Annotated Bibliography

Teaching poetry to a class of heterogeneous eighth grade students can prove to be a challenge.  As required in the curriculum, my poetry unit will include types of poetry, parts of poetry, themes, poetry vocabulary, analyzing poetry, and writing poetry.  Historically, the textbook has been used for most poems and content taught, but I fear that the material in the textbook does not meet the diverse needs of my class of 25 average 8th grade students.  It is important to me that the students find a part of the unit that they can connect with, even if they do not fall in love with poetry as a whole; poetry is full of variety, and if I provide students with accessible and interesting options, I hope that they will find something that they can relate to and enjoy.  To enhance my poetry unit, use relatable and accessible texts, and to provide the much needed variety, I will supplement the unit with three trade books and two websites. 

Though the school provides teachers with a textbook that is suppose to be used as the base for the eighth grade poetry unit, the text is not accessible by all students nor does it provide sufficient variety to grasp the interest of the average student.  My average student does not enter my classroom with a passion for reading and exploring poetry, but instead that average student rolls his or her eyes at the mention of poetry.  Using a variety of texts and incorporating trade books in my into my poetry unit will hopefully provide all students, no matter what their hobbies or reading level, with access to texts that are interesting, educational, and readable.  The textbook is so limited in the poetry offered, but when I supplement with additional texts the students and I can find pieces that they like and can read.

A Kick in the Head:  An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms

Paul B. Janeczko 

Bright and colorful with beautiful illustrations, A Kick in the Head, combines poetry with definitions of poetry forms and art.  A Kick in the Head starts with an introduction that explains why there are different kinds of poems, why the rules of different poetic forms are important, and how to continue reading the book.  The next forty seven pages appear to be a colorful picture-book, but really the pages present a variety of poetry, a quick definition of the rules that go along with the coinciding poetic forms, and an illustration that relates to each poem.  The last four pages of the book provide more in-depth definitions of the twenty nine poetic forms explored and displayed in the bulk of the book’s content.  User-friendly, unintimidating, deeply informative, and artistically beautiful, Paul Janeczko’s A Kick in the Head is a wonderful source for all ages to use when exploring poetry. 

Because it appears so inviting and unintimidating, I plan to use A Kick in the Head as the centerpiece to a “Poetry Scavenger Hunt.”  Early in the poetry unit, when I am introducing poetic forms, I will divide the students into heterogeneous groups that will work together to work through packets.  The packets will require students to define the ten poetic forms that we will be studying in our unit, and using the definitions and poems provided in A Kick in the Head, the students will have to find another example of each poetic form in a variety of books and online sources provided around the room.  Because A Kick in the Head so clearly labels the poetic form of each poem, students will begin to build conceptual knowledge and I will ask them to work together as a group to extend and broaden their concepts.  I will have enough copies of the book for each group of four students to have two books.  The fun style, quality definitions, layout, and instruction of A Kick in the Head make it the perfect centerpiece for every group to start with on the “Poetry Scavenger Hunt.”

Poems From Homeroom:  A Writer’s Place to Start

Kathi Appelt 

All but one of the poems in Poems From Homeroom are about a specific person.  The individual’s name may or may not be stated, but the poem grasps a specific aspect or generalization of the person.  Though the reader does not know who the people in each poem personally, the poems allow the reader to visualize an individual in his or her school as that person.  In addition to creating images of the subject of each poem, the poems also reveal thoughts of speakers that many high school students have.  The thoughts reveal crushes on teachers, fitting in, romantic feelings for other students, and many more common teen ponderings.  All twenty six of the poems appear in the first half of the book, and the second half has a narrative and set of thought provoking questions that go along with each poem.  The author hopes that the reader will use her work and primer questions to create their own poetry and explore their own creativity; some of the questions are just designed to provoke thought, while other questions ask students to create original work. 

