John Eldridge

This lesson includes a step by step guide to explicating (dissecting and analyzing) any poem. I use a Robert Frost poem (with powerpoint) to show students the intricacies of analyzing a poem to infer meaning. You can use this lesson with any type of poetry or poem. I like to allow students to pick their own poem to explicate and have them create a written analysis or power point.

Students will learn all four points of view: 1st, 2nd, 3rd Limited, and 3rd Omniscient in this unit, which includes a journal prompt and example, notes, power point, and assessment project (poster). The possibilities are endless with the tools in this unit.

Using Mad Libs to teach parts of speech (basic) is a fun way for students to explore the many uses of the eight basic parts of speech. This lesson shows students how to construct a mad lib of their own and lets you know which students truly understand their parts of speech.

Cold Sassy Tree is a wonderful novel that explores humanity, race, class, and adolescence in early 1900's Georgia. I teach this novel back to back, or in lieu of teaching "To Kill a Mockingbird" as they both contain similar themes. This packet includes chapter discussion questions, novel themes to discuss, and a final project handout for students to apply what they have learned from the novel. Enjoy! :)

This lesson includes a warmup activity matching symbols with ideas or concepts as a partner activity. Students then watch the film Jurassic Park and create explanations for the colors each character wears. The extension project allows the students to create a powerpoint discussing all the ideas a color can symbolize. This short unit takes between one and two weeks, depending on your class usage.

In this activity students read four-five short poems, all that contain hyperbole in them. You can have students also look for similes and metaphors in each of the poems. Use this as a warmup activity for hyperbole or a quiz after studying hyperbole and figurative language.

This lesson allows students to learn from the adults in their life, having them interview and collect 10 pieces of advice (in written form). Included are two essays written by authors reflecting on lessons they wish they had learned or have learned since adolescence. This is one of my favorite lessons to teach because students get to learn important life lessons from adults in their life and refine their interviewing and writing skills. Enjoy!

Students will learn how to use verb phrases in this fun, interactive lesson that shows them how to assemble verb phrases and then place them throughout their sentences. Plus, students will be proud to show off their finished posters with artwork.

Want a hands on activity that allows students to work together and learn the many ways to structure a sentence? This is the lesson for you! Included are large printouts of sentences from Charlotte's Web (including dialogue!) that you can cut out and jumble. Students work in pairs, groups individually to arrange the sentence parts in a working order. Great classroom activity, even with older students.

Exposing students to the four basic sentence types is essential in creating good writers. This, along with my "Clauses Review" study guide gives students a resource to use to learn simple, compound, complex, and compound complex sentence structures.

Students being able to read an article/essay and determine the intended audience is crucial to becoming a good analyst and writer. This webquest allows students to use a kid friendly website www.teenink.com to review articles written by teens, determine the intended audience and bias, and provide specific proof from the article. Imagine all the intimate reading experience students will receive!

Want your students to have more tools in their arsenal of writing? Teach them how to manipulate clauses with this study guide. Every effective type of clause (with examples) is on this handout. Bonus Tip: Have students use a different clause each day in their journal writing. You will see a dramatic difference in their writing. Example: Write from the point of view of your pet for a day using at least three adjective clauses in your writing. The kids will surprise you with their results!

This study guide contains very rational explanations for the toughest and most common vocabulary found on high school proficiency exams, ACT, SAT, etc. I give each student one of these at the start of each year to use throughout.

I use this web quest to introduce the gothic genre before reading "The Hound of the Baskervilles," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You can, however, use the web quest for simply introducing the genre and then teach whichever story you want. You can adapt the collage to fit the book or story you teach as well. :)