Add to your "teaching toolbox"

On the subpages for this section, I have explained some activities that have shown good results for my English classes. If you want more information, feel free to contact me.

Below is a list of useful sites and little explanations of the resource.

Literature Units

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/

·         Has links to resources for almost every book/poem/author you might teach

http://www.huffenglish.com/?p=440

·         Resource for teaching Homer’s Odyssey

http://urbandreams.ousd.k12.ca.us/language_arts/core_list2.html

·         Resources for tons of literature units

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/f/fitzgerald/f_scott/pat/index.html

·         F. Scott Fitzgerald (Great Gatsby)

Literature Resources

http://www.mariinc.com/

Grades 9 and 10 great resources from one teacher’s website

http://www.argo217.k12.il.us/departs/english/blettiere/mice_men.htm

Lesson plan about Theme

http://www.schoollink.org/csd/pages/engl/lesson5.html

Precreated unit plans

http://www.centerforlearning.org/novel.asp

Vocabulary

Glossary of poetic terms

http://www.poeticbyway.com/glossary2.html

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

·         Beyond just dictionary – has good vocabulary lists

http://www.myetymology.com/

·         Etymology website

http://greatgatsbygame.com/

 Former student told me about this: English teacher gave this link to us, he said "to enjoy it after we have finished our homework"

http://Spellingcity.com

·         Spelling program

http://www.adlit.org/article/19692

(about half-way down the webpage on this site there is a whole section on “Teaching Word Parts” that seems pretty useful.  It give strategies for which prefixes, suffixes, and roots are most useful to teach.  Above this section there are also useful vocab activities, like the one called Four Square- I liked that one.)

http://www.etymonline.com/

(an easy-to-use online etymology dictionary)

http://www.takeourword.com/theory.html

(lists the different ways words are created or different histories of words)

http://www.edhelper.com/Word_Roots.htm

(I’m not sure if you were looking for actual worksheets or anything, but the website edhelper.com has a lot of printable worksheets that you can either create or use)

 http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Ancient_Greek_derivations

·         Greek roots

http://fayette.k12.in.us/~cbeard/calliope/vocabindex.html

·         Connects roots to stories in mythology

www.freerice.com

·         Vocabulary game website that supposedly makes donations with correct vocabulary guesses

Latin terms and phrases

http://www.yuni.com/library/latin.html

Latin roots and prefixes and suffixes

http://www.classicsunveiled.com/romevd/html/vocabmain.html

Technology in the Classroom

http://www.weebly.com/?session-expired=1&redirect=main.php#login

·         Can make a class website – pretty easy

http://www.brainpop.com/

·         seems juvenile, but the students get into it! Grammar, sentence type, etc.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/

·         You can make surveys for students (might be useful if you have access to labs)

http://prezi.com/

·         More interactive version of PowerPoint – web-based, so you can access from other computers, etc. You can also find pre-made prezis to use.

http://www.toolsforeducators.com/crossword/

·         Crossword puzzle generator

http://www.tv411.org/

·         Educational TV

http://www.easytestmaker.com/login.aspx

·         Test-maker (with answer sheets and generates versions)

http://www.easybib.com/login

·         Generates MLA, APA format citations for research reports

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech011.shtml

·         webquests


http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/08/activities-for-introducing-google-tools.html#.UERjz1QihFE

Free Tech Ideas for Teachers


Situational Irony - the real meaning
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/situational-irony-the-opposite-of-what-you-think-christopher-warner

Education (motivation when you want to quit…)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=feedwll_feedlik&list=WL

·         Cool video from Sir Ken Robinson – great speaker – about creativity

·         Pun jokes below…and pics…

https://www.lacma.org/programs/education/evenings-educators

·         Art programs at LACMA for teachers. You can earn salary points and University credits

http://www.earlycolleges.org/

·         For those of you interested in reading more about the "early college" model

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

·         Cool video about the future of the world

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/three-anti-social-skills-to-improve-your-writing-nadia-kalman

·         Using Dialogue in writing

Field Trips

http://www.centertheatregroup.org/education/

·         Theater group that gives away cheaper tickets to students (if you can organize field trips

Writing

http://thisibelieve.org/

Unit on writing a personal essay – great examples. Based on Edward Murrow’s old radio show in the 1950s. Can pair with reading The Crucible and talk about the Red Scare.

http://www2.edc.org/FSC/MIH/i-search.html
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/80.html

·         For units on an “I-Search” where students research but write about themselves

