Test Prep Season is officially upon us! It is the 31st of January, and we are counting down to the state reading and math standardized tests that determine the fates of students, teachers, and schools alike. Although most disdain this time of year, I really try to make the best of it. And so can you. Why not integrate some fairy tales into the midst of your test prep? We can kill two birds with one stone as we integrate Fairy Tales Lessons into your Test Prep Plans!
I think we can all agree that Hans Christian Andersen is the Father of Fairy Tales. He has over 100 to choose from. There are many ways we can incorporate these classic tales into our ELA classrooms even in the midst of the final days leading up to the state test!
3 Ways to Integrate Test Prep into Teaching Fairy Tales
This Common Core ELA Test Prep Lesson Pack uses the Common Core standards and contains QUESTIONS and ANSWERS modeled after various state reading comprehension exams (for the story “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Andersen). This lesson would be great for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders! One of the things I struggle with the most is preparing my students for all kinds of exams that they will encounter. With this EASY-TO-TEACH Lesson Packet, you can practice with your students, so they will feel more confident on reading tests and quizzes. It is great for pull-outs, push-ins, whole group, small group, or sub plans. Give yourself a breath of fresh air with this NO PREP curriculum that integrates test prep within the teaching of literature.
1. Practice using Reading Strategies: This may sound like, duh, of course, but when it comes down to it, our students need consistent practice. We can introduce them to skills that can translate to reading effectively on the state exam.
Check out the Title, Images, and Structure: With your students, you can pre-read a fairy tale by checking out the title, noticing how the fairy tale is formatted, and looking over any images that are provided. Then, think aloud about this information. Here are some questions you could ask about the story “The Ugly Duckling” 1) TITLES: What is the impact of the title “The Ugly Duckling?” What does it make you think about? Why do you think the author would include the word “ugly” in the title? 2) IMAGES: Why might an author add in an image of a gray bird? What colors are used in the visuals? 3) STRUCTURE: What do you notice about the first sentence of the story? Is the story long or short? What words are repeated as you skim through the passage? ***By practicing pre-reading fairy tales, your students can apply these skills to any text they encounter on a state test!
Annotate while we read: Annotation is a skill most students are not born with. I hear many teachers tell students to annotate as they read, but most students start by randomly circling or highlighting (or drawing stick figures by the end of the story). Instead, let’s give them a focus for their annotations! Encourage students to annotate (underline, think, and write a note about a specific part) for repeated words, important characters, the setting(s), vital events, and major changes throughout the story. We can do this for ANY fairy tale we want to read. For “The Ugly Duckling,” we can focus in on repeated words like “ugly” and “pretty,” the traits of the ugly duckling before and after his transformation, the settings (beginning, middle, and end), plot elements (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution), and any big change from start to finish! In practicing annotation with your students while you read fun and exciting fairy tales, your students will be ready to annotate and read any passage that comes their way.
Reread, Reread, Reread: I don’t know about you, but I consistently struggle with staying focused on what I am reading. Has this ever happened to you? You begin reading a story, an article, a blog post, etc. Within a couple of minutes, you find yourself thinking about a bill you forgot to pay or a vacation you would like to take or a dream you would like to achieve. Suddenly, you realize that you have been “reading” without really READING! This happens to me all of the time, and most of my students have this problem as well! Then, because they didn’t really grasp what they read on the first try, they think they are bad readers. Oh no, they are not bad readers. They simply need to reread. I have to reread all of the time, and we need our students to realize that good readers reread for understanding. While we read our beloved fairy tales like “The Ugly Duckling,” have students reread certain parts, the parts that you know will be tough to understand, the parts that center on the theme, or the parts that make you cry either sad or happy tears. When we encourage students to reread, we empower them to reread and then truly understand any text they encounter!
2. Use reading comprehension questions that correlate to the state exam: This can take some time, but your students need consistent practice with the standards and question styles they will see when they take their reading comprehension exam. Let’s say we want to read “The Little Mermaid;” we can use questions linked directly to the standards that are formatted like questions on the standardized tests!
CITING EVIDENCE: Which phrase from the story supports the idea that the little mermaid loves the prince? Explain your reasoning.
CHARACTERIZATION: How does the little mermaid change from the beginning of the story to the end of the story?
CENTRAL IDEA: What is the central idea of the story? Use evidence to support your ideas.
