Out of the Box Teaching: Innovative Strategies for the Language Arts Classroom

Lindsay Bowley, M. Ed.lindsay.bowley@cherokee.k12.ga.us

Lindsay Bowley, M. Ed.• 8th Grade Language Arts

Teacher at Creekland Middle School in Canton, Georgia

• Involved with the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project, an affiliate of the National Writing Project

• 2013-2014 Cherokee County Teacher of the Year

• One of seven winners of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement's Innovation in Teaching Competition

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentLanguage. Is. Music.

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentLanguage. Is. Music.

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentCSI Lesson

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentCSI Lesson

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentMasquerade Lesson

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentMasquerade Lesson

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentEmergency Room Lesson

Dear Parents,

I am hatching a plan for a fun activity in language arts class, and I would LOVE to have your help! Next Friday, I want to transform my classroom into a hospital operating room! My plan is to bring in "broken" sentences that need commas or have comma mistakes and ask students to "operate" on them in order to bring them back to grammatical health! My vision for the room is in the attached picture. In order to do this, I was wondering if any of you who work in the medical field have the following that you wouldn't mind sending in:

1. Non-latex gloves2. Masks (the kind that cover the nose and mouth)3. Scrubs (cloth or paper)4. Lab coats5. Disposable aluminum tin foil pans6. White sheets***7. Blue paper material to cover the operating tables8. Bath caps to cover hair

If you can think of any more items that might make my lesson realistic, please let me know! Thank you in advance for your help and support. I would love to have items in by Tuesday of next week.

Transform Your Learning EnvironmentEmergency Room Lesson

Transform Your Task’s PurposeDo Something Now! Project

Authentic Situation:

You have been selected as the representative from your non-profit organization to give a five minute presentation to a charity guild. This guild will hear from several organizations, with each one being given only five minutes to speak. The members of the guild will then donate a pool of money to the most persuasive non-profit representative.

Bonus Opportunities:

• Include tangible props.

• Include a video clip.

• Give out hand-outs.

• Actually volunteer or mobilize the class to raise money.

Transform Your Task’s PurposeBusiness Plan Project

Authentic Situation:

• Students work in teams or individually to design a small business.

• The team creates:▫ an advertisement using persuasive

strategies▫ a detailed business plan containing

financial projections and a budget▫ a two-minute pitch.

• A panel of business men and women will award $50.00 “seed money” to the group with the most impressive pitch.

Transform Your Task’s PurposeBusiness Plan Project

Transform Your Task’s PurposeBusiness Plan Project

The Great Shake:

• Eye contact

• Body posture

• Ability to communicate in a way that makes sense (no pauses, “ummms”, etc..)

• Confidence

• Firm Handshake

Transform Your Task’s PurposeBusiness Plan Project

Transform Your Go-To ResourcesMovie Trailers: Scary Mary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic

Transform Your Go-To ResourcesMovie Trailers: Sleepless in Seattle and Shining

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfout_rgPSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frUPnZMxr08

Transform Your Go-To ResourcesComparing Song Covers

“Heartless” by Kanye West vs.

“Heartless” by Kris Allen

“Hey Ya” by Obadiah Parker vs.

“Hey Ya” by Outkast

Questions to Consider:

• What is the story behind Kanye’s breakup?

• How does he communicate that story through music?

• How does Kanye currently feel?• What is the story behind Kris’

breakup?

• How does Kris feel now?

• How does he communicate his feelings through music?

Transform Your Go-To ResourcesSong Lyrics

“Love Story” by Taylor SwiftWe were both young when I first saw you.I close my eyes, and the flashback starts,I'm standing there, On the balcony in summer air.

I see the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.See you make your way through the crowd,And say, "Hello", Little did I know,

That you were Romeo, You were throwing pebbles,And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."And I was crying on the staircase, Begging you, "Please don't go".

And I said,"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.I'll be waiting, all that's left to do is run.You be the prince, and I'll be the princess,It's a love story, baby, just say, 'yes'."

