5 of the Best Free English Language Arts Lessons.

Teaching is expensive, more so then most people think. I've often found myself strapped for resources and many times shelling out my own money to ensure that students had what they needed not only to survive in my classroom but to thrive. Teachers pay Teachers has been a valuable resource, but sometimes I can't spend money on a lesson plan. Sometimes I need resources that they school does not provide and I simply can't pay for. Thank god for free stuff online! Let's look at some of the best places to go if you teach English Language Arts (keep in mind some of these are only good for certain grade levels).

1. ReadWriteThink.org

By far this is one of the best resources out there; however, this site is so big it's easy to get lost. For resources just head to Classroom Resources which will offer handouts, lessons, and interactive activities. You must check the grade levels to make sure it's right for your students; however materials range from grades K-12. The student interactive activities are my favorite! You can have them design a brochure, create character trading cards, and even fill out graphic organizers online. This website is well thought out and students have a lot of fun with it while learning.

2. CPALMS.org

Mostly used in the State of Florida because it lists standards, it can be applied to any state and has a wealth of resources in the Educator Toolkit including free lessons and resources by subject, grade level, and standard. All resources can be found online and it's as simple as print, distribute, and teach. Lesson plans are basically done for you. While Florida does not operate on Common Core standards, they are pretty much the same when you actually read the standards, A great resource at any grade and for any subject.

3. K12 Reader

Everything from reading passages to worksheets on grammar K12 offers a variety of resources many of which are free. This website goes from Pre-K to grade 12, their stuff for younger learners is excellent, for older learners it is hit or miss. Still this may be valuable for several educators out there.

4. ReadWorks

If you've never been to ReadWorks then you need to. An extensive collection of articles and lessons for students in grades K-8 (not recommended for High School). You must sign up for this website but it's free for all educators. It's great to find materials for struggling readers. 

5. Purdue Owl

If you teach High school students or college then Purdue Owl is recommended. This website goes through MLA and APA writing with examples. Many students need to write research papers more often in my opinion. There's even resources to help your ELL students. I would not recommend this website for younger students though as they may get confused with the material. Still if you are teaching high school this website is a must. 

Shakespeare Made Easy.

Every year my students gripe and whine when they are told they need to do Shakespeare, mostly because several of them had bad past experiences. I've met teachers too who shy away or dread teaching the work of the bard. Yet, I relish it, my students by the end of the unit admit they enjoy it too. Why? Because of the approach. I make students bring in props, act, and yes I've made props myself out of whatever I could find. I've made a paper tree in my room and had student post love notes on it when we covered "As You Like It", some would wear witch hats for "Macbeth", and we even made a prop of fake poison (it was really Gatorade) for Romeo and Juliet. Of course not all the students can act and waiting till the end of each act to answer questions can be difficult, so I have students answer using an interactive study guide while we read through each act ( these can be found at my store: Educate and Create).

Before I get into any play I cover background information and elements of tragedy or Elements of Comedy depending on the play. In addition I incorporate music and poetic elements in iambic pentameter, introducing students to the concept with a variety of videos. If you've never heard of or introduced students to Sonnet Man or Akala I suggest it. Check out the videos below to help students understand the link between Shakespeare and music.

Easy Interactive Bellringers

Engaging Bellringers

Students come into class and then they sit, sit, sit, listen, and take notes. How completely and utterly exhausting! Honestly, I've seen way too many classes conducted like this and way too many students who seem bored off the edge of their seats waiting for any excuse to escape. How do we keep up student engagement while assuring that they are getting the information? We get creative and one of the best ways has been through bellringers.

Post-It method

I love post-its. They stick to posters, white-boards, and just about anything you could think of. They are cheap, brightly colored, and have a limited amount of space. This method of bellringer is simple, you post a question on the board, give each student a post it to write the answer on, and then have them write an answer on it ( I typically make them write their name on the back- just because some students like to feel they don't need to participate). After they write an answer on the post it have them get up out of their seat, walk up to the board, and post it. If you want something a little more you can draw a graphic organizer and have the students post their answers on the graphic organizer. Questions should be board enough to where the students can come up with a variety of right answers such as give me an example of a hyperbole or idiom, or oxymoron. It works well for any literary device but may be used subjects other then English such as have the students write an example of a particular type of equation in math, or list examples of different types of ecosystems in science. Really the sky is the limit with this one. Just make sure to only allow a certain amount of time for students to complete the task, and go over the answers the students came up with as a class. It helps students catch their mistakes, and gives the instructor an idea of how well the student mastered a given topic.

