The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for ESL

 

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is an 1820 short story by American author Washington Irving. Even though the story is 200 years old, Americans still enjoy telling this story, and there have been popular movies retelling it.

Not only is the story hilarious, but it teaches the concept of ambiguity. Irving leaves it up to the reader to decide what truly happened to Ichabod Crane. Just like a good ghost story, it's up to the hearer to decide what is true and what is not.

Free pdf : Intermediate/adv ESL Student

Grade Level 5: Fluent Reader

The protagonist of the story, Ichabod Crane, is a Yankee schoolteacher who lives in Sleepy Hollow, a Dutch enclave on the Hudson River. A suggestible man, Crane believes the ghost stories and tales of witchcraft he has heard and read. He is particularly impressed by the tale of a spectral headless horseman said to haunt the area. Crane is also a mercenary; he courts Katrina Van Tassel mostly because she is the daughter of a rich farmer and is expected to receive a large inheritance. Abraham Van Brunt (also called Brom Bones) is Crane’s jealous rival, a local favorite, and a rash horseman who often plays tricks on the schoolmaster. Late one night as Ichabod Crane rides home from a party at Katrina’s home, he is suddenly frightened by a ghostlike headless horseman. The ghost pursues him and hurls at him a round object that he takes to be a head but is later revealed to have been a pumpkin. The schoolmaster is never seen in Sleepy Hollow again.

Vocabulary:

https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/206523

Quizlet

https://www.quia.com/jg/962596list.html

Resources:

https://www.eslprintables.com/cinema_and_television/movies/science_fiction_movies/sleepy_hollow/

https://www.liveworksheets.com/w/en/english-second-language-esl/1149546

https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-lesson-for-kids.html

lesson plan VOA, Quiz VOA

Full Movie:

Canterbury Tales for ESL (Intermediate/Adv)

 The Canterbury Tales is a story about storytelling. The work is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The tales are written in Middle English and are a diverse group of stories that range from serious moral tales to more bawdy stories. 

Reading level: Young adult, grade 10-12 English as a first language.

Language: Middle English, although there are modern translations with Chaucer's English next to modern translations.

The Tales are divided into 12 chapters with 31 pilgrims, telling 24 stories.

Chaucer's most common verse rhyme scheme in the Canterbury Tales, the rhyming couplet, would be described as "aa, bb, cc, dd" because it rarely repeats a rhyme due to the pressures on the poet to keep the narrative moving.

The Canterbury Tales is important for a number of reasons: It is widely considered to be the first major work of English literature. It's one of the first examples of the use of the vernacular in literature, as it was written in the language of the common people, rather than in Latin.  It gives a critical picture of medieval English society and shows different classes of people.

Moral Tales: The Tales of the Prioress, Clerk, Monk, Man of Law, Second Nun, and Parson, and Chaucer's Tale of Melibee 

Essential Questions:

1. How does physiognomy play a role in helping to create caricatures of the pilgrims?
2. How are the pilgrims still relevant to society today?
3. How are social classes distorted throughout The Tales?
4. How do cultural values influence the kinds of journeys people take?

The Prologue: Provides a general description of the characters on the journey.

Literary Devices used: simile and metaphors, irony, allusion, symbolism, imagery, satire, 

Symbols: flowers (youth, fertility, sexual desire)

Themes: religion, class, deceit, the role of women in medieval society (wife of Bath's Tale) 

The Wife of Bath's Tale:  This is one of Chaucer's most developed characters.

The story explores the double standard applied to medieval society. What do women really want? sovereignty of course! Women desire power in marriage, and when she does have the power, both parties are happier.  Using the Hag/Crone (wise woman) archetype the Hag gives the knight a choice. 

The Wife of Bath represents feminism and the belief that women should be given power and control. She also represents the idea that women do not need to conform to the norms of the time and can enjoy their own sexuality. The Wife of Bath begins the Prologue to her tale by establishing herself as an authority on marriage, due to her extensive personal experience with the institution. Since her first marriage at the tender age of twelve, she has had five husbands.

One evening, out of frustration, the Wife tears three pages out of the book and punches Jankyn in the face. Jankyn repays her by striking her on the head, which is the reason, she explains in line 636, that she is now deaf in one ear.

Quizlet: Wife of Bath, Canterbury Tales

Wife of Bath Study Questions

Resources:

https://www.eslprintables.com/reading_worksheets/tales_and_stories/canterbury_tales/

https://brainperks4u.wordpress.com/2019/03/15/the-canterbury-tales-by-geoffrey-chaucer-esl-elt-tasks/

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/23374079/chaucers-canterbury-tales-english-language-learners

https://www.storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/the-canterbury-tales-by-geoffrey-chaucer

To Kill a Mockingbird for 7th Grade

Pre-Reading:

1. Who is Harper Lee? Her neighbor was the famous writer Truman Capote!
2. What is your first clear school memory? Write a poem.

