Warmest Wishes for the Holiday Season

Free digital greeting card created with Smilebox

Open Courses

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to attend Yale University?  Your wish is granted -- explore the class selection at Open Yale Courses.  My current favorite is "The American Novel Since 1945".

Or, perhaps MIT is your dream school.  Check out the Literature page and choose from tons of free class resources.

Stay inspired!

     

John Steinbeck's King Arthur

You have probably read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.  It was a required novel at my high school and I will never forget the passionate classroom discussions we had in English class.  In fact, I think The Grapes of Wrath is still a must-read, especially in light of the economic struggles so many families find themselves facing today.

But, have you ever read Steinbeck's The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights?  Bascially, Steinbeck updated Malory's Le Morte D’Arthur and brought the adventures of Camelot to a 20th century audience.

I have always been fascinated by the Arthurian Legend and I read (and watch) anything I can find related to these timeless stories.  Therefore, I was excited to discover a great lesson plan that includes The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights.  The title is "King Arthur and the Heroic Pattern".

Check it out!

Remembering Why It Matters

I discovered this video while I was doing research on Literacy Leadership Teams and I had to share.  Enjoy and remember that one teacher can indeed make a difference!

"How Learning to Read Changes Lives"

An Unlikely Place to Read the Classics?

Sites like Classic Reader, http://www.classicreader.com/, offer free online copies of legendary books.

However, I've found another (perhaps unlikely) site, SparkNotes, which offers dozens of classics in a very user-friendly format, http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/.

I've actually been rereading Kate Chopin's The Awakening, a favorite from my Women in Lit class many years ago.  In fact, you can read A Room With a View, Wuthering Heights, or Sense and Sensibility (among many others) in their entirety with a minimum of ads and excellent navigation at SparkNotes.

Try out either of these sites and enjoy these brilliant works all over again!

Folger Shakespeare Library

Share the timeless works of "the Bard" with your students courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, http://www.folger.edu/index_sa.cfm?specaudid=2.  FSL offers a terrific assortment of resources for K-12 teachers. 

And, be sure to check out their YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/FolgerLibrary.  My favorite clip is "Remixing Shakespeare" where students perform and record scences from Macbeth complete with sound effects and unique interpretations.  

YALSA Teens' Top Ten

Are you interested in the books teens love?  You should be!

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/teenstopten.cfm
From YALSA, the 2010 Teens' Top Ten is:

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
2. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
3. Heist Society by Ally Carter
4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
5. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
6. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
7. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
8. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
9. Fire by Kristin Cashore
10. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Check out the link above for more information about TTT and for lists of previous years' winners.