Daylight Saving Time in ELA

by Katie Auer | Oct 27, 2026 | Content Area Literacy, Graphic Organizers (Language), Informational Text, Science Literacy, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy, Writing Ideas | 0 comments

Daylight Saving Time in ELA

Using timely, real-world topics, such as daylight saving time, is perfect for making instruction more engaging and meaningful for your students. Plus, students find relevant, current topics refreshing and motivating. They’re curious about them, so why not use this to your advantage in English language arts. Turn everyday events into lessons that build background knowledge, strengthen literacy skills, and deepen understanding of science and math concepts. I have some ideas and freebies for you about incorporating daylight saving time into ELA.

Generally speaking, we have daylight saving time to shift one hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, giving people more of an opportunity to be active while the sun is still shining. Specifically speaking, daylight saving time first came about during World War I via the Standard Time Act of 1918 in an effort to save electricity and fuel. This is also when time zones in the US were set up. Fast forward to July 14, 2026 when the the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced bill H.R. 139, which the full House then passed by a vote of 308–117. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. If the bill becomes law, it would move the US to permanent daylight saving time.

As of 2026, 48 states observe daylight saving time (DST). Arizona, Hawaii, and US Territories do not, as they have chosen to opt out and remain on permanent standard time. 19 states want to end the practice of setting clocks forward one hour in the spring (on the 2nd Sunday in November), and setting clocks backward one hour in the fall (on the 1st Sunday in November), thus making DST permanent by law. However, these laws cannot go into effect until Congress allows it at the federal level.

Here are some ideas for incorporating the concept of DST into your ELA classroom:

1. Write a cause-and-effect essay: Have students research and then explain what caused us to have daylight saving time and what happened as a result. And, by the way, it’s interesting that we did not have standardized time, nor time zones, in the US until train travel became common! OR, have them write what effects DST have on daily routines, public health, the economy, and wildlife, and what causes those effects.

2. Write a compare-and contrast essay: Have students compare and contrast the practice of standardized time in the US versus other countries.

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3. Write an Opinion Essay (Grades 4-5) or an Argumentative Essay (Grades 6-12): What a perfect opportunity to take advantage of this built-in opportunity for authentic argument, discussion, and text analysis. And, guess what? I made freebies just for you in the form of complete writing modules — one for the opinion piece, and one for the argument piece. Try them today! (Maybe even add in hosting an in-class debate or Socratic seminar to add in speaking and listening skills.)

FREE Write an Opinion About DST Writing Module

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FREE Write an Argument About DST Writing Module

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4. Try This FREE Literacy in Science Lesson “Why There are Seasons”: All this talk about shorter and longer days is the perfect time for them to learn about why we have seasons, while meeting essential ELA standards. Perfect for getting students to integrate information presented visually and in words (RI.7, RST.6-8.7), follow a multi-step procedure with a hands-on simulation (RST.6-8.3), plus focus on central ideas, details. and vocabulary in a scientific text with graphics and a hands-on simulation. There is even a writing assignment to explain why summer days are longer & warmer which aligns to W.2.

6. Read and Write Satirical Essays on the Topic: Benjamin Franklin did not invent DST. (Nor did farmers!). But he did write a famous satirical essay in 1784 titled “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light” published in the Journal de Paris while he was serving as the American minister to France. He calculated that Parisians were wasting money by waking up after the sun was already up and burning expensive wax and tallow candles at night.

7. Use this Reading Freebie: I created what I think is an awesome reading freebie: “Yay or Nay on Daylight Saving Time?” Everyone wants to know what is up with Daylight Saving Time! This explains it! And it does so in an engaging, argumentative way that sounds like an editorial opinion piece. This informational text passage is paired with 1 page of ELA tasks that assess reading, writing, and language skills aligned to multiple core standards assessed on standardized tests. Focuses MOST intently on 1) delineating and evaluating claims, including validity of reasoning and sufficiency of evidence (RI.8), 2) determining how word choice shapes tone (RI.4 ), 3) identifying author’s point of view (RI.6)

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC workbooks with ELA tasks or practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING LITERATURE TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

Grade 4 Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

Grade 10 Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

Grade 5 Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

Grade 11 Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

Grade 6 Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

Grade 12 Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

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“My students absolutely LOVE these! They were asking for more! Thank you!”

