Using Pop Culture To Teach Reading Concepts (Minilesson suggestions included!)

I have been in many classrooms where the introduction to a reading skill consists of copying notes, maybe reading a short story together, and then practice worksheets. While I know the teachers who are creating these lessons are intelligent, creative, and hardworking educators who do many wonderful things in their classrooms once they get past this introductory stage, even I find myself drifting off during these lessons. I can only imagine what this experience is like for students who hate reading and fail to see its relevance to their lives.

To battle this boredom and make introductory lessons more meaningful, I use pop culture to introduce my lessons. Here’s why:

1. It keeps students engaged.

I have been asked if using music videos to introduce theme or a documentary to introduce main idea dilutes students' understanding of the concepts. My response is always to ask if stories that are sung don't have themes that are as important. I think my students' understanding is actually enhanced by using these media, because everyone gets actively engaged in these introductory lessons.

How I Taught My Middle Schoolers The Value Of Everyday Heroism

  Perhaps you've been in that meeting where the principal/district administrator/some other person who is not in a classroom declares that you are going to solve all the problems of middle school by integrating some form of social emotional learning into the classroom. Likely, this was accompanied by some form of internal or external groaning, as you realized that you had one more thing to do in your already over-stretched class.

    This blog is going to focus a lot on how social emotional learning can actually be the basis for an extremely rigorous and fulfilling curriculum. Turns out, that administrator may have been right 😃 Reading, writing, and discussion can lead to better citizenship, more empathy, and just generally better human beings.

    Today's post will not focus on rigorous reading or writing, however, but will again ask students to work on building their discussion skills (see posts about teaching academic discussion skills here and here). One of the first tasks I ask students to do as a community building exercise is to complete and present a Pyramid of Heroism.

A completed Pyramid of Heroism.