Tune in to hear some background about graphic novels as well as specific recommendations of fantasy epics, memoirs, biographies, and adventure thriller stories, all presented in the form of a graphic novel.
An Introduction to Graphic Novels
Grades
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Teens as Writers
6 - 12
In honor of NCTE's National Day on Writing, tune in to hear about the growing number of books featuring teens who write.
Grades
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Today is Leap Day!
3 - 7
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Our solar year is 365.24219 days. Since our calendar does not deal in partial days, every four years, we add an additional day to February.
Grades
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Valentine's Day is today!
3 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students find examples of figurative language and write an original example of each device, illustrate, and share them with the class.
Grades
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Poet Robert Burns was born in 1759.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students read examples of traditional Scottish ballads and use this information to write and perform their own ballads.
Grades
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Langston Hughes was born in 1902.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students examine the poem "Dreams" and identify metaphors in each sentence. Groups of students then compose poems with metaphors for dreams.
Grades
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On this day in 1910, animal rights activist Joy Adamson was born.
K - 6
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
A KWL chart is used to organize information about lions. Persuasive letters are written lobbying for programs and resources to protect these animals.
Grades
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Poe's "The Raven" was published in 1845.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
As Poe's "The Raven" is read aloud, students note their reactions and discuss the changes or development of their first impressions as the poem continues.
Grades
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Judy Blume was born in 1938.
3 - 6
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students work with a partner or individually to create cartoons of their favorite scenes from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.
Grades
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Annie Moore becomes the first immigrant to enter Ellis Island in 1892.
3 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students explore online resources about Ellis Island, interview an immigrant in the area, and publish their stories.
Grades
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Poet Emily Dickinson was born in 1830.
9 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students discuss Dickinson's poem "This Is My Letter To The World" and use it to focus on how audience affects voice.
Grades
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A Christmas Carol was the first book transmitted over radio!
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students write a script for A Christmas Carol on a level that primary students can read and perform. Older students record the performance and create a website to showcase photographs.
Grades
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Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus.
5 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students make believe that the year is 1955 and they just heard about Parks' arrest. Students write newspaper editorials with their points of view on segregation.
Grades
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Commercial ice cream is first sold in the U.S. in 1786.
5 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
After finding advertisements from the past, students evaluate them and discuss how ads have changed over the years. Students then create an advertisement for a new flavor of ice cream.
Grades
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Poet Yusef Komunyakaa was born in 1947.
8 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students examine imagery in the work of Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa.
Grades
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April is National Poetry Month!
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students are assigned to be "poets of the day" and are provided several models to create, illustrate, and present their different poems to the class.
Grades
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In 1928, Maya Angelou was born.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
After hearing Maya Angelou's poem, "On the Pulse of Morning," students infer information about the speaker and her feelings about America and reflect on how one's life and experiences can influence one's writing.
Grades
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In 1939, Marian Anderson was denied permission to sing at Constitution Hall.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students view Eleanor Roosevelt's resignation letter to the DAR in response to Andersen being denied permission to sing. Students write a letter to a newspaper editor about social injustice.
Grades
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Poet Robert Frost was born in 1874.
9 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students celebrate Frost's birthday by exploring his innovation in the sonnet form by studying poems and presenting them to the class.
Grades
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Author Gabriel García Márquez was born on this day.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students take place in a collaborative creative writing activity to begin to understand the hallmarks of the literary style known as magical realism.