Paula R.

Seventh Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

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Patriot Day in ELA

by Katie Auer | Sep 9, 2026 | Content Area Literacy, Distance Learning, Informational Text, Language & Writing, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy

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 informational texts, read first-hand accounts, poetry, fiction, and more; write in a variety of genres (critical thinking); explore the difference between accurate, reliable sources/accounts and garbage (stereotypes, false claims, sensationalism); explore themes such as courage and resilience; and, analyze language such as rhetoric and vocabulary. That’s what I love about ELA! We are here to guide critical thinking, not just lay facts on them. I believe critical thinking might be the most important thing we can facilitate in our classrooms today. Help students discover accurate historical context without overwhelming them with graphic details or images. Focus on remembrance, community, and the facts.

1. Write a cause-and-effect essay: The fact of the matter is that September 11, 2001 became a catalyst for changes: creation of Homeland Security, increased surveillance (cameras, facial recognition, access to “private” cell phone data, etc.), changes to privacy rights, creation of the TSA in airports (Transportation Security Administration), broken families, loss of loved ones, shaking up our sense of stability and security, and more. Have students give some factual background on some aspect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks (the cause), and use transition words/phrases to explain what changed as a result, and how (the effect). You should have students evaluate sources for accuracy and credibility, and then cite them as text evidence.

2. Write an explanatory essay: I was actually teaching middle school ELA on 9/11/01, and I was at a loss for words of how to quickly, accurately, and objectively explain what was happening. It would have been helpful to have a premade paragraph. Have students imagine they have children their age and have to explain it to them. Just the facts! No emotions, no stereotypes, no sweeping generalizations, no racism, no misinformation. What happened – who, what, where, when, how, why? Just have them explain the facts.

3. Jigsaw groups to explore 9/11 poetry: Direct students to https://www.poetryfoundation.org/categories/september-11th?sectionHandle=poems and assign different poems to students. Have students sit in small groups. Each student reads their selected poem. They have a short discussion about what it means, its symbolism, etc. before moving on to the next one.

4. Explore Impactful Vocabulary: Have students make a simple bubble map with a circle in the middle and four bubbles attached with prongs. In the circle in the middle, have students write the vocabulary word, and its definition. In the four bubbles, have students write examples of ways people showed or show this quality in regards to September 11th or Patriot Day. Here are some ideas for words: courage, resilience, remembrance, regrowth, security, recovery.

5. Compare and contrast primary source first-hand accounts: Direct students to this credible website which features vetted firsthand accounts of September 11, 2001 at or near Ground Zero: https://911groundzero.com/firsthand-accounts/. The collection is called “We are New Yorkers with personal connections to the events of September 11, 2001.” Have students select two of the firsthand accounts, and write a compare-and-contrast essay about the similarities and differences between their experiences, or even the tone/attitude and language they use. Students should quote text evidence, and explain it.

6. Use this Reading Freebie: I created what I think is an awesome reading freebie: Analyzing Rhetoric to Advance Purpose or Point of View in President George W. Bush’s Address to the Nation on 9/11/01. FREE Reading an Informational Text with an ELA Task aligned to RI.6 (Analyze rhetoric to advance purpose or point of view): I like that it is short and sweet; the speech is only ONE PAGE and the task is only ONE PAGE, making it easy to print if desired. There is also an interactive Google Slides version as well. This lesson is included in the Reading Informational Text Workbook for Grade 10, but it can be used in various grades.

It has students analyze use of:

figurative language
allusion to and quote from the Bible
anaphora
antithesis
tone
appeals to audience
claims and whether they are credible
other rhetorical devices such as descriptive adjectives and metaphors
point of view
author’s purpose

It is aligned to these standards:

RI.9-10.6 (Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.)
RI.6 for grades 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.)
RI.9-10.9 Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”), including how they address related themes and concepts.
RI.9-10.8 (Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.)
RI.8 for all grades (Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
RI.1 for all grades (Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.)
L.5 for all grades (Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.)

Please save this pin to your Pinterest boards, so you can access it easier, year after year:

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC workbooks with ELA tasks or practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING LITERATURE TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

“My students absolutely LOVE these! They were asking for more! Thank you!”