Poems From Homeroom would not be a required text in my poetry unit, but instead would be used directly with excerpts and would be available in the classroom for independent reading, inspiration, or to be used in the “Poetry Scavenger Hunt” described with A Kick in the Head.   Excerpts from Poetry From Homeroom would be used in whole group instruction in two ways:  when analyzing poetry and when writing poetry.  To provide poetry that is interesting and applicable to students when learning how to break apart and analyze poetry I will create an overhead of “What he Knew” to work on with the class.  Another selection, such as “Apply Yourself!” could also be used in the packet of poems given to students to analyze during group and independent work.  When we begin to write poetry I will let students choose between “The Tattoo Dragon” and “Coach’s Son”, and will ask them to answer two of the questions that accompany the poem in the second half of the book.  At least one of the responses has to be a suggested poem response.  These poems, the narratives, and the questions will all be provided to the students on handouts.  In addition to the specific excerpts used, five copies of the book will be present in the room for students to read, explore, use as a reference, or become inspired.

Bronx Masquerade

Nikki Grimes 

Nikki Grimes’ Bronx Masquerade is a young adult novel about a high school English class in the Bronx.  The point of view of the book reveals the voices of nineteen students in Mr. Ward’s English class, who revealed not only to themselves but also to each other through the implementation of “Open Mike Fridays” for the whole class.  Students are not required to present, but as time passes and courage grows the reader eventually hears the voices of all of the very different characters.  Though every chapter is from the point of view of varying students, each chapter begins with a stream of conscious that reveals a lot about the life of the teen and ends with the poem that the student reads at open mike that Friday.  Tyrone serves as a constant voice, giving his reaction to every poem in his own short chapters between the chapters of the other characters.  Creatively written, it is easy for the reader to identify with the different characters and sympathize with their struggles not only as teens, but as teens in an urban setting with limited role models.  The stream of conscious that comes before each poem will help even struggling readers to pull meaning from the poem when they get to it; making connections and drawing conclusions.  Bronx Masquerade moves along quickly, motivating, inspiring, and thought-provoking to the reader. 

Because students are required to be working on independent reading at all times during the year, the time during the poetry unit is no different.  Instead of choosing any book to read during this unit, I will provide students with a list of preapproved books that will expose students to poetry in fictional literature.  In addition to Bronx Masquerade, other novels such as CrashBoomLove, Locomotion, Out of the Dust, Stop Pretending, and Jinx will also be on the preapproved independent reading list.  With a limited list, multiple students will be reading the same books, allowing for small-group discussions surrounding the reading that students are doing at home or in free-time.  I will make recommendations to students based on what books and hobbies interest them in hopes of finding a book to suit each student.  Students will not have to choose the book/books that I recommend, but they are suggestions to be considered when choosing from the preapproved list.  Bronx Masquerade will be recommended to students who show an interest in Harlem, rap music, or urban settings, and the book’s readability makes it appropriate and accessible for most of my students.

Teen Ink

TeenInk.com is the website portion of a national magazine and book series for teens.  The website and magazine are designed to provide a place for students to publish their creative work, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and art.  Not only submitted in writing, some teens choose to post video performances of their poetry.  In addition to publishing the work of teens, teenink.com also provides information on young adult literature and an opportunity for students to comment on the writing of peers and professionals.   

During the poetry unit in my eighth grade English class, I will use TeenInk.com in a couple of ways.  The teen-submitted video performances of original poetry will be used as a part of daily warm-up activities to get students thinking about poetry as they come into class.  Each day of the unit, a teen’s video from the site will be shown and students will be asked to respond to one or two questions depending on the day, content covered, and video.  I will also allow students to use poems posted to this website as part of the “Poetry Scavenger Hunt” discussed in the section covering A Kick in the Head, to represent different poetic forms.  If students find themselves with extra time in my class after finishing assignments, TeenInk.com will be an approved site for them to visit during the poetry unit.

Merlyn’s Pen

 Merlyn’s Pen is a website for a magazine, by the same name, that showcases the writing of middle and high school students.  The website offers access to young adult writing that is highlighted in collections, and that can be filtered by title, author, genre, topic, author’s grade level, author’s state, and author’s region.  In addition to reading the best work of peers for inspiration, enjoyment, or motivation, teens can submit their own work to the editors of the site.  Every entry to Merlyn's Pen receives personalized feedback and words of encouragement that attempts to build “positive associations with the writing process.”  This feedback encourages revision and sets high standards for student work to be published in the magazine or on the site, and the site provides an audience for young authors.

