VHS Lessons

Americanah is one of my favorite novels, both to read and to teach; however when I first started teaching it four years ago, there were not many resources available, so I had to make pretty much everything I needed from scratch, and the result is this bundle. This unit bundle will take you completely from the beginning to the end of of the novel. It includes: Introductory unit notes Topic discussion guide and resources Individual chapter close reads Individual chapter quizzes A comprehensive c

In my World Literature course, I have students complete a year long Cultural Studies project. They pick a country/region with which they are not familiar and research it to better understand a different perspective. They have to then write a ten page research paper focusing on aspects of what they have learned. I usually complete this paper with juniors and seniors, but it can completely be adapted for different age and grade levels; the ultimate message--of learning about perspectives other tha

Looking for activities to help with Frankenstein? This bundle is days worth of activities for students. It includes: An introductory lesson including a breakdown and tableau instructions for "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". A lesson on societal fears and creating a "monster" based on those current fears. A lesson that asks students to create a post card based on the landscape description in the novel. These activities cover close readings, text analysis, creation of mood, character analysis, the

This packet of materials is meant to be used with the "World Lit: Cultural Studies Research Project" already on my site. This additional packet of materials includes: Parent Explanation of ProjectSince this is such a large project, I like to get the parents on board as early as possible. This letter just explains to parents what the project is, what the expectations are of students, and how the project will be scaffolded.  Paper OutlineThis outline is meant to help students organize their ideas

This quick activity gives students examples on the difference between showing a story and telling a story. It reviews techniques on how to show a story and asks them to implement those techniques for a story of their own. Great and fun way of asking students to focus on details, expand their ideas, and reflect on their writing. Can be used within a creative writing unit/class, or just for fun writing practice in general.

When I used to do socratic seminars, I often would write the questions for my students. I'd have them write notes for the questions in advance and then come to the seminar with those notes. But I found that the conversation from that became predictable and too guided, so I decided to switch it up by having the students write the questions. However, students often don't know how to develop thoughtful questions yet, so this lesson is meant to help them do just that. I use these slides the day bef

I have been teaching MAUS and the Holocaust for the past five years at least. During our unit, we discuss what is important when telling a historical story, when listening to the story of others, and when trying to understand the human experience. With everything else going on in the world, I wanted to share my unit assessment for this for free and will keep it listed as free for as long as I operate this online store. In this project, I allow students to research an event or topic that revolv