Banned Books Week: Create an Interactive Classroom Display

Banned Books Week: Create an Interactive Classroom (or Library) Display

Banned Books Week is always one of my favorite weeks for teaching because I love the reactions my students have when they learn one of their favorite books was challenged or banned.

"What!? That can't be!"

"No way! That's so stupid!"

"No one can tell me what I can't read!"

Students who seem nonchalant and disinterested in reading all of a sudden become passionate book lovers and defenders. It is truly a glorious thing for an English teacher to witness.

So how do you incite this behavior? 

One of the things I like to do is raid my classroom library for all the books that have been banned or challenged. I then cover them up with warning labels with the reasons they were challenged.

When I first started doing this a few years ago, I placed the books in paper sacks (or covered them with whatever I could find) and taped the warning labels to the outside. Students could lift up the sacks to reveal the book.

This worked well, but some of my labels were messy or didn't have the "Caution" tape warning. So two years ago, I streamlined all of them into one bundle. You can find them HERE.

The labels can be used alone, on a paper sack, or just with a piece of paper to wrap around the book (use colored paper in a variety of colors to make them stand out).

If you are using paper (as shown above), use a scrap piece of paper or an index card in the back to tape the two ends of the paper/label together. This serves several purposes: it makes the paper/label long enough to fit around the book, it secures the paper/label without damaging the book, and it allows the students to easily pull the paper/label up to reveal the book.

I guarantee your students will be shocked to learn of some of the reasons their favorite books have been challenged and banned.

Don't have books? No problem!

For those who don't have a classroom library, I've got you covered. My label bundle also includes an interactive display (complete with "Caution" tape) to use on a bulletin board, wall, chalkboard, or wherever you can find room. Your students won't be able to stop themselves from lifting the flaps to reveal the titles. 

I also made both formats with a blank template so you can type any updated or new labels directly onto the page.

The bundle also includes an activity to introduce the interactive display and begin a serious
discussion about censorship and the dangers of limiting our freedom to read.

For more information about Banned Books Week, check out the official website by the American Library Association. It includes downloadable posters, a coloring page, lessons, and many other free resources for teachers and librarians.

Things That Make Me Go Hmmm... Is Hunger Still a Factor After Mockingjay?

From Time.com's photo essay, "What the World Eats, Part 1", a German family spends $500 per week on food.

 One of the first lessons I wrote for The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was a comparison between what the district citizens ate to the diets of the Capitol citizens in Panem. It's called "What They Ate" and can be found {HERE} for a free download.

When I came across a photo essay called "What the World Eats" posted on Time.com with images from the 2007 book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio, it helped me further make the connection between our world and Katniss's world in Panem. Yes, I know that we live in a world of excess while there are people starving to death every day. But seeing the images of the families from around the world with their week's worth of groceries sends the message loud and clear. It shows the viewer just how excessive some families are and what little we could actually survive on. 

Additionally, the viewer can see how many of the foods have added chemicals for preservation. And on the flip side, how much is grown and harvested by the family or a local farmer?

The viewer also sees the amount of consumer waste each family will produce by eating the prepackaged foods. How much will have to be thrown away? How much of the waste can be recycled? How much is actually organic and can be used as compost?

But probably the most lasting impression I see in the images is this: the smiles and happiness on the faces of those with so little and the frowns on the faces of those with so much. Judging by their surroundings, you would think those with so little would be miserable. But they aren't. Or, they don't look as if they are. What does this tell us about our world? 

Which, of course, leads me back to Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. (Spoiler alert!) After the war, what happens to the citizens of Panem? We know that Plutarch's plan was to form a republic where the citizens can elect representatives (p. 83-84, Mockingjay) and that Paylor was elected shortly after Katniss killed President Coin (p. 378). But what we don't know is what kind of economic system is in place at the end of the trilogy. Is it a capitalist or socialist society? Are people left to fend for themselves, or is aid provided by the government? 

A family from Ecuador who spends just $31.55 each week on food.

What happened to the Capitol citizens? As Plutarch had explained in Mockingjay, many citizens were heavily in debt and signed on to be Peacekeepers to have their debts erased (p. 83). Do they now take on jobs in construction, helping rebuild their city? Will someone like Tigris find work? Will people still purchase the outlandish furs and other fashion statements they once wore in the Capitol? Or will old habits return, and the Capitol citizens go back to their lives of excessive food, parties, and consumer waste? 

What I wonder the most, though, is whether the citizens will realize what it is like to be truly hungry, and if that will be enough to make a real change in their world? But I look at our world and see how easily we forget our past. And our present. How long does it take people to block out the images of the starving children we see on TV and go back to our three-course meals? Probably as long as it took Haymitch to find the bottles of liquor on the hovercraft ride home (p. 380).

As we enter the holiday season, think about those who are less fortunate and don't change the channel. Instead, do something. If you don't know how to help, why not find out if there are food drives in your community that you can donate to; if not, start a food drive at your school for a local food pantry; or volunteer at the food pantry or a homeless shelter. When you help others and see first-hand how others suffer, it is hard to ignore. 

Classroom Connection: 
1. When you are teaching The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, or Mockingjay, take a class period to talk to students about world hunger, and hunger in your own community. Use the "What They Ate" handout as a starting point.

2. Show the "What the World Eats" slideshow from Time.com and discuss the images. Ask students what is most surprising or shocking about each family. Ask them what their family image would look like. They can also find out how much their family spends each week for consumables, as well as how much waste they produce.

3. If your class participates in a class Games competition, have students bring in non-perishables to sponsor a tribute. The tribute with the most food items wins the Games. Then have the class deliver the food to a pantry or shelter.

