Hope for Cleveland Browns Fans: A (Very) Creative Writing Assignment

January 30, 2017 By

**This post originally appeared on December 11, 2015 when it seemed as though things could not get worse for my beloved Browns. But they did. As the Super Bowl approaches, it’s time to bring it back. This is an optional assignment. Students who do it can use it to replace a missed assignment later in […]

Filed Under: Ender's Game, Most Dangerous Game, Of Mice and Men, Owl Creek Bridge, The Lottery, The Maze Runner, Writing

Valentine’s Day Short Stories for High School with Valentine’s Day Lesson Plans

January 26, 2017 By

Valentine’s Day evokes various reactions among high school students. Most of these reactions have one thing in common: overreaction. Use the holiday to your advantage by teaching short stories that involve realistic (and not so realistic) relationships. I’m not going to pretend you’re not here for a free lesson plan. Here’s a lesson plan for the […]

Filed Under: Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket, Dr. Heidegger's Experiment, Fall of the House of Usher, Gift of the Magi, Lessons, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rappaccini's Daughter, Short Stories, Yellow Wallpaper

Teaching ELL Students in an ELA Classroom: Edgar Allan Poe in Espanol

January 23, 2017 By

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved my students. Many had wronged me. Many had given me insult. For their praise I had no desire. I think it was their future! […]

Filed Under: American Romanticism, Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe, ELL, Fall of the House of Usher, Pit and the Pendulum, Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven