Teaching mood and tone—two abstract literary elements required in seventh-grade Reading Language Arts—can be a notoriously difficult challenge. Because students frequently confuse the two concepts, Three Lakes teachers Mollie Jackson and Ronda Utz teamed up to try a creative, collaborative approach. On Friday, they brought their third-period classes together in the library for a dynamic, co-taught lesson designed to make these tricky terms stick.
To bridge the gap between abstract definitions and concrete understanding, the teachers started with a visual hook. They showed the students two drastically different movie trailers for Mary Poppins—one the classic, cheerful original, and the other a fan-made horror re-edit. By analyzing the clips, students clearly saw how the same character could evoke entirely different feelings. As Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Utz emphasized to their classes: tone belongs to the author or speaker's attitude, while mood belongs to the reader's emotional response.
To deepen the learning, the teachers intentionally mixed students into collaborative groups, allowing peers of various academic levels to support and learn from one another. The library space provided ample room for lively, small-group discussions where every student was encouraged to participate.
During the activity, Mrs. Jackson utilized a unique strategy: she asked students to look at a question, identify a wrong answer, and explain exactly why it was incorrect.
"This type of questioning encourages all students to respond out loud, not only the few students who immediately know the correct answer," Mrs. Jackson explained. "It also sparks critical thinking. If they can analyze why an answer is wrong, it gives them better clues to find the correct answer on a multiple-choice quiz."
By blending multimedia tools, peer-to-peer collaboration, and strategic questioning, Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Utz transformed a difficult curriculum requirement into an unforgettable lesson. Three Lakes students are truly fortunate to have such creative, invested educators leading their classrooms.