Category Archives: Holidays

Halloween Activities for High School and Middle School English ELA Classes

Posted on October 29, 2023 by msdickson

Halloween is a bit tricky with the older students. But there’s still ways to have some fun with Halloween with activities and literature that fits the spooky time. Continue reading →

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Skip the Romance: Study the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

Posted on January 27, 2018 by msdickson

Valentine’s Day in the secondary classroom is a far cry from candy and card exchanges. The emphasis on romance can put a lot of pressure on students– students in relationships may feel pressure to make the day special and students … Continue reading →

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5 Ways to Survive the Days Before Thanksgiving Break (And Still Engage in Learning)

Posted on November 5, 2016 by msdickson

Maybe you’ve managed to keep the momentum of learning and engagement up to this point.  You may have even survived Halloween— perhaps with some timely creepy stories.  But now, it’s November.  And there are breaks around the corner, tempting students … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun Projects, Holidays, Teaching, Teaching Ideas, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Activities for Teaching The Raven

Posted on September 26, 2016 by msdickson

What a fun poem of darkness and madness.  Maybe those should not go together, but I do find this tale of a midnight dreary has high engagement, in spite of the length and language.  There are a lot of activities … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun Projects, Holidays, Short Stories, Teaching, Teaching Ideas, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Activities for Teaching “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (Now part of a Secondary ELA Seasonal Blog Hop!)

Posted on September 22, 2016 by msdickson

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a ghostly story that commonly shows up in classrooms around Halloween.  There are a lot of ways to work with the text in the classroom.  It’s possible to stretch this story over a week … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun Projects, Holidays, Short Stories, Teaching, Teaching Ideas, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

5 Activites for Teaching A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Posted on December 3, 2015 by msdickson

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a story that tends to fit nicely in the two or three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Depending on the class and the time available, the activities included may vary. It’s a story … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Secondary Writing, Short Stories, Teaching, Teaching Ideas, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I’m Thankful for the Thanksgiving Rap or Rhyme

Posted on November 15, 2015 by msdickson

We always have a short week before Thanksgiving break.  At least two school days, sometimes three.  The students are incredibly difficult to focus.  I’ve found that even if I can engage them in our  current task (unit, story, etc.), they … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun Projects, Holidays, Secondary Education, Secondary Writing, Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

5 Creepy Short Stories for Halloween

Posted on October 25, 2015 by msdickson

Short stories area  great way to work in different themes or study of different literary devices.  And the holidays can provide some nice tie-ins, even at the secondary level. Here are some of my favorites that fit well around Halloween– … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Short Stories, Teaching, Teaching Ideas, Uncategorized | Tagged | 5 Comments

Why I Use Holiday Themed Materials in the Secondary Classroom

Posted on October 18, 2015 by msdickson

Teenagers are still big kids. Especially in middle school and early high school.  Halloween is a great opportunity for scary and creepy stories and discussing the fun in being scared. Even if the holiday material is in line with current … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Secondary Education, Teaching | 2 Comments