American Literature

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For teachers of American Lit who want to MC Pop! FYI: it is a still from the film adaptation of the Secret Life of Bees - that film is extra pop because it features singer/actors Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson!

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Ryan Goble

It goes without saying that some of the greatest "American Literature" of the last 100 years can be seen in our rich cinematic traditions. If you're not a member of the "Teaching With Moving Images" group, consider joining so you can catch great resources like this article - 'Do The Right Thing' Still Asks Burning Questions. Check it out.

Jun 29, 2009
Ryan Goble

Lauren posted a My Space template page to follow up on the Civil War facebook discussion. If anyone is interested in using it it is a great resource - find it here.

Jul 8, 2009
Ryan Goble

Made an interesting update to "The Scarlet Letter" discussion today - if you're not following that discussion you've got to read this modern day Scarlet Letter from Fast Company here.

Jul 10, 2009
Ryan Goble

If you're not a member of the Graphic Novels and Comics group consider joining as you'll be hipped to postings like this one loaded with Graphic Novel resources and lists: COMIC/ARTICLE: NEA on Graphic Novels & Resources

Jul 12, 2009
Ron Kavanaugh

Hey all

I'm Ron Kavanaugh, publisher and reluctant editor of Mosaic Literary Magazine. Mosaic, http://mosaicmagazine.org, is a quarterly print publication that showcases the literary arts by writers of African descent. Mosaic has been in existence for 11 years, and recently started to develop lesson plans for secondary school educators.

The lesson plans are free to download at http://mosaicmagazine.org and focus on helping educators present creative ways for keeping books and reading valuable sources of knowledge and creativity. I welcome your feedback.

And mark your calendar for our annual Mosaic Literary Conference tentatively scheduled for Saturday, November 7.

best
Ron Kavanaugh

Jul 26, 2009
Ryan Goble

If you're also into poetry and you're not a member of Poetry People, you should
a. Consider joining the poetry group and
b. Check out this post: VIDEO: Sarah Palin, William Shatner, Conan & Poetry?

Enjoy,

RRG:)

Jul 29, 2009
Ryan Goble

If you're not in the poetry people group but teach poetry be sure to join and check out Patsy Smith's Ninja poetry video post.

Aug 18, 2009
Ryan Goble

If you rock Shakespeare - a post went out today in the Shakespeare group that needs your awesome ideas - check out Ideas on making "Julius Caesar" POP?

Aug 20, 2009
Ryan Goble

If you're not in the graphic novels and comics group you might want to check out this post with a link to a comic on Multiple Intelligences.

Aug 25, 2009
Ryan Goble

Howdy American Lit Folks,

I know a lot of you teach with film and are very interested in finding cool (and short) non-fiction film. Today I posted a cool forum post in Teach with Moving Images on a FREE DVD from the AFT that deals with Student Activism Around The World - from Alabama to Burma - it is totally cool and at the top of that group's discussion forum.

If your interested in this kind of media please do take a hot minute to check out that post and join the Teach with Moving Images Group!

As Always - Good Vibes,

RRG:)

Sep 2, 2009
Ryan Goble

Yeah, I'm back commenting again. A lot of you are probably already members of the "Making Shakespeare Pop!" group - if you dig the Bard and you're interested in his relation to popular and contemporary culture you might consider joining that group.

Today I did a pretty cool post with the front page of yesterday's Chicago Tribune. The headline was about our our brilliant and extremely literate ex-governor here in Illinois Rod Blagojevich. Not only does the man have cool hair, but he has a Shakespearian vision of himself.

In the post you'll find a bundle of Shakespeare allusions plus info on how to get jpegs of newspaper front pages.

Check it out, comment, join - at the very least this post will give you (esp. if you teach English) a good laugh.

Full post here

Sep 2, 2009
Ryan Goble

Hey folks,

If you haven't joined the fledgling "Gaming Group" you might want to check it out. Today there was an, I think, "essential," article about Quest To Learn - a new video game based school in NYC. Frank Baker hipped me to the article.

Note: It is from the British version of The Economist so you'll read about "maths" and other such linguistic curiosities :)

An excerpt...