Paula R.

Seventh Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

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MLK in ELA: Reading & Writing About Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Katie Auer | Jan 11, 2022 | Distance Learning, Informational Text, Language & Writing, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy, Writing Ideas

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 speechwriter, a gifted orater, a brave fighter, a true collaborator, a civil rights activist, a tactful communicator — a man passionate and relentless in the ongoing fight for equality. So, here are 10 ideas for reading, writing, and language related to MLK you can incorporate into English language arts any time of year, but especially around MLK Day in January and Black History Month in February. I also give you a free text with ELA task for Letter From Birmingham Jail.

1. Journal Writing on the Topic of MLK: As a bellringer or a 10-minute “quick write” session, have students respond to their choice of journal topic. Here are a BUNCH of ideas: What do you know about MLK? Why do you think some states used to refuse to designate MLK Day a holiday while other states consistently pushed for it to be a holiday? MLK had a dream of equality; what do you sometimes dream about that would make the world a better place? Can you think of any ways to work on making your dream come true someday? Since MLK was assassinated in 1968 , in your opinion, how has the fight for equality continued in America (including ups and downs and signs of progress)? Who has taken the place of, or has continued in the footsteps of, MLK since he was killed? What do MLK and Black Lives Matter have to do with each other (broadly speaking)? What makes Martin Luther King, Jr. so memorable?

2) Looking at the “I Have a Dream” Speech as Literature: When we look at works of nonfiction as literature, we call that Reading Literary Nonfiction. The “I Have a Dream” speech uses literary devices and techniques in such as way so as to move the reader, so that’s literary nonfiction. Not only that, but it’s an amazing speech with such a powerful message. Now I was going to make a whole little lesson right here, but I actually found a GREAT lesson plan for teaching the speech at the PBS Newshour website. So, rather than reinvent the wheel, you should check it out! But then promise to come back, ok?

3. Explain How You Would Improve the World (Dare to Dream): Most likely your students have spent some time daydreaming how they would make the world a better place. Heck, they might even be daydreaming right now with all this talk of the “I Have a Dream” speech. So, tap into the passion! Have students choose one aspect of the way things are in the world that they want to change. And, here’s the explanatory writing part — have them explain it in detail, including three specific steps they would take in the process to fulfill the dream. Have them include an introduction and conclusion — and BAM! — another standards-based essay done in no time.

← The New Year in ELA: Ideas for Reading & Writing in January Black History in English Language Arts →

Black History in ELA blog post for reading and writing about black history feature image

ALSO CHECK OUT MY POST "BLACK HISTORY IN ELA" FOR EVEN MORE FREEBIES & IDEAS!

4. Letter From the Birmingham Jail: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From The Birmingham Jail is a must-read. But, what I have for your ELA classroom is a must-have. Grab the FREE PRINTABLE IDENTiFYING THEMES IN NOTABLE MLK QUOTES FROM THE LETTER. It provides students with one page of monumental quotes from the letter, guiding students to identify theme in each of them. This is a standards-based activity, specifically aligned to Standard RI.9 in high school, which is to analyze seminal U.S. documents of literary and historical significance.

YOU CAN PIN THE IMAGE BELOW IF YOU LIKE:

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5. Explain the Six Principles of Nonviolence: Have students read King’s Six Principles of Nonviolence and write a short explanatory essay explaining what they are and what they mean. Exploring nonviolence seems like a good use of time in my opinion. Speaking of opinions, have your students write an opinion or persuasive essay about the six principles.

6. Compare and Contrast Influential Speeches: When you read enough of the monumental speeches made during American history, you start to notice similarities and differences in their structure, language/use of rhetoric, and repeated allusions to the ideals of freedom set forth in the Constitution. So, this is good news for ELA! You can have students compare and contrast speeches, honing in on such things as figurative language, rhetoric, structure, allusions, tone and attitude, being direct vs. being metaphorical, being tactful vs. aggressive, etc. Here are some ideas: Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, JFK’s Inaugural Address, Deval Patrick’s Inaugural Address, Obama’s speeches such as his 2008 acceptance speech (the yes we can/si se puede speech) or the 2009 Inaugural Address (and many more), etc.

