Use your favorite news or historical reading sites like Newsela or Commonlit to find related STEM subjects taught by your science or math teacher. Inquire about what is being taught to target specific levels of information that would fit with the teaching partner’s plans. For example, if the Stem or Computer Science teacher uses hamContinue reading “ELA and Stem can be taught through non-fiction”
Category Archives: increasing reading levels
Quotes for paired texts that include characters that have underrepresented honors
Quote: “It is better to deserve honours and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” -Mark Twain Use Twain’s quote to help introduce the character that will do things for the good of people and not for personal gain or recognition. Paired Texts that work well with the quote examples: Themes:Continue reading “Quotes for paired texts that include characters that have underrepresented honors”
Literature quotes aimed toward classic literature for the classroom
If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance. -George Bernard Shaw “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Dumas is one of my favorite “secret holder” books. Some of the best classics give the reader secret information about the family skeletons and you have the whole book toContinue reading “Literature quotes aimed toward classic literature for the classroom”
How do I have more DOK 2 and 3 in my lesson plans? From the first day of school or right where you are.
“I just don’t know how to do that!” Let me show you. Here a few examples and explanations and how-to’s. Create a paired unit. Having several in mind helps to create automatic questions where students are comparing and contrasting ideas, events, characters, plots, themes, etc. Remember not to go too basic in the middle schoolContinue reading “How do I have more DOK 2 and 3 in my lesson plans? From the first day of school or right where you are.”
Motivational Test Prep Tip
Choose the easier DOK 2 questions for an around the room gallery walk test prep. Then, the next day, do DOK 3 questions that are more challenging and take more thought. Maybe even less questions. Add the time limit on answering them as well to show they take more time to think about. As theContinue reading “Motivational Test Prep Tip”
Showing movie clips after each chapter.
Struggling students read the text or follow along with the text. It is beneficial to help validate or correct some of their assumptions or conclusions with showing the chapter summary or movie clip scenes for each chapter. For most of your classics, the movie follows the book. For example, the Outsiders by Hinton is prettyContinue reading “Showing movie clips after each chapter.”
How many novels can be taught with the start of posting “Starry Night” by Van Gogh? Tons!
Paired units are not something new to teachers who have taught themed units all or most of their teaching career. We called them by the names current educational standards have need of, and we cater them to the level needed to be taught with upping the rigor, but they are still the same classic (orContinue reading “How many novels can be taught with the start of posting “Starry Night” by Van Gogh? Tons!”
Teach a quote of the week. Here is why and how.
Why? Teaching quotes from different sources broadens their critical thinking, is often researched based when using educational gurus, increases exposure to more historical names and events, and increases vocabulary. How? Find your own or look around the net for teachers who have already created them for the year. One for each week. Some have evenContinue reading “Teach a quote of the week. Here is why and how.”
Teaching text evidence needs to raise above a DOK 1 level. Here is how.
Too often a teacher has the student write what a character said and call it evidence. Well, what evidence did that prove? Did it align with a question? Did it circle back to the actual desired outcome or was it just random information given and the student was praised for simply giving an answer evenContinue reading “Teaching text evidence needs to raise above a DOK 1 level. Here is how.”
Scaffolding Point of View is not being taught the way it should be in the classroom. Let’s step it up.
So many teachers see point of view on their list of objectives and neglect to look closer at the scaffolding document aligned with the district or state scope and sequence to see that it needs to go beyond just naming first person, third person, etc. As with any objective, look deeper. Point of view shouldContinue reading “Scaffolding Point of View is not being taught the way it should be in the classroom. Let’s step it up.”
ELA On The Move 