The Teacher Bees Blog (Page 5)

Love, Hate & Other Filters

Love, Hate & Other Filters

Love, Hate & Other Filters [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31207017-love-hate-other-filters?from_search=true] , by Samira Ahmed, is a coming of age story for young adults. It tells the story of Maya Aziz, a Muslim teenager who is straining against the strict expectations of her parents. Rejecting her mother&

Amal Unbound

Chances are you have heard of Malala Yousafzai [https://teacherbees.ca/malalas-magic-pencil/], the Pakistani activist who stands up bravely for the right of girls to have an education. I know my classroom has several books devoted to telling Malala's inspiring story. However, if I asked my students to

Two Boys Kissing

Two Boys Kissing

Two Boys Kissing, by David Leviathan, is a novel that explores what it is like being gay for today's teens. It follows several gay teens over the course of two days, showing a diverse set of experiences. For instance, one plot line follows Avery, a transgender teen as

2SLGBTQ+ Books in Middle School

2SLGBTQ+ Books in Middle School

I recently got a request for recommendations of 2SLGBTQ+ books for middle school. Below I have compiled a list of books in my classroom library that prominently feature 2SLGBTQ+ characters or themes. Younger - The following books are geared towards younger students, but have some appeal for middle school students.

Identity Literature Circle

Identity Literature Circle

Earlier this year, I decided to develop another literature circle for my grade seven classroom. I currently teach two literature circles that focus on the themes of human rights and heroic journeys respectively. Inspired by Kelly Gallagher, I decided to condense these two units and create a third in order

Marriage Equality in Picture Books

Marriage Equality in Picture Books

When selecting books for our students, it is important to include diverse families. Some students have families with same-sex parents and it is powerful for them to see their lives represented in the books in our classrooms. For other students, it is important to see portrayals of same-sex couples in

Heroic Journey Lit Circle Overview

Heroic Journey Lit Circle Overview

I have written a number of entries that analyze specific books from my Heroic Journey Literature Circle unit. To sum it all up, here is an overview of the unit, along with my thoughts on how it needs to grow in the future. Learning Goals Going into this unit, I

The 57 Bus: A Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives

The 57 Bus: A Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives

Summer is an excellent time to catch up on reading, so stay tuned for book reviews of texts that belong in the classroom and beyond. Today's review is on The 57 Bus [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33155325-the-57-bus?ac=1&from_search=true], by Dashka Slater.

Teaching about Refugees

Teaching about Refugees

As part of my grade seven social studies course, I have spent the past few years teaching a mini-unit about refugees. In our curriculum, students are expected to learn about push and pull factors that cause people to move, human rights, and quality of life, all of which can be

Number the Stars

Number the Stars

I am amazed that it took me so long to read Number the Stars [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0547577095/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0547577095&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=bc16575adb3a58297e28f9cbbc893eae] , by Lois Lowry. I read

The Power of Visual Texts

The Power of Visual Texts

Visual texts are great jumping off points for discussion and reflection during literature circles. Since students are reading a variety of books, it is useful to have common texts to help anchor the unit and teach specific skills and ideas. Of course, mentor texts and read aloud texts are essential

Pride in Middle School

Pride in Middle School

Over the last two years, I have been one of the teacher advisors for my middle school's Gay Straight Alliance or GSA. Started last year by student request, the group decided to focus on making our school a safe and welcoming place for LGBTQ students. Some people might

When a Book Fails

When a Book Fails

Not every book is going to be a winner and not every story will grab hold of a reader's attention. Back when I used to teach whole class novels, this used to be a problem that fell squarely on the shoulders of the reader. Don't like

Nimona: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 4

Nimona: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 4

One of my favourite books in our heroic journey literature circle is the graphic novel Nimona [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0062278223/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0062278223&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=b5b2ad05e90cda5b343cb9f02f77dcda] , by Noelle Stevenson.

Peak: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 3

Peak: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 3

The third book in our heroic journey literature circle is Peak [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0152062688/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0152062688&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=4d7e88bf8de13eb14df18dfcec6c8b8d] , by Roland Smith. Peak is about a boy

Devil's Pass: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 2

Devil's Pass: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 2

In our Heroic Journey literature circle [https://teacherbees.ca/how-to-be-a-hero/], another book that students enjoy is Devil's Pass [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/155469938X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=155469938X&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=

How To Be A Hero

How To Be A Hero

This week, my grade seven classes started our Heroic Journey literature circle unit. During this unit, students will discuss what it means to be a hero and analyse books using the heroic journey monomyth [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA]. The monomyth is a story structure found in countless

Posted by John David Anderson

Posted by John David Anderson

Over the last two months, I have been toying with the idea of building a new literature circle for my class based on the theme of identity. As I investigated texts, a second theme of bullying began to emerge in many of the books I have been previewing. Both themes

One for the Murphys Book Review

One for the Murphys Book Review

Every once in a while, I pick up a book that makes me view students differently. One for the Murphys [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0142426520/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0142426520&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=

Sadia Book Review

Sadia Book Review

My hometown of Winnipeg is an increasingly diverse place, and every day in the classroom this fact is becoming more and more evident. Students come from many parts of the world, practice different religions, and bring a variety of cultural backgrounds with them when they come to school everyday. Learning

He Who Dreams - The Importance of High Interest Books

He Who Dreams - The Importance of High Interest Books

For years, when I taught whole class novels I often felt stuck when it came to supporting struggling readers. Asking them to independently read a text that was beyond their current abilities clearly didn't work. Reading chapters aloud was an option, but relying on this strategy robbed them

Lily and Dunkin

Lily and Dunkin

Recently, I started hunting for novels for an identity themed literature circle. Lily and Dunkin [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/055353677X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=055353677X&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=0dc9da4c9980840c06102e34a20c6079] , by Donna Gephart, was

Human Rights Literature Circles

Human Rights Literature Circles

I love teaching grade seven students. At twelve and thirteen years old, my students are old enough to start delving into real world issues in more detail than their elementary school counterparts. As well, with a middle schooler's keen awareness of fairness and what is right, they care

Books for the Resistance

Books for the Resistance

The past week I have been fascinated by the student movement in the United States that has risen up to advocate for gun control [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guns-students/florida-students-take-on-nra-set-eyes-on-midterm-elections-idUSKCN1G80GT] . Their passion and arguments for their cause are commendable. Seeing these student activists organize school walkouts and boycotts is

Lumberjanes: A Book for Hardcore Lady Types

Lumberjanes: A Book for Hardcore Lady Types

When I was a kid, good comic books were just for boys. The only comics I ever managed to read were Archie comics, and even back then I was pretty skeptical about Betty and Veronica. Best friends whose main function was to fight over the same boy week after week