Autumnal Lexicon: Embracing the Splendor of Fall

The pumpkin spice latte has officially dropped at Starbucks, and I’m ready to break out the corduroy.  Not because I knock back PSL’s (I actually take my coffee black), but I absolutely love fall and everything it implies: pumpkins, sweater-weather, football, bonfires, hot drinks, chilly days, and of course the vibrant foliage and colors. 

Resplendent in its hues of amber and gold, autumn has inspired poets, writers, and logophiles everywhere.  As an official word-nerd, I had to capture some of my favorite fall color words to describe this enchanting time of year.  

 

Vermillion (Red): A rich and fiery shade of red, vermillion evokes the vibrant red leaves and accents that make autumn so visually striking.

 

Amberine (Gold): Inspired by the gemstone amber, amberine embodies the coppery, warm tones that dominate the fall foliage and landscape. 

 

Xanthic (Yellow): Capturing the intense yellow shades that emerge this time of year, xanthic reflects the yellow or golden hues as leaves turn and sunlight mellows.

 

Cinnabar (Brown): Cinnabar perfectly expresses the warm, tawny colors of autumn’s earthy palette, reminiscent of cinnamon and warmth by a cozy fire.  

 

Carotenoid (Orange): Carotenoid conveys the fiery, flame-like colors that blaze across autumn sunsets and of course everything pumpkin-y.  

 

Cerulean (Blue): While typically associated with the sky, "cerulean" also describes the intense blue of clear autumn days, when the sky seems impossibly clean and vibrant.

So, next time you’re sitting around the campfire in your cozies, casually drop one of these gorgeous words to describe the beautiful autumn ambiance!  

Or when you’re knocking back your daily PSL.  

Cheers to fall, y'all!    

Start the Year With a Short Story Unit

Have you considered starting the year with a Short Story Unit?  Short stories are a great way to engage and enlighten secondary scholars. These compact narratives pack a punch while teaching literary concepts, such as plot, setting, static and dynamic characters, irony, foreshadowing, and the all-important theme – also known as the author’s message. 

Here are seven additional benefits to teaching short stories: 

1) Short Stories are captivating and instructionally efficient. You can teach a short story in 1-3 days, whereas a novel takes several weeks. 

2) Short Stories expose students to diverse cultures and perspectives and lend themselves to text-to-text comparisons. 

3) Short Stories enhance critical thinking while providing an entry point into literary analysis. 

4) Short Stories cultivate imagination and creativity. 

5) Short Stories showcase the power of concise language and effective writing styles with precision. 

6) Short Stories explore relevant social issues, ethical dilemmas, and human experiences that resonate with students' lives. 

7) Short Stories encourage collaboration as they lend themselves to group discussions, debates, and small group activities. 

Teaching short stories offers a plethora of benefits for secondary students. By incorporating these bite-sized narratives into the curriculum, we can inspire a love for literature, create meaningful discussions, and equip students with valuable skills that will extend far beyond the classroom.

As Edgar Allen Poe, inventor of the short story, said, “A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.” 

Here are fifteen of my favorite short stories that do just that: 

"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry

"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant

"The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst

"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs

"Charles" by Shirley Jackson

"A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor

"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury

"Rikki Tikki Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling

"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl 

"The Open Window" by Saki

"Thank You M'am" by Langston Hughes

"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

August Literacy Loot

Greetings, Lit Lovers!  

Yes, it's that time! Back-to-school is always exciting and a little stressful. Here are some instructional goodies to make your BTS experience the best ever...😀  

Ice-Breakers don't have to be cringy. Try a little Student Speed Dating for the best get-to-know you activity!

My BTS Products will set you up with ice breakers, word walls, Morning Meetings, hall passes, and must-have PowerPoints to share with students and parents.  Be sure to check out the Morning Meeting Year Long Jumbo Bundle and no-prep Class Management Jumbo Bundle for everything you need to set a positive tone and establish routines! 

This year is a great time to Drop Everything and Read with your students while building a culture of reading. The D.E.A.R. Jumbo Bundle has everything you need for a successful experience, including norms, discussion questions, and fun activities.

Research shows that students need brain breaks!  Combine word work with word fun with the Word Game Jumbo Bundle - that includes Boggle, Scattergories, and Rebus Puzzle Brain Teasers.  

Need to assess or build skills?  Check out my Grammar Bundle and Ultimate ELA Test Prep Bundle for instructional PowerPoints, strategies, task cards, and easy-to-score assessments. 

Are your students perplexed by punctuation? Say good-bye to comma trauma with the ultimate Punctuation Mark Bundle that covers all (14) punctuation marks with no-prep PowerPoint lessons, task cards, and assessments!

 

Teaching prominent authors like Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou? Of course you are! Hook your students with these Author Task Cards. Perfect for evaluations!

Finally, if you need a quick placement assessment - click HERE! 😀

Happy Back-to-School!  

With literacy love,

Kimberly