Do you need suggestions for modern novels to pair with Macbeth? If so, I’ve got you covered! Shakespeare’s Macbeth is still one of his most wildly popular plays. I’m not saying we are all sitting around reading Macbeth, but we see countless retellings in novels and film today. Almost any story with unethical and unchecked ambition or guilt-spun paranoia has ties to the plot.

If you’re looking for something with a modern spin as you wrap up a Macbeth unit, read on to see my favorites. Let’s start with an overview of the play.

Teaching Macbeth with a Classic Focus

Brave and respected, Macbeth sits one night around his fire when three witches visit him. In their prophecy, they foretell he would become the king of Scotland. Skeptical at first, he is urged on by his ruthless wife. The single-minded ambition leads him down a path of paranoia, tyranny, madness, and murder.

4 Modern Novels to Pair with Macbeth

Modern Pairings

Macbeth tells a tale that mostly centers on the dangers of corrupted power and unchecked ambition. Despite being well-loved as a courageous general, he is brought up against his natural inclinations to serve to commit evil deeds. The desire to have power and advancement supersedes whatever good intentions he had. In addition, we see the consequences of the ambition Macbeth can’t enjoy and how it plays into his eventual paranoia. Almost any work that centers on unobtainable ambition or the dealings of a guilty conscious work for a pairing.This post contains affiliate links.

 Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

This is probably my favorite pairing. It’s less about the gore of a Macbeth retelling and centers more on common themes I feel students can relate to that we can also see in the play. As told in verse, Will is set on avenging his brother. Heading out of his apartment with a weapon in his waistband, he loads the elevator and hits the down arrow. The elevator stops on the next floor, and their friend Buck gets on. As they chat about Will’s plan, Will remembers – Buck is dead. The next floor brings a childhood friend who asks what he will do if he misses. This childhood friend was hit by stray bullets on the playground when they were eight. As he gets to each floor, time is an illusion, and Will is confronted with people from his past.

The propensity for violence and our choices is a central themes in both Long Way Down and Macbeth. It’s interesting to compare Will to Macbeth and consider how each person is set on “what is owed” to them and the expectations of their position. This makes an excellent class read but also works as an independent student project.

You can check out my Long Way Down unit here.

The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail

While not a novel, this poetry collection would fit perfectly into a Macbeth unit. Dunya Mikhail is an exiled Iraqi woman. She has written a beautiful book centered on revolution and the human spirit. As students read through the horrendous actions of Macbeth, taking time to consider “everyone else” would be a great juxtaposition. Mikhail aims to derail the glorification of war. And, while not a typical “novel” for class reading, it would make a great addition to your class library or to pull excerpts as you navigate the play.

I also find poetry lends itself to more creative projects for students. Consider having students write their own forms of poetry, write responses to Mikhail’s work, create visual representations to a class read, or select their own excerpts.

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

Elle and her three friends have an untouchable power other girls only dream of. The world is their oyster until Elle’s sweet sixteen. The golden boys choose her as their next target. Too bad they picked the wrong girl. Set on vengeance, Elle plots to destroy each of the boys.

While this novel is a perfect combination of a bloody Macbeth retelling mixed with Cruel Intentions – it’s dark and violent and delves into sometimes unrealistic vengeful plots. I can think of many students who would absolutely love the American Horror Story vibes and would probably offer it as a choice read rather than a whole-class project.

As I Descended by Robin Talley

Maria and Lily are the power couple of their school – even if no one else sees it. Unfortunately, golden child Delilah is a superstar at their school. She runs it all. Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to get what they want – to unseat Delilah from her distinguished Kingsley Prize – a full scholarship that would ensure Maria and Lily stay together. This is an LGBT fantasy/horror that will blur feuds and fatalities.

This novel is definitely Shakespeare-inspired, and I love the abundance of representation in the characters. Again, I would maybe consider this a choice-read option for those students who may not enjoy the “icky” side of Macbeth retellings.

Other Novels

There’s no shortage of Shakespeare adaptations. Macbeth is a fairly deadly story, and often the retellings try to up the ante in story-telling gore. Another direction you might consider is to look at retellings from other characters such as The Third Witch by Rebecca Reisert or Lady Macbeth by Susan Fraser King. Have students consider writing from another character from the play, or an imaginary character who is swept up in the events.

Do you have favorite modern tellings for Macbeth that your students love? What activities help solidify broader concepts and themes with your students? Share here or check out Facebook and Instagram for more ideas!

