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Continue reading →: Last Minute Tips for the AP Lit Multiple Choice Exam
Need some advice to pass on to your student literary geniuses? Want them to feel oh-so-ready to crush that AP Lit exam? Let’s dive into some super-effective strategies
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Continue reading →: Setting the Stage: The Crucial Role of Context in AP Lit Success
Discover how providing historical, cultural, and biographical context for Heart of Darkness transforms students’ understanding, enriches literary analysis, and prepares them to write AP Lit’s free-response essay confidently.
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Continue reading →: Teaching Heart of Darkness and Victorian Poetry: Full Novel Unit
Comprehensive guide for teaching Heart of Darkness: Victorian poetry pairings, text-dependent questions, critical analyses, and resources for AP Lit and high school English.
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Continue reading →: Effective Strategies for Teaching Dubliners in AP Literature Classes
Discover why James Joyce’s “Dubliners” is essential for AP Literature classes. Explore its modernist techniques, universal themes, and historical context, perfect for deep analysis and exam preparation. Learn effective teaching strategies and access ready-to-use materials for an engaging classroom experience.
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Continue reading →: Why I Love to Introduce Literary Analysis Essays with the Character Analysis
Discover why character analysis essays are an effective tool for teaching literary analysis in ELA classes. Learn 8 key benefits for developing critical thinking and writing skills
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Continue reading →: Rubrics for High School English Language Arts
This comprehensive collection of rubrics for high school English Language Arts covers everything from essays and projects to presentations and creative assignments. Whether you’re teaching literary analysis, research skills, or creative writing, you’ll find both free and premium rubrics to suit your needs.
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Continue reading →: Enhance Classroom Engagement with the Fishbowl Method: A Teacher’s GuideDiscover how to transform your classroom with the fishbowl discussion method. Learn 9 teacher-tested strategies to boost student engagement, critical thinking, and confidence. Perfect for ELA and other subjects!
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Continue reading →: Implementing CER Paragraphs: Boost Student Analytical Writing SkillsDiscover how CER paragraphs transform student writing by improving organization, supporting ideas with evidence, and clarifying reasoning. Implement this effective strategy aligned with Common Core standards to boost analytical skills today!
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Continue reading →: AP Lit Exam Essay Writing: Tips and Strategies for Success
A guide for AP Lit essay success, covering advice on time management, structure, and style. Emphasizes readiness, prompt comprehension, and efficient time use. Includes tips for crafting strong theses, organizing body paragraphs, using quotes effectively, and maintaining a scholarly tone. Also provides specific insights for prose and poetry essays.
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Continue reading →: How to Assess Collaborative Learning and Group Work
📚🎓 I love group projects. My students tend to say THEY love group projects. Providing awesome opportunities for students to develop critical 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, and shared responsibility is crucial. But we all know that group work also often opens the door for inequitable workloads, team member conflicts,…
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Continue reading →: Designing Multi-Aligned Rubrics: Save Time and Encourage Mastery!
Grading can take so, so, so much time. As much as I love seeing what my students produced and giving them enthusiastic and helpful feedback, I do NOT love doing the math in my head and realizing this next batch of essays is going to take me 10-20 hours to…
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Continue reading →: Combine the Common Core, AP Lit Big Ideas, and CER to Create One Powerhouse Rubric
Like many English teachers, I teach multiple preps. Mainly 11th Grade English Literature and Composition, American Literature (Grades 11 and 12), and AP Lit & Comp (Grades 11 & 12). No matter the course, however, I’m always coming back to the foundational skills of textual analysis, evidence-based argumentation, and effective…
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Continue reading →: Sample WorkWhy You Should Use Sample Work as Mentor Essays with Your Students! Essay writing is one of the hardest parts of teaching English Language Arts! There are so many skills the students need to master. It’s a lot to get your head around, as a student AND as a teacher!…
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Continue reading →: Full Awakening Novel Study: 11th Grade ELA & AP Lit
The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a commonly taught text in American high schools. It’s a timeless classic for a reason, and in this post I will share my unit materials with you! Published in 1899, the themes of this book are definitely still relevant today. I find that it…
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Continue reading →: Improving Student Engagement: The Power of Choice Novel Units
ChatGPT Discover the transformative power of the choice novel unit in high school English. By letting students select books aligned with their passions, engagement soars, sparking a lifelong love for reading while honing critical analysis skills. Join the excitement—empower learning through autonomy and watch your classroom come alive!
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Continue reading →: How to Make a Persuasive Speech / Research Unit for 11th Graders
How to create a persuasive speech unit for high schoolers. From topic selection to thorough research and structured organization, empower them to argue passionately for issues they care about. Build confidence in public speaking and critical thinking—essential skills for shaping opinions and driving change.
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Continue reading →: 11th Grade Body Biography Assignment and Rubric
Body biographies are a dynamic tool for teaching character analysis. They align with Common Core standards, including integrating textual evidence, fostering creativity, and reinforcing academic skills like citation and research. The post offers practical advice, a free assignment download, and showcases student examples to illustrate its effectiveness in literary education.
Hi,
I’m Carly
Welcome to English with Mrs. Lamp, where I share teaching ideas, advice, and resources for 11th Grade American Literature, AP Lit, and High School ELA!
I specialize in providing units and materials for new teachers & homeschool parents that come with thorough pacing guides, unit calendars, lesson plans, answer keys, and notes with tips, tricks & advice to make your lessons go smoothly!
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