Our Culminating Essay and Approach to Vocab

Good evening everyone,

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Earlier today, I finished listening to Jason Reynolds on the Talk Easy Podcast with Sam Fragoso. So incredibly inspiring. Be sure to give it a listen this week if you have not already — you’ll be glad you did.

Before we jump into this week’s update, I wanted to thank everyone who continues to reach out via email — whether it’s to ask a question or share a kind word. I love connecting and collaborating with y’all.

1. Culminating Essay: For those who have been reading all school year, you know that our first unit, Coming of Age in an Algorithmic Age, has been a massive hit as we continue to examine what it means to read and write and think critically and communicate in this algorithmic age. The unit was inspired by the “Intro to Lit” unit in my book, Just Read It: Unlocking the Magic of Independent Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms, along with books such as Stolen Focus, Filterworld, and The Anxious Generation. Here are a few resources to help you and your students get started:

   1. We’ve had incredible discussions around our four AoWs:

      1. “If You Know What ‘Brainrot’ Means, You Might Already Have It”

      2. “Let Kids Get Bored. It’s Good For Them.”

      3. “Gen Z Has Regrets”

      4. “TikTok executives know about app’s effect on teens, lawsuit documents allege.”

   2. We dedicated significant class time to this Graph Analysis + Synthesis activity.

   3. We participated in our first in-class debate: Should the government restrict teens’ use of social media? (The two core texts came from the August 28, 2023, edition of The New York Times Upfront Magazine. And here’s the graphic organizer and written task, which could work with any debate topic.)

   4. And now we’re two-thirds of the way through Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

   5. This week, as we wrap up the novel, we’ll continue to brainstorm potential essay topics. Students will then answer this question as they develop a thesis statement and outline: what’s the larger point you want to make – about Fahrenheit 451, our current society/world, the future, the effects of technology/social media, etc.? Stay tuned!

2. Vocabulary: We jumped into our first batch of Greek/Latin roots last week (you can see the entire list here along with sets 1-5). It was a huge hit! A few quick thoughts:

   1. We started by working together (either in small groups or as an entire class) to define each of the 12 roots/prefixes and come up with at least four examples. Students completed this task on paper, but here’s a digital key.

   2. Then, for the rest of the week, we dedicated 5-10 minutes each class period to different vocab games. For example, we split the class into teams and had them compete in charades and Pictionary. We also had a Pictionary “race,” where one student would run to the board and draw one of the roots, and then as their team yelled out the correct answer, they would run back and pass it to the next teammates to repeat the process. So much fun.

   3. In addition to Pictionary, we spent time illustrating each root (page 3 of this doc).

   4. We also use the roots in creative writing prompts (scary stories this week?), poems, skits, commercials, etc.

   5. We write each root and definition on separate index cards, which allows us to quiz each other and compete in “sorting races” — who can match each pair the fastest.

   6. We haven’t used the Chromebooks often this year, but in the past, we reviewed via Blooket, Kahoot, Quizlet, etc.

3. Looking ahead to November’s Food-Focused Unit: Next month, students will write their own food-focused essay/narrative after reading and analyzing several mentors. For example, here’s what I wrote last year: “So Long, Nashville Hot Chicken.” The goal is to celebrate our writing and one another during a class potluck sometime during the holiday season. I say this all the time, but I still believe it: it’s an incredible honor and privilege to read and write alongside our young people every day. Other resources that you may find helpful:

   1. I love this personal essay from Kwame Alexander along with “Fish Cheeks” and others from this Common Lit text set

   2. Savoring Memories of Sunday Dinner

   3. Memories of Meals Past

   4. Student poems inspired by “Good Hotdogs” by Sandra Cisneros

   5. A collection of student food memoirs

   6. 57 YA novels about food

   7. 35 Best YA books about food

   8. The History of Popcorn

   9. “What I Found in a Bag of Frozen Dumplings”

   10. “Everything I Know About Writing a Novel I Learned from Watching British People Bake”

   11. “Wisdom You Knead: What I Learned Baking With My Mother”

4. Project LIT Book Club Nomination Process: You can check out our complete list of titles here. Now, we need your help! What middle grade (MG) and young adult (YA) books should we add to our collection?! What books are super popular with your middle and high school students? What books would y’all like to read, discuss, and celebrate together as a local chapter and/or national community? NOMINATE TITLES here! (More info to come in early November!)

5. UPDATES & REMINDERS: 

   1. I recently recorded a webinar that outlines my Read & WRAP framework and general approach to the ELA block. You can check it on Corwin’s YouTube channel here.

   2. I was honored to join Natalie Daily, Stephanie Wilson, and Amy Hermon, the incredible host of the School Librarians United podcast. You can listen to our conversation here.

   3. Project LIT Community: As a reminder, you can check out all of our 23-24 Project LIT selections (along with all of our previous picks) in one place. You can check out many of our graphics and links here. Thanks again to Rebecca A. for creating this fantastic slideshow, featuring all of the YA titles sorted by genre, to help students find their next read. And here are the most recent MG titles in one place (thank you, Stephanie!). If anyone decides to create additional Project LIT resources — please pass them along so that I can share with our community!

   4. Spooky Season: Shout out to Common Lit for putting together this fantastic text set. Oh, if you’re looking for a short text to read aloud (or listen to) this month, I highly recommend Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (congrats, Jason!).

   5. Three More AoWs To Consider: I’ve used these in the past, and while I may not have time for them this year, they make work for you.

      1. “Autumn Splendor: Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?”

      2. “Why is it fun to be frightened?”

      3. “The Spooky Science of Fear”

      4. “Chocolate is On the Way Out. Why Halloween is about Gummy Candy Now”

   6. JUST READ IT is officially (or perhaps unofficially?) an Amazon Top New Release and Corwin bestseller. Thanks again to everyone who continues to support the book and spread the word. I am appreciative of every Instagram post, every comment, every email, and every book review. This book continues to find readers because of y’all. You can order on Amazon or here (use the code THANKS30 for 30% + free shipping.) Corwin has also shared an excerpt from the book; check out Chapter 1 here.

   7. If your school, district, or organization is planning a JUST READ IT book study or would like for me to deliver a keynote address and/or lead a workshop/PD session in 2025 or 2026, please reach out! Look forward to seeing many of y’all in Boston for NCTE’s annual conference next month!

And with that, it’s bedtime. Wishing you and your students a fantastic Monday, and as always, happy reading,

Jarred