 If you do a quick Google search of literature read in high school – you get a pretty skimpy list. 

And that skimpy list is probably full of outdated and poor representations of diversity. 

The thing is, we know this is a problem, and yet almost all of the curriculum and unit studies out there are still centered on these same books. I bet if I did a poll, most of us would check off the same list of books no matter where we live or what decade we attended high school. Consider this: how many books do you teach in your classroom that you read as a student yourself? Shouldn’t that bother us?

Before anyone gets too hot and bothered about it, I do love the classics. I still think Canterbury Tales is some of the
dirtiest and most hilarious short stories you can read. Shakespeare bleeds into so much of our modern pop culture I think it makes a great foundation for students to understand what it means to be a “classic” author who understood the true themes of humanity. His plays were the Avengers films of the day. 

So I’m not saying out with it all. But we should make a better effort to establish better connections with the students we teach. 

Why is it important?

At the end of the day, it’s really not about my students remembering that one time I made them read Of Mice and Men. Or that we spent months analyzing To Kill a Mockingbird. Education should be about connecting to the world around us, to the other citizens that make up our communities, to be functional in society, and to learning where the information is when we don’t have an answer. If I want my students to connect to what they read so we can discuss the broader themes and motifs that will lead them to become better people – they need to connect with characters and authors who are like them. 

When I think about my own education, particularly in my freshman and sophomore years when we had to read whole-class works – the only thing that comes to mind as something I read that wasn’t written by a dead, old, white man is TheHouse on Mango Street. It wasn’t until I could take electives as an upperclassman and in college that I was exposed to other authors and characters who didn’t fit the “white man canon.” Even novels such as Frankenstein, written by a woman, are written through a lens of inequality for women authors. 

All that to say – I don’t want my students to have to hunt around a work and try to feel a connection. I don’t want them to shut down in class when we read something because another dead white guy wrote it. What a shame that I need to go out of my way to find works for my students to connect to or that we have to have a whole separate elective to find novels that my students will relate to. It’s important because our students are important. Our curriculum needs to be filled with both mirrors and windows in order to provide our students with a rich literature base. 

How do you incorporate diversity into the curriculum?

I absolutely understand feeling like your hands are tied. Some of us have more freedom to tweak the curriculum than others. And, unfortunately, we sometimes face backlash on our choices. Hopefully, you can find something from this list that will help you incorporate reading diversity.

Don’t Just Teach What You Know

One problem is that we teach what we read in high school. We sort of perpetuate the problem by falling back on what we are familiar with. So even though you’re excited for a novel that you read (and maybe loved) when you were a student, doesn’t mean it’s the “best” novel for the moment.

Diversity Is Not a Checklist

Whenever I’m looking to add a novel or author to my curriculum, I ensure I am thorough in my selection. Students notice if you haven’t bothered to read a work. So don’t plunk a few books on your class library shelf and call it good. Bring attention to these novels. Specifically, look to offer them to students when they ask for book recommendations. Consider why your classics were included, and look for novels that fit that bill.

Be Critical of Classics

I think we can agree that none of us are saying, “Ban the classics!” Not in the same way that many contemporary and representative works are every day. If you find yourself in a bind of adding new pieces to your curriculum, then try to look at your current curriculum with a critical eye. Discuss with your students the representation of characters. Were people of color included? How were they represented? Did they have agency? Does the novel truly represent whatever theme you’re analyzing if not everyone is represented?

Create a Diverse Library

If you don’t have a class library, I highly recommend finding the space to do so. I used to have a small bookshelf to swap books from the school library that fit our unit. Students could supplement their own reading during free reads or check out the books they were more interested in. Even in my smallest of classrooms, I had a spot on top of the file cabinet of my personal books I recommended to students. Fill those with diverse authors and themes for students to have access.

Literature Circles

Rather than focus on a whole-class read of options, try literature circles. They are a great way to promote independence, and I like that students have options to pick what speaks to them. There are so many ways you can go about this, but you might find novels that center around a similar theme, a retelling of a “classic”, or just a collection of novels you think they will enjoy. Students select what they would most like to read, and you sort them into groups to read the novel. You can also include your classics in the lineup.  

