"5 short texts to introduce any dystopian unit" reads atop a white background. below the title is a completely gray and desolate city. one remaining building has a heavy fog and fume cloud arising from it.

Introduce any dystopian unit using these 5 important short texts

I have to admit…I am biased toward teaching any dystopian unit. I find any opportunity I can to have students evaluate how a society becomes a dystopia and whether they can break free from one. This analysis builds a bridge of understanding to real-world dystopian examples–past and present. As a result, I typically have students engage in a summative mock trial where they convince a jury of their peers whether America is a modern-day dystopia. Although America gives its citizens plenty of dystopian evidence to dissect, this essential question can guide students to be critical of any place. No matter how you decide to end your unit, I have five compelling dystopian literature examples students can analyze for any dystopian unit! Resources to introduce your dystopian unit TERMINUS – a digital adventure series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYZKEOzvE5I What

Carina Assayed March 14, 2023

Activities for Women's History Month titles above an image of 3 young teenage women--one wearing a green top, another a white blouse, and the last a blue

Class Celebrations: 6 Activities for Women’s History Month with Our Discount Resource Bundle

How do you celebrate women’s history month in the classroom? Make space in your curriculum to celebrate women who forged paths of possibility. If you need no-prep activities for Women’s History Month, look no further. This comprehensive bundle has a variety of activities and resources that will leave your kids engaged and informed. Even better? It’s discounted 20% when you use the code EMPOWHER at checkout! This discount is available until the end of March and can apply to any activities for Women’s History Month available on the blog. What to do for Women’s History Month in school? Before you start with any activities for Women’s History Month, give students the opportunity to learn about it. See some ideas and resources below for how to do so! Media Literacy Analysis Have students practice their media

Carina Assayed February 28, 2023

teaching about cultural appropriation using Elvis

A Dynamic Exploration of Cultural Appropriation Through Literature and Pop Culture

Having conversations in your classroom about cultural appropriation can feel challenging. It doesn’t always have to be, though! With the right resources that are standards-aligned, your students can engage in evidence-based discourse. For this post, I share a teaching idea you can implement to help students explore and understand the unjust practices of cultural appropriation. This relevant teaching idea centers on Elvis Presley’s appropriation of Black music and culture. Since the Elvis film recently came out, your students will immediately buy into this heavy, but necessary conversation. Essential Question: How does cultural appropriation negatively impact the marginalized communities involved? Please note: it is VITAL that you have established a respectful classroom culture. Without positive norms and relationships, any difficult conversation may not turn out as efficiently. Suggested Starting Points ✨ As students enter class, have

Carina Assayed February 21, 2023

7 LGBTQ YA Books is written atop a group of diverse individuals huddles and staring down at a camera with a pride flag above them

7 Mesmerizing LGBTQ YA books every young adult should know

With love in the air, I have been reading a ton of LGBTQ YA books this February. Whether it’s a YA romance pick or a coming-of-age, I love when complex LGBTQ+ protagonists fall in love (with themselves, especially). For this month’s round-up, you’ll find 7 of my favorite recently read LGBTQ YA books. I listed them in no particular order, and you truly could not go wrong reading any of these! Or even better, reading them and then adding to your classroom library #representationmatters. 🏳️‍🌈 7 must-read LGBTQ YA books 🏳️‍⚧️ The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School (HS) by Sonora Reyes ❤️ I teach at a school whose demographic is predominantly Latine students. I wish I could give every one of my students this LGBTQ YA book because so many would feel seen in a

Carina Assayed February 14, 2023

Inclusive Literature for a Short Story Unit with a teacher helping 3 students

Guiding Students to Success in an Inclusive Short Story Unit for Secondary ELA

For the last five years, the first unit I teach is always a short story unit. Every year, I spend countless hours researching engaging, inclusive literature to include in my short story unit. Every year, without fail, I feel exhausted after having little success finding just the inclusive literature I am looking for. That is–until I found the Inspiring & Inclusive Short Story Unit Ideas & Recommendations. This product is a living document that offers standards-aligned, categorized inclusive literature to guide and diversify your short story unit. What to expect in this resource? Forever Relevant All the inclusive literature suggestions for your short story unit exist forever on a living document! It gets updated with new short story suggestions, so all you need to do is bookmark the tab. It will always be there for

