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1. Building and Sustaining a Culture of Belonging

   In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text, Video

   This session, "Building and Sustaining a Culture of Belonging," explores activities to build student-student and teacher-student relationships within a language class setting that affirm students’ identities and improve students’ sense of belonging.

2. Creative Classroom Activities

   Format(s): Text

   Creative Classroom Activities is the second of a two-volume anthology of articles published between 1989 and 1993 in English Teaching Forum. Download the e-book or PDF.

3. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Kids’ Pages

   Format(s): Video, Website

   This website is a resource for teachers who want to teach about environmental health. You can find lesson plans, activities, videos, and more!

4. Introduction

   In: American Teens Talk! Format(s): E-book, Text

   The interviews in American Teens Talk! give learners a view into the lives of adolescents in the U.S. Through the written and audio format of the interviews, learners are able to increase their vocabulary, practice their reading and listening skills, engage in discussions, and learn more about U.S. culture.

5. Caleb

   In: American Teens Talk! Format(s): Text

   Caleb talks about his school trip to Disney World.

6. Four Reading Tasks to Promote Critical Thinking

   Format(s): Text, Video

   This session, "Four Reading Tasks to Promote Critical Thinking," shares classroom-ready activities that can be adapted to encourage critical thinking in reading lessons for students of varying ages and proficiency levels.

7. An Integrated Skills Lesson Plan for "Maps and Legends" by Michael Chabon

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan is based on the article “Maps and Legends” by novelist Michael Chabon and is for high intermediate to advance students. The lesson includes group and pair work. Students discuss the neighborhood where they grew up. They read the text and identify unfamiliar words, then answer comprehension questions in writing or discussion groups. Post-reading activities include scanning, inferring meaning from context, dictionary practice, and discussion questions. The lesson ends with questions to make connections beyond the text and project ideas.

8. Just Off Main Street

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 3 Format(s): Text

   “Just off Main Street” is for learner use and is an account of the writer’s experience as an Arab American. It opens with a description of the writer’s childhood and the cultural divide between life inside and outside the home. Readers will be drawn into the vivid description of daily life. The article looks at the challenges of being bi-cultural, of keeping home life separate, of being “exoticized,” of becoming comfortable and proud of one’s heritage, and of finding community. The article provides opportunities for discussions of culture, identity, and activism.

9. For Life's Sake

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 4 Format(s): Text

   In “For Life’s Sake,” author Linda Hogan provides the reader with a view of the cultural influences that have made her into the poet, essayist, and storyteller she is today. She describes how her ancestors and the beliefs she inherited as a Native American have inspired her choice of topics and shaped her writing into its unique style. Her love of trees is woven through the article. Hogan’s essay gives students a chance to understand and appreciate the life of a writer from another America. It includes her poem, “Affinity,” on the topic of horses, as well as a glossary of terms.

10. An Integrated Skills Lesson Plan for "For Life's Sake" by Linda Hogan

    In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 4 Format(s): Text

    This lesson plan is for use with “For Life’s Sake.” After introducing the topic of Native Americans in class discussion, students read the article and identify unfamiliar vocabulary. Students may then read again and discuss comprehension questions. Post-reading activities build vocabulary, including idioms, and utilize dictionary and scanning skills. Questions to make connections beyond the text may be used for discussion or writing assignments. There are other projects that integrate language skills, such as writing a poem, considering family customs, and doing Internet research.

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