Frankenstein Lesson Plans: 11 Texts to pair with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein novel.

Frankenstein Lesson Plans: 11 Amazing Text Pairings

Have you ever gone to one of those restaurants where they suggest the perfect beverage pairing for the meal you are ordering?  It might be the perfect white wine or the smoky bourbon, but their expert staff has found exactly the right balance of flavors.  In a new series of

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5 alternatives to writing an essay in high school English class. These 5 project ideas will get your high school students from inclusive ed students to AP students critically thinking and producing amazing results.

5 Alternatives to Writing an Essay

Have you ever had that moment when you think, “I just can’t grade another essay”?  If you haven’t, you’re probably not an English teacher or maybe you’re still new (WELCOME!).  For me, there are a couple of times of year that this hits:  right before a big holiday break and

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7 Videos to teach literary juxtaposition in High School English. These 7 videos will help students to understand the literary definition of juxtaposition and see why contrasts in literature help the reader or viewer to understand the characters and story more fully.

Seven Excellent Videos to Teach Literary Juxtaposition

Literary juxtaposition or contrast in literature is one of those concepts that is sometimes hard for high school students to grasp, but once they get it, it’s a game changer.  Just the use of the word juxtaposition in a literary argument essay seems to take it next level.  So how

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11 Scary Stories of Gothic in Literature for High School English. These 11 stories are a perfect introduction to Gothic Literature. Each with ideas on on how use them in the classroom.

Eleven Scary Stories of the Gothic in Literature

High school students LOVE gothic in literature.  There is just something about the darkness of the setting, characters and plot that high school students fall for, every time.  So here is a list of eleven gothic stories for high school English class that will be just the thing. What’s Gothic

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9 Innovative Ways to Dive into the Definition for Characterization

Once students get to high school English, it is important that they not only know the full definition for characterization but that they can apply it in multiple situations.  Characterization is very nuanced and the definition of characterization needs to be expanded as upper level students go into greater analysis.

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A list of 10 poems with imagery for back to school with 10 ideas on how to use them. This list is perfect for high school English classes, especially American Literature, English 11 and 12 and AP Literature.

Ten Poems with Imagery for Back to School

Who doesn’t love poems with imagery?  Amazing imagery.  Stop in your tracks imagery.  And what if you could pair those poems with back to school?  Sounds like a win if you ask me.  So here are 10 of my favorite poems with imagery for back to school season plus 10

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Teach your high school students the steps for close reading. These five steps will guide your students to success every time.

Five Easy Steps for Close Reading in High School English

I have talked before about the strategies for close reading first through the 5 ways to bring close reading into the classroom and second how to incorporate daily close reading, but today I want to focus on the steps for close reading in the high school classroom.  Even students in

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3 Quick and Easy Close Reading Exercises to encourage close reading everyday in high school English Classes

Three Quick and Easy Close Reading Exercises to Use Every Day

I have recently been reading a professional development book that suggests that high school English teachers are sending their students off to college unprepared for the amount, frequency and difficulty of college reading.  While our students will often skate on the reading outside of class, we can spend time in

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Jeanmarie McLaughlin at McLaughlin Teaches English

Hi, I'm Jeanmarie!

I help AP Literature and High School English teachers create engaging classrooms so that students will be prepared college and beyond.

Learn more about me and how I can help you here 

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