• Chapters 1-5: Vocabulary, Read until chapter 5 and make a prediction.

(Quizlet: Vocabulary). Select theme songs for important characters. How does each song suit the character?

• Chapters 6-11 (Vocabulary: 6-10, 11) Is Atticus a Good Father?

After Chapter 6, take a quiz.

After Chapter 11, do a review.

• Chapters 12-16 (Vocabulary/ Review)
• Chapters 17-20 (Vocabulary)
• Chapters 21-26 (Vocabulary)
• Chapters 27-31 (Vocabulary), Test, Essay Questions

Full movie here.

Harper Lee's Discovery: Go Set a Watchman
NY Times Review

Resources:

https://www.facinghistory.org/mockingbird

http://teachingtokillamockingbird.com/
http://universalteacher.org.uk/prose/tokillamockingbird.pdf

Teaching Lord of the Flies

The classic dystopian novel by Golding on human nature, I think should be read independently. I made provided vocabulary and review options for the student to use at their will. This book is typically taught in 9th-grade literature classes, but the homeschool 7th-grade student is an advanced reader and currently studying ancient American civilizations and will study the political spectrum next week.

Week 1: Introduction, review allegory + Who is Beelzebub?
Read Chapters 1-2
(Quizlet: Vocabulary Chapters 1-4, Read Chapters 1-2, Chapter 1 Review, Chapter 2 Review )
Week 2: Read Chapters 3-7

(Chapter 3 Review, Chapter 4 Review, Chapter 5 Vocabulary/ Review, Chapter 6: Vocab/ Review, Chapter 7 Vocab./Review, Chapter 8 Vocab./Review)

Week 3: Read Chapters 8-12
(Ch. 9: Vocabulary/Review, Chapter 10: Vocabulary/Review, Chapter 11-12: Vocabulary/Review

Symbols: 
The Beast, Ralph, Jack, Piggy, The Conch, The Signal Fire, Piggy's Specs, The Lord of the Flies

Themes: Light vs. Darkness, Savagery vs. Civilization in Human Nature, Democracy vs. Totalitarianism, Bullying, Betrayal, The Loss of Innocense, Leadership, 


REVIEW/ TEST
Biblical Allegory or Anti-Religious Critique?

Writing: Answer in a paragraph.

1.   What is the importance of the setting in the novel? 
2. What is the meaning of the title?
3. Chapter One, from ‘Within the diamond haze of the beach something dark was fumbling along.’ (page 15) to ‘Oh, Piggy!’ (page 17). How does Golding suggest that relationships may break down at this early point in the novel?
4. The children stranded on the island are all boys, and female characters are rarely discussed. How does this matter for the novel?
5. By Chapter Three, the boys are divided into two groups: the older boys and the younger boys or "littluns." What role do the littluns have to play? (Think about the book's central theme of Savagery vs. Civilization)
6. What is the significance of the conch shell?
7. What is the significance of Piggy's glasses?
8. Jack gains power over many of the boys by exploiting their fear of the mythical beast. How does Jack manipulate the myth of the beast to legitimize his authority?

Essay Questions: 

Choose one of the following and answer the prompt with at least a five-paragraph, MLA formatted, typed, double-spaced essay.  Include at least one quote from the book in each body paragraph, properly cited according to MLA guidelines.
You should make an outline next after you have decided on a topic. It will help you plan out your paper. It is a great way to find the best order to present your supporting details.

1. How does Golding vividly portray Ralph’s growing understanding of human nature in the novel?
2. How does Golding make Simon such a moral character?
3. Discuss the significance of the names of, for instance, Sam and Eric, Piggy, and Simon. What does the character's name say about him and his significance? Use external sources as necessary.
4. Describe the religious imagery in Lord of the Flies: the forces of good and evil, a fall from grace, a savior, and eventual redemption. How does Golding’s depiction of the island compare to the Garden of Eden?
5. Defend and/or criticize Ralph’s actions as leader. What were his motivations? Did he contribute to the tragedy in any way? Could he have acted to prevent any of the deaths? What would you have done differently in his situation?
6. Support the argument that Simon is a “Christ Figure.”  Do you agree or disagree with the idea that Simon is a Christ Figure?  Discuss the development of this character from the frail, shy, fainting kid to the well-developed character that faces the Lord of the Flies and the beast, eventually being sacrificed as a result.
7. The conch is an all-important symbol in the novel.  It is almost a character in its own right.  Trace the development of this symbol.  How does Golding develop this shell into this symbol?  Discuss what it means, and the effect it has on the group of boys, from the first assembly to its eventual destruction. You may want to include in your discussion its relation to characters like Ralph, Piggy, or even Jack. 