STRUCTURE: How does the order of events in the story affect the meaning of this quotation? “After three hundred years, thus shall we float into the kingdom of heaven,” said she.
WORDS AND PHRASES: Read the following sentences. Which 2 words have the most similar meaning to the word “mournfully” as used in the excerpt below? “In the moonlight night, when all on board were asleep except the man at the helm, she sat on deck, gazing down through the clear water. She thought she could distinguish her father’s castle, and upon it her aged grandmother, with the silver crown on her head, looking through the rushing tide at the keel of the vessel. Then her sisters came up on the waves and gazed at her mournfully, wringing their white hands. She beckoned to them, and smiled, and wanted to tell them how happy and well off she was. But the cabin boy approached, and when her sisters dived down, he thought what he saw was only the foam of the sea.
3. Write with your students using a step-by-step template: Although I work primarily with high school students, I find that writing is typically a HUGE struggle for all students. They either have no ideas or too many ideas! They don’t know how to start or end! They don’t want to disappoint their teacher who is working his or her hands to the bones to get students to write an essay, short response, or really anything. For students who don’t start, don’t finish, or don’t achieve the goal of the writing prompt, we need to give them a step-by-step template. We can have students write about fairy tales instead of boring and/or tired articles we find on the internet that we hope will prepare them for informational texts we know they will see in May. Well, if students can write analytically about fairy tales, they can write about any articles they find on a reading comprehension test. The structure and process of writing are the same.
Here is a STEP-BY-STEP Guide to writing any paragraph:
Let’s say you want to read “The Princess and the Pea,” because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to read about a chick who complains about a lumpy mattress and a prince who sweeps her off her feet? I’ve had worse dates 🙂 Check out this template that you can use with your students, so they too can write with confidence on any standardized test!
1. Answer the question by referring to the
beginning and ending traits of the PRINCE.
2. Write down a piece of evidence from the beginning; be sure to embed the quote.
3. Explain how the evidence links to a trait of
the PRINCE at the beginning.
4. Write down a piece of evidence from the end of the story; be sure to embed the quote.
5. Explain how the evidence links to another
trait of PRINCE at the end.
6. Restate how the PRINCE changes by the end of the story.
With these simple steps, you can integrate test prep into the literature you love without having to sacrifice quality. Fairy Tales are completely captivating, full of relate-able messages, and even the most reluctant student!
Check out my store at Integrated ELA Test Prep in order to make your life easier with lessons your students will LOVE as you prepare them for any standardized test!
This blog post was written by Kristin Menke, The Integrated Teacher.
I started this journey 2 years ago in January 2018. A friend of mine mentioned TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) as a source of curriculum for her classroom. She even suggested that I could sell there; I don’t think she truly understood her impact in her fleeting suggestion. I am so grateful to her and will tell her so tomorrow for the like 10th time.
Before beginning, I read Christy Wright’s book Business Boutique, which really helped me to solidify my niche and research where I wanted to go. After reading that and getting over my fears, I started creating products for my TPT store Integrated ELA Test Prep. I went crazy and in the first year, I made over 200 products. I learned a lot of things through experience and online!
10 Tips I Learned While Growing My TPT Store
1. As Christy Wright says, “Do it scared.” No product is perfect. You will want to revise, revise, and revise in the hopes that what you create will be perfect. None of us is perfect, so our products will never be perfect. Just create, do the best you can in editing and revising, and post the product. Don’t fret if it comes back with a less than favorable review. You will always have the chance to make it better, but don’t let the revision process keep you from growing your business.
2. BUNDLE EVERYTHING! I have bundles in an array of combinations. By doing so, it provides more opportunities for exposure, and it serves my customers by offering more options. For several months in my store, it looked as if I created 70-90 products. Nope. I just broke apart my lesson packs into separate products and then created different bundle offerings. More exposure of quality products=More sales!
3. Create square titles, use the thumbnails, and offer previews. I have started offering full previews that are printing protected with a watermark. I now use Adobe Acrobat DC for securing documents. The more people see the product, the more they know what they get to purchase.
4. Use searchable titles. Oh my goodness; this has changed my business. I have already hit my highest month in January 2020. Trust me! Your cute, catchy title is NOT what teachers type into the search bar. Find out what they would actually type and use that wording in your title and description. It is AMAZING!
