Each month, we share five things we love as part of our Footnotes Newsletter. Dive into our October 2024 edition to discover the latest English language arts resources, articles, and other gems that we think you should see!

1. "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe ― Audio Narration

A classic tale of revenge from horror icon Edgar Allan Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado” comes alive in this unabridged audio performance by voice actor G. M. Danielson. Pair this atmospheric narration with our Instant Short Story Pack for creepy classroom fun!

2. Playing an Improv Game for Character Analysis

In Katie Giordano’s 4th-grade class, students enjoy playing Love It / Hate It, an improv game that taps into character analysis and perspective-taking. Through improv activities like this, students gain a better understanding of key concepts while building a strong classroom community. Learn more about this unconventional teaching method in this Edutopia video.

3. “Are You Pleased with This?”

ELA teacher Jennifer Ochoa noticed something going on in her classroom: rather than reflecting on each part of the writing process, students were only focused on completing the work. In this post for NCTE, see how one small change helped her students rekindle a sense of pride in their work and ultimately reframe how they tackle writing tasks.

4. Making Books With Kids

Here’s a creative activity for students of all ages! Visit the Teachers Making The Basics Fun YouTube channel for a quick tutorial on making simple flip books using only scissors, a stapler, and a piece of paper. These little books are the perfect canvas for creative writing assignments, vocabulary review, literary summaries―the possibilities are endless!

5. The Best Scary Short Stories for Middle and High School To Teach Around Halloween

Are you looking for eerie short stories that are packed with literary merit this Halloween? The Teaching Distillery has you covered. See their top six picks in this post!