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One thing you might do is to find some part of the book or author that has a cool story or caused some controversy at some period in its history. We all know that high school kids love drama so give it to them in a way that makes them want to find out for themselves what is going on with that book.

https://www.thoughtco.com/why-was-great-gatsby-controversial-739960

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I would recommend getting them involved using movies that they may not know were originally books. That way they are more engaged knowing they will or could be turned into a popular movie.

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In High School my English teachers had us sit in two large circles and we each had to make comments from the text to discuss what was going on in the story/ what the meaning of the text was. If the student couldnt participate because they didnt read, they didnt get any credit!

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https://youtu.be/UHKTP5TkvHI

Response By: Sydney Blackwell

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Here are five ways to make class discussions fun!

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Photo credit: US Department of Education via flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Classroom discussions have been a staple of teaching forever, beginning with Socrates. I have taught using discussions, been a student in discussions, and observed other teachers' discussions thousands of times -- at least. Some have been boring, stifling or tedious enough to put me to sleep. Others have been so stimulating that I was sad to see them end. The difference between the two is obviously how interesting the topic is, but equally important is the level of student participation.

It's not enough for students to simply pay attention -- they need to be active participants to generate one of those great discussions that end far too quickly for both the teacher and students. The worst types of discussions are serial one-on-one talk between a student and teacher, leaving the rest of the class out of the process. Many students stop listening, begin to fade or disengage during this flawed procedure.

The best discussions keep everyone active, either by sharing or thinking. Even those students who rarely, if ever, contribute can still participate in other ways. Here are five of my favorite ways to design discussions in a dynamic and exciting manner.

1. Lightning Rounds

Just the name "lightning round" suggests energy. Make it even more dramatic by playing up the concept of speed, fun and excitement. Have your discussion questions prepared in advance so that you can ask them faster. Short-answer questions obviously work best for this technique. Students have 30 seconds (or a more appropriate time for your particular class) to answer. They can either answer or pass -- and no negativity is associated with passing. Ask the questions rapidly while growing the anticipation for each next question by imitating quiz show lightning rounds: "Are you ready for the next question? Here it comes." Ask the question before calling on a student so that all students must be ready to answer. The lightning round should take no longer than ten minutes, the approximate time that the energy begins to diminish.

2. Throw the Ball

Do not intercept the ball.

Do not throw the ball at another student.

Do not try to break anything in the class with the ball.

When you ask a discussion question, call on students by letting them catch a ball. With young children, you can use a beach ball and roll it to students in a circle. Older students can catch a beach ball or nerf football. This way of calling on students can either be a lot of fun and full of energy, or it can be a disaster. Be sure to keep the throwing distance short enough to prevent chaos. Make the rules clear and stop if they are broken:

In spite of the potential danger with using a ball, I have seen this done with much success and great student involvement. A variation that is safer and fun for grades 1-3 is to pass a teddy bear to the student who will answer the next question.

3. Group Answers

Two commonly used discussion techniques can be put together to allow a discussion that involves everybody at the same time. One is to form small groups of about three students. When the teacher asks a discussion question, every group has a small discussion of its own to come up with an answer. Questions of complexity work best with this method. Add to that the use of small cards with each having a method of group identification. After allowing enough time for each group to develop its answer, randomly pick a card and let that group give their answer. You can pick more than one card for each question. When the answer has been completed, put the used card back in the deck, so that no group can relax and think that their turn is over.

4. Agreements

Keep each question going longer by engaging more students in the discussion. When the first student answers a question, ask another student if he or she agrees or disagrees with that answer. Then ask another student, and keep going until at least five students have participated in each question.

5. Questionnaires

A fun way to discuss famous people or fictional characters is to choose someone you are studying. Divide the class into groups of two or three, and have each group come up with three to five questions they would like to ask that person in an interview style. All group members should agree on all the questions. Each group then passes their questions to another group so that all groups have someone else's questions. Each group then has the task of answering one question in writing, with full agreement, and in a way they imagine the person might answer. Papers are changed until all questions are answered. Then encourage each group to share their questions and the answers they received.

One final point about good discussions: most students can easily hear the teacher, but depending on room arrangement, it can often be difficult for students to hear each other. Have you ever tried to follow a press conference on television when you could not hear the question, only the answer? Our response ranges from frustration to giving up listening. Be sure to repeat student answers if any class member can't hear it.

I'm sure that every reader has either a variation of these discussion methods or some great ones of your own. I hope that many of you are willing to add yours to my humble list. Let's create a dynamic discussion of ideas in this space.

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5 Ways to Make Class Discussions More Exciting

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Classroom discussions have been a staple of teaching forever, beginning with Socrates. I have taught using discussions, been a student in discussions, and observed other teachers' discussions thousands of times -- at least. Some have been boring, stifling or tedious enough to put me to sleep.