Carina Assayed February 7, 2023

3 songs to pair with Romeo and Juliet activity - two pages of a book fold to shape into a heart with a red background

3 Aligned Song Pairings for an Innovative Romeo and Juliet Activity

How do YOU introduce students to Romeo and Juliet? Are you looking for an engaging Romeo and Juliet activity to start, center, and end your unit? If you are like me–tired of fighting the never-ending battle of AirPods in my students’ ears–then, I have advice for you. Stop fighting it, and embrace it. Incorporate activities where students have the chance to analyze music. Using music will boost student engagement AND give you a much-needed break from pleading, “Put away your headphones!” It will also help demystify Shakespearean language and the stigma that all of his works are difficult, boring, or irrelevant to our students’ worlds. Use the 3 contemporary song pairings below to incorporate music when teaching Romeo and Juliet. Each diverse song is used as a Romeo and Juliet activity to start, center, and

Carina Assayed January 31, 2023

7 MORE YA Fantasy Book Recommendations

New year, new bookshelf goals! A personal goal of mine this school year is to add more diverse genres and, of course, more diverse YA books to my classroom library. When I conducted a bookshelf audit to find what was missing on my shelves, I realized I was low on YA fantasy books and YA sci-fi books. After reading Danielle’s post for 12 diverse YA fantasy books and YA sci-fi books, it inspired me to curate a list of seven more to add to my shelves this year. Diverse YA Fantasy Books & YA Sci-Fi Books 1. Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano (MS) If you’re a fan of… ✨ Coco (who isn’t?), ✨ The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (or Sabrina the Teenage Witch for us older folks),✨or Harry Potter (sans

Carina Assayed January 24, 2023

this picture has a scorpion atop a blue background with the post focusing on Steinbeck's The Pearl Activities

Comprehensive Bundle: Steinbeck’s The Pearl Activities

Looking for The Pearl activities that excite your students’ creativity and critical thinking skills? The Pearl Unit Bundle will keep your students hooked from start to finish. The Pearl Lesson Plans included in the Bundle Pre-Reading: The Pearl Activities & Unit Calendar Before you begin, The Pearl Activities bundle includes an editable unit calendar. You can expect… ⭐️ Suggested lesson plans designed for 40-50 min. classes ⭐️ A total unit length of 4 ½ weeks (adaptable to be shorter or longer) ⭐️ Minimal homework throughout (homework-free option if unit length is extended) ⭐️ Students will engage in an anticipatory activity that provides resources (2 videos and 2 articles) to conduct research on John Steinbeck and Cortez Pearl. There are SO many benefits to using these activities as your anticipatory set! During: The Pearl Reading Guide

Carina Assayed January 17, 2023

A photo of headphones on top of musical notes in blue and white with the title "Song Pairings for The Odyssey" to use while teaching the Odyssey

3 Focused Song Pairings for Teaching the Odyssey

Are you teaching The Odyssey and looking to diversify your unit? Engage your students with contemporary song pairings! How do I start teaching The Odyssey? If you are about to start teaching The Odyssey, you might worry about its lack of diversity. You might also worry that your struggling readers will check out. You are most definitely not alone in your concerns! Below are three contemporary songs you can use as a part of your introduction to The Odyssey. You can also choose to use these song pairings as an Odyssey activity to reinforce popular themes. Pair these Odyssey activities with the “Introduction to The Odyssey” Escape Room, which includes all the pre-work students need before they read! The Odyssey Activities Introduction to The Odyssey Idea Song: “How Far I’ll Go” by Auli’i Cravalho (2:36)

Carina Assayed January 3, 2023

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