Periods of maths, science, history and so on are no more. Quest to Learn’s school day will, rather, be divided into four 90-minute blocks devoted to the study of “domains”. Such domains include Codeworlds (a combination of mathematics and English), Being, Space and Place (English and social studies), The Way Things Work (maths and science) and Sports for the Mind (game design and digital literacy). Each domain concludes with a two-week examination called a “Boss Level”—a common phrase in video-game parlance.

In one of the units of Being, Space and Place, for example, pupils take on the role of an ancient Spartan who has to assess Athenian strengths and recommend a course of action. In doing so, they learn bits of history, geography and public policy. In a unit of The Way Things Work, they try to inhabit the minds of scientists devising a pathway for a beam of light to reach a target. This lesson touches on maths, optics—and, the organisers hope, creative thinking and teamwork. Another Way-Things-Work unit asks pupils to imagine they are pyramid-builders in ancient Egypt. This means learning about maths and engineering, and something about the country’s religion and geography.

Full post here - I would love to hear what folks think about this school concept.

BTW - For the record - I'm awful at video games - even Pac-Man.

Sep 3, 2009
Ryan Goble

Also an article/post on the end of "Reading Rainbow" in Teach with Moving Images sure to sadden all the English teachers out there...

Sep 3, 2009
Ryan Goble

I don't know if y'all are the the Making Shakespeare Pop group but you might want to check out the Wordle Allison Branch created for Julius Caesar (at the bottom of the discussion)! The strategy is certainly something you could crib for the characters in the novels/stories you are teaching.

Sep 11, 2009
Ryan Goble

Great article on non-fiction graphic novels including one about Katrina titled, "Journalists, Artists Tell Stories with Nonfiction Graphic Novels" can be found in the Graphic Novels group here.

Sep 11, 2009
Ryan Goble

Follow up on yesterday's Mr. Duey post - Mr. Duey is now in the MC POP mix! If you like his stuff or want to know more about this work send him a shout out via the Ning! Great to have you here Mr. D!

Sep 16, 2009
Kelly Taormina-Keller

Just started teaching American Lit this year. (Love Brit Lit and still teach it). Anyway, I would love a really cool project to incorporate into my Crucible unit. We've covered witch trials (I made a PowerPoint about some historical background of witchcraft) and already discussed McCarthyism and Puritanism. HELP!!!!

Sep 29, 2009
Ryan Goble

Just a note - Kelly asked a question below and I think it was really cool that Patsy moved it up into the discussion forum. The great thing about the forum is it is easier to find stuff there. I added to Patsy's awesome response with some more Crucible ideas. For the record, Patsy's ideas were more fun.

If you see a discussion your interested in following remember, you can click on "follow" (see image)

and you will be updated anytime someone makes an addition to your topic.

Thank you Kelly and Patty for MC Popping - we're going to pretend that is a verb!

Ryan:)

Sep 30, 2009
Ryan Goble

Hey American lit folks, as you saw today I was unloading some Catcher resources. If you look above this wall post (scroll up!) you'll see that - for now - I'm trying to collect book resources above as they're posted. There might be some easier ways to do this in the future, but for the moment, I'm going to manually collect novel/author specific postings in the space above.

Next week I'll be doing the same thing in Making Shakespeare Pop as I need to do a huge Hamlet post.

Hope some folks find this helpful!

Good Vibes,

Ry:)

Oct 7, 2009
Mickey Young

When our class is done reading The Crucible, I ask students to brainstorm contemporary issues in American society. I then assign groups to write and present their own one act plays. In Miller fashion, I ask students to use metaphor in their diction and in their choice of setting. The more layers the better. The audience is asked to respond to each performance in writing, especially in determining the theme addressed in the performances. Students LOVE this project.

Oct 16, 2009
Ryan Goble

Hey MIckey,

This is a great idea - would you mind copying and pasting your idea to this post on The Crucible? These wall comments get buried whereas things in the discussion forum (esp. here since I started archiving them) are easily found.

Keep the great ideas coming!

