6th Grade Literature Lesson

Dive into the world of The Outsiders with an engaging song lyrics analysis lesson centered around "Throwin' in the Towel" from The Outsiders Musical! This comprehensive lesson includes a video of the song, a detailed graphic organizer, thought-provoking discussion questions, and the full lyrics for an in-depth exploration.

Perfect for bringing literature to life, this resource will help your students connect with the themes of resilience, struggle, and identity. Ideal for middle and high school classrooms, it's a great way to blend music, literature, and critical thinking.

What's Included:

• Video performance of "Throwing in the Towel" from The Outsiders Musical
• Graphic Organizer for analyzing lyrics in both Google Doc and PDF versions
• Thought-provoking discussion questions
• Complete lyrics for in-depth analysis

Why You'll Love It:

• Engages students with a multimedia approach
• Encourages deep analysis and critical thinking
• Connects music with literature for a memorable learning experience
• Ready-to-use and easy to integrate into your lesson plans

This resource is for personal use in one classroom only. Please do not distribute

to others or post publically online (within your Google Classroom, etc. is

permitted). If a friend or colleague would enjoy this resource, you may

purchase additional licenses at a discounted price. The information ,activities

and images included are copyrighted. You may not reuse or sell any part of

this resource as your own. 

I would love to hear how you used this resource in your classroom. Please leave your feedback for TeachShare credits towards your next purchase.

Disclaimer: any video links are updated at the time of the posting of the resource. If the links are changed or removed, that is not the responsibility of the author of the lesson. Please let me know if you have any trouble accessing the link at any time.

To view more of my products, please check out my store at Nemo's Nook.

If you want your students to do an in depth novel study for The Wednesday Wars but you don’t want to give up your weekends digging for historical context videos, designing group discussion activities, and writing critical thinking comprehension questions, you are in luck! This no-prep novel study for The Wednesday Wars does all this and more! This comprehensive week-long chapter study of Ch. 6: February includes:

Teacher Instructions

• week-at-a-glance timeline
• Instructions for facilitating the cooperative learning discussion

Pre-reading Slides and Worksheets:

• Links to historical context videos about the people, places, and ideas of the late 1960s 
• Background knowledge of any Shakespeare works alluded to in the chapter
• Vocabulary words for the chapter
• A snapshot summary of the chapter--think of it as the Netflix snippet on an episode that gives you just enough of a framework to anticipate what is coming without giving away any of the juicy details.
• A literary analysis focus to consider while reading
• A note taking page for recording vocabulary and other big ideas

Comprehension Slides and Worksheets:

• Critical thinking comprehension and discussion questions
• A group discussion activity to make the discussion engaging for students
• Comprehension questions in worksheet formal just in case your students need that accountability to stay on task

Post Reading Slides and Worksheets:

• A fun, interactive group task for extension and relating to the text

This novel study for The Wednesday Wars includes PowerPoint slides, which can also be added to your Google Drive as Google Slides for Google Classroom users. There is also a PDF version of the slides. The novel study slides can be used as full lessons on their own, but there are worksheet versions of the comprehension questions as well as note taking guides and any other supplemental materials that you might want in a B&W printed version.

Open the preview for a closer look!

The Wednesday Wars Complete Novel Study

An easy to understand presentation to help students with mood and tone. Includes: Definitions Quotes Examples Group/Individual Activities with word banks Whole class reviews (Poetry and Prose) Great for literature classes and writing reviews! Meets CCSS.

Engage Your Students with the Wonders of the Coral Reef!

Bring the vibrant underwater world of coral reefs to life with this captivating resource designed for Grades 5 and 6! "The Silent Symphony of the Coral Reef" offers a multi-faceted learning experience that combines a visually stunning video with a thoughtfully crafted text, perfect for engaging your students in reading comprehension, science, and descriptive writing.

What's Included:

• High-Quality Video: Immerse your students in the beauty and diversity of coral reefs with a captivating video showcasing the incredible creatures and vibrant colors of this underwater ecosystem.

• EAL-Friendly Text: The accompanying text is written in clear, accessible language, making it ideal for English Language Learners and students of all reading levels.

