Research comes alive when students explore a range of alternate genres instead of writing the traditional research report.
Exploring the Past through Multigenre Writing
Grades
|
Re-envisioning Research
8 - 12
Professional Library
| Journal
Describes a research paper in the author's high school English classroom which connected to the lives and interests of students, who delved into community problems with as much rigor (and using many types of research as traditional essays exploring arcane philosophical questions). Describes creating a context for exploration, and students' final projects.
Grades
|
Inquiry at the Window: The Year of the Birds
K - 8
Professional Library
| Journal
This science inquiry in a fourth-grade classroom affirms the importance of observation, questioning, reading, and writing to the inquiry process.
Grades
|
Analyzing Grammar Rants: An Alternative to Traditional Grammar Instruction
8 - 12
Professional Library
| Journal
Kenneth Lindblom and Patricia A. Dunn teach language awareness and use through published complaints about the teaching of grammar. Students are able to recognize issues of race and class that determine acceptable usage and learn the importance of audience in their own language use.
Grades
|
Technology in the Language Arts classroom: Is It Worth the Trouble?
5 - 9
Professional Library
| Journal
Suggests the authentic audience found on the Internet has a profound effect on the quality of student writing in all grades, and that the key to successful technology projects is integrating them into the curriculum so that computers are a means, not an end. Offers ideas for classroom activities and projects using stand-alone computers, and using computers with Internet access.
Grades
|
Peek, Peak, Pique: Using Homophones to Teach Vocabulary (and Spelling!)
5 - 9
Professional Library
| Journal
Argues that regular homophone practice enhances vocabulary knowledge, spelling skills, pronunciation ability, and overall reading proficiency. Describes how card games played with decks of homophones helped to accomplish these things. Notes particular benefits of homophone games to ESL students, and outlines key advantages of using the games.
Grades
|
Spelling: From Invention to Strategies
5 - 9
Professional Library
| Journal
Veteran educator Howard Miller shares a set of strategies that can propel middle school writers (and "inventive" spellers) into the role of being responsible and strategic in this Voices from the Middle article.
Grades
|
Ghosts and Fear in Language Arts
8 - 12
Professional Library
| Journal
Describes how an English teacher uses ghost stories in his classroom to further students' interest in and understanding of epics. Presents a short unit in which all the class work focuses on scary kinds of things.
Grades
|
Codeswitching: Tools of Language and Culture Transform the Dialectally Diverse Classroom
K - 8
Professional Library
| Journal
This article shows how to affirm and draw on the dialect diversity of students to foster the learning of Standard English.
Grades
|
Multiple Texts: Multiple Opportunities for Teaching and Learning
5 - 9
Professional Library
| Journal
Using texts that first meet the reading "levels" of middle school students, then offering increasingly challenging books, teachers can group students at all levels using multiple texts. Strategy logs and conferences are two of the successful tools teachers use to increase comprehension as well as critical reading skills.
Grades
|
"Framing Texts: New Strategies for Student Writers"
5 - 9
Professional Library
| Journal
Using children's picture books, Deborah Dean provided frameworks for student research papers that avoided the pitfalls leading to voiceless and encyclopedic writing. Research guide sheets; class analysis of text organization, sentence variety, stylistic choices; and peer review all contribute to interesting final papers.
Grades
|
Beyond Voices of Readers: Students on School's Effects on Reading
8 - 12
Professional Library
| Journal
This article summarizes and explicates research on 272 twelfth-grade students' reading autobiographies. Cope quotes from some noteworthy comments and makes some suggestions on how teachers and schools might do a better job of teaching literature.
Grades
|
Be Fabulous: The Reading Teacher's Guide to Reclaiming Your Happiness in the Classroom
K - 12
Professional Library
| Book
Scoggin merges her straight-talking blogger persona, Mrs. Mimi, with her years of research to help you rediscover who you are and redefine the type of literacy teacher you want to become. At the heart of this book is teacher happiness and empowerment—reconnect with your inner fabulous to give the best possible literacy instruction to your students.
Grades
|
Podcasts: The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Podcasts
3 - 12
Printout
| Informational Sheet
Use this helpful tool to integrate podcasts into your classroom or to help your students create their own podcasts with audio and images.
Grades
|
Persuasion Map
3 - 12
Printout
| Graphic Organizer
Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.
Grades
|
Tips For Using Movie Maker
7 - 10
Printout
| Informational Sheet
It's easy to make a movie today, thanks to software that may already be on your home computer. Sounds fun, and it's a lesson in how to communicate ideas.
Grades
|
Acrostic Poem
3 - 5
Printout
| Writing Starter
Acrostic poems are fun to write. Your students will find constructing them easy, too, thanks to this helpful tool, which has endless possibilities for curriculum integration.
Grades
|
Editing Checklist for Self- and Peer Editing
3 - 5
Printout
| Assessment Tool
This helpful tool will give your students the opportunity to edit their own writing and then observe as their peers edit the same work.
Grades
|
Essay Rubric
6 - 12
Printout
| Assessment Tool
This rubric delineates specific expectations about an essay assignment to students and provides a means of assessing completed student essays.
Grades
|
K-W-L Chart
3 - 8
Printout
| Graphic Organizer
This K-W-L Chart, which tracks what a student knows (K), wants to know (W), and has learned (L) about a topic, can be used before, during, and after research projects.