Refrigerator+Door

=//**Please post something that worked here: something your students did well. . . something you tried and seemed to work. . .**//=

While reading Paradise Lost, seniors use Google Docs to create reader response journals in which they break down some of the dense text with their partner to better understand the information. These journals allow them to discuss back and forth after class to continue pushing their thinking on the topics at hand. Also, we utilize "PL FABO" style which essentially takes the plot of Paradise Lost and breaks it down into a timeline like you would see on Facebook. (note: FABO idea stolen from this book which is AWESOME!) CLB

I played with Piclits.com and had a good time. Here are a couple. LBB [|This was fun!] [|This one too!] Mary and I are doing something similar to this with A Wrinkle in Time using quotations. It could easily be adapted to Piclit. If some of my students finish early, I will let them play around with Piclit and see how successful that they are. Here is an example of the quotation project that we are doing with Wrinkle. LBB

This is a memoir project demonstrating the themes of //October Sky combining memoir writing and artistry/creativity. Animoto, a website that allows you to make free music videos, was introduced and used by several students to creatively demonstrate their interpretation of the themes from the novel. MAC// //.// media type="custom" key="4334647"

I'm proud that I actually embedded a youtube video in my powerpoint! KHJ

[|Comparing the Book to Movie Interpretations - Individual.doc] This is the document I made last year to help students compare books to movies. I did it last year with a scene from //Alice in Wonderland// and this year with the courtroom scene in //To Kill a Mockingbird//. The kids begin to realize through this activity that even in a very close, well-done adaptation, there are changes and differences in the act of reading and the act of watching a movie. Feel free to adapt if interested! (It only works if the kids have actually read the book... so Alice was a bit of a bust...) RAK

Check out the voicethread from my Lit class, living biography museum! LBB

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[|Victorian Era Webquest]: Here is a webquest I adapted for my students to work on before studying Oscar Wilde and //The Importance of Being Earnest.// CDV

[|Six Word Stories/Memoirs] or [|Shortest Short Stories in Six] I haven't done this yet, but I've read a lot of buzz on the internet about it (and I want the book). I'm going to have my lit kids complete their own "6-word memoirs" as an introduction to memoirs/October Sky. I'm hoping it will stir up some discussion and show them the importance of each individual word. May be a good intro to poetry for that reason. RAK

This is the project packet for the independent reading component I am including with my classes. Students have to fill out this packet thoroughly and then create a book trailer to describe their IR books. (All of their book trailer projects are uploaded on the class nings I created.) CLB msbeachenglishb.ning.com msbeachenglishc.ning.com msbeachenglishd.ning.com msbeachenglishe.ning.com msbeachenglishf.ning.com
 * Also, feel free to check out any of the class nings (which is where students post their videos):

Here's a vocabulary project that I think is improving student grades on vocabulary:

Vocabulary Blog Presentations - Worth a Major Test Grade Words are easier to remember if you can see their meaning. This semester, you will be assigned a Unit of Vocabulary words for which you will prepare a presentation with the following criteria: Below you will find the schedule. You MAY switch with someone, but if you do so, both of you must inform me AT LEAST 1 WEEK BEFORE THE PRESENTATION IS DUE via email! JDB
 * 1)  At least 1 slide per each word containing 60 Points
 * 2) Vocabulary Word
 * 3) It's Book Definition
 * 4) Your Definition (how would you define it in your own words)
 * 5) A visual representation of the word
 * 6)  MLA Works Cited Page 30 Points
 * 7) You must cite each picture, even if it's your own!
 * 8) Must be in alphabetical order
 * 9)  Presentation 10 Points
 * 10) You must make your presentation in 10 minutes or less
 * 11) You must talk about each word and why you chose your definition and picture
 * 12) If you would rather make convert your PowerPoint to a PhotoStory, you may do so instead, but you MUST narrate each slide and explain your choices just the same as if you were presenting in person. Audio levels must be clear in order to earn full credit! If we can't hear it, it's not going to be fun to watch!