• Engaging Activities: Spark curiosity and critical thinking with a variety of activities focused on descriptive language, figurative language, sentence variety, and creating mental images. These activities encourage students to analyze the text, deepen their understanding of the topic, and enhance their writing skills.

• Teacher's Answer Key: Save valuable time with question possibilities & additional ideas.

Why Choose This Resource?

• Cross-Curricular Connections: Seamlessly integrate reading comprehension, science, and writing instruction.
• Visually Stunning: Capture students' attention with vibrant underwater footage and imagery.
• EAL Support: Accessible learning opportunities for English Language Learners.
• Ready-to-Use Activities: Minimize prep time with engaging, ready-to-implement activities.
• Differentiated Instruction: Meet the needs of all learners with adaptable activities.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the author's craft in a text.
• Analyze textual evidence to support claims about the author's purpose.
• Connect the author's purpose to the overall message of the text.
• Expand vocabulary and descriptive writing skills.
• Looks at sentence length, tone, figurative language, imagery
• Develop a deeper understanding of coral reef ecosystems and their importance.

Perfect for:

• Whole-class instruction
• Small group work
• Independent study
• Centers
• Enrichment activities

Bring the magic of the coral reef into your classroom! Click here to purchase now and inspire your students with the wonders of the underwater world!

Engage your students with a comprehensive Pre-Reading Historical Introduction to Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. This Digital Google Lesson seamlessly presents this novel’s significant setting with critical world events of the time. This resource greatly improves comprehension while aligning to standards, ensuring a richer literary experience for all learning styles.

For use with whole group, small group, or independent work for regular ed, learning support, ESL or virtual/homeschool classrooms

Google Slides:

1. **Author Photo and Short Biography** Providing students with a personal connection to the author, enhancing their engagement and understanding of the writer’s influence behind the story.

2. **Historical Fiction Genre** Preparing students to critically analyze how real-world events of the time-period are portrayed through creative storytelling.

3. **Location Facts, Photos, and Maps** Providing students with a concrete understanding of the setting, enriching their grasp of the historical and geographical context of the story.

4. **Time-period Facts, Photos and Links** Helping students visualize and comprehend the novel’s historical context, deepening their understanding of the events and culture depicted in the story.

5. **Link to Time-period Music** Immersing students in the cultural atmosphere of the era, promoting an emotional connection.

6. **Links to Historical Video Clips** Bringing history to life, providing visual imagery and helping students better understand the events and people of the time-period.

7. **List of Books Written by this Author** Reading other books by the same author is important because it allows students to explore similar themes and styles, fostering a greater interest in literature and a deeper connection with the author's body of work.

8. **Pre- and Post- Printable Assessments with Answer Key** Crucial for the digital introduction lesson helping to gauge students' initial knowledge and track their progress, ensuring their understanding of the novel.

DIGITAL USES IN THE CLASSROOM:

· Introduce new story

· Provide factual backstory to historical fiction text

· Stimulate group discussion

· Create predictions about text

· Use as distance learning resource

· Post on webpage

· Add to electronic notebooks

Please be sure to view the preview and watch the video for detailed images and descriptions of the lesson.

This lesson is also available in PowerPoint.

Enjoy!

-From Kiwious About Vocab

Romeo and Juliet is a play created by Shakespeare. It is a tragic romantic story where the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet, are supposed to be fierce opponents but ultimately fall in love. Due to the ongoing conflict between their families, they cannot be with each other, resulting in their decision to end their lives as they cannot bear the agony of being apart. Romeo and Juliet is a heartbreaking drama written by Shakespeare.

Unquestionably, the primary and most important theme of the play is love. The drama focuses on romantic love, especially the passionate longing that ignites immediately when Romeo and Juliet encounter each other for the first time. In Romeo and Juliet, love is a passionate, thrilling, prevailing force that transcends all other values, loyalties, and emotions.

This lesson plan focused on Shakespeare's famous tragedy is designed to last approximately 6 hours (of course, depending on your class size). Many tasks are organized in five worksheets. Their replies are also incorporated at the conclusion.

This social emotional learning lesson uses Terry Bisson's short story They're Made Out of Meat. During this SEL lesson, students complete a pre-reading activity, read the short story (not included), answer questions related to the text, and contemplate the ways that they can demonstrate social awareness. In particular, this lesson focuses on the idea of excluding others. Students are asked to think about the reasons they exclude others and what they might be missing by excluding people. There is also an opportunity for whole class discussion regarding the idea of social awareness.