 During my poetry unit I will use Merlyn’s Pen in a variety of ways.  When looking at poetic forms, I will choose some of the best teen-submitted work to my class as examples, the class will be allowed to use the website during the “Poetry Scavenger Hunt,” students will be able to look at the website for motivation, and I will use selections from the site to inspire students to explore their own lives for content to write about in their own poetry.  Though it will not be required, I will also give students who are brave enough to submit their original poetry to the website a small amount of extra credit.  I think that it is incredibly important for students to see that the work that they create as teens can still be powerful, important, and relevant even though they are young.

References:

Appelt, K. (2002).  Poems from homeroom:  A writer’s place to start.  New York, NY:  Henry
Holt and Company, LLC.
Flesch Kincaid Grade Level 5.9

Grimes, N. (2002).  Bronx Masquerade.  New York, NY:  Dial Books.

Lexile 670 ~ 4^th Grade

Janeczko, P.B. (2005).  A kick in the head:  An everyday guide to poetic forms.  Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.

Flesch Kincaid Grade Level 6.4

 Merlyn’s pen: Fiction, essays, and poems by America’s teens.  Retrieved from:  http://www.merlynspen.org/us/

Merlynspen.com is appropriate an accessible for the average eighth grade English student because it is designed for their use.  Simple headings are used to allow students to sort content, such as “You Write,” “You Read,” You Succeed.”

 Teen ink:  Magazine, website, and books written by teens since 1989.  Retrieved from:  http://www.teenink.com/

TeenInk.com is appropriate and accessible for the average eighth grade English student because it is designed for teens with logical links, visuals, and work by and for teens.

Student-Use Websites

Brain Pop

Brain Pop is a student-friendly website that would be useful to students who are looking for additional help in any subject matter, because the homepage allows students to sort by Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Engineering & Tech, Health, or Arts &Music.  Once students click through to the English link they can choose to get further information about Famous Authors and Books, Grammar, Study & Reading Skills, Writing, or View Movies.  These links not only serve as resources to help students with homework, but also provide teachers with videos and materials that can be used in whole group instruction. 

In my classroom, I would consider using the videos about authors as part of an engagement when we start a new novel and the grammar section to reinforce appropriate grammatical use to the class when student work reveal common grammatical errors.  In addition to whole-group instruction, this website would be appropriate for students to explore or play games on if classwork is completed and could be provided to the students at the beginning of the year as a source for help with homework.

(Video from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E2s6mQTlsg)

Diary Project  

Diary Project is an interesting website that is designed to provide teens with a place to write about their day to day lives.  A daily topic or question is given, but writers can write about whatever they choose.  The diary entries are anonymous, and organized into 24 categories based on content.  Teens can post responses to one another’s diary entries providing feedback, advice, or just simple understanding.  The site encourages students from all backgrounds, ethnicities, and walks of life to share and interact in appropriate ways.

 

This site is not a site that I would require students to use, but I could direct students to check it out if they wish.  Some students may not find value in a personal diary that no one else reads and will appreciate the commenting on the site, other students will like the daily questions to provide inspiration, other students may just read entries for comfort and to relate to others, and other students will just like to have a place to express their deepest thoughts and secrets.  No matter why a student turns to the site, I can be pleased to know that students are reading and writing outside of the classroom.

Online Activity

“Reading Next” reveals the many problems that American secondary students are struggling with in regards to literacy.  In addition to discussing the problems, “Reading Next” discusses elements of effective adolescent literacy programs.  A specific combination of the elements is not discussed, but instead they suggest that different combinations are tried with an audience to find what makes the most positive progress with that audience.  Many of the strategies discussed in detail in McKenna and Gunning also appear in a generalized form in the instructional improvements of the key elements of “Reading Next.”  The IRA reading presents “principles for supporting adolescents’ literacy growth,” that are designed to achieve similar goals to Reading Next’s key elements.  Both IRA and “Reading Next” present some strategies that classroom teachers can take ownership of and implement in their classrooms.  