5. Find your niche! This doesn’t mean you can’t bridge out once in awhile, but my bread and butter products integrate test prep into classic literature, specifically for secondary students. I have several products for elementary students, but that market is more saturated. As Steven Covey says, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
6. Read, read, read! I have read so much nonfiction over the last 2 years! My favorite books include Business Boutique, Total Money Makeover, Everyday Millionaires, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Love Your Life Not Theirs. Through reading, I have discovered my “why!” My “why” includes getting out of student loan debt (we have paid off $60,000 in the last 2 years with only $27,880 left to go), being able to stay home with my girls to home-school them, and to provide opportunities for others in my business.
7. Listen to podcasts to get activate your mind and get ideas! My favorites include The Dave Ramsey Show, the Business Boutique Podcast, The CEO Teacher Podcast (aka The Go-Getters Podcast), and the Goal Diggers Podcast. They offer ideas I had never even thought about before. They blow my mind and get me to dream beyond what I think I can do.
8. Invest in yourself. Just this past December, I took a leap and enrolled in The CEO Teacher Academy by Kayse Morris. It is AMAZING! I thought I had so many things figured out, but I was beginning to get frustrated. I just needed more exposure to grow my business. Her course has contributed to tripling my earnings over the last 2 months. I am so glad I invested into my business, because ya’ll, I am cheap…err frugal ?
9. KEEP CREATING! So many TPT Teachers want to start promoting after 5 or 10 products, or they get frustrated because they have not sold anything yet in 30 days or less. Let me tell you, I had no idea I would be where I am today had you asked me 2 years ago. With steady creation and dedication, you can get there! It takes time, patience, and determination. Think about it. If you create 1-2 products a week, you will be at 100-200 products after 2 years. 100-200 products may not be possible for everyone, but everyone can grow in his or her own way!
10. Continue to learn. I am just starting to blog, and I have a website with ONE product ready to sell! LOL! But I am always trying to learn how to incorporate something new. My goals for the year are 24 blog posts, developing an email list, uploading all of my products to my own store, creating pins, and using social media. I am not comfortable with many of these things, but I am devoted to my “why” and want to do what I am always asking my students to do. Be open-minded and learn.
Last Words
I hope these tips help; I know it can be tough as this journey can be all-consuming as we try to balance teaching, parenting, friendships, relationships, home maintenance, and our dreams. But you too can grow your business and make one more step every day in your own journey to achieving what you never expected!
This post was written by Kristin Menke, The Integrated Teacher. You can check out her store Integrated ELA Test Prep on TPT.
Satire is no joke! I know, ha ha! Honestly though, teaching satire can be an amazing journey for a teacher and his/her students. Who doesn’t love watching South Park or The Simpsons? Who doesn’t savor reading “Sending Grandma to the Ovens” by Colin Cohen or the classic “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift? I know I love everything satire. I don’t care about the topics or if they offend my personal sensibilities. Good satire is good satire. It provokes. It makes us laugh. It changes us. How to teach satire, however, is another thing altogether!
Here are some things to consider when thinking about teaching satire and how to get your own students to ultimately enjoy and to write their own satires:
HOW TO START TEACHING SATIRE
Start by defining satire: Satire is in a category all by itself. It is not parody. It goes beyond. It seeks to change. Here is my personal definition: Satire is a text that criticizes in order to evoke some sort of change. Without the call for change, it does not fulfill its purpose. So much of what we watch or read is merely parody, an imitation for a laugh. Satire is more than that. We see it around us all of the time.
Discuss strategies used in satires: Satires notoriously use similar strategies, because they work! In my classroom, I have students focus on these specific strategies and define them before studying satire: hyperbole, irony, tone, repetition, imagery, and the rhetorical appeals. With a firm foundation in these strategies, students will start recognizing them when reading actual satire. Hopefully, this recognition will eventually turn into using these strategies as they write their own satires.
Provide examples of satire: Students typically need an introduction to satire. I suggest using episodes of Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, or political cartoons to begin. Teaching satire effectively requires exposure to more commonplace texts; you can’t start with “A Modest Proposal.” Most students will be so overwhelmed with the language and the historical context that they will not fully grasp what Swift is “proposing.” Instead, start with images or videos.
Read and watch satire with your students: It may take longer than simply assigning a typical short story to read, but reading satire with your students is crucial. Students need to hear you read aloud, think aloud, annotate “aloud,” and respond aloud. Remember, most have seen satire, but few truly understand it as satire. Have fun and choose texts you will laugh at with them. I recommend “The Dam Letters.” Even my most struggling readers love these letters!