 Use direct quotes from the novel to prove what you are talking about. It is really a great idea to jot down exact samples after you have an idea of what you will be writing your paper on. The introduction should give some background information on what the piece was about so that the reader can understand the rest of the paper even if they had never read it before. The conclusion will restate the thesis from the introduction and hit on the main reasons once more. It should wrap the paper up and never discuss new topics.

RESOURCES:
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/lord-of-the-flies.cfm
https://www.homework-online.com/lord-of-the-flies/themes.html
https://essaybasics.com/blog/10-possible-questions-on-lord-of-the-flies/
https://www.gradesaver.com/lord-of-the-flies/study-guide/essay-questions

American Language Arts Curriculum for Middle School

I was able to get the full curriculum from my local school district in Colorado (LPS). This is what Colorado Middle School students in this district are reading and writing. I am using it to supplement my daughter's English while we live in Taiwan.

Supplementary Reading List:

6th Grade

• The Outsiders – http://www.sehinton.com/books/outsiders.html
• The Westing Game – http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/0525471375.asp
• The White Mountains –Epseranza Rising – http://www.pammunozryan.com/esper.html
• Sleepers Wake – http://www.amazon.com/Sleepers_Wake_Paul_Jacobs/dp/0785798994
• Forgotten Door – http://www.amazon.com/The-Forgotten-Door-Apple-Paperbacks/dp/0590431307
• The Cay –  http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/307134/The-Cay-by-Theodore-Taylor/
• Freak the Mighty – http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/307138/Freak-the-Mighty-by-Rodman-Philbrick/
• True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle- http://www.shmoop.com/true-confessions-charlotte-doyle/
• The Black Pearl –  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Pearl_(Scott_O%27Dell)
• Number the Stars – http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/157477/Number-the-stars/
• Slake's Limbo – http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/slakes.html

7th Grade

• Night –  http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/482182/Night-by-Elie-Wiesel/
• Goodnight Mr. Tom – http://readers.penguin.co.uk/nf/Document/DocumentDisplay/0,,P000100000034,00.html
• Island on Bird Street –  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Island_on_Bird_Street
• Upon the Head of a Goat – http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/siegal_upon.htm
• The Cage – http://mandelproject.us/elavsky_rev.htm
• The Man Who Was Poe – http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/230011/The-Man-Who-Was-Poe-by-Avi/
• All Creatures Great and Small – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18929854-all-creatures-great-and-small
• Hope Was Here – http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0399231420.asp
• A Long Way From Chicago – http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/alongway.html
• Christmas Carol –  http://literature.org/authors/dickens-charles/christmas-carol/
• Grace In The Wilderness – http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Wilderness-After-Liberation-1945-1948/dp/0374427941
• Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl –http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/1401/Anne-Frank-The-Diary-of-a-Young-Girl/ 
• Friedrich –  http://allreaders.com/book-review-summary/friedrich-24701
• Forbidden City - http://www.angelfire.com/alt2/forbidden_city/plot.html
• Wild Child -  http://www.iblist.com/book34711.htm
• Walkabout – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkabout_(novel)
• Visions - Collection of Short Stories (No publisher site available)
• Sixteen - Collection of Short Stories (No publisher site available)   
• Monster by Walter Dean Myers: http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/monster-0
• ​The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/gloryfield.html 

8th Grade

• Johnny Tremain – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Tremain
• To Kill a Mockingbird – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_A_Mockingbird 
• The Call of the Wild – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Call_of_the_Wild
• White Fang –  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43035.White_Fang
• Z for Zachariah – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_for_Zachariah
• April Morning – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Morning
• Touching Spirit Bear –   http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780380977444/Touching_Spirit_Bear/index.aspx
• Monster - http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/0060280778.asp
• Tangerine -  http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/tangerine-discussion-guide
• Stonewall's Gold - http://extras.denverpost.com/books/book497.htm
• The Giver – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giver
• The Million Pound Bank Note - http://www.iblist.com/book22282.htm
• The Glory Field – http://childlit.sdsu.edu/reviews/r-Myers.htm
• The Pigman – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pigman

Writing Expectations:

Seventh-grade students will write an argument, expository, and narrative texts using clear
development, organization, and style.  The writing process will be used to help plan, revise,
edit, and redraft the students’ work so that their ideas are clear and concise to their audience.  
Students will use technology and the Internet to produce, collaborate, and publish their writing
in a classroom, school-wide, and/ or world-wide setting. Seventh-grade students will create
research questions and find reliable sources to help them answer what they want to know.  
After gathering information from multiple print and digital sources, students will analyze for
validity and draw conclusions from their findings to demonstrate their learning.

