Are you struggling to come up with end of year high school English activities for your students to complete in a short amount of time? Whether you’re looking to make the most of your last few weeks of the school year, planning for a summer session, or just need something fresh and flexible to keep students engaged, I’ve got you covered. These creative unit ideas are classroom-tested, student-approved, and designed to be both meaningful and fun. From genre-based literature circles that give students voice and choice, to gripping novels-in-verse like Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, each option in this post is crafted to help students stay motivated and make authentic connections to reading. You’ll also find ideas for hosting

Novels in verse are a unique genre that offer a refreshing change of pace for readers who are looking for something different from traditional novels. Not only do they provide a compelling story, but the format of verse adds another layer of complexity to the reading experience. For students, reading novels in verse can be a great way to improve their literacy and critical thinking skills as they must pay closer attention to the language and poetic devices used by the author. Additionally, the brevity of the lines and stanzas make these books more accessible for struggling readers or those who are intimidated by longer, denser texts. By exploring different styles and themes through novels in verse, students can develop

Including poetry for reading in your classroom can be a challenge. Maybe it’s part of your lessons in April for National Poetry Month but you’re wondering how to include it elsewhere during the year? How can it be done in connection with other texts? Will students object to its inclusion? Am I comfortable enough with poetry to include it? I’m here with some ideas to resolve these questions and concerns! Read on for five ideas to include poetry for reading any novel. Note: This is a guest feature written by Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12. Lesa is an ELA teacher and resource creator from Canada. You can find more about Lesa and her love of poetry on her blog or Instagram. Thanks

I’ve always been of the opinion that high school English classes should run a True Crime unit. There is a reason mystery is one of the highest selling genres in print and on screen. True crime is a captivating form of storytelling that provides students with the opportunity to delve into the past while exercising their critical thinking skills. By creating a True Crime unit in your classroom, you can expose students to different types of literature, help them develop strong research skills, and create meaningful connections between historical events and written texts. In this blog post, we’ll look at best practices for introducing True Crime topics in the high school English classroom. We’ll explore how educators can use True