Excellent Activities

for the

Middle School

English Classroom

A Directory for Teachers

I have been teaching English at the middle school level for many years, and I'm continuously searching for new ideas to make my literature, language arts, and writing instruction more engaging and more effective. The following is a list of sites and activities that I have found that seem to fit both of these requirements.

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Creative Communications: A Celebration of Young Poets 2001-1002
SOMANYCOLORS
Web English Teacher
Personal Totem
And Then a Hero Comes Along
A Moment in Time
Author Cards
Publish With Po-Etree, Inc
Guide to Grammar & Writing
Fear Factors: Confronting Childhood Through Creative Writing
Vocabulary University
Alternatives to Book Reports

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creative Communications:

A Celebration of Young Poets

2001-1002
http://www.poeticpower.com/
Description:
A site devoted to the promotion of poetry reading and writing to improve language arts skills.
Features/ benefits:
  • Poetry teaching tips, strategies, and ideas
  • Free subscription to Poetic Power, a newsletter for teachers
  • Poetry contests for students
  • Language arts grants available
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SOMANYCOLORS
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/9502/index.html
Description:
An index compiled by a middle school English teacher with many links and ideas related to literature, writing, and grammar.
Features/ benefits:
  • A PowerPoint slide presentation explaining how to write a five paragraph essay that teachers may download and use in their classrooms
  • Creative ideas for teaching grammar
  • Educational Karaoke: using songs to teach grammar, writing, and literature
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Web English Teacher
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/
Description:
A directory that includes a vast amount of resources for teachers including these teaching resources: lesson plans, WebQuests, videos, biography, e-texts, criticism, jokes, puzzles, and classroom activities.
Features/ benefits:
  • Ideas and activities for specific groups of students including ESL and advanced placement students.
  • Interdisciplinary activities
  • Activities that promote critical thinking
  • Creative tips for teaching vocabulary
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Personal Totem
http://st.aemilian.tripod.com/projects/totems/index.html
Description:
The students develop a personal "totem" that reflects their own beliefs in connection with those based on the Native American Studies of animal spiritualism and mythology.
Features/ benefits:
  • Research on the Internet promotes discovery learning (Web sites for research are included.)
  • Promotes students' self-discovery and awareness
  • Students create a multimedia presentation, a video, or another type of presentation encouraging the utilization of technology and encouraging creativity
  • Explores the Native American culture in a new way
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And Then a Hero Comes Along
http://www.rockhall.com/programs/plandetail.asp?id=531
Description:
This lesson uses a popular song to stimulate creative thinking and critical thinking skills while students develop a list of characteristics of a hero.
Features/ benefits:
  • Students locate descriptive passages from the song lyrics of "Hero" by Mariah Carey
  • Students list characteristics of a real hero
  • Students compare and contrast current heroes with heroes of the past
  • Students write an expository essay based on their discussions and thoughts of heroes
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A Moment in Time
http://www.sd68.bc.ca/ed611/losier/NewQuest.html#Introduction
Description:
This WebQuest guides the students through the process of making a language arts time capsule.
Features/ benefits:
  • Students choose, read, write, explain, summarize, analyze, create, illustrate, and give their opinions about many parts of their self-selected texts and life.
  • Includes links for student research
  • Involves cooperative learning
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Author Cards
http://www.westbend.k12.wi.us/webquest/ms/author/Default.htm
Description:
Students create an author card, similar to a baseball card, which includes the author's picture, biographical information, a list of titles written by the author, the students' favorite title by the author, and their reasons why they like the title or author.
Features/ benefits:
  • Teaches research and writing skills in a creative way.
  • Allows for student choice
  • Results in a visually appealing final product
  • Allows for student choice
  • Includes links for student research
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Publish With Po-Etree, Inc
http://tli.jefferson.k12.ky.us/edtd675/tliprojects/cathy/PoetryWQ/poetry.htm#intro
Description:
Students work in teams to read about and write poetry with the eventual goal of compiling a "Top 10 Best-selling List" of poetry.
Features/ benefits:
  • Students learn about poetry through a student-lead, discovery approach.
  • Working with group members makes writing poetry less intimidating and more fun
  • Involves cooperative learning
  • Site includes many good poetry resource links
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Guide to Grammar & Writing

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm
Description:
This site includes information about the parts of speech, sentence structure, paragraphs, essays, and research papers.
Features/ benefits:
  • Although not designed specifically for middle school students, this site could be used as a student resource for a lesson or activity.
  • Online quizzes are fun to take and provide immediate results
  • Includes a section for students to ask questions about grammar and writing
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Fear Factors: Confronting Childhood Fears Through Creative Writing

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20011102friday.html
Description:
In this lesson, students explore their own childhood fears. Then, by reversing the scenario and considering how the objects of their fears might in turn also be afraid of them, students confront these fears and create children's books that help younger students do the same.
Features/ benefits:
  • Students read a movie review for Monsters, Inc from The New York Times
  • Students explore their own childhood fears
  • Students develop illustrated children's books to read to younger children in a future class.
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Vocabulary University
http://www.vocabulary.com/
Description:
This large vocabulary site could be used by teachers or by students for an independent vocabulary study. The site includes lesson plans, games, and writing activities.
Features/ benefits:
  • Online puzzles with immediate results
  • Thematic vocabulary units
  • Multiple levels to suit a variety of student abilities
  • Rooty*Hoot*Hoot puzzles: quick lessons, some specifically for the middle school level, featuring 24 words constructed from two separate roots
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