As a teacher, I can design instruction in my classroom to incorporate the key elements suggested in “Reading Next.”  To incorporate diverse texts in my middle school English classroom, I can use trade books to enhance classroom curriculum and engage students.  Not all reading available in my classroom will be on grade level, but instead will be at a variety of grade levels for students to access information with the appropriate amount of challenge.  Not all books in my classroom will be classic novels and textbooks, but instead I will have young adult literature, curriculum appropriate picture books, magazines, newspapers, and website recommendations.

It is easy for teachers to find themselves teaching the kind of essays that will get students through the state exams, but I can be sure to incorporate a variety of writing assignments that will help students with writing tasks that they will face in the future.  In addition to essays I can help students develop writing skills through reflections, email writing, journaling, and response writing.  Essay writing will be important as students pursue further education, but in the job-force students will face a variety of requirements.  There are a number of ways that I could incorporate text-based collaborative learning in my middle school English classroom.  Discussion groups surrounding novels, blogging and responding to peer blogs, fishbowl discussions about assigned articles or reading, and teams using books, articles, and the internet to uncover learning are a few ways that I could use text-based learning in my class.

Young Adult Literature #3

How can teachers use young adult literature in their content classrooms?

It is not uncommon to see students in an English Language Arts classroom with their noses deep in a novel, but that is not the case with most classrooms outside of the English hallway.  My last post revealed that there is value in incorporating young adult literature into other curriculum, so now we need to know how it is that we can do this as teachers.

Historical fiction lends itself to go hand-in-hand with Social Studies curriculum.  Textbooks can reveal the facts about times of war and peace internationally, but historical fiction novels allow students to experience how history relates to humankind.  With the look into the human aspect of history and the emotions that go along with experiences, students develop more well-rounded concepts of events.  When approaching curriculum, teachers can make decisions based on their specific situation whether they wish to incorporate the reading of a novel directly into their classroom or teach cooperatively with an English Language Arts teacher since many historical novels add value to both classrooms.  If working cooperatively is not an option, and teachers are uncomfortable with taking the lead on pulling historical fiction into the classroom, cooperating with the library media specialist is an excellent option.  Lessons can use a novel as a supplement to enrich understanding and encourage and engage students in class discussions.

A content area that I would not have considered using young adult literature in is high school Health, but Crag Hill did an interesting trial unit that included Angela Johnson’s The First Part Last in sexual education curriculum that changed my mind.  A young adult novel about a teenage father who decides to care for his child, The First Part Last gave students a unique insight into the life of a teenage parent.  Students in the class were asked to use what they read to think critically about topics related to teen sex and teen pregnancy in a variety of ways including exit slips, four corner debates, and silent discussions.  Questions were related less to the content of the book and more to how students felt about the issues that the book raised, such as how having a child as a teenager changes life and the roles of teenage parents in the life of their child.  Students experienced along with the main character the exhaustion, personal turmoil, relationship changes with a girlfriend and parents, and the joyous moments of becoming a father as a teenager, giving the students enlightened perspective that could be compared to their own lives and their own decisions.

The video below is a review of The First Part Last.

The techniques that Hill used with the health unit (exit slips, four corner debates, silent discussions) could be used across all content areas.  Exit slips required students to ask a question or comment about the activities that occurred in class that day.  Four corner debates forced students to take a stance on a given statements standing in a corner that represents agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or disagree, and then defend their decisions.  Based on the arguments that occurred, students were allowed to move to a different corner during discussions.  Silent discussions happened when all students responded to questions in writing and the questions were passed around the room for peers to comment on in writing.  The comments built on each other creating discussions on the topic without overly assertive students dominating the conversation.

As we think about the depth of understand that comes from students relating to human experience, using young adult literature in content area classes seems like a great idea.  If teachers do not know how to do so, the above activities are a great way to start the incorporation of text into curriculum and generate discussion and understanding.