Use SPAUTS or other Graphic Organizers for during and after the reading: (Speaker, Purpose, Audience, Universal Idea, Tone, and Strategies) By using an organizer, your students can focus on the most important elements of satire. While reading, you can help them with filling out the above information. They can use this information to write a response, write a rhetorical analysis, answer comprehension questions, etc. In breaking it down, any student can grow in his or her understanding of satire.
Check out this bundle for “A Modest Proposal” and “Sending Grandma to the Ovens.”
HOW TO TEACH SATIRICAL WRITING
When it comes to bridging the gap between reading satire versus writing satire, students need guidance. I would start by reading both “Sending Grandma to the Ovens” and “A Modest Proposal.” These two texts are similar in structure, purpose, and topic. Your students can model their own essays after these texts. They can even propose something!
Ultimately, by developing a firm foundation using the strategies above, students can then branch out into writing their own satires. They can use the models you provide and dip their toes into constructing their own satire and effecting change in others around them. And they won’t have to eat a baby to do it!
Check out this Step-By-Step Lesson in helping students write their own satires 🙂
I am a big fan of requiring students to practice writing a rhetorical analysis essay. At first, it can be daunting. Even the word “rhetoric” can be difficult to explain at times. If you go step by step through the writing process, your students can master this skill. Plus, they can apply these skills to any essay they will have to write in the future! You can teach How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Step By Step!
7 Steps to Mastering a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Define rhetoric for your students: How can students even begin to think about writing a rhetorical analysis essay without even knowing the definition of rhetoric? Here is my definition: language that uses techniques and strategies for a specific purpose. (Check out this Rhetorical Appeals Chart, which includes the definition.) By defining the term, you are setting the stage for your students.
Review rhetorical strategies: If I just say, “go write a rhetorical analysis essay,” I will overwhelm my students. If I have never taught various devices and strategies that writers use, my students will be lost. One easy way is to teach using a Rhetorical Appeals Chart. By defining and explaining LOGOS, PATHOS, and ETHOS, your students can start to understand how writers accomplish their goals. They can then learn to analyze other strategies and literary devices within the appeals. (Other devices might include imagery, tone, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, oxymoron, etc.) See this LIST for help!
Choose a text to read with your students that they can handle: One of my favorite texts to teach is Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” It is an amazing SATIRE with plenty of devices (imagery, tone, irony, pathos, etc.) for your students to analyze. You will certainly want to read this text with your students, especially if they have not been exposed to satire before. The historical context and higher level language of Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” can be quite difficult for most adults. Now, for a simpler and smaller passage, try out Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” Middle and high school students will love her use of imagery, emotional language (pathos), an appeal to her credibility (ethos), etc.
Read aloud, Think Aloud, and Annotate with your students: Too many times, we expect students to be able to understand what they read on their own. Most students need support and explicit instruction. When it comes to writing a rhetorical analysis essay, they need to be guided through the process. First, I suggest taking the time to read the text aloud whatever it is. As students hear you reading, they will more readily understand because of your fluency and tone. Second, I suggest a Think Aloud. When they hear you analyzing what you are reading out load, they will start to realize that they need to go through this process when they read to themselves. Lastly, annotate with your students. They usually have no idea what they are doing at first. Take the time to note the title, the context, the audience, the purpose, and the strategies the writer uses. Have them underline, circle, and highlight! Whatever they annotate, they can use in their essay 🙂
Model how to plan your rhetorical analysis essay: So many times, after they have annotated, we just say, go write the essay. To bridge the gap, you can model what you want from them. You can start with an organizer that helps them focus on comprehending what they annotated. Try SPAUTS (Speaker, Purpose, Audience, Universal Idea, Tone, and Strategies). Students can then use all of these ideas in their essay!
Use a Rhetorical Analysis Template when planning: Students first need a process that includes an reading comprehension organizer like SPAUTS. Then, you can further help with writing a thesis using a thesis template. For example, if you were writing an analysis of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” your thesis could look like this: In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards uses violent imagery, emotional language, and biblical allusions in order to convince his audience to accept Christ and change their ways. Notice: we have included the author, title, strategies, and purpose! Your template could look like the following: In ________________________(text), ________________(author) uses ______________, _______________, and _______________ in order to _________ (purpose verb) ________(audience) to ________________________________________________(universal idea). Check out my “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Rhetorical Analysis Pack!
