227. CODE BREAKING AND CRITICAL THINKING: AN INTERVIEW WITH RUTA SEPETYS AND STEVE SHEINKIN

Subscriber-only episodeCheers! Find all your Brave New Teaching Happy Hour member info HERE:https://www.bravenewteaching.com/hhmembers"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

We love hosting authors on this podcast, and today we have a repeat guest. It’s the one and only Ruta Sepetys, only this time she’s joined by author, Steve Sheinkin! Ruta and Steve had teamed up and co-authored a new book called The Bletchley Riddle. The Bletchley Riddle is a historical mystery for middle grades and we’re so honored to have the opportunity to hear all the details from the authors themselves. Ruta and Steve share how this collaboration came to be, what the co-writing process was like, and how they envision students interacting with the text.Not only is this a great episode for ELA teachers, but it would also be a fun one to share with your students. It brings important yet underrepresented history to light in an exciting and engaging way for young readers. Be sure to check Ruta’s website for an educator's guide to The Bletchley Riddle!Resources:The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steve SheinkinSteve’s YouTube Channel: Author-Fan Face-OffShop Ruta’s booksShop Steve’s booksSHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode227"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Check out Curriculum Rehab here! Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Subscriber-only episodeCheers! Find all your Brave New Teaching Happy Hour member info HERE:https://www.bravenewteaching.com/hhmembers"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

We love all genres, but our favorite by far? Dystopia! Not only does this genre tap into the natural curiosity and critical thinking abilities of students, but there’s also so much opportunity to teach it across many grade levels. And don’t get us started on all the supplemental texts you can use!We could go on and on all day about why we love dystopian texts so much - and we will! In this episode, we’re rounding up our favorite Brave New Teaching tips as it relates to teaching dystopia in your classroom. Truthfully though, they are some of our best teaching tips, period.Whether you’re a seasoned dystopian enthusiast or new to the genre, this episode is packed with innovative ideas to enrich your curriculum and engage your students. After listening, be sure to send this episode over to a teacher friend. That way you can plan your next dystopian unit together!Resources:Cloudy Lesson planDystopia WorkshopThe Marrow Thieves: Amazon | Bookshop.orgEpisode 172, 3 Secrets to Teaching DystopiaEpisode 171, New Dystopian Texts & Supplements for Your ELA ClassroomEpisode 81, Essential Question Workshop: Dystopia (Woohoo!)Episode 62, Picture Book Lesson Walk-ThroughEpisode 61, Living in a Dystopian WorldSHOW NOTES: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode226"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Check out Curriculum Rehab here! Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Subscriber-only episodeCheers! Find all your Brave New Teaching Happy Hour member info HERE:https://www.bravenewteaching.com/hhmembers"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Ready to uplevel your classroom library this year? We’ve got just the thing for you! We’re sitting down with our executive assistant (and full-time ELA teacher) to share our top three new book recommendations. Choosing just one book each wasn’t easy, but we got it done!You’ll hear each of our selections and why we think it deserves a spot on your shelves. From historical to fantasy, we’re confident that this list has something for everyone. They just might become some of your students' favorites this year! For more book recommendations, follow along on Instagram @bravenewteaching. Better yet, come share your top book recommendations with us. We always love to hear what’s working in your classrooms!You can shop all of our favorite books on Bookshop.org (Amanda’s list and Marie’s list) or Amazon. Check the links below for individual titles!Books Mentioned:The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming: Amazon | Bookshop.orgA Universe of Wishes by Dhonielle Clayton: Amazon | Bookshop.org The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: Amazon | Bookshop.orgShow Notes: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode225"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Check out Curriculum Rehab here! Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Cheers! Find all your Brave New Teaching Happy Hour member info HERE:https://www.bravenewteaching.com/hhmembers"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

There are several frequently asked questions that we get in our Brave New Teaching community and many of them center around teaching theme. For example, How can we make teaching theme easier? What are some new ways of teaching theme? What do students really need to know when it comes to theme?It’s clear that theme is something we could all use additional support with! It’s a state standard and not going anywhere, so let’s talk about it! I recently took a magical trip to Disney with my family, and the experiences we had there taught me a lot about teaching theme. While Disney has its flaws, one thing they have absolutely mastered is the art of theming!There are three main lessons I learned about teaching theme through the Disney lens:Theme is an experience that requires a beginning, middle, and endThe details of the experience enhance and color that themeHow important is it actually for kids to articulate a theme statement independently?I’m breaking down each of these lessons inside this episode. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be a Disney fan to appreciate the takeaways! I have a feeling it will help you in your lesson planning and goal setting this year.If you want to continue the conversation about teaching theme, send us a message on Instagram @bravenewteaching. Better yet, join us in Happy Hour where we have lots of detailed discussions about these topics with actionable lesson plans and resources every single month!Show Notes: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode224"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Check out Curriculum Rehab here! Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Subscriber-only episodeCheers! Find all your Brave New Teaching Happy Hour member info HERE:https://www.bravenewteaching.com/hhmembers"Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Teacher friends, it’s Marie here, and I’m extra excited for you to hear today’s episode. I get to sit down with middle grades author James Ponti! James is here to tell us about his inspiration behind The Sherlock Society, his journey from working in television to becoming an author, and so much more.To top it all off, my middle school son Wyatt is acting as my co-host to help me interview James!  Wyatt has read some of James’ books and is a big fan, so it’s amazing to hear the excitement in their voices when they talk to each other.If you aren’t already familiar with James Ponti’s books, check them out after listening to this interview! We love them because of how engaging and accessible they are for the middle-grades audience. During our conversation, James even gave some ideas of how you could pair The Sherlock Society with other texts for a thematic unit.Resources Mentioned: James’ websiteThe Sherlock Society: Bookshop.orgThe Sherlock Society: AmazonMore books by James PontiHost a mystery at your school!James’ Instagram: @jamespontibooksShow Notes: https://www.bravenewteaching.com/home/episode223 "Send us a message - please include your contact information so we can chat soon!"Check out Curriculum Rehab here! Support the show📚 BNT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES 👩‍💻 Join Happy Hour! Curriculum Rehab Down with the Reading Quiz Shop the BNT Resource Library Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching Subscribe to our YouTube Channel