NOTE: By the way, my High-Interest Text Passages and Practice Tests Workbooks and my High-Interest Text Passages and ELA Tasks Workbooks contain these speeches and more in easy-print and digital 1-page formats that are MAJOR TIME SAVERS.

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7. Read the Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech: When Martin Luther King, Jr. accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964, he delivered an amazing acceptance speech. Have students explain what the award is a “profound recognition” of. In the speech, he stated, “Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace…” In order for that to happen, what method must people learn, according to MLK?

8. Get Artistic About MLK.: How about assign each student a different quote by MLK (here is a list of 25 Quotations by MLK for the Classroom), and then have them do an artistic representation of it on an 8 12″ x 11″ page? Have them make the quotation visible, write 5 adjectives on the page describing it, include 5 images, etc….you decide.

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9. Read Robert F. Kennedy’s Statement on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Sadly, this man who was making so much traction on the platform of nonviolence, was killed in 1968. Senator Robert F. Kennedy made a lovely statement to comfort others and remind them of his cause: “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black.” Have students write about their opinion on all of this, including examples.

10. MLK Biography Block: Have students read a biography of MLK and then, instead of those boring book reports that put everyone to sleep, have your students make biography blocks instead. Grab the FREE Biography Block Lesson and Template. And check out the sample Clara Barton biography block below.

Since teaching ELA for 10 years, I’ve been a contracted learning resource and assessment writer while running my store “Loving Language Arts.” I know how to align to standards like the back of my hand, yet I always aim to make resources high-interest to motivate reluctant readers and writers.

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High School Bundle Reading Passages and Practice Tests Workbook - Informational Text Edition

Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

Free Middle School Practice Test

Free High School Practice Test

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

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The 6th Grade Practice Tests Test Prep Workbook “is a high quality, beautifully-aligned resource. It is no-frills, to the point, yet high-interest for students. It is helping us prepare for standardized testing in a hybrid, synchronous, difficult year.”

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Earth Day in ELA – Ideas for Reading & Writing in April

by Katie Auer | Apr 11, 2021 | Content Area Literacy, Informational Text, Science Literacy, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy

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, and get popular. See I told you it was like life, lol. Earth Day is one of those days! It has gained momentum year after year since its debut in 1970. Every year, Earth Day organizers and event planners go all out to spread their message (in yearly themes). It seems like some years the message gets across better than others.

Anyway, all this buzz and energy about conserving the environment and saving our Earth from destructive practices provide great, ample opportunities for reading, writing, critical thinking, literacy in science and technical subjects, art — everything related to celebrating and protecting the natural wonders of our Earth. So, here are some ideas for you, which you can use all April long in English language arts. (Earth Day in 2026 is Wednesday, April 22).

pin and blog header Earth Day in ELA Ideas for Reading and Writing in April

Here are some ideas for Earth Day (and all of April) in ELA:

1) Quick-Write Response to One of These Writing Prompts:

A) The theme of 2026’s Earth Day is Our Power, Our Planet. The statement below is from the organizers’ website:

“Progress does not happen in silence. It happens when people show up. Environmental progress is built through everyday action—from communities protecting ecosystems to innovators advancing solutions. Clean air, safe water, and climate resilience aren’t optional—they’re essential. For Earth Day 2026, we’re mobilizing at scale. Every action counts. Every voice matters.”

Ask students to write for ten minutes about what they think the theme “Our Power, Our Planet” means. THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH THEME! (Have them summarize the articles too if you have time – literacy in science!)

B) In 2021, the home page of the Earth Day website stated, “As the world returns to normal, we can’t go back to business as usual.” Write that in your own words while explaining what it means. Also, now that it has been five years, have we gone back to normal, and/or have we gone back to business as usual? Will we ever? Should we? Have student write about it for ten minutes.

2) Write a Short Research Report on a Specific Topic Such As…:

A) This April, the United Nations is hosting “International Mother Earth Day on April 22, 2026. Their message is: “International Mother Earth Day aims to raise global public awareness of the challenges to the well-being of the planet and all the life it supports. The Day also recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth, to achieve a just balance among the economic, social, and environmental needs of the present and future generations of humanity.” Have students research any facet of this, and how about have them write a problem-solution opinion or argumentative essay?