Provide a Sentence-By-Sentence Writing Guide as well as a model essay or body paragraph: I love to use templates. When students can go step-by-step, they will more readily write. It’s like having a blueprint for a house. Even AP or more advanced students need the help! So, what can we do? You can provide a template for what you want! I prefer a sentence-by-sentence guide. Students can choose to use it or not; however, I have noticed that good writers introduce their topic/focus, provide support, analyze their evidence and relate it to the purpose, and end with a reinforcement of their ideas.
By modeling what you want, you will more likely get what you want. This process also applies to writing a rhetorical analysis essay. Going through every step above is key to success. Here are some products that may make this process easier:
Let’s face it! Test Prep Season is coming in full force. For many, January is a time of setting goals, developing new hopes, and planning a fresh start. For teachers, however, it is a mad race to the standardized test prep finish line. I don’t know about you, but if your principals were anything like mine, they “encouraged” you to drop what you were doing and “teach the standards,” like you weren’t doing that before! I am a firm believer that you do not have to stop what you are doing, actually teaching children, in order to prepare students for state reading comprehension tests. You can use the literature you love! You and I can do both!! When most teachers are struggling with using boring standardized test prep materials, you CAN TEACH Romeo and Juliet and prepare for reading comprehension tests!
Why should we teach Romeo and Juliet in the midst of Test Prep Season?
Students deserve the best of who we are. We did not go into teaching to merely teach students to pass a standardized test! Unfortunately though, it has become our reality. During the fall, we can luxuriate in transcendentalist short stories. We can hum to the harmonies of romantic poetry. We can immerse ourselves into the novels we loved as teenagers. Then, we slide into the home base of Christmas Break. We catch our breath and, hopefully, enjoy the holiday season. After Christmas, we gradually start thinking about the spring. Suddenly, we realize that the standardized test is around the corner, looming, looking at us, daring us to face it. I should say tests, as most students take multiple tests at the end of the year; these are not one but multiple dragons to slay.
Thankfully, we have options. Most of my former principals were pragmatic. If my team and I could get the desired results, we could teach what and how we wanted. We still had to prepare students for the standardized reading comprehension tests, but we had the freedom to integrate that preparation into what we were teaching.
A Moment of Genius: How can I use what I love to teach and also help students succeed on standardized tests?
So begins the journey into teaching Romeo and Juliet. Why this play? It is a cornerstone in most 8th and 9th grade curriculum. Plus, teachers usually teach it in the spring, because Shakespeare is the most difficult part of the year.
Now, the play is not a classic because two highly dramatic teenagers meet, get married, and “die for love,” all in the span of a week. It is a classic because of its thematic connections to love, death, loyalty, hate, ignorance, family, religion, etc. We can all relate to it in some way. Additionally, the language itself is beautiful and difficult, forcing us to delve deep within ourselves to fully comprehend it.
4 Ways to Incorporate Test Prep in Teaching Romeo and Juliet
1. Use Standards-Based Reading Comprehension Questions instead of recall questions. Instead of asking “Who are the main characters in the play?” or “What is the resolution of the story?” how about asking “How does Shakespeare establish the characters at the beginning of the story?” OR “What theme is developed through the use of the conflict between the two families?” These higher level questions reflect the complexity on state standardized tests.
2. Use Standards-Based Reading Comprehension Answers that look like the standardized test they will face. Many state tests use multiple-choice answer options; however, they also many times use multi-select responses, HOT text answers, or 2 Part Questions/Answers. By varying the types of answers/questions on your tests or quizzes, you serve your students in preparing them for any standardized test.
Part A: What is Romeo’s tone in the following lines?
ROMEO
By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am: My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, Because it is an enemy to thee; Had I it written, I would tear the word.
A. Serene
B. Resolute
C. Confused
D. Apathetic
Part B: What 2 words from the lines above support
your answer to Part A?
“tear”
“name”
“word”
“hateful”
“myself”
“written”
3. Use Reading Passages with Test Questions that use a length similar to one on a standardized test. Ultimately, students will need to understand the basic ideas in any act of the play; however, a standardized test calls for a close reading of 1-3 pages. For example, you could use Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 1 or Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2. By utilizing using shorter passages, your students may not feel as overwhelmed by an entire act or scene, but can read a portion and feel successful.