Oct 19, 2009
Ryan Goble

If you're not in the adolescent lit group and you do work with YA lit you may want to check out the incredible "Behind the YA Lit" article from the New Yorker I posted in that group today. Totally fascinating stuff!

Put On Your Traveling Pants!

Nov 5, 2009
Ryan Goble

Lit folks might enjoy these two posts about the poet, multimedia artist and “observationalist” Rives.

VIDEO: Poet Rives - A Story of Mixed Emoticons

STUDENTS WRITING POETS: Rives Blog - Jessee

They are both in the Poets & Writers Group - check it out or join the group if you teach poetry or writing!!!

Hope you're ready for a mellow thanksgiving!

Ryan:)

Nov 24, 2009
Ryan Goble

Hey America Lit People...

You might want to jump into this discussion in Adolescent Literature...

DISCUSSION: If you liked Twilight, you might read...

Nov 28, 2009
Ryan Goble

Hey Everyone,

You might find this post CONTEST: Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest in the http://mcpopmb.ning.com/group/poetrypeople">Poets and Writers group of interest!

Nov 29, 2009
Sarah Lavery

This group looks interesting... but if i have to comment on the crucible... i'm unjoinin.

Jan 20, 2010
Ryan Goble

Sarah, thank you for joining this group. You only have to comment on what you want to comment on :) Be excellent:)

RRG:)

Jan 21, 2010
Helen

Thought I would share a resource for your students that helps them get background knowledge, review what they have read, or get another view of what the book is about in 60 second segments. Most of the books listed above are part of the 60 second library.
Check out the quick recaps for The Crucible:
http://www.60secondrecap.com/library/the-crucible/

Jan 22, 2010
Ryan Goble

Helen - thank you so much for sharing that resource!!! I'll tag this on to the old Crucible post!

RRG:)

Jan 25, 2010
Ryan Goble

check out the new graphic novel blogroll & comics creation software links above the discussion forum in the Comics group - we're building a pretty impressive set of resources written by MC POPPERS!

Jan 25, 2010
Susan

I am looking for a traveling theater group to perform a play or musical for seventh graders this spring. Does anyone have a suggestions?
Thanks!

Mar 3, 2010
Sean

Shoot! There's a New York-based group that came to my last school that did a live play/musical performance on bullying. It was amazing. I'll let you know when I remember who they were.

Mar 3, 2010
Ryan Goble

Here are two Chicago based theatre groups:
http://www.kidworkstheatre.org/
and maybe http://www.cptt.org/

Mar 3, 2010
Lori Dunn-Reier

Great Gatsby and Facebook -- I wanted to pass on a site to you that one of my juniors, Matt Bruggeman, set up on Facebook as a project for Gatsby. He created a page that you can search for on FB under "Gatsby Memorial Project." He has created profiles with email addresses and passwords for the main characters in the novel. He has then started posting comments from each of the characters through chapter 2. He is inviting others to "friend" each of the characters. He is planning on moderating this for awhile himself, and then he's turning it over to me. Great way to teach point of view and tone!! This is a great project to have your students join or to model one of their own after. The students in my class love it!

Apr 20, 2010
Ryan Goble

Hey Lori - sounds great - if you copy and paste your info above in the discussion forum the info can have a URL so we can highlight your student's work in the week in Review. Comment wall stuff tends to be harder for folks to find and it gets buried over time. Thanks for sharing! Ryan:)

Apr 20, 2010
Kelly Farrow

Two great groups you might be interested if you serve an urban population or have lots of kids who enjoy Street Lit:
http://phatfiction.wikispaces.com/ - A great Street Lit wiki
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3190483 - A LinkedIn group for those interested in Street Lit

Jul 24, 2010
Lindsay Lombardi

I'm looking for a copy of "Killings" by Andre Dubus...anyone know a website where I can find a copy?

thanks!

Sep 13, 2010
Ryan Goble

Lindsay - do you know about FetchBook.com - it is a great site for comparative book shopping (includes Amazon mktplace)
Here is a link to that search.

Sep 13, 2010
Linda Hoffman

I would love to SKYPE with another high school class reading American literature. Ideas?

