The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. It was first published in 1999 by HyperionBooks for Children and according to WorldCat, there are now 37 editions. This year -- 2024 -- marks the 25th year since its initial publication.

Examine the social inequities that existed between the wealthy and the poor through Dickens’s use of irony, in this excerpt from Oliver Twist | MASTERPIECE. Like the title character, poor and orphaned children who ended up in workhouses during 19th-century England were at the mercy of parish officials. These officials, who assumed moral superiority and blamed the impoverished for their problems, provided the needy with inadequate food, shelter, and care.

Analyze how sights and sounds in a film adaptation of Oliver Twist symbolize Oliver’s inner thoughts and feelings as well as help establish the setting, in this excerpt from Oliver Twist | MASTERPIECE. As Oliver escapes the mistreatment of his life in the country, he journeys toward London with hopes for a better future in the city. Without dialogue in this scene, information about Oliver is conveyed through visuals, perspective, movement, and sound.

This episode of This American Life that discusses mob mentality and how easily we can all fall victim to it. English Language Arts teachers can use It with many different texts to explore the concept of mob mentaility. For example, it can be used when teaching Lord of the Flies.

When authors create words for a one-time usage, they’re known as nonce words: words to be used only once. It can be very difficult to discern why some nonce words have survived and spread while others didn’t. A single writer can coin a word, but they can’t make it popular. All of us, collectively, through our behavior and interactions, get to decide what becomes a real word.

Pronouns serve one main role in society: to replace nouns so that we don’t have to repeat the same words or phrases that may be long and unwieldy over and over and over again. And while there are lots of different kinds of pronouns, there’s one type in particular that people tend to care about the most: the personal pronoun. But that’s just scratching the personal pronoun surface. In this episode, we dig deeper!

Learn about the idiom "red herring" in this video from Say What?! that explains how the phrase signifies something that diverts attention from what's truly important. Students will explore its historical origins among British fishermen and its integration into storytelling and popular culture.

This resource includes teaching tips, discussion questions, vocabulary, and a critical thinking activity where students must identify “red herrings” that are a distraction from the main goal.

This lesson plan encourages classroom discussions and reflections on cultural norms, mores, and folkways and uses the coloring sheet and poem: "S is for Shoes Off in the House" to propel critical thinking about students' own cultures in relation to others and how we can show respect, tolerance, and acceptance.

Learn about the idiom “straight from the horse’s mouth” and how it means getting the most accurate information from someone who knows it best, or firsthand, in this video from Say What?! Students will explore its origin and importance through animated stories about the past and its use today.

This resource includes teaching tips, discussion questions, and a critical thinking activity where students must identify which source of information would be considered the most accurate or “straight from the horse’s mouth.”

Students prepare for interviews by reviewing what they know about the sources, conducting pre-interviews, creating a list of questions for the recorded interviews, and making a shot list. They will also identify locations for the interviews and decide which members of the group will conduct the interviews.

Uncover the meaning and historical origins of the popular idiom “when pigs fly” with this video from Say What?! Through engaging animations, students will learn about this quirky expression that is often used to convey something that is highly unlikely to happen. The video explores similar idioms that are used in different languages and cultures, providing insight into the creative ways people express the idea of impossibility. The video also delves into the history of the idiom, tracing its origins back over 400 years!

This resource includes teaching tips, discussion questions, vocabulary, and a critical thinking activity in which students brainstorm possible "when pigs fly" scenarios.

Ivan Doig’s writing process was unique and layered. It was inspired by his life growing up in Montana and grounded in his personal work ethic. He used photos, note cards, and diaries to develop his characters and the settings of his stories. Students will have the opportunity to examine these methods and reflect on how they might replicate them in their own writing.