“Baby” by Justin Bieber

Ohh wooaah (3x)

You know you love me. I know you careJust shout whenever, and I'll be there.You want my love, You want my heartAnd we will never ever ever be apart

Are we an item? Girl quit playing.We’re just friends. What are you saying?Said there’s another. Look right in my eyes.

My first love broke my heart for the first time,And I was likeBaby, baby, baby ohhh

Transform Your Go-To ResourcesMonster Poem

“Monster” by Skillet

The secret side of me, I never let you seeI keep it caged but I can't control itSo stay away from me, the beast is uglyI feel the rage and I just can't hold it

It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the hallsIt comes awake and I can't control itHiding under the bed, in my body, in my headWhy won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skinI must confess that I feel like a monsterI hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begunI must confess that I feel like a monster

Student Example 1The monster inside me was slowly

destroying me.He was never my friend, always out to hurt

me.He would look at me with those glossy eyes

and act as if I was his own,He was like the devil, always hurting me.

He is as cold as ice.He looked at me as if I was a punching bag,

his own personal hitting toy.His words sank into my heart and it was in

pieces like broken glass.His words were death to me.

The abuse was over but the pain was still there.

The monster left when I was 6 but the pain he has caused will never be forgotten.

My monster was my mother’s old boyfriend Jordan.

Transform Your Go-To Resources“WING$” Music Video

“WING$” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

We want what we can't have, commodity makes us want it

A hundred dollars for a pair of shoes I would never hoop inLook at me, look at me, I'm a cool kidI'm an individual, yeah, but I'm part of a movementMy movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it

They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh saidLook at what that swoosh didSee it consumed my thoughts

Are you stupid, don't crease 'em, just leave 'em in that boxStrangled by these laces, laces I can barely talkThat's my air bubble and I'm lost if it pops

We are what we wear, we wear what we areBut see I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us allWill I stand for change or stay in my boxThese Nikes help me define me, but I'm trying to take mine, off

Support one of the following using personal experience, “WING$”, or the video on Antoine Walker.

STATEMENTS:• Image isn’t everything.

• Money doesn’t buy happiness.

• Brands don’t define a person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAg3uMlNyHA

Transform Your Go-To ResourcesKaraoke “Royals” Character Study

I've never seen ______________ in the fleshI (PERSONAL EXPERIENCE) (PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE with LOCATION)And I'm not proud of ___________________________In a (AJD, LOCATION), no (NOUN ) envy

But every (noun) is like (ADJ, NOUN),(NOUN), (VERB) in the (LOCATION) (ADJ, NOUN),(NOUN), (VERB) in the (LOCATION)We don't care, we're (VERB, DIRECT OBJECT) in our dreams.But everybody's like (NOUN),(NOUN), (NOUN, ADV PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE) We don't care, we aren't caught up in your _______________________.

And we'll never be ________________.It don't run in our blood,That kind of ____________ just ain't for us.We ______________________(phrase that rhymes with “us”).Let me be your ________________You can call me _________________And (person) I'll __________.Let me live that fantasy.

Transform Your Go-To ResourcesRapping “The Raven”

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.Eagerly I wished the morrow; -vainly I had sought to borrowFrom my books surcease of sorrow -sorrow for the lost Lenore -For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -Nameless here for evermore.

Transform Your Go-To Resources“Strange Fruit”Southern trees bear strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the rootBlack bodies swinging in the southern breezeStrange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant southThe bulging eyes and the twisted mouth

Scent of magnolias, sweet and freshThen the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is fruit for the crows to pluckFor the rain to gather, for the wind to suck

For the sun to rot, for the trees to dropHere is a strange and bitter crop

Transform Your Classroom CultureAdd Volume

• Applause

• Drumming

• Musical Instruments

after the game ended we went home exhausted

I wanted to purchase tickets for you but you already bought them.

The theme park is in olando florida.

Transform Your Classroom CultureBuild Community

• Foster classroom unity and team spirit.

• Model and participate in activities alongside your students.

• Create classroom writing and sharing rituals.

• Teach students how to positively respond to one another.