This lesson also focuses on short paragraph writing. The presentation contains an outline and example of a 6 sentence response. Students will first collect evidence to support a response about the identity of the short story's speakers. Then, they will practice writing the 6 sentence paragraph supporting their claim about the identity of the speakers.

This resource includes:

- a slides presentation to follow: 6 sentence paragraph outline and example, discussion questions

- 5 worksheets: pre-reading, an activity to help students determine the identity of the story's speakers, questions about social awareness in the text, and a reflection about themselves to increase self-awareness

- a teaching guide

This product features all the materials you need to conduct a thoughtful and engaging "HOT SEAT" for almost any class novel! The hot seat is set up essentially like a talk show, however in order to allow for full class participation, there are multiple interviewers and multiple character guests. Through role play, this lesson tests your students' understanding of the novel and allows them to showcase their knowledge of the characters and the relationships between them. Your students will be having so much fun that they will not even realize the high-order thinking skills they are applying! This activity can easily modified for almost any novel as well as for the number of students in your classroom. Product Includes: - Meticulously Explained 2-Day Lesson Plan - Character Instructions - Interviewer Instructions - Sample Chart - 2 Character Signs - 3 Fire Signs - Student Example This is the perfect activity for when a school vacation is coming up and you’re scrounging for lesson ideas. I always like to use it prior to a break; while so many other classes are watching movies, you have a practically hands-free lesson that your students (and administration) will love! ___________________________________________________________________________ Check out these related resources for your ELA classroom by Language Arts Excellence: ⭐ Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint
⭐ Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials
⭐ Literary Devices Crossword Puzzle
⭐ Literature Circle Task Cards
⭐ Literature Activities {{BUNDLE!}}
⭐ Novel Playlist Assignment
⭐ Guess Your Grade - Effective Effort Form
⭐ Figurative Language in 2017 Hit Music PowerPoint & Task Card BUNDLE
⭐ Figurative Language Challenge Game
⭐ Characters in the Hot Seat! ___________________________________________________________________________ ⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

Theme Analysis Made Simple! This resource includes a mini lesson, list of thematic topics, and theme analysis graphic organizers to explore the story element theme, making it perfect for any unit or novel study.

The resource includes:

• Mini Lesson (Google Slides): An engaging presentation that introduces the concept of theme, guiding students in distinguishing it from the main idea and exploring its significance in storytelling.
• Common Thematic Topics List: A curated list of thematic topics to help students recognize and connect recurring themes across different texts.
• Graphic Organizers (3 Choices): Versatile templates for students to organize their thoughts and evidence when analyzing themes, supporting deeper engagement with the texts they read.

This resource is ideal for deepening students' understanding of how conflicts shape character development and story progression!

Be sure to follow my store to stay up to date on sales, freebies, and new products!

Engaging Fiction Comprehension - Character, Plot, Solution

This resource includes a 500+ word engaging fiction story centered around a compelling character facing a problem and coming up with a thoughtful solution. The complex narrative is written at a high 5th - 6th grade reading level and tackles mature themes including passion, injury, depression, and overcoming adversity that will resonate with middle school students.

The passage is followed by 5 multiple choice questions and 2 short answer questions focused on analyzing the central character's motivations and development, understanding the plot points and central conflict, and examining how the character grapples with and solves the key problem in the story. Detailed sample responses and an answer key are provided.

This fiction comprehension resource is perfect for:

Analyzing character traits, motivations, and development

Plot analysis and plot structure

Conflict and resolution

Theme and central ideas

Critical thinking and analysis

Key terms: character, plot, conflict, solution, fiction comprehension, upper elementary, middle school reading

With engaging content and thought-provoking questions, this resource provides an excellent opportunity for upper elementary or middle school students to practice standards-aligned ELA skills. This comprehension activity engages learners in analyzing high-level narrative fiction.

Dive into the world of The Outsiders with an engaging song lyrics analysis lesson centered around "Tulsa '67" from The Outsiders Musical! This comprehensive lesson includes a video of the song, a detailed graphic organizer, thought-provoking discussion questions, and the full lyrics for an in-depth exploration.