B) In 2021, President Biden helped host a global climate summit that took place during Earth Day 2021 (4/22/21). One of the topics they discussed was the Paris Agreement. What is the Paris Agreement?

C) A big focus of Earth Day every year is the climate. They state that “together we can prevent coming disasters of climate change and environmental destruction.” What is happening with the climate? What is being destroyed?

D) What are you allowed and not allowed to recycle in your recycle bins at home? Why and why not? Could you improve how you recycle? If you don’t know what the “rules” are for recycling, how could you find out what they are?

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3) Delve Into Literature: A) Take a break from the literal and escape into the allegorical…Find literature to have your students read and decode, such as The Lorax, The Giving Tree, Walden, The Jungle, My First Summer in the Sierra, and many more.

4) Free 1-Page Informational Text & Vocabulary Task: Here is a free easy-print or digital version of a passage and vocabulary task you can use today. Students will discover the reason for Earth Day, its history, how it affects public policy, the yearly themes (including the one for 2022), and more.

All About Earth Day free reading passage and vocabulary task

5) Write a Persuasive Essay or Opinion Piece: Have each student choose a topic related to Earth Day, conservation, climate change, a great idea he or she has, a practice everyone should do to help restore the Earth, recycling, etc.

Here are some persuasive arguments to emulate : 1) A Ted Talk (with written transcript if you need) called “Why Not Eat Insects?” by Marcel Dicke 2) “Stop the Waste” student opinion piece.

6) Read an Opinion, Then Write an Opinion: Have students do some standardized writing test prep that’s no prep at all! It’s ANOTHER FREEBIE in which students 1) Read an opinion piece and watch a short video by a Secretary of State advocating for protecting the oceans, and 2) Write an opinion or argument of their own, citing text evidence, stating what they and their peers can do to help protect the oceans.

Free writing opinion or argument about protecting the oceans and citing text evidence from John Kerry Passage

7) Get Inspired by a True Story in a Short Video & Journal About It: A documentary called “A Simple Question: The Story of STRAW” shows what happened in the 1990s when educator Laurette Rogers explained to one of her fourth-grade classes the concept of endangered species. Students asked what they could do to help. This question launched a program that’s still in practice called STRAW—Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed—which engages hundreds of schoolchildren in watershed restoration efforts across Northern California.

Quick-Write About It: Have students write their opinion of what they just watched, explain what is inspirational about this story, state what lessons they can learn from what they saw, consider how they can become environmental action heroes themselves, and more.

8) Free 1-Page Passage & ELA Test: Students read an excerpt from “You are Brilliant and the Earth is Hiring,” a commencement address by Paul Hawken. Students grades 6-12 also complete an assessment that focuses on nuances in language, tone, and citing evidence to support inferences.

Earth Day Passage & ELA Reading Test FREEBIE - Assesses Language & Tone

9) Students in Grades 4-12 Might Also Like:

Passage and ELA tasks "Earth's Water Supply"

WebQuest Practice Test #11 Living off the Grid GIF

WebQuest Self-Grading Reading Practice Test #13: The Problem With Recycling

I HOPE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS LOVE EARTH DAY IN ELA!

You know what else students LOVE? These high-interest informational texts and tasks. I went out of my way to make the articles super interesting to upper elementary and middle schoolers by writing about things that interest them. And, guess what? It worked. I keep hearing from teachers how kids get so into these passages. They actually want to answer the questions. They even want to discuss the articles as a group.

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Volume I was so popular with students in grades 6-8 that I just HAD to create Volume II. Kids love them both!

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And now, workbooks for UPPER ELEMENTARY are here!

4th grade workbook informational text passages and ela tasks

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These are the ORIGINAL best-sellers for Middle School that kids love:

And now, workbooks for High School are here!

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11th grade english language arts informational texts and ela tasks workbook

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Would you like to try a FREE one first?

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free reading passage and task "10 reasons to live off the grid"

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Click below for FREE ELA PRACTICE TESTS – each targeting specific reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening/viewing standards.

Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

Free Middle School Practice Test

Free High School Practice Test

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

Try a Freebie!

ReBeckha L.

