Language Arts

Jabberwocky, Parts of Speech, and Context Clues

Jabberwocky, Parts of Speech, and Context Clues

Let's see how we can use a classic piece of poetry to enhance a lesson on parts of speech or context clues. This provides exposure to a great work and also increases the complexity of a typical task.

Vocab Puzzle: Antonym Paths

Vocab Puzzle: Antonym Paths

Begin with a small, simple word and identify its antonym. Then, take this second word and find its antonym. Many times, you'll find that an antonym of an antonym isn't always related the original word.

Poe’s The Raven

Poe’s The Raven

The Raven is a great starting point for students' to learn about Poe. Not only does the poem clearly demonstrate "tone," but it is a figurative language tour de force. Plus, there are some amazing readings available online!

How *Not* To Ask Questions About A Novel

How Not To Ask Questions About A Novel

These "discussion questions" highlight so many of the problems we've been looking at.

Taking “Noting Details” To A Higher Level

Taking “Noting Details” To A Higher Level

By 6th grade, our reading program's comprehension skills have become a bit basic for most of my gifted students. I've been working on increasing the depth and complexity of these skills. In this case, "Noting Details" has become "Explicit Vs. Implicit Details."

Universal Themes and… Punctuation!?

Universal Themes and… Punctuation!?

Here's how can we move a punctuation lesson beyond mere memorization and towards actually interesting thinking.

Going Beyond “Name That Genre!”

Going Beyond “Name That Genre!”

What can we do once students correctly identify a story's genre?

Writing in Pi-lish

Writing in Pi-lish

Here's the perfect constraint for March! Writing with the digits of Pi.

Rewrite It, But Don’t Use “E”

Rewrite It, But Don’t Use “E”

Here's an interesting way to move students past mundane patterns in their writing. Ask for a rewrite, but without a letter (or two).

Going Beyond “Identify a Story’s Problem”

Going Beyond “Identify a Story’s Problem”

My students were stuck telling me a story's problem and solution. Let's get thinking!

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