Perfect for bringing literature to life, this resource will help your students connect with the themes of resilience, struggle, and identity. Ideal for middle and high school classrooms, it's a great way to blend music, literature, and critical thinking.

What's Included:

• Video performance of "Tulsa '67" from The Outsiders Musical
• Graphic Organizer for analyzing lyrics in both Google Doc and PDF versions
• Thought-provoking discussion questions
• Complete lyrics for in-depth analysis

Why You'll Love It:

• Engages students with a multimedia approach
• Encourages deep analysis and critical thinking
• Connects music with literature for a memorable learning experience
• Ready-to-use and easy to integrate into your lesson plans

This resource is for personal use in one classroom only. Please do not distribute

to others or post publically online (within your Google Classroom, etc. is

permitted). If a friend or colleague would enjoy this resource, you may

purchase additional licenses at a discounted price. The information ,activities

and images included are copyrighted. You may not reuse or sell any part of

this resource as your own. 

I would love to hear how you used this resource in your classroom. Please leave your feedback for TeachShare credits towards your next purchase.

Disclaimer: any video links are updated at the time of the posting of the resource. If the links are changed or removed, that is not the responsibility of the author of the lesson. Please let me know if you have any trouble accessing the link at any time.

To view more of my products, please check out my store at Nemo's Nook.

If you want your students to do an in depth novel study for The Wednesday Wars but you don’t want to give up your weekends digging for historical context videos, designing group discussion activities, and writing critical thinking comprehension questions, you are in luck! This no-prep novel study for The Wednesday Wars does all this and more! This comprehensive week long chapter study of Ch. 7: March includes:

Teacher Instructions

• week-at-a-glance timeline
• Instructions for facilitating the cooperative learning discussion
• ANSWER KEY

Pre-reading Slides and Worksheets:

• Links to historical context videos about the people, places, and ideas of the late 1960s 
• Background knowledge of any Shakespeare works alluded to in the chapter
• Vocabulary words for the chapter
• A snapshot summary of the chapter--think of it as the Netflix snippet on an episode that gives you just enough of a framework to anticipate what is coming without giving away any of the juicy details.
• A literary analysis focus to consider while reading
• A note taking page for recording vocabulary and other big ideas

Comprehension Slides and Worksheets:

• Critical thinking comprehension and discussion questions
• A group discussion activity to make the discussion engaging for students
• Comprehension questions in worksheet formal just in case your students need that accountability to stay on task

Post Reading Slides and Worksheets:

• A fun, interactive group task for extension and relating to the text

This novel study for The Wednesday Wars includes PowerPoint slides, which can also be added to your Google Drive as Google Slides for Google Classroom users. There is also a PDF version of the slides. The novel study slides can be used as full lessons on their own, but there are worksheet versions of the comprehension questions as well as note taking guides and any other supplemental materials that you might want in a B&W printed version.

Open the preview for a closer look!

The Wednesday Wars Complete Novel Study

An interactive, engaging 15 slide PowerPoint that defines and illustrates irony. Includes definition, everyday, and real life examples with photos, novel excerpts, and music links. Includes three individual/small/whole group activites for comprehension check.

Engage your students with a comprehensive Pre-Reading Historical Introduction to The Cay by Theodore Taylor. This Digital Google Lesson seamlessly presents this novel’s significant setting with critical world events of the time. This resource greatly improves comprehension while aligning to standards, ensuring a richer literary experience for all learning styles.

For use with whole group, small group, or independent work for regular ed, learning support, ESL or virtual/homeschool classrooms

Google Slides:

1. **Author Photo and Short Biography** Providing students with a personal connection to the author, enhancing their engagement and understanding of the writer’s influence behind the story.

2. **Historical Fiction Genre** Preparing students to critically analyze how real-world events of the time-period are portrayed through creative storytelling.

3. **Audio Link to Book**Providing an additional resource to support diverse learning styles and ensuring all students can access and engage with the text.

4. **Location Facts, Photos, and Maps** Providing students with a concrete understanding of the setting, enriching their grasp of the historical and geographical context of the story.

5. **Time-period Facts, Photos and Links** Helping students visualize and comprehend the novel’s historical context, deepening their understanding of the events and culture depicted in the story.