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You can have them reading books that go along with movies. And maybe after reading the book you can show the movie!

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A fun link to some ideas for the upcoming creative writing project!

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Don't you just hate writer's block? Some say it's a disease that only creative workers succumb to. Some say it's a curse. Others argue that it doesn't exist at all. But just about everyone has been there-sitting in front of a blank screen, fingers itching to create a masterpiece. And nothing happens.

For me, the most bizarre thing about writer's block is that it strikes randomly. Most of the time, I'm overwhelmed with more ideas than I can possibly write about. But then I'll sit down to write and my mind goes blank. Sure, I flip through my notebooks and review all the ideas I've stockpiled, but nothing feels right. I want something fresh. I need a new angle.

To help break through this block, I started turning to creative writing prompts. And then I started making up my own prompts. The result: 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, a book designed to spark ideas for writers.

Creative Writing Prompts

Today I'd like to share a mash-up of creative writing prompts, all of which come from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts. There are no rules. Write a poem. Write a short story. Write an essay. Aim for a hundred words or aim for a hundred thousand. Just start writing, and have fun.

1. The protagonist is digging in the garden and finds a fist-sized nugget of gold. There's more where that came from in this hilarious story of sudden wealth.

2. Write a poem about something ugly-war, fear, hate, or cruelty-but try to find the beauty (silver lining) in it or something good that comes out of it.

3. An asteroid and a meteoroid collide near Earth, and fragments rain down onto the planet's surface, wreaking havoc. Some of those fragments contain surprising elements: fossils that prove life exists elsewhere in the galaxy, for example.

4. The story starts when a kid comes out of the school bathroom with toilet paper dangling from his or her waistband. Does someone step forward and whisper a polite word, or do the other kids make fun? What happens in this pivotal moment will drive the story and have a deep impact on the main character.

5. Revisit your earliest memories of learning about faith, religion, or spirituality.

6. Use all of the following words in a poem: bit, draw, flex, perilous, bubble, corner, rancid, pound, high, open.

7. Write a poem about a first romantic (dare I say sexual?) experience or encounter.

8. Write a personal essay describing an exotic animal you'd like to have as a pet.

9. Silvery flakes drifted downward, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. The blackbird soared.

10. Write a tongue-in-cheek, satirical tribute. Tell bad drivers, rude customers, and evil dictators how grateful you are for what they've done. Do it with a wink and a smile.

11. Write a story about a detective solving a crime that was committed against his or her partner or a crime that his or her partner committed.

12. Three children are sitting on a log near a stream. One of them looks up at the sky and says...

13. There is a magic talisman that allows its keeper to read minds. It falls into the hands of a young politician.

14. We've seen cute and cuddly dragons, mean and vicious dragons, and noble dragons. Write a story about a different kind of dragon.

15. Use all of the following words in a poem: dash, hard, staple, billboard, part, circle, flattened.

16. Write a story set in the distant future when humanity is at a fork in the evolutionary road. Some humans are evolving; others are not.

17. The kids were raised on the mantra "Family is everything." What happens when they find out their parents aren't who they pretended to be? Will the family fall apart?

18. Write a poem about one (or both) of your parents. It could be a tribute poem, but it doesn't have to be.

19. Turn ordinary animals into monsters that prey on humans: dog-sized rats, killer rabbits, or a pack of rabid mountain lions. Give the animals intelligence and set them loose.

20. A twinkling eye can mean many things. Write a poem about a twinkle in someone's eye.

21. What determines an action or person as good or evil? Who gets to decide what or who is good or evil? Write a personal essay about it.

22. Write a poem about your body.

23. The protagonist is about to drift off to sleep only to be roused by the spontaneous memory of an embarrassing moment from his or her past.

24. Write about the happiest day of your life.

25. Use all of the following words in a poem: feast, fire, modify, squash, robbed, forgotten, understated.

Now It's Your Turn

Did any of these prompts inspire you? Do you ever use creative writing prompts to ignite a writing session? Tell us what gets your pen moving by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

To get more prompts like these, pick up a copy of 1200 Creative Writing Prompts today.

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Don't you just hate writer's block? Some say it's a disease that only creative workers succumb to. Some say it's a curse. Others argue that it doesn't exist at all. But just about everyone has been there-sitting in front of a blank screen, fingers itching to create a masterpiece.

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A fun Crash Course to the next book we are covering! Students feel free to watch!

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To Kill a Mockingbird, Part 1 - Crash Course Literature 210

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Technology Question: Is there a better way to discuss books? 

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Technology Question: Is there a better way to discuss books? 

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Does anyone out there have ideas on how to engage my students in their reading? With High School students it can be difficult to keep them engaged. Any Suggestions?