Amanda Watson
73 Followers
Layton, Utah, United States
About the store
CM Russell High School January 2003-July 2006
English, Journalism, Speech and Debate
Utah Career College August 2008-May 2009
Communications, College Writing
Cyprus High School August 2006--2013
English, Speech and Debate
Northern Utah Academy of Math Engineering and Science (NUAMES) Early College High School August 2013-Current
11th, 12th Grade English
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BURN HER! Understanding Mass Hysteria
The motivation behind the mass hysteria during the Salem Witch Trials as portrayed in Arthur Miller's The Crucible seems far- fetched and unbelievable. Using video, discussion, class participation, and writing, this lesson aims to personalize the sentiments of the villagers for the students so they understand this hysteria.
Your students will find it enjoyable! Mine did! Their reflective writing at the end expressed a new found understanding of the emotional climate of Salem and situations li
7th - 12th
Drama, English Language Arts, U.S. History
Introduction to Frankenstein PowerPoint
This PowerPoint is an introduction to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, it tells Shelley's biography and inspiration as well as genre information.
10th - 12th
English Language Arts, Literature
The Bean Trees Activities and Writing for whole book
A fully developed unit with sections created in PowerPoint. This unit includes essential questions, writing assignments, comprehension questions,vocabulary, activities, pictures to enhance understanding of setting, plot, and allusions to pop culture. I used and refined it in my class.
9th - 12th
Literature, Reading, Writing
Death of a Salesman Theme and Conflict Graphic Organizers
This is three assignments I used last year with Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. They are two graphic organizers and a "think sheet" for conflict. Each has a culminating prompt for writing.
They worked well for me last year and my students understood the play very well.
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Drama, English Language Arts, Literature
Who's Who in Padua
This is an activity that will help students to clarify the characters in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.
It asks them to draw a mind map to show relationships between characters as well as who is disguising himself as who.
It's fun!
7th - 12th
Drama, English Language Arts, Literature
Research Paper in an Alternate Media
This year we wrote our research papers in a different form. We made a "dossier." Using Microsoft Publisher or a similar software, we wrote the same paper but it looked different. I found that by allowing them the use of graphics, design, illustration and color, I had better papers and a higher number of students turned in the paper.
The preview file is the assignment sheet and a sample. The product file is the template that I gave the students--no easy task to create, but it's done and made
7th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Informational Text, Writing-Essays
TMZ Goes to Padua
There's much ado about the wedding of Katherine and Petruchio in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and this assignment has the students write their own TMZ style gossip column. It's fun and has the students take a closer look at the script to better understand it. This assignment also utilizes digital and media presentation (great for Common Core).
The file includes assignment sheets, pre-planning graphic organizers, practice with a newspaper's inverted pyramid structure, and a handout with
7th - 12th, Adult Education
Drama, English Language Arts, Writing
Lobbying to Congress for Ray Bradbury's characters
This assignment re-imagine Ray Bradbury's "The Long Rain" from The Illustrated Man. In this new scenario the story is actually the Lieutenant’s diary, here is the set-up:
The waterproof diary of a lieutenant stationed on Venus has recently been recovered out in the wilds of Venus. It logs the experiences of this lieutenant and his crew who had crashed their rocket and tried to make their way to safety at one of the planet’s Sun Domes. Unfortunately, the fate of the men is unknown as the autho
9th - 12th
English Language Arts, Literature, Short Stories
Into the Uncanny Valley --When CGI is almost too real
This is a very interesting article from Seed Magazine about why lifelike robots and CGIs make people uncomfortable. (Remember Angelina Jolie in Beowulf?) It talks about Freud, robots, and the creepiness factor. At what point does something become too close to real?
There is a guided reading worksheet with some Bloom's inspired application and evaluation questions. The very last question is about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein so if you're using it for something else--just delete that question!
10th - 12th, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Reading, Science
Simile and Metaphor in Poetry
This is a worksheet that helps students to analyze two Langston Hughes' poems; "Dream Deferred" and "Mother to Son." It's very useful and should be used as practice after instruction.