6. **Link to Time-period Music** Immersing students in the cultural atmosphere of the era, promoting an emotional connection.

7. **Links to Historical Video Clips** Bringing history to life, providing visual imagery and helping students better understand the events and people of the time-period.

8. **List of Books Written by this Author** Reading other books by the same author is important because it allows students to explore similar themes and styles, fostering a greater interest in literature and a deeper connection with the author's body of work.

9. **Pre- and Post- Printable Assessments with Answer Key** Crucial for the digital introduction lesson helping to gauge students' initial knowledge and track their progress, ensuring their understanding of the novel.

DIGITAL USES IN THE CLASSROOM:

· Introduce new story

· Provide factual backstory to historical fiction text

· Stimulate group discussion

· Create predictions about text

· Use as distance learning resource

· Post on webpage

· Add to electronic notebooks

Please be sure to view the preview and watch the video for detailed images and descriptions of the lesson.

This lesson is also available in PowerPoint.

Enjoy!

-From Kiwious About Vocab

The tragedy of political aspirations

A courageous Scottish general called Macbeth is given a prediction by three witches that he will someday be King of Scotland. Driven by ambition and urged into action by his wife, Macbeth kills King Duncan and quickly transforms into a tyrannical leader. Core themes in Shakespeare's Macbeth encompass: the conflict of good and evil, the perils of ambition, the impact of supernatural elements, the disparity between appearance and truth, as well as loyalty and remorse. A prominent theme in Macbeth is ambition, evident in both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They are lured by the notion that Macbeth will ascend to the throne – Macbeth is uncertain about his choices, but his wife is relentless in pursuing her desires – she considers her husband a coward and seems willing to go to any lengths.

Ambition drives one to wickedness - it empowers Macbeth, increasing his resolve, yet ultimately leads to his wife's madness.

Ambition ultimately destroys Macbeth as well, as he turns into a tyrant and consequently alienates his friends.

This lesson plan, which lasts nearly 6 hours (depending on your class size, of course), provides a comprehensive analysis of William Shakespeare's renowned play. It comprises spoken and written tasks, arranged into four worksheets. The responses are also incorporated.

This no-prep lesson covers the social emotional learning competency- responsible decision-making! Ray Bradbury's classic short story A Sound of Thunder provides students ample opportunity to analyze the decisions that characters make. This also provides an opening for teachers to talk with students about making responsible decisions in their own lives. The story is not included in this resource, but can be easily found online.

This resource is half ELA aligned and half SEL aligned. You will find comprehension, setting, and theme questions along with questions designed to make students think about their own decision making processes and the decisions of characters within the short story.

This resource contains:

• A Pre-Reading Activity where students are asked to think about their own decision making processes.

• A 20 Question Reading Quiz to check student comprehension of the short story.

• A 10 Slide Presentation to accompany the student worksheets. This presentation also contains a definition of responsible decision-making and a class discussion question.

• Text-Related Short Answer Questions that encourage students to think more deeply about the story.

• Decision Making Short Answer Questions that are related to the text. Students are asked to consider the decision making process of the main character in A Sound of Thunder.

• Decision Making Short Answer Questions that are related to the student. These questions encourage students to think about potential consequences before making decisions and ways to avoid being sucked into other people's bad decisions.

• A Teaching Guide with Answers to all questions on the student worksheets. The guide makes this lesson ideal for a substitute day!

This product features a comprehensive lesson plan with a fun twist that teaches your students not to judge a book by its cover (literally!). I use this lesson during the first week of school in my ELA classroom on the day I introduce my students to our school-wide reading program. The lesson serves as a great reminder that reading should be pleasurable, not a chore, and it teaches students that there are actually tangible ways to pick a book that they are going to enjoy. My students love this lesson and you will love to see them reading, writing, thinking, and speaking all in one class period!

Product Includes:

- Full lesson plan lesson with objective, materials, warm-up, explanation, application, and closing activity

- Accompanying student worksheet

- 3-slide powerpoint for warm-up

___________________________________________________________________________

Purchase lesson as part of the Back to School ELA Bundle for Middle School and save 25% off the cover price:

⭐ Back to School ELA Bundle

___________________________________________________________________________

Also, check out these great products to start your school year off strong by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Back to School ELA Escape Room

⭐ First Day of ELA "Book Talk" Activity

⭐ First Day of School Powerpoint

⭐ Study Hall Expectations Powerpoint Presentation

⭐ Back to School / Open House Brochure

⭐ Literary Bingo!