Eighth-grade writing focuses on the development of a sophisticated five-paragraph essay.
Special emphasis is placed on an introduction that includes a hook, bridge, and thesis statement.
The structured use of textual evidence, the development of sophisticated and embedded transitions,
and the creation of an effective conclusion paragraph including a restated thesis, summary ideas,
and significant parting thought are additional areas of writing instruction.

RESOURCES:
https://littletonpublicschools.net/schools/powell-middle-school/curriculum-resources
LPS Curriculum Guide

Homeschooling English: What my Daughter's English Looks Like

My 6th grader is an excellent student, 2nd in her class 2 years in a row. In other words, her Mandarin is better than her classmates'. She is really thriving in her alternative, rural elementary school. Her teachers are wonderful.

Having said that, I do worry about her English writing. Her comprehension and vocabulary are fabulous as she's an avid reader but compared to her peers back home, she isn't doing much research or essay writing.

I have been pretty lax about supplementing her English. I give her materials and she completes them when she wants. Now time to step up the writing.

This is what she is working on now:

Vocabulary::

240 Vocabulary Words 5th graders need to know (pdf/ buy/ Quizlet)

240 Vocabulary Words 6th graders need to know (pdf/buy/Quizlet)

Latin and Greek root words: English from the Roots Up/Flashcards/Quizlet: 50 Roots,  pg 1-10, )

6th-8th Grade Word List

Literature

Goodreads List

Poetic Terms

Poetry: 24 Must Share Poems, A Poem a Day

Writing

Great Writing: Book 2 and 3

365 Days of Writing Prompts (she loves this)

Writing Resources:

How to Write

Planning

Topics

Halloween Weeks 8-9

Week 9

For my elementary students week 8 is midterms, so we are busy reviewing and testing. Its all serious business. Reality is scary enough. But if by chance we have some time at the end of testing, say just 5 minutes, then I’d like them to get them moving. I love wii Dance, kids love it too. Check out a timeless classic made into a dance, just in time for Halloween. “Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!”

During their oral exam, Grasshopper class illustrated their costumes and watched The Nightmare before Christmas.

I will give them a group reading and do some rhyming of Halloween vocabulary. If we have time we can play some online interactive games with the vocabulary. Here are some links:

Halloween Monsters Memory Game
Halloween vocabulary Memory Game 
Matching Quiz 

For my G7B class we have been studying Genre and Fantasy as an introduction to their unit on JRR Tolkien. I am also giving my G8A a break from their book this week. So I’ve dedicated this week to learning Halloween vocabulary and a lesson on Stephan King.

Halloween Vocabulary List 1: 

costumes, “ In Halloween kids wear costumes.” "Let’s see some costumes."

Vampires, skeleton, witch, Boogie Man, Frankenstein, Werewolf, Freddy, Cemetery, Fog, Enchanted (Haunted House), black cat, parade, bonfire,

“Trick or Treat”

Halloween candies, pumpkin shop, Jack O

’Lantern, pumpkin pie, Halloween Cookies

My Junior High kids are interested in scary movies, and one way to link this to contemporary American literature is introducing them to author Stephen King. Reading any of his stories in English is beyond their level right now, but at least they can be exposed to some of his more famous works through film adaptations.

Top 10 Stephen King Adaptations:

#10. The Dead Zone

           Johnny Smith wakes up from a coma with psychic powers.

#9. The Stand

         This story is Stephen King’s own “Lord of the Rings.”

#8. It

      About a scary clown  terrorizing a small town.

#7. The Mist

      A monster movie and survivor story. A fog brings in scary creatures that prey on           town folk.

#6. Carrie

     The shy Carrie is bullied at school. She realizes she has psychic gifts.

#5. Stand By Me

     A coming of age story about a group of boys traveling to see a dead body.

#4. Misery

     After crashing his car, an author is taken care of by his biggest fan.

#3. The Green Mile

      A spiritual story about a black, simple, mystical prisoner, who is wrongly killed.

#2. The Shining

       REDRUM is backwards for____________. This movie is about cabin fever. 

#1 The Shaw Shank Redemption

   A convicted killer finds friendship.

In one of my Junior High classes, I want to celebrate “Vocabulary day” based on Debra Frasier’s book, “Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster.” Students choose a word from our massive vocabulary list, and design a creative interpretation of that word for their costume. I think we would only have time to sketch a costume. When thinking of a creative costume, students must be able to define the word in a creative manner. For example, if a student chose the word “miscellaneous,” he can interpret this word into a costume by placing a collection of unrelated objects onto his clothing.

More ESL resources:
http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/halloween.html