Find Retellings

If you aren’t sure where to start with diversifying your reading lists, start with retellings. Novels that are retold or updated for a modern era often include the same themes for discussions, but they also often have better representation. Look up retellings or modern novels to pair with whatever classic works you typically cover, and start reading what comes up. In many cases, I can reuse my thematic questions from previous lesson plans, so it doesn’t quite feel like I’m starting over. 

What about your classroom? How do you incorporate reading diversity into your classroom? What have been your favorite lessons and novels to include? Do you feel like you come up against problems when you try to change the curriculum? Chat with the group on Facebook or Instagram or comment below. 

Give modern spins to classic reads. While the classics are classics, they are also outdated and there are so many modern titles that are worthy of classroom time, so I’ve been creating a paired list of modern novels to classic works. Read on to see my suggestions for The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

Classic Focus

Angst and alienation prevail in this novel. The Catcher in the Rye has become a timeless coming-of-age story focusing on Holden Caulfield and the process of leaving childhood behind. 

When students begin their study of this novel, I focus on a few major themes that I can mirror in my modern selections. Dealing with a phony world, and navigating the end of childhood are two central ideas, but there’s also alienation and the general angst Holden feels.

Modern Pairings

There are many options for this novel. That’s one of the best reasons to still teach classics; we still use them as inspiration! Depending on your class culture, the skill level of your students, and their general interests, you have options to bring to the table. Like any read, remember to vet the content and make your best judgment as to what you will offer students. Here are a few of my favorites. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 

I think Charlie Kelmeckis is one of the best characters to use as a modern example for Holden Caulfield. The Perks of Being a Wallflower circles around passivity and passion in the high school world.

There are many common themes between the two novels. Both are inner-musings of the main character, and both focus on the angsty teenage life of those who feel alienated.  

Kindness for Weakness by Shawn Goodman

How do people who care survive if your world believes that kindness is weakness? This novel follows a fifteen-year-old boy from an abusive home. He desperately seeks his older brother’s love and approval, leading him to push drugs and suffer the consequences. 

There are a few connections, the desire to feel belonging and not fitting in being central. Students might also discuss those things we desire (such as love, success, and belonging) that we struggle with understanding or obtaining. Holden, for example, says the only person to understand him is his sister. The young man in this novel similarly strives to have his brother’s approval. 

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez

Julia struggles with the “perfect Mexican daughter” role after her sister, the true perfect Mexican daughter, passes away tragically. Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away for college or even move from their parents’ home. As Julia tries to fill the gap her sister left behind, she copes with her own grief as well as her mother’s, as well as grappling with the reality that her sister might not have been as perfect as she seemed. 

In addition to a common theme about the adult or “real world” being disappointing and difficult to navigate, students may also notice similarities between Julia and Holden. Both are the “black sheep” of the family, dealing with becoming their own person as well as the backlash from family when they don’t fit the mold. 

Do you have favorite modern tellings for The Catcher in the Rye that your students love? What activities help solidify broader concepts and themes with your students? Share here or check out Facebook and Instagram for more ideas!

Looking for fun and engaging end of novel activities for middle school and high school? I’ve got you covered! Continue reading to learn about five activities you can do at the end of a class novel! These culminating project ideas are sure to bring some creative thinking to your classroom!

Getting to the end of a novel is exciting. I love when all of our ideas and discussions come together. I feel like we can have “meaty” conversations and the students see there was a method to my madness. However, if you’re tired of passing out an end-of-novel exam or essays, consider one of those activities.

End of Novel Activities

Socratic Seminar

Facilitating a Socratic Seminar in the classroom is a great way to discuss, review, and analyze literature. Students partake in discussions and voice their own questions and opinions. Socratic Seminars can be used for any novel.

You can accommodate by breaking your class up into smaller group sizes, so if you have a large class or vastly differening abilities, you can create better opportunities for students to have open discussions.

This Socratic Seminar resource is great for teachers who are looking to assess a student’s understanding of literary analysis.

Comic Strip Analysis

A comic strip analysis activity for the end of a novel is not only a way to bring artistry to your classroom, but you also challenge students to think concisely. Students will need to know the text well enough to abbreviate for a comic strip.

I find this to be an excellent option for students to reflect on a novel. Don’t think this is just a few drawings. Have students include direct quotes from the novel as their dialogue, cite the information, focus on one aspect of literary analysis, etc. You can also help your students who may balk at a drawing requirement by having students use the computer to create graphics.

A fun way to bring this assignment into the 21st century is to assign students a digital comic strip by using Canva!