4. Use Short Response Questions that mirror what the standardized test requires. Ultimately, students need to be able to analyze any text and cite evidence to support their ideas. They can demonstrate both skills when reading Romeo and Juliet. You can teach a sentence-by-sentence short response outline for writing ANY paragraph.
BE BOLD!
Overall, you want your students to have fun and learn at the same time! With the beast that is the standardized test, you may feel like you don’t have the time to teach Romeo and Juliet. That is an unfortunate thought, and I want to encourage you to use this masterpiece! You CAN integrate test prep as you teach Romeo and Juliet and prepare for reading comprehension tests. It does not have to be the main focus, but it can be a way to kill two birds with one stone!
This Romeo and Juliet Common Core Practice Test Prep Quiz Bundle contains 130 reading comprehension QUESTIONS and ANSWERS with 10 reading comprehension passages, which focus on the Common Core standards and are modeled after various state exams. My goal is for test prep to become a natural and easy part of the curriculum, instead of something else you have to create.
My journey into using literature to teach history in paired passages did NOT begin in college. Obviously, no one goes into teaching thinking the following: “I cannot wait to prepare my students for analyzing paired passages on a standardized test!” I think we all have slightly more lofty goals. Most people go into teaching because of a particular teacher who had an impact or because they thought school was fun. We also desire to make a long-lasting impression on students. Maybe we can help them think more critically, read more thoughtfully, or write more coherently. For me, it was a mixture of many reasons:
Why I Went Into Teaching
In high school, I had 2 fantastic teachers: Mr. Canning, my English Teacher, and Mrs. Allen (formerly Ms. Smith), my math teacher. Both teachers taught me for more than one year, and I really enjoyed their teaching styles. Ms. Smith was a one-of-a-kind math teacher, which for a reader and lover of language, was quite rare. I actually enjoy math, because I am quite good at it. She taught every problem step by step, and her methodical style really appealed to me. I am most certainly an “I Do, We Do, You do” proponent. I got to have Ms. Smith for 4 full years through Calculus, and I will never forget her.
Ultimately though, one of my favorite moments of high school was in 11th grade English. When Mr. Canning challenged us to present a novel in a creative way, I became a Civil War nurse from The Red Badge of Couragewho sang “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” My mom helped me to put together a Civil War looking nurse outfit complete with a button-down white shirt and dark navy blue skirt. I even tied my hair into a bun; oh yeah, I looked the part 🙂 Hey, I tried! In my ten minute presentation, I spoke of the horrific conditions that the soldiers experienced in the North and in the South, described the various medical tools used, and sang the entire song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” as my finale.
This project helped to integrate history into literature, and it became a memory I still treasure today. With this one project, I had to read a piece of classical literature ( The Red Badge of Courage ), research the historical time period, prepare by drafting what I would say or sing ( “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” ), and present this information in an original format in front of a bunch of high school students, along with my teacher, Mr. Canning, of course. This memory instilled a belief that as an English Teacher I should be using literature to teach history in paired passages, so my own students can benefit!
How can I start using literature to teach history in paired passages for my own classroom?
When it comes to teaching American Literature, every year I get excited about teaching Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It usually sneaks into the units of teachers who want to expose their students to early literature of the United States, but many times, it can be an overwhelming text for both teacher and students.
The vocabulary and background information alone can take up an entire week to teach, so I propose not doing that 🙂 Instead, I challenge you to focus on helping your students to examine 1 of the following and really driving the insights of the time period home to the students:
Create some reading comprehension questions for students to work on as they do a close reading of the text. It will give them a break from the overwhelming nature of the text.
Utilize a focused prompt: Ex. What do the people believe in this time period? Cite evidence to prove your assertions.
Use SOAPSTONE or SPAUTS for step by step analysis of the speaker, purpose, audience, tone, and strategies. This can be an important first step for a quick and cursory exposure to this sermon.
If you want to take it a bit further, introduce the rhetorical appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos. Don’t get caught up in every part of the rhetoric. Just focus on 2 examples of each. The sermon is filled with examples of each.
For a real challenge, extend the rhetorical appeals or rhetorical analysis into an essay examining how Edwards achieves his purpose.
Really, I could spend weeks teaching this text, and there are options for every classroom. Also, I encourage you not to reject the text merely because of the fear of using a religious text in the classroom. Embrace the history of our wonderful country where students have the freedom to read pretty much whatever they want or may not realize they want to read!!!