Have them exchange papers- Musical Chairs Style

Students seem to care more what their classmates and friends have to say then their teachers and parents. At least many of the ones I've met do. So, why not have their classmates read what they wrote. A brief bellringer of a question, journal entry, or a problem displayed and having the students write the answer is simple enough. When an instructor asks students to share you often get the same students who wish to share every class while others are too shy or too worried about what they wrote to ever share with anyone. For this exercise after students write down their answer to the bellringer have them get up out of their seats, explain to them you will play music for a brief period of time in which they are to move around the classroom. Once the music stops they are suppose to exchange papers with the person closest to them. This way all students get to share what they've written with at least one other person. You may also ask if anyone got an interesting paper that they've read that they would like to share with the class. I often like to do this at least two times.

Snowball Activity

Who doesn't love a snowball fight? This is a fun activity but depending on the size of a class or how well the teacher has classroom management skills depends on if you should try it. Snowball is an easy and fun activity for students. First they write their answer to the bellringer, next split the class into two groups each on an opposite side of the classroom, then instruct them to take their bellringer and crumple it into a snowball (a paper ball), instruct them to throw their snowball to a student on the opposing side, and last the other student is expected to pick up the snowball, uncrumple it and read it. This is a fun activity, but again requires that the teacher have excellent classroom management.

Anymore fun bellringer ideas? Let us know. Personally, I hate to be bored and I imagine my students do to. Getting out of their seats, even for a brief period of time helps them wake up, stay engaged, and be ready for the next activity.

Digital or Paper

To go Paperless or Not to go Paperless? 

I've been pondering whether or not I should go digital this year. I like having my students work on computers, it seems to keep them engaged and as I have a few ESE students who must be on computers as part of there accommodations it helps not have anyone feel singled out. So in order to help me decide I'm going to list the benefits and disadvantages of the constant use of technology.

Benefits

Students are engaged-  Let's face it, students are online all the time be it social media, Youtube, or Instagram. Being on a computer seems natural to many of them, so they work well on the computer.

Easy Grading- On Google classroom I grade and return. Students see their results quickly, I don't have to worry about losing papers, and I'm able to make comments.

Technology skills- Students learn how to create and use online platforms while still learning about English. They can create webpages, presentations, and even video editing. No one can deny computer skills are valuable to future employment.

Lots of material- There are lots of materials and online videos I can post for students to reference or even use as part of an assignment.

Disadvantages

At home not all students have access- Economically disadvantaged students will have challenges being able to access and use materials to study from at home. Some do not have a computer at home or access to the internet.

Peer-to- peer interaction- Yes students can collaborate online, but it's not the same as in person. The computer filters out actual human contact which everyone needs.

Charging- I have laptops in my room. I have to make sure they are always charged between classes. Hence, it's difficult to do that without the students having some time off the computer.

Records- While electronic records are fine the state requires I keep a solid folder of student work throughout the school year. Printing can be a pain considering how many files I would have open and print. Sometimes a solid paper copy is better.


I'll probably still use Google classroom and other technologies this year but not 100% of the time. I feel that being in front of computer screen all day is unnatural and unnecessary. Technology is valuable but no replacement for human interaction. What do you think? What role will technology play in your classroom this year.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! This blog is dedicated to assisting Middle and High school ELA teachers find fun and engaging activities to use in their classroom. I've taught every grade level 6-12 (yes, I teach more then one grade level at a time- usually in different periods... but to those in my shoes I know how stressful that can be), both regular and honors for over 5 years. I know how hard it can be to find activities and lessons which are both fun and engaging for students while still being educational. You will find many resources here, some free and some which are paid to assist you in classroom so that you aren't going crazy at the last minute (we've all been there!). Feel free to ask me any questions or make any comments you wish. I will try to keep this page updated on a regular basis.