Oct 22, 2010
Ryan Goble

Linda - if you develop the idea (in terms of wanting to skype about a book or having cross school presentations or something) you could post it as a Croudsource ? above in the discussion forum and I can broadcast your idea to the whole membership!

Oct 22, 2010
Ryan Goble

Hi Everyone, I just added a Daily Show video on Huck Finn to an earlier post (above). I watch Colbert and the Daily show on demand when I'm doing the bottle feeding so sometimes I miss a beat until a week or two later.

RRG:)

Jan 15, 2011
Jennifer Pust

RE: Gatsby and Facebook

We had our students do a similar project last year, creating a Facebook newsfeed for the characters. My sample for reviewing Ch 8, another sample covering several chapters, and directions are attached. Enjoy!

GatsbyFacebookFeed.doc

NewsFeed%20Assignment-1.doc

Gatsby%20News%20Feed%20images-2.doc

Feb 1, 2011
Ryan Goble

Jennifer - this is a great resource - please consider moving your wall post up above us BECAUSE (drum roll) that way your question has a URL and a "reply feature."

Unfortunately, big ideas on the comment wall (here) are not easy to respond to and get buried over time.

When you post a ? or resource in a special interest group discussion forum - your "affinity group" peeps can give you feedback. Also, because diss forum posts have URLs it will be archived AND I can broadcast the question to the whole Ning for the Week in Review!

Thanks for sharing that great work - I'm sure people will want to comment on it if you post it above! Please share more cool resources when you can!

Ryan

Feb 1, 2011
Melissa LynnPomerantz

I was listening to "On Being" this weekend and heard this piece about technology and the examined life. Thought it might be an interesting link with Thoreau.

On Being: Alive Enough? Sherry Terkle

Apr 11, 2011
Ryan Goble

Hi Melissa! That looks like a great resource. Please consider moving your wall post up above us - into the discussion forum - BECAUSE (drum roll) that way your question has a URL and a "reply feature."

Unfortunately, big ideas and resources on the comment wall (here) are not easy to respond to and get buried over time.

Plus when you post a resource in a special interest group discussion forum - they then have URLs it will be archived AND I can broadcast the question to the whole Ning for the Week in Review!

You don't have to do this but it is an awesome way to make sure future visitors to the group can benefit from your awesome ideas!

Apr 11, 2011
Frank W. Baker

Regarding "The Grapes of Wrath"-- Steinbeck reportedly wrote the novel after seeing Dorothea Lange's famous "Migrant Mother" photograph. You might wish to explore this period in American history (and literature) by considering this recently produced documentary on the photographers of the FSA time period:

http://www.documentingamerica.org/Home.html

Aug 27, 2011
Flocabulary

Do you teach literary terms, figurative language or rhetorical devices? Each Wednesday, we will bring you one literary term with fun examples from hip-hop, literature and history. Share examples your students create and we'll add them to the blog

Today, we begin with alliteration. Next week, we'll bring you greatest hyperbole examples ever.

http://blog.flocabulary.com/alliteration/

Sep 14, 2011
Flocabulary

We've continued our literary terms weekly series with personification, hyperbole, and the most recent one: Allusion

http://blog.flocabulary.com/allusion/

This lesson includes many classroom-appropriate examples of allusion from hip-hop.

Oct 7, 2011
Ryan Goble

Hi Everyone - we have so many English groups here it can get crazy - a new member posted a HUCK Finn Crowdsource ? in this HS English Teachers Rock group - rather than be nutzo and be like "hey - new person - post here!" I thought I'd just let you know the related question is brewing in the HS teachers group. If you have ideas please respond to 'QUESTION: Making Huck Finn Pop

Apr 20, 2012
Matt Schade

I'm currently developing some strategies for incorporating more non-print sources (film, TV, photography, music, etc.) into my curriculum for the upcoming school year. One canonical text I teach is Of Mice and Men, and I have to admit I'm struggling to find compelling non-print sources to use to highlight the novel's themes. Any suggestions? I'm open to anything!

Thanks!

Jul 13, 2012