Essay writing – all types of essays

http://essayinfo.com/

History Essay

http://www.terrace.qld.edu.au/academic/socenv/junhistory/essay.htm


Situational Irony - the real meaning
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/situational-irony-the-opposite-of-what-you-think-christopher-warner

Reading

http://timeforkids.com/

·         Time magazine, easier vocabulary for younger students

http://www.ck12.org/flexr/

·         Free textbooks online

http://Poets.org

·         Website for poetry – can sign up to get “poem a day” in your email

Study guides for books

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/index.html

Resources – books for teachers

http://books.heinemann.com/

Poetry

http://www.msrogers.com/English2/poetry/30_days_of_poetry.htm

Literature

http://www.online-literature.com/

Poetry and essay contests for students

http://www.studentcontest.com/

Shakespeare’s sonnets and analysis

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/

Downloadable audiobooks (not free)

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/homepage/AnonHome.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0767839622.1191449550@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchaddmehehemfcefecekjdffidflj.0

Free online literature and study guides

http://www.bibliomania.com/0/5/frameset.html

Situational Irony - the real meaning
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/situational-irony-the-opposite-of-what-you-think-christopher-warner

"Save the Last Word" activity

Summarize the chapter - reading activity: "Students select a single abstract noun to capture the chapter/section essence.  Then students find supporting passages (1-2) from the reading that show the word 'in action.'"

Annotation
Tips on how to annotate:
http://www.arteducators.org/news/national-convention/Zimmerman_How_to_Annotate.pdf

http://www.dsisd.txed.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/14072

http://annkroeker.com/2007/04/11/post-it-annotation-for-library-books/

http://www.google.co.il/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CGsQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhwp.ocps.net%2Ftl%2Fstewarc%2FTipsforAnnotation.doc&ei=8sE-UcGNHrGg7AbB_IGwAQ&usg=AFQjCNEi-9_x_aJsIG9Q8Ttdjg2M5Zz45A&sig2=Wo0uklYE3mS-Gti-jisjHA&bvm=bv.43287494,d.ZGU&cad=rja

Grammar

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/to_teach.phtml

·         Recommendation for how to teach grammar

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/vanik/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/YQ3Q8OOR/parts%20of%20speech%20test.htm

·         Parts of speech test

Grammar assignments

http://www.rhlschool.com/english.htm

Grammar terms, exercises, handouts, tips and rules

http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm

Grammar terms, explanations

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/grammar.html

Handouts having to do with writing and grammar (university level)

http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writingc/handouts.htm

Grammar and Style rules

http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/a.html

General

Students who need glasses but don’t have vision insurance:
Jorge R. Valdez, Program Manager
ChildSight® Los Angeles
761 Terminal St. 2nd flr.
Los Angeles, Ca 90021
213.623.1810 office
213.590.0764 cell
http://www.hki.org/working-worldwide/united-states/
http://www.sightforstudents.org/

Students who are acquiring English (and who have Spanish as first language)
http://a4esl.org/
http://languageguide.org/english/esp/
http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/demonstrate

http://www.convertpdftotext.net/

·         also to word, images, html and text to pdf

http://www.region15.org/curriculum/graphicorg.html

·         Graphic organizers

http://freeology.com/

·         Free stuff for educators

Just good organizations

http://www.npr.org/

http://www.kcrw.com/

World maps – outlines

http://worldatlas.com/webimage/testmaps/maps.htm

Quotation website

http://www.quotationreference.com/main.php

ReadWriteThink Lesson plans

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/index.asp?grade=3&strand=0&engagement=0&display.x=28&display.y=19

Short Stories

http://www.short-stories.co.uk/

http://www.readbookonline.net/shortStory/

Study skills

http://www.how-to-study.com/Improving%20Reading%20Skills.htm

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html

Discipline

Discipline in the classroom: https://sites.google.com/site/caminoushistory/the-score

Marvin Marshall has some great theories of positive discipline: http://www.marvinmarshall.com/

Dr. Glasser's Choice theory (relating to discipline): http://www.quality-choices.com/choice-theory-training/dr-william-glassers-choice-theory-seven-connecting-habits

Standards-Based Grading

http://shawncornally.com/wordpress/?page_id=114

Creating a Learning Culture

1. Ask about their expectations.
2. Create an essential agreement.
3. Know everyone’s story.
4. Arrange learning spaces to encourage collaboration.
5. Demonstrate that you value thinking.
6. Talk about learning.
7. Ensure they know that they own their learning.
8. Make sure you listen.
9. Show you’re a part of the learning community.
10. Laugh…