Sources:

Crag, H. (2009).  Birthing dialogue:  using The First Part Last in a health class.  The ALAN Review (Fall 2009), 29-34.  Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v37n1/pdf/hill.pdf

dmbleighton (n.d.). June 2010 Teen Book Talk: The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. YouTube. Retrieved November 11, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNArG0RTYYQ

Rice, L.J.(2009).  Writing and teaching historical fiction:  the lantern of learning with L.M. Elliott.  The ALAN Review (Summer 2009), 42-58.  Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v36n3/pdf/rice.pdf

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Student-Use Websites

Time for Kids

TimeforKids.com is the children’s version of Time Magazine, found online.  The website is well-organized, inviting, and easy to maneuver.  TimeforKids.com is broken down into sections including:  News, Kid Reporters, Around the World, Homework Helper, Photos & Videos, and TFK Extras.  The variety of categories offers a few options for use in the classroom.  One way I could use TimeforKids.com is that the news articles and videos could be used to create a common experience for the class.  As a class, we could either watch a video, or read an article, and then everyone could write an assigned response to the piece.  Some of the news articles offer topics that students could take a position on, such as whether or not the dollar coin should replace the dollar bill, and other videos and articles could be used for students to practice reflecting, summarizing, and identifying key information.  The website could also be used as a resource for students when working on homework.  I could provide the students with the website information at the beginning of the school year, and they could use the flashcard maker or the essay guides in the homework helper section to help them with studying and homework for my class.  TimeforKids.com offers a lot of educational information written at an accessible level for eighth grade students.

Word Central

WordCentral.com is Merriam-Webster’s website designed for middle school students.  The website is student friendly and offers, a dictionary, rhyming dictionary, thesaurus, build your own dictionary, daily buzzword, and games.  I was pleased to see that high-level words are included in the dictionary and on the daily buzzword, but definitions are accessible to lower reading levels.  A great source for improving students’ vocabularies, I can see using WordCentral.com in two different ways in my classroom.  When students complete work early, or have earned a reward, the website could be an approved website for students to visit for playing games.  There are a variety of games on the website that are intended to build vocabulary and build spelling skills with fun graphics and activities.  Also, the rhyming dictionary could be a lot of fun for the poetry unit.  When students are creating their own poetry, they could use the rhyming dictionary for brainstorming and for ideas when they cannot think of a rhyme on their own.  When a word is entered, rhyming words appear, and then when clicked on the students can see the definitions of the rhyming words.

Link to Daily Buzzword

Link to Games

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Young Adult Literature #2

Does young adult literature hold value in classrooms outside of English Language Arts?

Though there are few studies that explore the true value of young adult literature across content areas other than English, those few existing studies provide reasons why students benefit from the incorporation of young adult literature in content areas.  Reasons for using young adult literature include the appeal to students, illumination of content, synthesis of concepts, and the creation of a shared experience for all students and teacher.

It is easy for a math, science, or social studies teacher to use the textbook to teach content; the text follows the curriculum and explores the factual information that needs to be presented to the student.  The problem with this single faceted approach is that it ignores the different learning styles of students and lacks variety for the developing brains of teenagers.  Many students enjoy reading young adult literature, and the use of novels to supplement curriculum provides incentive for reading outside of the content.  Students become emotionally involved with events and characters, deepening understanding and involvement.

Young adult literature can bring concepts to life for the students.  Though students may not have experienced the concept being taught in their own lives, a novel can explore “real world” applications of materials in a way that a textbook does not.  Some students may have experienced content related curriculum, but a novel can bring to life personal connections to the content area.  Teachers often ask students to think about how content applies to real life, and novels provide an exploration of that connection.

Students experience curriculum in textbooks, through media, on the internet, and in newspapers, so young adult literature provides another textual presentation of content.  The variety of texts gives students the chance to synthesize concepts and explore the content from different perspectives.

Though content areas outside of English are not traditionally taught through literature, young adult literature offers a unique way to introduce, explore, and experience curriculum and deepen understanding.