Podcast Chat

Instead of having a large group chat, put students together in groups of two or three for a podcast chat. Students who may have difficulty asserting themselves into the conversation may benefit from this small-group style project. Have students create a clever name and catchy introduction followed by the “meat” of the podcast.

Students can discuss key elements, be candid with their opinions, and include personal connections. You can also create a list of other discussion topics that you would like for them to include, such as author information, a relevant quiz or challenge, and connections to other literature, history, or current events.

You can broaden this activity by having students to listen to each other’s podcasts and respond with peer evaluations.

Collaborative Posters

The sky is really the limit with collaborative posts. At the end of a novel, you can select what type of posters you want students to complete. This is a great opportunity to focus on any elements you’d like students to work on, without dedicating specific study like an essay or quiz. For example, you may have students who need to work on their research skills. You can have students work on posters involving historical references, or author biography. You can also have students review literary analysis through collaborative posters as well.

When finished, give your students opportunity to participate in a gallery walk. It’s great if you’ve had students work on different tasks, such as analyzing symbols or discussing types of conflict. Students can use this opportunity to review and study for any potential end of novel test you may decide to complete, or it works as a standalone activity.

If you are looking for some inspiration, these short story review posters can be modified for novels.

Design Projects

Another creative idea is for students to create some type of design with the novel as their inspiration. Students might design a museum for historical novels, complete with relevant exhibits and writing tour information. A lighter novel might inspire a theme park.

Students can create “lands” for the park inspired by characters or major plot points. A novel with multiple settings might have a map created of the travels, or a brochure if it is a land unfamiliar to the students. This is an interesting activity to try if you’re looking for students to have a new take on using the information gleaned from novels.

There is certainly a need for students to work on writing, and I have given my fair share of tests before. But, I also love giving my students creative opportunities to share what they know. I also like keeping them on their toes, wondering what activity I have in store for them next.

Still Planning Your Novel Unit? Check out this resource!

Engage your students all year long with this Novel Activity Pack that includes 32 different activities you can use for any novel (it also works for short stories too)! This secondary ELA resource is filled with 32 novel activities that you can use before, during, and after reading any novel!

These novel activities are perfect for a class novel study, independent reading projects, lit circles, and more! This resource includes multiple teacher instruction pages to help you seamlessly integrate these novel activities in your classroom, and it is organized into four sections: pre-reading, while reading, differentiated writing tasks, and after reading.

Classic literature is classic for a reason. There are themes that resonate across generations and timeless characters. The trouble is, students hear those classic titles and freeze up at the prospect of reading something “so old”. Instead of fighting them on it, I have paired modern novels to some of those classic works to help bridge that gap. Read on to see my suggestions for modern pairings to Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Classic Focus

Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of young boys who become deserted on an island. Although they begin with creating rules and organization with no adult help, they eventually collapse into brutality.

When my students begin their study of this novel, I tend to focus on a few major themes that I can mirror in my modern selections. Civilization vs. lawlessness is one of the biggest ideas of the novel. It drives most of the instincts of the boys on the island. Loss of innocence is another biggie, as well as the dangers of mob mentalities, and if mankind is inherently evil.

This novel is also considered an allegory, meaning the characters and objects are symbolic in and of themselves. I think that actually helps my students track themes, because they can easily recognize the characters and their roles as themes develop.

 
When I teach this novel, I use this 5-week Lord of the Flies Unit and I also try to gamify the unit for more excitement.

Modern Pairings

There are many options for this novel. That’s one of the best reasons to still teach classics, we still use them as inspiration! Depending on your class culture, the skill level of your students, and their general interests, you have options to bring to the table. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Some people might think this is an overdone and overused example. Students who struggle with making connections to text may benefit from reading a novel after having seen a film, reading something they already know, etc.

Katniss Everdeen makes a heroic decision to take her sister’s place in the deadly Hunger Games. Survival is in her nature, but she must truly fight to the death and make smart decisions if she will beat the odds.

This is an interesting pairing when you compare the idea of civilization and savagery in particular. Especially since the nation of Panem is considered a “civilization” with a ruthless and horrible tradition, and the boys in Lord of the Flies were considered uncivilized when presented with no form of government or rules.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

A very interesting parallel to not only Lord of the Flies but also to the recent pandemic. Hetty has been living in her quarantined island school for girls for eighteen months. Teachers died one by one from a horrible virus. Students were then infected. The girls live cut off from the world, fending for themselves, and waiting for a cure they were promised.