___________________________________________________________________________

⭐ Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

Conflict Analysis Made Simple! This resource includes a mini lesson, interactive notebook, and conflict analysis worksheets to explore the story element conflict, making it perfect for any unit or novel study.

The resource includes:

• Mini Lesson (Google Slides): An engaging presentation introducing the concept of conflict and its various types, helping students grasp how conflicts drive a story's plot.
• Interactive Notebook Foldable: A hands-on activity that reinforces students' understanding of different conflict types.
• Conflict Analysis Worksheets (5 Choices): Graphic organizers that guide students in applying their knowledge to analyze conflicts in stories, suitable for independent reading or class novel studies.

This resource is ideal for deepening students' understanding of how conflicts shape character development and story progression!

Be sure to follow my store to stay up to date on sales, freebies, and new products!

Dive into the world of The Outsiders with an engaging song lyrics analysis lesson centered around "I Could Talk To You All Night" from The Outsiders Musical! This comprehensive lesson includes a video of the song, a detailed graphic organizer, thought-provoking discussion questions, and the full lyrics for an in-depth exploration.

Perfect for bringing literature to life, this resource will help your students connect with the themes of resilience, struggle, and identity. Ideal for middle and high school classrooms, it's a great way to blend music, literature, and critical thinking.

What's Included:

• Video performance of "If I Could Talk To You All Night" from The Outsiders Musical
• Graphic Organizer for analyzing lyrics in both Google Doc and PDF versions
• Thought-provoking discussion questions
• Complete lyrics for in-depth analysis

Why You'll Love It:

• Engages students with a multimedia approach
• Encourages deep analysis and critical thinking
• Connects music with literature for a memorable learning experience
• Ready-to-use and easy to integrate into your lesson plans

This resource is for personal use in one classroom only. Please do not distribute

to others or post publically online (within your Google Classroom, etc. is

permitted). If a friend or colleague would enjoy this resource, you may

purchase additional licenses at a discounted price. The information ,activities

and images included are copyrighted. You may not reuse or sell any part of

this resource as your own. 

I would love to hear how you used this resource in your classroom. Please leave your feedback for TeachShare credits towards your next purchase.

Disclaimer: any video links are updated at the time of the posting of the resource. If the links are changed or removed, that is not the responsibility of the author of the lesson. Please let me know if you have any trouble accessing the link at any time.

To view more of my products, please check out my store at Nemo's Nook.

If you want your students to do an in depth novel study for The Wednesday Wars but you don’t want to give up your weekends digging for historical context videos, designing group discussion activities, and writing critical thinking comprehension questions, you are in luck! This no-prep novel study for The Wednesday Wars does all this and more! This comprehensive week-long chapter study of Ch. 10: June includes:

Teacher Instructions

• week-at-a-glance timeline
• Instructions for facilitating the cooperative learning discussion
• ANSWER KEY

Pre-reading Slides and Worksheets:

• Links to historical context videos about the people, places, and ideas of the late 1960s 
• Background knowledge of any Shakespeare works alluded to in the chapter
• Vocabulary words for the chapter
• A snapshot summary of the chapter--think of it as the Netflix snippet on an episode that gives you just enough of a framework to anticipate what is coming without giving away any of the juicy details.
• A literary analysis focus to consider while reading
• A note taking page for recording vocabulary and other big ideas

Comprehension Slides and Worksheets:

• Critical thinking comprehension and discussion questions
• A group discussion activity to make the discussion engaging for students
• Comprehension questions in worksheet formal just in case your students need that accountability to stay on task

Post Reading Slides and Worksheets:

• A fun, interactive group task for extension and relating to the text

This novel study for The Wednesday Wars includes PowerPoint slides, which can also be added to your Google Drive as Google Slides for Google Classroom users. There is also a PDF version of the slides. The novel study slides can be used as full lessons on their own, but there are worksheet versions of the comprehension questions as well as note taking guides and any other supplemental materials that you might want in a B&W printed version.

Open the preview for a closer look!

The Wednesday Wars Complete Novel Study