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St. Patrick’s Day in ELA – Ideas for Reading & Writing in March

by Katie Auer | Mar 12, 2021 | Distance Learning, Language & Writing, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy

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 good feeling tone while engaging students’ emotions — whether by writing silly limericks, by empathizing with Irish struggles in serious verse, or by philosophically pondering the concept of luck. So, here are some ideas for you, which you can use all March long. Please let me know in the comments or link up if you have some great ideas too. (I FINALLY got Instagram @lovingela — I’d love to connect there too.)

blog post st. patrick's day in english language arts

Here are some ideas for St. Patrick’s Day (and all of March) in ELA:

1) Quick-Write About Luck: According to the Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” In other words, he postulates, we aren’t born “lucky” or “unlucky”; rather, we make our own luck. I’m pretty sure Jack on Titanic said something along those lines too (lol).

Ask students to write about this topic that has been debated for eons. Is “luck” more about accidentally being in the right place at the right time, or is it more about intentionally getting yourself to the “right place”? This could be a quick-write topic. Ask students to give at least one example to support a point they make about luck. If they have trouble thinking of one, have them consider a musician or recording artist’s career path and how either luck, or preparation, or both, may have led to their success.

I like this quick lifehacker article on how to prepare yourself for opportunities (get lucky). Students might like it too.

2) Write a Limerick: There once was a lady named Katie, She was an amazing lady, But her moods were unreal, We were like What is her deal?, Then she finally chilled out at age eighty….Anyway, limericks are so fun. They were quite likely invented in Limerick, Ireland. (Read this article to find out.) And even esteemed writers such as Rudyard Kipling have written them. They’re great for getting reluctant writers to not only get words down on paper, but to probably laugh in the process! When you have students share them, students get to know each other in a fun way. Check out my free one-page printable or Google Slides version that guides students step-by-step in writing a limerick.

3) Delve Into Irish Literature: For young kids, I would check out this list of best Irish children’s books, or I would see what fun stories about Irish culture or St. Patrick’s Day they have in the library. For older students, I would check out some of these authors, but beware that the subject matter is often intense when it’s about struggling (a common theme): Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes is an amazing memoir but very sad!), Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot), James Joyce (Ulysses), Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels), Oscar Wilde (The Picture of Dorian Gray), or a newer verse novel called Nóinín.

NEW complete writing modules that prepare students for writing assessment tests in which they must cite from sources that are provided – GRAB YOURS TODAY!

4) Speaking of Irish Literature – A Poem for St. Patrick’s Day: I found this great literary, historical poem that was delivered to an audience in San Francisco on March 17, 1870, by an Irish immigrant passionate about Ireland’s history, struggles, and changes. Here is the poem FREE with 10 literary analysis questions in easy-print or digital interactive Google Slides version for easy distance learning. Great for grades 5 all the way through high school.

free lesson Irish literary poem for St. Patrick's Day

5) Learn All About U2 (The best Irish band ever in my biased opinion): Okay, so you’re probably already getting the feeling this activity has a lot to do with ME and MY desires, but I personally think it’s a great idea for ELA. I have loved U2 my whole life, including their no-apologies songs about human rights struggles (which were more serious than most of the quirky 80s stuff which I also loved), and they are very passionate about their homeland of Ireland. So, I was thinking, have students read about the band, their biographies, their story, their verses, the literary devices they use in their poetic songs, etc…they are humanitarians and have been on the world stage for decades, so why not? (OMG they’re so awesome.)

Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U2_2015.jpg (R. L. 68, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

I HOPE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS HAVE A GREAT ST. PATRICK’S DAY – ALL MARCH LONG – IN ELA!

Volume I was so popular with students in grades 6-8 that I just HAD to create Volume II. Kids love them both!

And now, workbooks for UPPER ELEMENTARY are here!

cover workbook 4th grade informational texts and tasks

5th grade informational texts and ELA practice tests workbook

And now ones for HIGH SCHOOL TOO! YAY!

9th grade informational text passages and ELA tasks workbook

10th grade informational text passages and tasks

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5 Interesting Facts About the History of Valentine’s Day

by Katie Auer | Feb 10, 2021 | Distance Learning, Seasonal & Holiday, Social Studies Literacy

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 the positive here, I do remember that in elementary school, Valentine’s Day was one of the best days EVER. I LOVED IT! So, tap into your students’ excitement about the day, and teach them more about the history behind this holiday. It’s one more opportunity for fresh reading and writing! In fact, I have lots of other ideas too for you in my post “A Valentine’s Day in ELA You’ll Love.”

