2019 Bostitch Classroom Grant Winner: LaToya Warren

We are happy to present Ms. Warren with one of two Bostitch Creativity in the Classroom Grants for 2019! Using the delicious theme of serving your project as a three-course meal, Ms. Warren incorporates modern themes for her students to utilize in creating each course!

About Ms. Warren

Ms. Warren teaches at Lexington Middle School in Lexington, North Carolina. More specifically she teaches English class that spends a part of the semester focusing on the book Forged by Fire. Take a look at what a great job she is doing with her lesson plan!

The Winning Lesson Plan:

Learning Menu

 Purpose: As a way to show evidence of your understanding of Forged by Fire, you will complete a variety of tasks.    Timeline: March 11-15, 2019 

Side Dishes (Each dish is worth a certain amount of points. Your goal is to earn 100 points. Eat up!)

• Use a digital platform (Google Drawing, Google Slides, Prezi, etc) to create an interactive timeline of events for the novel. Include important events, character introductions, conflicts and resolution, images to represent each event. Include links, gifs, videos, images, etc. to enhance your diagram. Share within the Google Classroom assignment. (15 pts)
• If this novel had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it? Create a YouTube playlist that includes songs that sequentially represent at least 14 of the chapters of the novel. Use Google Docs to write brief reasonings for each song choice. Share within the Google Classroom assignment. (20 pts)
• What does the text inspire you to create artistically? Use materials in the classroom or from home to create something representative of the text. Let those creative juices flow! (40 pts)
• Research one or two of the life topics that were presented in the book. Create a brochure, poster board, or digital presentation to show your findings. Bonus learning points if you present your findings to the class! (15 pts)
• Write a song, poem, or rap based on the novel. Bonus learning points if you perform it for the class! (15 pts)
• Create a comic strip retelling the story in your own words. Include important characters, exciting events, conflicts, and resolutions. (15 pts)
• Create a new book jacket new cover for the novel. Use the digital tool or artistic medium (draw, paint, etc.). Remember to include a summary about the author and an eye-catching cover image. (15 pts)
• Create a video book trailer using the digital tool of your choice. Remember to include music to set the tone and tell a brief story about the central conflict and characters without revealing too much! Tease the audience! Share within the Google Classroom assignment. (30 points)

Desserts (Optional assignments. Limit one!)

• You are a writer for the Lexington Dispatch. Write a book review for the novel. See Ms.Warren for a template to guide your book review. (25 pts)
• Locate at least 6-8 quotes that you feel reflect what’s important about the novel’s theme. Find at least 6-8 that do the same for your life. Display them and explain your choices. (25 pts)
• Find out about famous people in history or current events whose experiences and lives reflect the essential themes of this novel. Show us what you’ve learned. (25 pts)
• Create a bio-poem based on the perspective of one of the characters. See Ms.Warren for the bio-poem template. (25 pts)

This lesson plan is a favorite of ours because it allows for students to incorporate a learning guide with their own personal touch of how they interpreted the book. It pairs writing, technology, and music that will serve up a diverse dimension of the book on a silver platter!