Take back your planning time with engaging, no-prep resources!
Building engagement for your upcoming novel study is a crucially important but daunting task. Creating classroom “buzz” about the new book you are about to read helps to build anticipation…
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Feb 9, 2024 Teaching Freak the Mighty Teacher friends who have been following me on the blog for a while know how passionate I am about the powerful…
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Feb 20, 2024 Island of the Blue Dolphins has long been a favorite novel of mine. I have happy memories of sharing the story with my older sister, who…
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Nov 20, 2023 Outsiders Novel Study Activities Those of you who have been following along for a while know how passionate I am about novel studies. The Outsiders…
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Dec 14, 2023 Holes Novel Study Activities Louis Sachar’s Holes is one of my very favorite upper elementary novels to teach. Strong character development, a fast-paced plot, and…
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Feb 21, 2024 If had to choose, I would award Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet the prize for the best book to hook reluctant readers. It is a story of…