The following video provides examples of novels that could accompany a social studies unit.

 video obtained from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F2AV2DrN24&feature=related

Sources:

Bean, T. W. (2003). Using young adult literature to enhance comprehension in the content areas. American Institutes for Research. Retrieved October 18, 2011, from www.learningpt.org/pdfs/literacy/young.pdf

Bucher, K., & Manning, M. (n.d.). Young adult literature and the school curriculum. Education.com An Education & Child Development Site for Parents. Retrieved October 21, 2011, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/young-adult-literature-school-curriculum/

youthliterature. (n.d.). Young Adult Literature Booktalk: The Holocaust. YouTube. Retrieved October 21, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F2AV2DrN24&feature=related

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Student-Use Websites

Teen Reads

“ULTIMATE Reading List”
 

Teenreads.com is a site designed for teenagers to learn about and discuss their favorite books, authors, poets, and characters.  The site allows students to filter the many reviews, previews, blogs, videos, and reading guides in a variety of ways to find the kind of literature that they are interested in or explore new genres.  Website visitors have the opportunity to share their opinions on works that they have read and get recommendations from other young readers.  For individuals who do not want to read through the reviews, video reviews and previews are also available for viewing.  The following is an example of a video posted on the site; author Harlan Coben discussing his book Shelter.

From:  http://www.teenreads.com/videos/coben-shelter.asp

In the classroom, I can imagine using teenreads.com to encourage students to find independent reading books that interest them and to provide students access to study guides that accompany books.  Students are more likely to read and enjoy reading if they find books that spark their interest and curiosity; watching the videos or reading the reviews and blogs may be enough to motivate students to dive into a book.  The study guides can give students access to books that they may not be able to access without the aid.

Teen Ink

TeenInk.com is the website portion of a national magazine and book series for teens.  The website and magazine are designed to provide a place for students to publish their creative work, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and art.  In addition to publishing the work of teens, teenink.com also provides information on young adult literature and an opportunity for students to comment on the writing of peers and professionals.  A great feature of the website is the section of teen-submitted videos, like the following:

From:  http://www.teenink.com/video/poetry_readings/67559/Can-We

In the classroom, teenink.com could be used to help students brainstorm before creative writing, to help students choose independent reading books, to inspire students to submit work of their own, and to get students talking about and responding to peer writing.  Students could visit the site if they finish classwork early, in the computer lab as a class for the purpose of brainstorming, or on the SMART Board to bring the work of teenagers into instruction.  Getting students thinking and talking about writing can be a challenge, but the work of peers could prove to be inspiring.


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Inquiry Project Foci

Matt:  The use of YAL in English curriculum.

Katie:  Effects of social media on YAL

Beth:  The use of YAL in content areas outside of ELA.

Young Adult Literature #1

How do secondary students benefit from young adult literature?

Students passing through the hallways of American middle schools and high schools have much more on their minds than their pimpled faces may reveal.  Adolescence is a time of turmoil, change, and questioning for young adults, as they face major development physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially.  Teenagers have an innate desire to “fit in,” and be like peers, but often think of themselves as different, causing emotional tension as they try to develop their identities.  As youth struggle their way to adulthood, it is a great deal of help when they have resources to turn to for answers, explanations, escape, and enjoyment.

 

Young adult literature is written specifically for teenagers, providing readers with support for, and reflection on, the struggles they face in middle school and high school.  In young adult literature, an adolescent gets lost in a story about a character who is like the reader in characteristics and experiences, reducing the feeling of being an outcast that so frequently accompanies the tumultuous stage of life.  In addition to experiencing like characters, a reader can be introduced to characters that are very unlike the individual, fostering empathy for others as the reader learns about life from another perspective.  Through the reading of young adult literature, students can develop appropriate role models and consider the challenges that they may face not only now, but also in the future; young adult literature frequently introduces the realities and responsibilities of adulthood to be considered.  The themes, characters, and stories of young adult literature play an important role in teen’s development of personal, social, and emotional identity.