In Chad, this family eats for just $1.23 per week.

All images are from Time.com.

Hunger Games Posters to Download

   I created some Hunger Games-themed reading posters for your classroom. Download them now HERE while they are listed as FREE. There are 16 printable posters, some as 8 1/2 x 11 (letter size) and some as 8 1/2 x 14 (legal size).

Laminate them for longevity.

Have a great school year!

Fifty FREE lesson Downloads from TheOC Blog

Thanks to Charity Preston at The Organized Classroom Blog, here's a link to 50 completely free ready-to-print lessons in a variety of content areas and age groups. She celebrated her 500th Facebook "Like" on her fan page and wanted to share some great lessons from teachers around the world.

Thanks, Charity! make sure you follow her blog & "like" her on Facebook!

Teaching Vocabulary with Creativity

Are you looking for a better way to introduce or review vocabulary words? Here's an activity you can use with any unit that is quick and effective, versatile, and encourages creativity in your students.

I call it "Vocabulary Scattergories," which is a play on the game Scattergories®. If you're familiar with the game, you know that you have lists of categories, such as "Things found in the kitchen," then you roll an alphabet die to choose the letter. Finally, you have a set amount of time to write down as many words that begin with that letter for each category.

Vocabulary Scattergories is slightly different. Students have their set vocabulary lists. Then, they choose a category and must find some connection to the word. This allows the student to think creatively (or "outside the box") and have some fun with words.  The categories are random but include things students can relate to, such as "Something you find in a teenager's locker" or "Something you find under a child's bed" and even "Character from the novel Twilight." Sometimes it is hard to find a connection and they must stretch for one. But that process really pushes their creativity and thinking skills–something they (we) all need to do more often.

To help them form their comparisons, I usually give them a prompt, such as:
____________ [insert vocabulary word] is/are like _____________________[insert category] because ______________________.

For chapter 1 in The Hunger Games, I would assign each student (or for larger classes, pairs of students) one vocabulary word. Next, they draw a category from the bucket. I give them a few minutes (the older the student, the less time they need) to complete the task in writing, then ask that they share their sentence with the class.

An example sentence may be:
Entrails are like cold leftover spaghetti [item you find in a refrigerator] because both are long, stringy, gooey, and not very appetizing.

Allow students to ask one another why they made that connection. In this case, the student clarified to the class that entrails refer to human or animal intestines that have been removed and/or exposed. (Insert groans and "Gross!" from the crowd here.)

This activity shouldn't be used for every chapter or even every unit.  I try to use it sparingly so it remains a "fun" activity rather than a chore. If you need Common Core vocabulary lessons, I have two packets for Common Core Vocabulary Graphic Organizers by grade levels (they are editable):
Common Core Vocabulary Activities/Organizers for Grades 6-12
Common Core Vocabulary Activities/Organizers for Grades 2-5

USE THE VOCABULARY SCATTERGORIES FOR CHARACTER ANALYSIS
I have used the categories in other ways, though. You can use the same prompt but instead of vocabulary words, use character names. (I created "character tags" that uses this same concept, except instead of categories I use pictures.) This is a great way to review characters before a test.


An example for character review is:
_______________[character name] is like a/an ________________[category] because __________________.

Katniss is like a grapefruit [type of fruit] because even though she looks like a sweet orange, she can be sour.

Other ways to use "Vocabulary Scattergories":
• Daily Bell-ringer for Word of the Day: To add some fun to your word of the day activities, have a student draw a category for the entire class. Each student writes a sentence comparing that word to something from the category. (The students would still need to look up the word of the day for the definition, but instead of writing out the definition, they would form a comparison instead.)

• Word Game: Have five-ten minutes left of class? Have students use scratch paper and draw a category. Say it out loud and give them one minute to write as many words they can think of that fit that category. Make it harder by choosing a letter the words must start with (like Scattergories®). For large groups, allow teams of students to work together. 

• Poetry writing: Have students draw a category and write a poem based on that topic OR each line of a poem must be a new category.

• Story Starters: Are students stumped writing short stories? Have them draw a category for inspiration.

• Longest Word Contest: Draw a category and see who can come up with the longest word relating to that category.

• Scrabble® with a Twist: Leave all the letter tiles face up. Each player takes a turn by drawing a category and forming a word relating to that category. They can draw tiles for each turn and only pick the amount of tiles they need for their word (blank tiles can be distributed to each player first or could be "purchased" with points). This encourages them to choose longer words, but also to think about words that relate to that category. It's a little bit easier for kids, yet encourages some creativity. When all the tiles are gone, the player with the most points wins.  For a real challenge, play Scrabble® the traditional way, but with the categories.

There are so many ways to use this activity. I copied mine onto colored paper and laminated them. I had a student office helper cut them with a paper cutter and I store them in plastic baggies. I usually dump them into a recycled bucket (laundry detergent, whipped cream, or margarine spread bowls work well) and have students draw from there so they can't see the categories as they choose.

Download the free preview or the separate FREE product link to try it out & see if you like it.

Examples of Life Lessons - Great Way to Start 2011

Happy 2011!    
See below for a May 24th Update for the Blog Hop "Linky Party" started by Karla from Life in Special Ed...


It's a new year, and at my school, it's a new semester, which means a fresh start. This is always a good time to get to know your new  students and find out even more interesting things about the students you've had for the past semester.  Kids--no matter what their age--are very revealing when I use my life lessons activity with them. So today I learned that some students had some mishaps with motorized vehicles over break, some were very angry that their family members (mostly dad, by the way) ate their Christmas candy, and it seems there was an incident with some of the boys streaking...  Some things I just don't even ask because I don't want to know!