Teaching Science Fiction Short Stories

In today’s episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss science fiction short stories for middle school and high school: “The Fun They Had,” “All Summer in a Day, “Examination Day,” “They’re Made out of Meat,” “Harrison Bergeron,” “There Will Come Soft Rains,” “The Machine that Won the War,” “The Machine Stops,” and whatever else […]

Dystopian Literature: The Giver Lesson Plans for Middle School (or High School)

It was almost December, and Mr. Jonas was beginning to be frightened. “No. Wrong word,” Mr Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified administrator had popped in to his classroom twice. If only he had really good Giver […]

Teaching Short Stories: Coronavirus Panic Edition

Most of you are probably teaching from somewhere other than a classroom full of students. If you’re looking for short stories that get you through the chaos, you’ve found them. Short Stories in the Time of Coronavirus “Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe. “The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No […]