 Novels written for young adults also have stories that teens desire to read.  Stuck between childhood and adulthood, teens have specific interests that young adult literature incorporates and approaches to interest readers.  Greater motivation to read leads to more reading, and more reading is important to the cognitive development of students.  Getting teenagers to read is often a challenge in itself, so young adult literature offers a relevance to the students and promotes literacy at the same time.

Reference:

Cart, M. (2008). ALA | YALSA White Papers | The Value of Young Adult Literature. American Library Association. Retrieved September 30, 2011, from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/profdev/whitepapers/yalit.cfm.

 

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Annotated Bibliography Prospectus

To supplement an 8^th grade poetry unit, I searched for trade books that average students will enjoy reading and using.  My poetry unit will include types of poetry, parts of poetry, themes, poetry vocabulary, analyzing poetry, and writing poetry.  The curriculum requires use of the textbook for most poems taught, but I fear that the material in the textbook does not meet the diverse needs of my class of 25 average 8^th grade students.  It is important to me that the students find a part of the unit that they can connect with, even if they do not fall in love with poetry as a whole; poetry is full of variety, and if I provide students with accessible and interesting options, I hope that they will find something that they can relate to and enjoy.  I chose Bronx Masquerade to represent novels in poetry form, because I think that some students will be able to relate to the urban high school characters and themes of the novel.  A Kick in the Head, will be easy for students to pick up, learn from, and enjoy; it is surprisingly informative for a thin book with pictures on every page.  It is my hope that some students will enjoy expressing themselves through poetry, and Poems from Homeroom offers examples of poems from a teenager’s point of view, as well as instruction on how to create one’s own poetry.

Appelt, K. (2002). Poems from homeroom: a writer's place to start. New York: Henry Holt.


Grimes, N. (2002). Bronx masquerade. New York: Dial Books.


Janeczko, P. B., & Raschka, C. (2005). A kick in the head. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

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Student-Use Websites

Teen Voices

“changing the world for girls through media”

Teen Voices is a website for a magazine, by the same name, that encourages girls to express themselves and create social change through media.  The website features fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submitted by teen girls, as well as book reviews, and articles about successful female authors.  This website can encourage and inspire young, female writers, revealing the power in these young women and their writing.  Teenvoices.com also encourages the education of women, and provides articles about college prep and careers.

I would encourage female students to visit teenvoices.com during free time in the classroom, after assignments are finished,  or at home on an individual basis, in hopes that the site would inspire my students to read and write.  Many young girls experience similar angst as they navigate their adolescence, and reading the writing of other girls who share in their challenges may be enough of a connection to encourage a girl who is usually disinterested to read, or encourage girls to express their thoughts and feelings through writing.  Even if my students are not moved to try to submit a piece to the website, they may be inspired to start a journal, or try their hands at poetry; no matter what the student decides to do, having adolescent girls reading, writing, or thinking about what they have read is important.

Merlyn's Pen

“Fiction, Essays and Poems by America’s Teens”

Merlyn’s Pen is a website for a magazine, by the same name, that showcases the writing of middle and high school students.  The website offers access to young adult writing that is highlighted in collections, and that can be filtered by title, author, genre, topic, author’s grade level, author’s state, and author’s region.  In addition to reading the best work of peers for inspiration, enjoyment, or motivation, teens can submit their own work to the editors of the site.  Every entry to Merlyn's Pen receives personalized feedback and words of encouragement that attempts to build “positive associations with the writing process.”  This feedback encourages revision and sets high standards for student work to be published in the magazine or on the site, and the site provides an audience for young authors.

As a teacher, I could use Merlyn’s Pen to find pieces to read in class, introduce students to the website to choose independent reading (opposed to having all independent reading be novel-based), and I could point students to the website for writing inspiration.  Many of the pieces on MerlynsPen.org could be tied into units being covered in a middle school ELA class, and students could be inspired by the work of another teen being used in the classroom.  For students who are moved to submit written work, the website could be not only a source of inspiration, but of encouragement and feedback.



I hereby affirm that I have neither given nor received help on this work.