the noise 🙂
Calm: Close the door if you can or put on music with/without lyrics to manifest a peaceful environment.
Organized: I have pens, post-its (I am a big list writer), all of the technology, chair, desk, etc. However you organize yourself, do it. Get rid of the clutter if you need to.
Productive: Individualize your space, so you can be the most productive. If this requires a window to look out of for momentary reflection or putting your personal phone in another room to avoid a technology obsession, do it! Have fun! You get to be your own boss in a sense!
7. Make sure your assignments are digital friendly.
If you choose to have students complete work online (or the choice has been made for you), make sure that every assignment easily transitions to the online space. I have my curriculum available for me, but I sometimes may have to add something in or modify the wording to help students. Additionally, creating a links page for you to text assignments may be incredibly helpful as your students communicate with you. Most importantly, check out online resources that you can purchase easily and cheaply to make your teaching easier! Check out my store Integrated ELA Test Prep for help finding digital resources!
Tips for Online Learning-by Kristin Menke (The Integrated Teacher)
Overall, as you temporarily transition to Online Learning, give yourself some grace in this difficult time! Or if you are transitioning permanently, give yourself some grace in this difficult time 😉 Most things will get easier, and some things will get harder, but it is not the end of the world if everything doesn’t get done. You are the most important person to your students, and helping them succeed to the best of your abilities is all that matters.
Typically, people know Edgar Allan Poe as the “Father of the Modern Detective Story” or the “American Horror Short Story Master.” Because of his notoriety, most of us grew up with an English teacher who pined for Poe! She or he would demonstrate this love through reading his works, usually in the month of October. Around Halloween time, his texts prove compelling. His obsession with death culminates in “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” Fortunately, we have more to thank Poe for; his poetry is filled with death as well as love. There are several poems we can consider to be Edgar Allan Poe Love Poems that would a FANTASTIC addition to any poetry unit!
4 Edgar Allan Poe Love Poems for any Middle or High School Classroom:
“Annabel Lee”
Annabel Lee is a tragic story of a man obsessed with his ultimate love “Annabel Lee.” He spends his time lamenting the loss of his true love. After describing her death, he supposedly chooses to live the rest of his life by her side. One might assume that he is metaphorically with her in “spirit” or….we could also hypothesize that he literally is going to lay down beside her for eternity. I prefer to think he is not a necrophiliac, but who knows with Poe?
Short Response: Write about someone you love. Why do you love that person? What makes that person special to you?
Emotional Language Analysis: Examine what emotions (ex. hate, anger, happiness) the speaker displays throughout the poem; use textual evidence to support your ideas.
Draw the scene: Visualize a scene from the poem using 3-5 pieces of textual evidence.
“The Raven” is the consummate Edgar Allan Poe Love Poem. It highlights a man obsessed with the absence of his love “Lenore.” He hopes to see her again, although we don’t know if she is dead or has merely left him. I don’t know that I can blame her 😉 As he is quite mad, we might assume she has absented herself from his presence. His use of repetition and tone to build suspense makes this one of the must-read Edgar Allan Love Poems in your classroom!
1-Sentence Summaries-Because this poem can be a little confusing for some students, having them summarize each stanza can be super helpful!
Literary Analysis– While students are reading the poem, encourage them to take notes on the various types of figurative language: repetition, allusion, metaphor, hyperbole, etc. Then, encourage them to examine the effect of each device.
Characterization-Have students examine the traits of the speaker in the poem: Internal and External. Then, they can use textual evidence to support their ideas!
“The Bells” is a rarely taught poem, but it is an Edgar Allan Love Poem that is a MUST-TEACH! I actually remember singing this poem as a song in high school. The poem’s onomatopoeia and rhyme captivate the reader as it tells a story of a couple’s first outing to the wedding to difficulties of life and, ultimately, to death. Now, one could interpret this poem in several ways:
1) A couple experiences love throughout their lives in various stages, but as we all eventually die, so will our love.
2) A couple’s love initially represents hope for the future but eventually dies over time.