This is an interesting option for students to discuss various forms of loss of innocence, not only as a gender-bender version of Lord of the Flies, but also as an opportunity to discuss loss of innocence during our recent quarantines. Students can benefit from discussing their own life events as a connection point to the novel, and solidify some of these key themes.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

A ravaged, barren landscape stretches forth as a father and son walk alone towards the coast. McCarthy writes about a hopeless world where the two main characters only have each other. It’s a torrid tale of humanity’s propensity for evil, which pairs well with Lord of the Flies. It can be quite dark in some places, but mature readers may enjoy the opportunity to read something with more macabre.

In spite of these darker scenes, or maybe because of, The Road is a great read with Lord of the Flies. Students can compare the darker tones of humanity when civilization is taken away. Students can also compare character’s struggles and perseverance.

Do you have favorite modern tellings for Lord of the Flies that your students love? What activities help solidify broader concepts and themes with your students? Share here or check out Facebook and Instagram for more ideas!

Even though most secondary ELA students have a plethora of English classes to choose from, at some point or another they probably are reading “classic” literature. And while I love that students can choose to take courses such as Contemporary English or Creative Writing, I still want them to see the power and timelessness of those classic works. Check out some of these tips for teaching these classics to modern readers.

1. Make it fast and friendly

We live in a high-speed world. Sometimes I am more concerned with students getting the “gist” of a work rather than reading the entirety of a novel. No matter what I do, some students are just not going to find Victorian-era literature tantalizing. Instead, we might read passages and discuss connotations, or try to mimic writing style, or I’ll have them search for examples that make the novel fit into its genre. Think about what you want students to get out of the experience of reading the novel, play, or collection, and decide if it would be better suited as a “highlight” study.

2. Pair with what they know

There are many classic pieces of literature that pair well with modern works. Especially if you read some of those “timeless” classics like Romeo and Juliet or Frankenstein. We have many options we can pair together. Look for modern tales with similar themes. You don’t have to strictly find adaptations of the same work (though there are plenty of options available). You can have interesting conversations with students about what makes themes timeless, how a theme or moral may change across generations, or what makes a work outdated.

3. Assess through conversation

Speaking of conversations, consider nixing assessments via quizzes and tests. While writing skills is certainly important, so is the ability to have a conversation. Take classic literature study as an opportunity to introduce Socratic Seminars so that you can focus on conversation-based assessments. You may also try Literature Circles (try these Task Cards for quick assessment options) so students can either work in small groups to complete the work or select their own preference when reading literature.

4. Use what they know

Students today are socially saturated with visual components. Just take a look at social media platforms. Pictures and videos prevail. Lean into the culture (within reason). Shakespearean works, for example, are full of scandal, sordid mockery of the times, and universal themes. Students can create “social media” accounts for characters, following the story and summarizing its parts through “posts”. You may also try having students write TMZ-style tell-alls with newspaper articles and gossip columns.

5. Let them recast the classics

Maybe students just aren’t connecting how you would hope. Instead, try letting them revamp the classics to something that would catch their attention. What modern telling of Animal Farm would they connect with more? If Oliver Twist doesn’t seem relevant, what if they retold it from the perspective of a child in foster care? Moby Dick can be a retelling of a ruthless CEO stopping at nothing to improve his business. Let creativity shine and let students tell you what makes a literary work valuable to them.

If you’re searching to connect students to the classics, let me know if any of these ideas worked in your classroom. Or, comment below with lessons and activities you found successful in bridging the gap between classic literature and modern readers.

I can hear it now. One student defiantly raises a hand as I begin teaching Greek and Latin root words. Before I can even begin explaining the benefits, the student asks, “Why are we learning about this in English class?” Next time you have a student asking why they need to study roots and vocabulary from Greek and Latin, have this list on hand.

3 Reasons for Teaching Greek and Latin Root Words

1. Greek and Latin are foundational

You will be hard-pressed to find vocabulary without influence from Greek or Latin. The truth is, these “ancient” languages heavily influence our modern languages (particularly the Romantic ones). In fact, students who hope to learn other languages, especially Romantic ones, would do well to focus on building vocabulary in English rooted in Latin. Romance languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish, and Latin influences about 80% of the vocabulary in all of these languages. That’s 800 million people whose language is built on Latin alone.

