English Teacher's Great Books Activities Kit: 60 Ready-to-Use Activity Packets Featuring Classic, Popular & Current Literature (J-B Ed: Activities) [Paperback]

Gary Robert Muschla (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0876288549 | ISBN-13: 978-0876288542 | Publication Date: May 3, 1994 | Edition: 1

Contains scores of practical management techniques plus more than 180 reproducible student activities for teaching reading and writing skills through a selection of great literature covering various genres, themes, and cultures.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This resource give English teachers practical management techniques and 60 ready-to-use activity packets containing over 180 reproducible student activities for teaching reading and writing skills through a variety of classic, popular, and current literature.

Each of these literature-based activity packets offers students the chance to learn language skills within the context of an entire story rather than in isolation, and is easily correlated with other subjects across the curriculum. Each also opens a new world of ideas and places to your students.

For easy use, the Kit is printed in a big 8-1/2" x 11" format that folds flat for photocopying of the student activity sheets and is organized into two sections:

Part I, Managing Your English Classes, identifies the elements of effective English classes and the role of the whole language teacher, and provides specific guidelines and tools for managing reading, writing, and evaluation.

Part II, Ready-To-Use Activities, presents reproducible activity packets for 60 different novels, including 20 each for grades 7-8, grades 9-10, and grades 11-12. Here are just a few of the works featured at each level:

• Grades 7-8: Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry ... The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss ... A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Grades 9-10: A Separate Peace by John Knowles... I Never Promised You A Rose Garden by Johanna Greenberg ... Night by Elie Wiesel
• Grades 11-12: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne...The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros...Watership Down by Richard Adams

Each literature packet includes a brief synopsis of the story, ideas and concepts for the teacher to highlight, a reproducible writing assignment, reproducible questions for students to consider after reading, reproducible projects and activities relating to the novel and connections with other subject areas.

You'll find these activity packets are completely flexible. They are suitable for whole-class, group, or individual learning. You may assign all of the questions or just some; you may form groups and assign each group a different project. You may even use them cooperatively with another content area teacher.

In the author's words, "This resource provides you with an opportunity to teach English skills through exciting literature that covers various genres, themes, and cultures. You will be not only teaching the skills for effective reading and writing, but also helping your students to experience the world."

About the Author

Gary Robert Muschla received his B.A. and M.A.T. degrees from Trenton State College in New Jersey. He teaches at Appleby School in Spotswood, New Jersey, where he has specialized in the teaching of reading and writing, conducted writing workshops for teachers and students, and edited magazines of students' writing.
In addition to his 19 years as a classroom teacher, Mr. Muschla has been a successful freelance writer, editor, and ghostwriter. He is a member of the Authors Guild, the Authors League of America, the National Writers Club, and the Associated Business Writers of America.
Mr. Muschla has also authored three other resources for teachers: the Writing Workshop Activities Kit: Ready-to-Use Worksheets and Enrichment Lessons for Grades 4-9 (The Center for Applied Research in Education, 1989), The Writing Teacher's Book of Lists (Prentice Hall, 1991), and the Writing Workshop Survival Kit (The Center for Applied Research in Education, 1993).

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (May 3, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876288549
• ISBN-13: 978-0876288542
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #814,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Robert Muschla has taught grades four through six for twenty-five years and has written dozens of teacher resource guides.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super resource for Homeschooling, March 14, 2007

By 

Mary Beth Foster (West Lafayette, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: English Teacher's Great Books Activities Kit: 60 Ready-to-Use Activity Packets Featuring Classic, Popular & Current Literature (J-B Ed: Activities) (Paperback)

I'm a trained English/Writing instructor, and also a homeschooling mom. This book gives me much of what I need for an intensive literature-and-composition program for my kids.
The first part of the book is focused on managing a normal English class (although a teacher who followed this suggestions would have a SUPER class, I'm sure!). But homeschoolers shouldn't entirely skip this part, because if offers valuable (but wonderfully brief and clear) suggestions on the writing process, grading methods, and other tips.
Part II is the treasure-trove. The has provided brief, practical plans for studying twenty different books appropriate for students in a given age group (7th and 8th grade; 9th and 10th grade; and 11th and 12th grade).
For each recommended book, the author provides:
- A synopsis of the story
- Ideas and concepts to highlight in discussion
- A "Writing Connection" - a paragraph or two to orient the teacher to core themes in the book
- A reproducible pre-writing activity
- Eight to ten well-thought-out essay questions
- Four to six "projects and activities" related to the book
- Four or five "Curriculum Connections" that suggest ways to connect the book study with other subject areas (science, history, and even math).
Amazingly, all this is presented in the space of only four pages -- with plenty of white space left over!

With all these resources you could easily spend 2-3 weeks per book while still picking and choosing to suit yourself and your student.

One word of caution: parents may want to go through the synopses (or read the books) before they put them in their child's hands. The subject matter in the recommended books is challenging. Muschla's recommendations are not 'easy' books, and have powerful themes that deserve to be discussed. An advantage to homeschooling is that the teacher knows the student intimately, and knows which subject matter might not be appropriate for that child. However, I would encourage homeschooling parents to give some of these books a try, even if they seem a bit edgy and raw. If you read the book with your child and restrain yourself from speaking too quickly, you may learn a great deal about your child's growing and changing thoughts.

4.0 out of 5 stars Geared for High School, November 7, 2010

By 

Maureen Wing "Booksmart" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: English Teacher's Great Books Activities Kit: 60 Ready-to-Use Activity Packets Featuring Classic, Popular & Current Literature (J-B Ed: Activities) (Paperback)

This book is a good resource but I was expecting more ready to go pages for $30.00. If you have a group a criitical thinkers this will work for you. If you have lower level learners the activities won't be an introduction to the literature that is covered.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Activities Galore!, April 14, 2008

By 

book mama "book mama" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: English Teacher's Great Books Activities Kit: 60 Ready-to-Use Activity Packets Featuring Classic, Popular & Current Literature (J-B Ed: Activities) (Paperback)

This is a great manual filled with easy to use English activities for kids. This book will save a teacher a LOT of time when searching for book strategies and activities. The book helps a English teacher manage their classes better. Reproducibles are included and the book is easily to print! Good one! A+*****