Film Analysis Activity: You can play the song “I Can Hear the Bells” from the movie Hairspray and compare/contrast it to the poem. Using a piece of film is always a fun way to engage your students!
1-Sentence Summary Activity: There are 4 stanzas in the poem, so assigning students a 1-Sentence summary for each stanza is rigorous but not too difficult for the average student. Plus, students can underline textual evidence to support their summaries.
Literary Analysis: Because Poe is a master of figurative language, finding repetition, alliteration, allusion, and imagery is an engaging way to make this poem interesting! Then, you could have students analyze how Poe uses these techniques to achieve a specific meaning about love!
“A Valentine” is an epic Edgar Allan Poe Love Poem! Poe dedicated it to his friend, Frances Sargent Osgood. Students can have a good time finding the hidden message in this poem. By circling the first letter of the first line, the second letter of the second line, and so on, they can discover the valentine of the message! This riddle may not be the greatest of all of Poe’s poetry, but using it in your classroom is a fun way to include Edgar Allan Poe Love Poems into any literature unit in February!
Writing a Short Response: You could have students start by analyzing how Poe characterizes his valentine. While reading, students can underline and annotate to prepare to write their responses!
Visualize Your Valentine: This activity allows students to visualize what their own valentine might look like. They can include words and phrases that help to describe their true valentine on Valentine’s Day.
Create Your Own Poem: Students can use a name of someone they love to write a poem to that person! This activity can be fun for younger or older students as they explore writing their own poetry during the Season of Love. The poem could even be written to a future girlfriend/boyfriend or a movie character!
Edgar Allan Poe Love Poems really hit the poetry spot, because of Poe’s fascinating writing style and eccentric views on love itself. Be sure to integrate these unusual and eclectic poems in your own classroom as you venture into exploring poetry and themes involving love. Have fun and be ready to see and TEACH Poe in a new light!
Dystopic fiction is all the rage nowadays. From The Hunger Games to a reincarnated version of Blade Runner, everyone seems obsessed with the future. People always seem to worry about what it holds for mankind. And this fascination is not a new phenomenon. Ray Bradbury’s body of work embodies themes associated with dystopias. One of these epic yet understated stories is “The Pedestrian.” It tells the tale of a world consumed by technology, something I think we can all find relevant today. If you need short stories for teaching theme, put “The Pedestrian” on your list!
At the beginning of the story, we find ourselves involved in the life of Leonard Mead. He is an unassuming man who simply walks every day. Instead of spending his free hours watching television, he ambles outside. Unlike his neighbors, he enjoys the outdoors away from the confines of his house. Ultimately, because he does not conform, he suffers the consequences. “The Pedestrian” personifies a world we live in now, although we are not quite to the point of being sent off to an asylum.
The Pedestrian Themes
Writing about theme is quite difficult. There are several steps that make the process much easier. Here are 3 EASY STEPS for creating a THEME:
First, read the text and identify major ideas. Major ideas include topics like love, hate, jealousy, etc. When it comes to dystopic fiction, however, topics usually include time, war, technology, government, science, the future, oppression, and innocence.
Then, find evidence linked to a specific topic. Focus on the characters, the plot, the conflict, literary elements, and the setting. By analyzing these elements, you should be able to see a thread, a message from the author.
Lastly, determine what the author is trying to say through the text. Every theme is a message created in a complete sentence. You may need to model what a theme looks like for students.
CREATING A THEME BASED ON THE PEDESTRIAN (The Pedestrian Theme)
MAJOR IDEA: Technology
TOPIC: Being consumed by technology
THEME: Consuming too much technology can lead to a superficial life.
The Necklace > Personal pride can lead to unintended outcomes.
By taking the time to teach students this 3 STEP process, your students’ literary analysis skills will skyrocket! Using short stories for teaching theme can make it much easier for students as you work to develop their skills in other more difficult text formats like poetry, plays, and novels. Creating themes will over time become, dare I say it, more “pedestrian!”