2. Greek and Latin are building blocks

English is not considered a Romantic language, but a Germanic one. A significant portion, however, comes from the romantic influences of Latin and Greek (which is its own branch of language entirely). Students who are learning English, or who need to improve their English skills would do well to learn vocabulary that comes from Greek and Latin roots. Each year students should learn from 2,000-3,000 new words each year to increase their reading vocabulary. If these languages influence 70-80% of our language, then we should put in the effort to teach students roots that they can use to build their vocabulary in the future. To read more about vocabulary instruction, you can find this interesting essay by Joan Sedita from Keys to Literacy here.

3. Greek and Latin are not dead

Indeed, Ancient Greek and Latin are not official languages. When a language has no native speakers, it technically qualifies as a “dead language”. However, all modern languages have been influenced in one way or the other by Greek and Latin. So although there are not native speakers, they are far from unused and unneeded. Beyond vocabulary skills, many students who pursue technical or scientific careers will find themselves working with Greek and Latin roots. Understanding vocabulary from the viewpoint of Greek and Latin is about as close to “universal” as you can get with languages.

And, if none of those reasons work, you can always share that learning Greek and Latin roots will improve their test scores in your class. You can only lead a horse to water.

If you’re stumped for a starting point in introducing Greek and Latin vocabulary to your classroom, check out my 20-week program for Greek and Latin Roots. You can find it here in my store, but be sure to check out my digital and print bundles for more options in your classroom.

20-Week Latin and Greet Root Word Vocabulary Program

Teaching Greek and Latin root words is fun and engaging with this vocabulary unit! This Latin and Greek root word vocabulary program includes the Google™ digital and traditional print versions. It includes 20 weeks of vocabulary instruction and 200 words for a complete vocabulary study!

For each of the Greek and Latin root words, this vocabulary unit includes an instructional slide for vocabulary instruction, a daily vocabulary exercise to help you make a routine of learning root word vocabulary, a hands-on activity, and an end-of-week quiz.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• 20 23-slide editable presentations with instructions for Monday-Friday
• 200 vocabulary words with definitions
• Greek and Latin root word tree organizers
• Double-sided daily vocabulary recording sheets
• Hands-on table sort activities
• Weekly vocabulary quizzes

Your students will love learning vocabulary with this method because it will take the stress out of vocabulary. Rather than needing to study words and lists at home the night before the quiz, students will have worked with the vocabulary words a little bit each day to authentically learn the words and their meaning. Your students will love how easily these vocabulary words come to them with the help of the daily activities. 

Be sure to share your favorite and student-loved activities for teaching roots here in the comments or join me on Facebook and Instagram to continue the conversation.

Now more than ever, it is essential that students understand the importance of digital citizenship. It’s part of being career-ready. It’s part of utilizing tools like the internet effectively for education. And it’s part of understanding the boundaries of recreational use.

What is digital citizenship?

Being a good digital citizen means understanding the responsibilities associated with technology, particularly the internet, but also how it all applies to computers and devices in general.

What does it cover?

I think our first thought is cyber safety. But digital citizenship is so much more than that. It’s also how students use the internet to find help for school. It’s how they interact when searching for a job or emailing professionally. It’s what they post to social media. It’s knowing when it is appropriate to use technology (digital wellness). And it’s knowing how to show empathy when behaving online. 

Why is it important?

We are absolutely in a world where access to technology is more of a need than a want. This was even more important in 2020. Our students do homework, turn in papers, look up resources, find the news, socialize, and seek entertainment via their technology access. Students will apply to jobs and colleges online. They’ll work jobs with Zoom calls and emails. They’ll comment on posts. Post photos. Technology is embedded in every aspect of our lives. 

Teaching digital citizenship.

Conversation Skills

This is multi-faceted. Students will exchange and be involved with so many digital conversations within a day. The text and comment and write and read all of these interactions. Students would do well to understand the empathy needed in these exchanges. Discuss how connotation isn’t always clear when reading. You can come up with examples of how students can respond to different types of posts (or discuss if one should respond, period). You can also point out the difference in recreational use vs professional use, and how the words you type are there forever. This would also be a good place to discuss cyberbullying, and where the line is between “expressing an opinion” and being outright hurtful.