6th - 11th
English Language Arts, Other (ELA)
Imagery in Poetry
This worksheet is for skill practice. It features three poems "In the Station at the Metro" by Ezra Pound, "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, and "Richard Corey" by Edward Arlington. It asks about aspects of the poem that lead to understanding about imagery and the meanings of the poems. Please note--in "Richard Corey" I have removed the final stanza. Sort of. It's really there, under a white filled text box. I left it off to maintain the surprise at the end until after the s
7th - 10th
English Language Arts, Other (ELA)
Conflict in Fiction
This is a product I designed for a day when I needed to be away from class, so the students can easily do it by themselves, with a sub, or adapted to be used as a whole class discussion/lesson with you. There is a tutorial that describes conflict in fiction. There are short video clips with multiple choice questions. Lastly, there is a very short piece of reading, "Marionettes, Inc" by Ray Bradbury.
9th - 11th
English Language Arts, Literature, Other (ELA)
Better Essay Writing Graphic Organizer
This set of graphic organizers leads your students through writing from prewrite to paragraph.It was designed specifically for analysis of a short story but could work for most essays. The first box asks for a summary statement from the student's previous assignment-- which was a GO that led them to the character's motivation. The subsequent pages lead students through revision until on the last page, they turn it into a full paragraph. My classroom is digital, so the GO was shared, completed,
7th - 12th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
Getting your Feet Wet in Research--Notetaking
This lesson includes a newspaper article to read, a set of 5-W questions, and a worksheet of mock notecards to practice notetaking in preparation for a research project.
My own students found it helpful as well as interesting.
7th - 12th, Adult Education
English Language Arts, Writing
Character Analysis Worksheet
This character analysis worksheet asks questions about descriptions for and quotes by and about Ender Wiggins in Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. With a little tweaking you can change it to fit which ever character you're studying!
7th - 12th
English Language Arts, Literature, Short Stories
Shakespeare Sonnet 18 State Exam Practice
It's state testing season and we could all use a little more practice!
I've created this worksheet of SHAKESPEARE'S "SONNET 18" (Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?) with multiple choice and interpretive questions in the style of state and other standardized tests.
This would also be a good resource for any daily use.
It has form and structure questions, some questions that instruct first, inference, and others that require analysis.
I've also included an answer key with explanati
9th - 11th
English Language Arts, Poetry
Analyzing Characters Graphic Organizer
This graphic organizer was created for use with The Bean Trees, but can very easily be altered to which ever character you're studying. Just remove Taylor Greer's name and add yours!
I have used this assignment every year with a wide variety of characters in short stories, plays, and novels. It is always successful! It could even be used in non-fiction! Have fun!
5th - 12th, Adult Education
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
Showing 1-17 of 17 results
About the store
Experience
CM Russell High School January 2003-July 2006
English, Journalism, Speech and Debate
Utah Career College August 2008-May 2009
Communications, College Writing
Cyprus High School August 2006--2013
English, Speech and Debate
Northern Utah Academy of Math Engineering and Science (NUAMES) Early College High School August 2013-Current
11th, 12th Grade English
Teaching style
I believe that students are responsible for their own learning, but I support them as much as I can. I try to promote critical thinkers who can articulate their thoughts and are willing to look beyond themselves for the answers to Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Awards & shining teacher moments
"That's amazing, do you do that for everyone who doesn't know what to do?" (Student 2014)
“She caused me to look at the world differently and to ask questions of it," (Student 2012).
“Her level of motivating students to excel shines as one of her most salient features,” (Former Department Head).
"Her infectious love of learning and her desire to help every student succeed make her a well- respected instructor among her peers and a favorite among her students,” (Colleague).
"I am impressed with her level of professionalism and care in dealing with students, parents, teachers, and
administrators. She has enviable classroom management skills and knows how to relate her lessons to her students. I have personally talked with some of her students and all say that they really learned how to write effectively and think critically about the world around them in her English classes," (Colleague).
"I have thought more than once that I would have loved to have had her as my high school English teacher. Several times when I leave the building at the end of the day I have seen her working hard at her desk or talking with students who have come to her on their own time after school. She is well-liked by both teachers and students," (Colleague).
My own education history
Bachelor of Arts in both Creative Writing and Literature, University of Montana 2000
Master of Arts in Teaching, University of Great Falls 2002
English as a Second Language Certification, Weber State University 2009
Additional biographical information
Big Ol' Nerd who waits every year for Comic Con, listens to and regularly quotes public radio, and voraciously reads Scandinavian crime fiction.
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