#2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. We chat every Tuesday night at 8 pm EST using #2ndaryELA. We'd love for you to join us!
A1: Right now we are reading old school classics including Lord of the Flies for my 11th grade class, and Fahrenheit 451 in my 10th grade class. I like to take a hybrid approach where students read whole class novels but also get time to read whatever else they want. #2ndaryela
A1: Me and my closest coworker have stopped "teaching" novels. The one ALL 7th graders read is THE OUTSIDERS, but we do it #WholeNovels Style, thanks to @arielsacks's book. No teacher ?s - we use student questions at end of 10 days. https://t.co/zNUNVjAJ7J#2ndaryELA#elachat
A1: Class novels change each year based on students needs and interests. Some past novels have been The Outsiders, Thunderdog, A Long Walk to Water, Out of my Mind, A Raisin in the Sun, I am Malala, Crossover. #2ndaryELA
Stephanie from VA! A1: 6th: The Odyssey and The Breadwinner; 7th: The Outsiders and Shakespeare Stealer; 8th: Romeo and Juliet and Fahrenheit 451 #2ndaryELA
A1 Rhonda 7th and 8th grade teacher in Ontario. 7th grade reads Touching Spirit Bear & Freak the Mighty; 8th grade reads Outsiders & several lit circle books. All do choice reading/ind. reading #2ndaryela
We usually read it in 7th grade as well - my 8th graders start talking about how good the book was and then my 7th graders cannot wait to read it. I have also stepped away from "teaching" a novel to letting students immerse themselves in the story #2ndaryela
A2: All of the above, but honestly I think it's super important for students to read in class. I can think of no better way to get more students to read than to carve out a time for them to do it. #2ndaryela
I love that gone are the days we're giving them vocabulary and comprehension questions and discussing EVERY DAY and taking 6 weeks on The Outsiders! Now it's student-directed all the way! #2ndaryela
A2: Students are constantly reading novels in 7th grade - independent reading (our only homework), small groups decided by students, book clubs (no roles/jobs) at times, but only a few whole-class read aloud novels. #2ndaryELA
A2: I loathe whole class reading, but am unfortunately doing more of it that I want to. I want to do more lit circle styles but have yet to figure out a good pacing that will fit with everything else. Hope to test it out later this year #2ndaryela
A2: I do a combination of these methods during the book units - except Romeo and Juliet in 8th. We read and act out what we can together. Plays = meant to be seen. Helps with their first time using Elizabethan English. #2ndaryela
A2 I do book club style, and kids read every day in class AND at home, if they choose. Some Ts at school still do whole class reads, but I'm pushing them away from that #2ndaryela
A2: For Honors: we read 2 books in class, as a whole class, and 1 lit circle. For GT: we read some in class, some homework -2 books and 2 lit circles. #2ndaryela
A2 cont. (because I hit Tweet accidentally) I do not have enough books to let them go home as homework. They do independent reading with a book of choice. #2ndaryela
I really like them, and most students do too, but I just find it so hard with some classes that it becomes like pulling teeth. I'm looking into a new classroom structure that may help alleviate some of that and hopefully get them more invested in it in a genuine way #2ndaryela
I'm curious - do students choose one of the three books in your book club that interests them or do they have a chance to read all three? (Also Refugee gutted me and I really want to share the story with my students) #2ndaryela
Yes! I really want to do that...just have to convince everyone else lol #2ndaryela .....or not..........maybe I can find a way to do that, but still focus on the same skills as everyone hmmmmmm
A3: Questioning. Student questions - we make sure they are able to ask each other their questions (vocabulary, content, critical, etc), and perhaps bring them to the fishbowl discussion at the end of their chosen novel.
Nothing fabricated.
#2ndaryELA
A3: This is one of my issues with my site using whole class novels, we use it to teach embedded quotes and analysis, but that doesn't have to be done with everyone reading the same book... also character, theme, conflict, etc #2ndaryela
A1: 12th grade — Hamlet, Oedipus, The Things They Carried, Animal Farm, Beowulf, Canterbury Tales ... 10th grade — Macbeth, Lord of the Flies, Tuesdays with Morrie, Catcher in the Rye, House on Mango Street ... #2ndaryELA
A3: Speaking and listening skills through our discussion groups as well as making text/real life connections, main idea/details, sequencing, and compare/contrast. #2ndaryELA
You can do it! Don't wait for everyone else to be convinced - they will be convinced when your students are engaged and producing AWESOME results! #2ndaryela
A1: 12th grade — Hamlet, Oedipus, The Things They Carried, Animal Farm, Beowulf, Canterbury Tales ... 10th grade — Macbeth, Lord of the Flies, Tuesdays with Morrie, Catcher in the Rye, House on Mango Street ... #2ndaryELA
A4: Vigorous whole class and small group argument about the themes, implications, and characters in the novel using textual evidence to back up claims. #2ndaryela
A4: I always try to make novels relatable for students through real-world connections. Videos to build a visual anchor, guest speakers, and activities where students can put themselves in the character shoes. #2ndaryELA
A4: I did a donors choose last year in order to create my own breakout room for The Crucible. Ss had to stop Abigail from fleeing by solving puzzles and finding her confessions around my classroom #2ndaryela
A3: Cause/effect relationships between events. Character perspective/motivation. Themes/motifs. Bloom's Taxonomy levels of questions (writing and answering). Depends on the grade level and book taught. #2ndaryela
A4: We read a novel as a class and they are put in discussion groups to analyze POV, characters and etc. Then they participate in Socratic Seminar and this is the time we have in depth discussion about the book. They love it! #2ndaryela
A4: We are also focusing on overcoming adversity this year with The Crucible, so they will have the opportunity to analyze the play with that lens, then the next unit they choose a real-life figure to present about and their trials and obstacles #2ndaryela
A4: Also group discussions have been a game changer for novels. Ss meet 3 times during the book to talk plot, share reactions/predictions, & make connections to text. Ss have really taken ownership of these groups & developed some insightful ideas PLUS its Ss led. #2ndaryela
A4: Small and large unit projects. Ex: A mock election for Lord of the Flies. (Electing a leader with campaign speeches.) Socratic seminars and debates are a hit, too. #2ndaryela
A4 For ind. reading this year, they are doing reflective logs to connect their reading to something personal or real-life, summarize, ask questions, and make predictions. The actually really love it so far. #2ndaryela
A5: A NOVEL APPROACH by Kate Roverts. In the book @teachkate offers a practical framework for creating units that combine whole-class novels & independent reading to help students grow as readers. #2ndaryELA
I love his work because I can actually *do it*. Sometimes you can tell an author hasn't been in the classroom for a while. That's what makes @KellyGToGo so special. He lives and breathes this everyday. #2ndaryela
It really helped me understand that novel's themselves weren't the problem. They still are valuable! Just a very refreshing book that I'm so glad I have read. #2ndaryela
No doubt. It helped me see that I need to meet with students 1:1 instead of whole-group. They each have such different needs with the same book. Plus, it was fine when students finished the book that first night! #2ndaryela
For sure! It hits the sweet spot because it allows for the novel, but as you said incorporates more of a workshop approach. I'm getting fired up to read it again! #2ndaryela
