ABOUT BRANCHES OF LITERACY
Branches of Literacy is dedicated to providing engaging, thoughtfully crafted resources that help students strengthen their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills — all while having fun. Whether you're supporting middle- or high-school students, native-English speakers or English-language learners, you will find resources that foster creativity, language mastery, and confidence.
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Project-based learning activities that spark curiosity and encourage deep exploration, including hands-on projects like 30 People, 1 Question, which guide students through research, interviews, video creation, and reflection — perfect for developing real-world communication skills and fostering independent learning.
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Grammar materials for FANBOYS, SWABIs, and THAMOS to help students improve sentence structure, punctuation usage, and overall writing ability.
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Literary projects that offer creative, engaging alternatives to essay writing, including the Ignite speech presentation, where students still engage meaningfully with literature while developing their voice and sharpening their critical thinking skills.
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Writing activities and graphic organizers to help students with tone and style shifts across different audiences, as well as enhancing paragraph and essay structures.
Branches of Literacy learning resources empower students to take ownership of their learning journeys, helping them build essential language skills while encouraging them to see the power of words in action and connect language with the world around them.
ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Greg, the guy behind Branches of Literacy. I'm originally from the Windy City aka Chicago, Illinois (pronounced il-uh-noi), USA. I studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. I'm currently on my fifth international teaching adventure, making waves in Salvador, Brazil. I've also lived and taught in San Jose, Costa Rica (Pura vida, mae!); Istanbul, Turkey (Türkçe yok); Porto Alegre, Brazil (Bah, Tchê!); and Kathmandu, Nepal (Namaste). I'm a pot-o'-day coffee addict and lover of puns, SpongeBob, and spicy food, especially Mexican and Thai. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy traveling, reading, cooking, and working on my Portuguese.
It's hard to believe that I've been teaching for over 15 years now, but seeing and feeling my growth as a teacher and person satisfies the soul. (My deepest apologies to my first set of students back in Chicago, lbvs!) I hope to help my students realize a similar sense of growth and satisfaction as we continue our learning journey together!
