Literacy & Language Arts
Created to accompany the C-SPAN cable network’s series of the same name, this is a great resource on its own for anyone studying American writers and their works. Students can search based on the writer, a book or a location, or they can browse through the different time periods of American history and see the major writers of the time. The site features each of the programs and lots of video clips from each (you’ll need the Real Media player) and an excellent teacher resource section.
According to the FAQ’s, a booktalk is like a movie trailer – revealing just enough of the book to encourage others to read it without giving away the key points. The database at this site contains talks on over 1200 titles for students at all grade levels. Other parts of the site will help you set up and use booktalks with your students as well as link you to other book review resources. A nice example of a teacher sharing her research and hard work with everyone.
The core of this site is the large number of reviews of children’s books, a resource that’s regularly updated. They also feature an extensive collection of ideas for using the literature in many different curriculum areas. Although the site it a little chaotic and has lots of text ads and Amazon links, the large number of well-annotated recommendations, organized by topics, curriculum areas, and authors is worth a visit. Sign up for their email newsletter to get notices about new additions.
A very regular (two or three times a week) short podcast series about children’s books by a couple (and occasionally their daughters) who are very passionate about their subject. Often recorded in a coffee shop near their home, the programs sometimes include interviews with authors, children’s literature experts and reviews submitted by listeners. Their focus is on books that are lower profile, not necessarily ones that everyone will have heard of. The podcast can be heard using the player on the site, downloaded from the page, or subscribed to in iTunes. Excellent example of using podcasts to express your passion on a topic.
If you or your students are curious about the people who create books, there may be a web site dedicated to the writer of your favorite book. The problem of how to find that site is solved at this site. The page isn’t fancy but it does contain a list of hundreds of authors and illustrators which link to one or more tribute sites. An excellent reference that needs to be in your bookmark file.
Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, two former teachers, this site encourages “active reading” through the use of a structure called Learning Ladders. In addition to providing detailed instructions on how to create your own Learning Ladders activities, the site features many other resources for teaching literature, primarily in the elementary grades. This is actually part of a larger site for “life-long learners” called eduscapes which features a variety of resources for teachers and parents.
This long-running site, supported by North Carolina State University and the University of Central Florida, says that it’s mission is to “highlight exemplary work from the most creative classrooms around the globe”. While the scrolling billboard on the main page can be a little confusing, use the menu links at the top to take you to information about how any teacher can submit their students’ work to be part of one of the ongoing projects. Check the Newest Projects page or look in the archives to get some inspiration for all kinds of writing projects to use in your own classroom. Projects are updated quarterly so check back regularly.
This is a recently created co-production of the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association that is part of the Thinkfinity project. All of that means that English and reading teachers at all levels are going to find some high quality materials for their classroom on this site. You can browse through the lesson plans or use the Thinkfinity search page to find relevant materials at all the projects’ partner sites. Overall, a very good start.
Created by the National Center for Family Literacy, this site offers a variety of materials for both teaching literacy skills as well as self-directed individual learning. Use the search tool to find lesson plans, podcasts, interactive activities, and more based on multiple factors. The Network also offers free, online courses for literacy teachers and managers of literacy programs. Another excellent project of Verizon’s Thinkfinity Foundation.
A project of the Northern Nevada Writing Project, this site features more than 500 resources and lesson plans created by teachers attending their many workshops since 2001. Because of the large amount of materials, the people at WritingFix recommend checking out their top 12 (scroll to the bottom of the main page), the twelve most popular collections used by teachers, starting with the Daily Prompt Generator. Overall, this is an excellent place to start for anyone looking for resources to teach any kind of writing.
