While our study of The Wanderer included some note-taking, reading the poem aloud, and completing a close-reading activity, I wanted us to go one step further to get more out of this beautiful verse. So when I read about something called the “Ubi sunt” motif present in The Wanderer, I took notice… especially when I considered how it might be a way for students to better connect personally to this poem.
Tag Archives: English
Race, Class, and Music in The Great Gatsby
Originally posted on The Avid Listener:
Carrie Allen Tipton (Houston, TX) https://www.youtube.com/embed/ozkOhXmijtk Warner Brothers film trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013), featuring multiple musical excerpts (starting off with André 3000 and Beyoncé performing “Back in Black”). The Great Gatsby turned ninety last year. What does its antihero—floating dead on a bloody mattress in…
Switch up sketchnotes to engage distracted students
I love sketchnotes. They’re engaging, colorful, and creative, and allow me to make illustrative connections while I listen to a book. But here’s the thing: I’m not a very good listener. I need to carefully concentrate on the words I’m hearing or my mind wanders to whatever’s going on in the hall, outside the window, or just inside my head. So even though I’m a huge fan of sketchnotes, sometimes I need a more passive kind of sketchnotes… sketchnotes that keep me engaged, but still able to focus on the text so I can create meaningful notes and doodles that will ultimately aid understanding and retention of the content.
The Great Gatsby 2013 Film Chapter Breakdown
While planning lessons a few days ago, I wanted to know exactly how Baz Luhrman’s Gatsby aligns with the novel. To find out, I watched the movie with novel in hand. Here’s the chapter breakdown.
My British Lit students translated a poem into Braille
My senior British Lit students recently tried their hands at embossing Braille code. Here’s how they did it.
A New Movie for Your Anglo-Saxon Poetry Unit
The 1-hour and 52-minute movie is captivating, and builds suspense and excitement around the very culture awash in The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Wife’s Lament, and Beowulf.
How to Make Student Writing More Specific
Being specific in writing means naming things
Reinforce reading with student photography
A recent snow day activity has sparked my curiosity about the possibilities of combining student photography with reading.
Resources for Everyman, the Morality Play
A media mix brings Everyman to life My senior British literature classes ended the first semester with a study of Everyman, the 1510 morality play. Again, just as with The Canterbury Tales and Le Morte d’Arthur, I felt challenged to find a supplemental text and activities as a result of the minimal two-page treatment ourContinue reading “Resources for Everyman, the Morality Play”
Finally! One-pager success!
Plus: the idea that finally made one-pagers work for my class One more try. That’s right. In December, I decided to give one-pager graphic essays one more try. In case you’re unfamiliar with one-pagers… visit Spark Creativity for a complete explanation and also some awesome one-pager templates. One-pagers, in a nutshell, offer a way forContinue reading “Finally! One-pager success!”
