Seasonal Lesson Ideas
Daylight Saving Time in ELA
Daylight Saving Time is a perfect occasion for reading and writing about it in English language arts. This post offers ideas and freebies to incorporate the concept such as writing an argument, hosting a debate., write a compare-and-contrast or cause-and-effect essay, reading comprehension activities, learning about seasons and daylight, read and write a satire, etc.
Patriot Day in ELA
As an English language arts teacher, you are in a unique position to help students process and understand why we observe Patriot Day and what happened on September 11, 2011 by having them: read...
Black History in English Language Arts
Black history is our history. It's not some separate history to marvel. It's not a gimmick to gawk at in February. Still, while it's somewhat disappointing that it takes Black History Month to draw...
MLK in ELA: Reading & Writing About Martin Luther King, Jr.
Honoring MLK in ELA really is a no-brainer because there's a prolific amount of passionate writing you can find that's been written by, and about, Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a fantastic...
The New Year in ELA: Ideas for Reading & Writing in January
The New Year in ELA means new opportunities for reading and writing! Get your students pumped by providing activities that get them to embrace a growth mindset, develop a vision for the upcoming...
Winter Fun in ELA
It's that time of year when there's a nip in the air and a palpable sense of anticipation for all that winter brings. Not only are your students getting antsy, but so are you. Y'all just can't wait...
Fall in ELA: 20 Ideas for Reading & Writing in Autumn
Once your students return to school in the fall, it's time to grab their attention and get them excited about reading and writing again! Fall in ELA is perfect for reading and writing because there...
15 End-of-the-School-Year ELA Activities
With summer approaching, this can be a challenging time to keep students engaged, or merely paying attention at all! What with tests behind them, feeling worn out by another crazy year, and counting...
Earth Day in ELA – Ideas for Reading & Writing in April
Do you realize that every single day is designated as a special day? You know like National Hot Dog Day? But, just like in life, some days rise to the top. They get a lot of buzz, gain followers,...
St. Patrick’s Day in ELA – Ideas for Reading & Writing in March
It's your lucky day in ELA! That's because St. Patrick's Day is one more opportunity to incorporate an engaging, fun, multicultural topic into English language arts. It's another chance to set a...
5 Interesting Facts About the History of Valentine’s Day
Ah Valentine's, how I love thee and dislike thee all at once, lol. Let's just say I've had a love-hate relationship with Valentine's Day my whole life. Have you by any chance? Anyway, to focus on...
Valentine’s Day in ELA: Ideas for Reading and Writing ALL February
I've written blog posts about the importance of setting a good feeling tone in the classroom, making learning fun, and affective learning (find out why it's the most effective learning of all). This...
20 Idioms About Love and the Heart
An idiom is a saying that began long ago, persisted in our culture, and can confuse you if you take it literally. It makes sense that there are many idioms about love. But, do you ever wonder why...
Interesting Facts About Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is not just your average celebration. Also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, it is the grandest festival in China, and it lasts for days. The festival is dominated by...
3 Funny Christmas Holiday Rhymes in ELA
All across the nation, just before winter break, teachers are scrambling to find last-minute activities that lightheartedly combine ELA skills and holiday anticipation. Here's an idea: have students...