Blog post and free text the history of valentine's day interesting facts

5 Interesting Facts About Valentine’s Day:

1) The more appropriate version: At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius of Rome declared February 14 to be “St. Valentine’s Day,” supposedly to replace the Roman festival called Lupercalia which was what we would call “inappropriate” these days. It included one ritual in which unmarried men would select pieces of paper from an urn which had the names of the unmarried ladies on them, who would become their future wives. Not very romantic! It was not until the 14th century, at the end of the Middle Ages/beginning of the Renaissance, that Valentine’s Day came to be definitively associated with romantic love. In fact, English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record Valentine’s Day as a romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, ““For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”

2) Writing it down makes it official: Written valentine greetings began to appear after 1400, around the time the idea of courtly love flourished in literature, especially in plays meant to entertain nobility. The oldest known valentine in existence was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans (of France) in 1415, imprisoned in the Tower of London. By the mid-18th century, it became common for friends and lovers of all social classes, not just nobility, to exchange handwritten valentine notes and small tokens of affection. Soon, commercially printed cards were used for the first time. In the 1840s, Esther Howland began commercially selling mass-produced valentines depicting Cupid, the Roman god of love, as well as hearts, which are associated with emotion.

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3) It’s not all about us : Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, and Australia. It’s also popular in Denmark, Argentina, South Korea, and the Philippines. In fact, in the Phillippines, Valentine’s Day is the most popular wedding day. Sometimes there are mass weddings that unite hundreds of couples at once on February 14.

4) Who was this St. Valentine?: That is the subject of debate and cannot be answered definitively. Some say the day was named after a priest named Valentine who was killed by the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus in the year 270. According to legend, Claudius II had outlawed marriage, believing that single men made better soldiers than married ones. Valentine would secretly perform marriages and, when discovered, was put to death and became known as a saint.

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5) But it could have been this other guy: According to another legend, Valentine was killed for helping Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. While in prison himself, he supposedly sent a letter signed “from your Valentine” to the jailor’s daughter. The truth behind the Valentine’s legends are murky, but we do know from stories that Valentine was described as a sympathetic, heroic, and romantic figure. By the Middle Ages (approximately between 500 and 1300 A.D.), Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Below are links to my other post “A Valentine’s Day in ELA You’ll Love“ for even more ideas, and the FREE RESOURCE “The History of Valentine’s Day Reading Passage & Writing Extensions.” Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine's Day in English Language Arts blog post

Plus, my other blog post with free language activity “20 Idioms About Love and the Heart” also has yet more fun Valentine’s resources.

AND GRAB YOUR FREE 1-PAGE PASSAGE “THE HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY” THAT COMES WITH WRITING EXTENSIONS!

valentine's day history passage and writing

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Free Upper Elementary Practice Test

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ReBeckha L.

Sixth Grade Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers

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Daylight Saving Time in ELA

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC workbooks with ELA tasks or practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING LITERATURE TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

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Patriot Day in ELA

Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC workbooks with ELA tasks or practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING LITERATURE TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

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MLK in ELA: Reading & Writing About Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Earth Day in ELA – Ideas for Reading & Writing in April

Here are some ideas for Earth Day (and all of April) in ELA:

2) Write a Short Research Report on a Specific Topic Such As…:

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St. Patrick’s Day in ELA – Ideas for Reading & Writing in March

Here are some ideas for St. Patrick’s Day (and all of March) in ELA:

NEW complete writing modules that prepare students for writing assessment tests in which they must cite from sources that are provided – GRAB YOURS TODAY!

Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U2_2015.jpg (R. L. 68, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

I HOPE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS HAVE A GREAT ST. PATRICK’S DAY – ALL MARCH LONG – IN ELA!

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Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

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5 Interesting Facts About the History of Valentine’s Day

5 Interesting Facts About Valentine’s Day:

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Check out these GRADE-SPECIFIC test prep books with practice tests that target EVERY GRADE-SPECIFIC READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT STANDARD, one by one. An added bonus is that students LOVE the texts! In Easy-Print or Self-Grading Online Versions.

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