Feb 11
Ghost Boys begins with the death of twelve-year-old Jerome Rogers and slowly unfolds through a series of flashbacks. Jerome lives in an improvised neighborhood in Chicago. His walk to school is dangerous including going past drug dealers. Jerome is bullied for being a good student. One day a new kid comes to school, Carlos Rodríguez. Jerome …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7550
Jan 28
In How to Eat Fried Worms, Billy makes a bet with his friend Alan that he can eat 15 worms, one each day, for fifteen days. Tom plans to be Billy’s second, or witness. Joe is going to be Alan’s second. Joe and Alan plan all sorts of schemes to win the bet. In one funny part …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7534
Dec 24
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson is an exceptional book about six students who are placed in an experimental class during their 5th/6th-grade years. The teacher decides that the last hour of each Friday will be ‘talk time.’ She takes them to an empty classroom and leaves the six alone. Slowly, the students open up and talk …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7446
Dec 10
Do your students love watching animated shorts? If so, they will love using these December writing prompts and learn a lot. I have collected five short videos explaining the importance of Christmas candles, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Students watch the videos. They then summarize the meanings of the Christmas candle, Kwanzaa kinara, Jewish menorah, and Yule …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7461
Dec 03
Animated Christmas shorts are the perfect antidote to December distractions. Between class parties, candy canes, and winter break countdowns, it’s not always easy to keep students focused on reading skills, but a short, heartwarming film can work wonders. These films make Christmas figurative language activities fun and meaningful while keeping the class engaged. Between their …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7464
Nov 19
Are you looking for a heartwarming and humorous coming-of-age story that will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately leave you feeling inspired? Look no further than Schooled by Gordon Korman. This novel tells the story of Capricorn Anderson, a thirteen-year-old boy. Cap has grown up in a commune and has never attended a traditional school. …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=7418
Nov 12
Let’s face it—plot patterns can sometimes feel like the grammar of storytelling: necessary, but not always thrilling. But what if you could teach plot development in a way that grabs your students’ attention before the rising action even begins? Cue the commercials. No, really. In this post, you’ll find two hands-on activities that make teaching …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=6461