When it comes to teaching American Literature, every year I get excited about teaching Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It usually sneaks into the units of teachers who want to expose their students to early literature of the United States, but many times, it can be an overwhelming text for both teacher and students.
The vocabulary and background information alone can take up an entire week to teach, so I propose not doing that 🙂 Instead, I challenge you to focus on helping your students to examine 1 of the following and really driving the insights of the time period home to the students:
Create some reading comprehension questions for students to work on as they do a close reading of the text. It will give them a break from the overwhelming nature of the text.
Utilize a focused prompt: Ex. What do the people believe in this time period? Cite evidence to prove your assertions.
Use SOAPSTONE or SPAUTS for step by step analysis of the speaker, purpose, audience, tone, and strategies. This can be an important first step for a quick and cursory exposure to this sermon.
If you want to take it a bit further, introduce the rhetorical appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos. Don’t get caught up in every part of the rhetoric. Just focus on 2 examples of each. The sermon is filled with examples of each.
For a real challenge, extend the rhetorical appeals or rhetorical analysis into an essay examining how Edwards achieves his purpose.
Really, I could spend weeks teaching this text, and there are options for every classroom. Also, I encourage you not to reject the text merely because of the fear of using a religious text in the classroom. Embrace the history of our wonderful country where students have the freedom to read pretty much whatever they want or may not realize they want to read!!!
My journey into integrated learning began in college with a professor who told me that it didn’t matter what I write or how I write, only that I write. Now, you would think I was thrilled to hear him say that, and initially, I was. When I began my teaching career in Jacksonville, FL, I asked 9th grade English students to write on a variety of topics from their summer trips to special occasions to their hopes of the future. I dreamed of emulating this professor’s ideals, unknowingly becoming my own “Lamb to the Slaughter.”
At first, I collected reams and reams of journals, page after page of writing, and I was excited. MY STUDENTS WERE WRITING! That is the goal, right? Unfortunately, I started reading these “journal entries,” and I realized that asking them to just “write” wasn’t enough. Giving them a topic to write on wasn’t enough. Heck, offering them pen and paper wasn’t even close to enough. I encountered fragmented thoughts, vague concepts, and incoherent ideas. The “education” I had received did not prepare me for teaching my students what they needed to know to be successful if they wanted to get a job, apply for college, earn a degree, etc.
Then, it hit me! Like any writer, they needed a step-by-step process to achieving a focused piece of writing:
Here is my 5 Step Approach to Using Literature in Writing
Read, read, read literature! I know most teachers feel pressured to teach to a state exam that usually tests students on their ability to read and write. Why not have students read a piece of literature, maybe one you have been dying to teach like “Lamb to the Slaughter” , and prepare for the rigor of standardized tests? Two birds, one stone! The irony, the themes, the details can all be savored as you read this captivating short story and possibly watch Alfred Hitchcock’s TV version to complement it.
Discuss what you are reading with the students! If you choose to read the classic short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, have students participate in a Socratic Seminar, so they can all learn together. Preparing focused reading questions that directly connect to the standards will enable your students to prepare for the state test and to actually enjoy reading quality literature. They can even take notes (evidence) to use later on in their writing.
Use essay or short response prompts that connect with the literature you are reading. For example, you could read Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter” and examine how the characters, like Mary Maloney, change in the story. By linking the prompt to this short story, you are asking students to master the standard without having to submit to the test prep gods, who usually only offer random selections of questionable literary merit.
Give a sentence-by-sentence paragraph outline for students to use as a template! I use this template in my own classroom. Check out the sample below for “Lamb to the Slaughter.”
Model what you want them to do! The I Do, We Do, You Do Approach works wonders! In order for students to be successful, they need to see what the end goal is. By incorporating literature (for both literary and informational texts), you get to practice analysis and writing all in one! For “Lamb to the Slaughter” , see the step by step outline below. You can also CLICK on this FREE Lesson on FDR’s “Day of Infamy” Speech that includes a model short response using the step-by-step guide below.
Short Response: Step-By-Step
Sentence 1: Answer the question about the characterization of Mary from beginning to end
Sentence 2: Incorporate a piece of evidence
Sentences 3-4: Examine how the evidence conveys a specific effect that connects to the characterization (trait)
Sentence 5: Incorporate another piece of evidence
Sentences 6-7: Examine how the evidence conveys a specific effect that connects to the characterization (trait)
Sentence 8. Reiterate the traits of Mary and the purpose of the characterization