Digital Literacy

Students need to know how to distinguish accurate information from misinformation. This often is covered when students first begin looking up sources for essays, but it is a skill they need to know how to use in their personal lives as well. Students should have frequent practice with digital literacy because it’s really quite tough to learn discernment skills. This includes knowing the basics of data information and scams to look for.

Digital Wellness

To me, this is a biggie. We basically have technology on our persons 24/7. Discuss with students the importance of “unplugging”. Find articles about brain development and screen times. Debate how social skills are affected by technology. Students would do well to understand we need to take a break and now over-indulge.

Digital Security

There can be a lot of over-sharing, especially on social media platforms. It isn’t just about understanding the importance of choosing secure passwords. The little quizzes on Facebook that basically mine for information that are used in security questions. Knowing that a video you just shared showed your street address, and you were wearing your school logo. Students also need to keep their smart-technolgoy secure. Teach them about the best sort of security for their phones (like how an online photo of their face can trick the facial recognition software on their phone). Look for VPN lessons to add extra layers of privacy. Teach students that the more “locks” they have on their information, the safer they are and the harder it is for others to steal it. 

Professionalism 

Lastly, students should know how to present themselves professionally. A lot of their online interactions will be recreational. There’s a lot of social media. A lot of texting. A lot of messages. Students might not spend a lot of time emailing or may not know how to write resumes and cover letters. Give students a crash course in professional etiquette. Show them the difference between colloquial speech that is okay to use with their friends and the professional writing when they request information from a professor, contact HR, or apply for a new position. I have an email etiquette unit that works perfect for discussing professionalism. My unit can be found here. Or, the digital bundle option can be found here.

There are so many resources available. There’s no one way to go about this, and a lot of your lessons will come from the class culture and what your students already understand about digital citizenship. Find articles that work best with where your students are at, and help them become well-rounded citizens in the digital world we live in. You can also consider Business&ITCenter21, a teacher-created digital curriculum. You can find information on their Digital Citizenship module here. ISTE also has resources listed in their article here. 

It’s not the most popular activity in my classroom, but I believe teaching close reading is a vital skill for my students to feel comfortable and confident in their ability to closely read, understand, and analyze a text. If you’re looking to bring your students to the next level in reading comprehension and analysis, read on for tips and tricks.

What is close reading?

First, it’s important to know that close reading is not a summary of the main points and it’s not a personal response. It’s actually more in-depth than that. When you close read, you should be focused on analysis and interpretation. Students should pick apart the work. This is the time to uncover layers, make inferences, and look for specific textual evidence.

It’s more than a reader response. It is understanding what the author is doing. Why were these words chosen? Why described in this way? Why is this interesting (or not)? Notice that, while it is important that students acknowledge the need for tapping into prior knowledge and their own interests, they should not be focused on just their personal responses.

Why learn about close reading?

Our brains are muscles that need flexing and a bit of a challenge. Close reading helps students learn to find deeper meanings in a text. I honestly believe it is one of those “life-long skills” that students can use post-graduation. It is important to read with a critical eye. Close reading allows students to develop precise interpretations and deeper understanding. It also comes in handy for college readiness (though it certainly isn’t the only reason to learn).

How to teach close reading?

When we go about a workout for the first time, it can be tough. There’s resistance. It probably doesn’t look pretty. Students will need to practice, practice, practice with close reading. Since close reading as a whole really means looking at so many different parts of the whole, you can begin by looking at specific close reading questions.

For example, focus on vocab and diction. Look for the most important words and how they relate to each other. Ask your students to find what phrases appear repeatedly. What words seem odd or out-of-place? Are there double meanings? Are there different ways to read and interpret the text?

You can also look for patterns. Are there symbols repeated? Is a pattern established? Did the author build on one overall idea or is the structure more inferred? You can establish if the author seems valid, or they can identify in what areas they should have improved the writing.

I think the best bit of advice is to know you need to make close reading a habit so students learn through exposure. Always model and set a purpose for reading. Have students focus on connections and not worry about mistakes (in fact, I think “mistakes” are great for teaching students to explain their reasoning, interpretations and discuss finding textual evidence).

I have several close reading activities available in my store that are perfect for introducing close reading, practicing, or setting up as sub plans. This bundle has 14 resources (including distance learning options) which can also be purchased separately.

A great way to include close reading in the classroom is to incorporate the gradual release method. First, complete a small passage together as whole class, then release students in small groups to work together on this task, and after several rounds of collaborative close reading, students should then be ready to tackle the challenge on their own.