Thug notes gives learning some much needed street cred...

Thug notes is a YouTube channel which started out as a series of comedy skits that somehow didn't pan out for it's creators who had dreams of becoming stars on the silver screen.

They created video 'cliff's notes' or quick descriptions of of classic literature and films delivered by gangsters and other highly engaging characters.

Somewhere along the line Thug notes switched from a comedy channel to one of the most viewed education channels on YouTube, as their approach had a massive impact on teachers and students.  It was both cool and well researched material.  And yes, it is funny.  It may not be for everyone, but either is sitting in a lecture theater for an hour listening to an incredibly boring analysis of lord of the flies.

Anyhow take a look for yourself here...

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

70 Guided reading Activities for individuals and groups

This collection of 70 Guided Reading activities has all your ELA and Common Core needs covered for grades 3 - 6 and has been a top seller since being released in February. Read the feedback for yourself.

Teachers around the globe are adopting this as their ‘Go-to’ resource for reading and writing activities for months on end without repeat. ‘No-prep’ and maximum engagement. All your students need is a book from home or school.

This bundle of beautifully presented literacy tasks will ensure your students are engaged and on task during literacy rotations either working as a group or independently. Every activity has clear instructions and open ended outcomes to meet the needs of all ability ranges.

These activities have been designed by exemplary teachers and run in our classrooms for over two decades. Each activity is designed to run for approximately 40 - 60 minutes in duration and are ‘evergreen’ meaning they can be applied to any student or text.

Overview of activities included (Please note that most tasks have multiple elements.)
40+ Activities requiring students to use a range of different writing styles.
30+ Activities requiring students to use a range of artistic and creative skills.
20+ Activities that utilize popular technology tools and applications.
20+ Dedicated group work based tasks
20+ Tasks requiring further reading, inquiry and exploration of concepts within a text.
40+ Tasks that can be applied to films and graphic novels.
10+ activities involving drama, music or role playing..
15+ Graphic organizers that can be applied to any text or topic.
Plus much more.

I’ve also added a PowerPoint file that includes all tasks as editable slides on top of a downloadable ebook. The purpose of this is to allow you to share the tasks on a large screen, and if you are fluent in PowerPoint you can edit the tasks to further suit your needs.

This highly sought after resource can be accessed here.

Teaching the vocabulary of Charlie and the Chocolate factory

Learning Intention / Overview

Understanding vocabulary in a text aids students in understanding events and concepts in a story.  Using context clues from stories also ensures that students look closely at text and examine word meanings. Once students comprehend vocabulary they are better able to make connections in text and in conclusion better understand the story.  This lesson will also provide students with the opportunity to practice using a thesaurus.

Methods / Teaching Strategies

•  Group work
•  Understanding Context Clues
• Thesaurus Practice
•  Personalized Learning

Assessment of Learning

·         Vocabulary Sheet (provided)

Click here to download the free lesson plan

Teach cause and effect through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Learning Intention / Overview

Students will identify cause and effect relationships in the text Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Understanding cause and effect relationships in a text helps students gain meaning from what they are reading.   This promotes insight from students and allows teachers to see students’ understanding from the literature they have read.  This activity will also review causal indicator words or phrases.

Methods / Teaching Strategies

Whole Group Discussion

 Independent Task

Assessment of Learning

·         Oral Discussion

·         Demonstrates understanding of cause and effect relationships in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Click here to download the lesson plan

Charlie and the Chocolate factory quiz for teachers and students

Learning Intention / Overview

This quiz will access students’ understanding of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl.  Students will read closely to determine what the text says explicitly as well as make logical inferences about characters and events from the story.  Students will also answer questions about key ideas, theme, and other literary elements.  This quiz will include questions from knowledge and reasoning standards.

Methods / Teaching Strategies

 Quizzing

  Independent Task

Assessment of Learning

·         Quiz (provided)

click here to download the free lesson plan

Teaching the dialogue of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Learning Intention / Overview

This activity will allow students to develop an understanding of dialogue.  Dialogue is what is being spoken by characters in a text.  Understanding who is speaking allows students to better understand the plot and/or events taking place in a story. A character’s dialogue is also important because it often sets or reflects the mood in the story.  This activity will also strengthen background knowledge for word choice in identifying signals for dialogue. (said, shouted, yelled, spoke, etc.)

Methods / Teaching Strategies

 Group Discussion

  Identifying signal words

Independent Work

Assessment of Learning

·         Participation in Discussion

·         Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down (informal assessment)

“Who Said That” Skill sheet (provided)

Click here to download the free lesson plan

Teaching adjectives and adverbs from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Learning Intention / Overview

Adjectives are words that describe nouns.  Adverbs are words that describe verbs.   This activity will practice identifying and locating adjectives and adverbs by describing parts of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Adjectives and adverbs can be part of word skills that incorporate vocabulary that is important in helping students form mental images about scenes and settings in a story.  Forming these metal pictures assists students in understanding what they are reading.

Methods / Teaching Strategies

Class Discussion

Modeling

Creative Art

   Independent Practice

Assessment of Learning

·         Adjectives and Adverbs  Page(provided)

·         Demonstrated an understanding of adjectives and adverbs through art.

Click here to download the free lesson plan

Teach fact and opinion through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Learning Intention / Overview

This activity will allow students to develop a better understanding of fact and opinion.  When reading text, it is important to distinguish between facts and opinions.  A reader must use critical thinking skills to evaluate statements in text to decide if the information or ideas are facts or opinions. Often the facts are included in what is known as details. 

Methods / Teaching Strategies

Group Reading and Discussion

Individual Task

Personalized Learning

 Assessment of Learning

·         Summarizing Sheet(provided)

·         Written response

Click here to download the free lesson plans