8th Grade ELA Test Prep Centers

Did you know that one young girl's courage was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement? Introduce your students to the inspiring story of Claudette Colvin with our engaging and educational resource, perfect for Black History Month and STAAR test preparation. Suitable for grades 6-8, this free, print-and-go resource combines historical significance with critical thinking.

Our resource includes a short, informative text about Claudette Colvin, followed by four carefully crafted multiple-choice questions. These questions are aligned with STAAR standards, focusing on skills such as inference, summary, and author's purpose. It's an ideal tool for deepening students' understanding of important historical figures while honing their test-taking abilities.

This versatile resource is perfect for various classroom needs:

☑️ Center in stations

☑️ Homework assignment

☑️ Warm-up activity

☑️ Part of a larger unit on informational text

As a free resource, it’s designed to be easy for teachers – just print and you're ready to go. It's a valuable addition to any lesson plan during Black History Month and beyond.

Don't forget to check out our other free February resources, including the Valentine's Day Text Structure Color Sorts and the Valentine's Day Author's Purpose Coloring Quest! Grade 5-8 FREEBIE! (TeachShare.com)!

Be sure to follow our store for more free resources that bring ease and effectiveness to your teaching. Download now and bring Claudette Colvin's remarkable story into your classroom!

Enhance vocabulary in any class or content area with this AVID-inspired vocabulary awareness chart in Google Sheets. This vocabulary awareness chart allows students to check their awareness and knowledge of words found in the content they are learning about.

Directions

• The vocabulary self-awareness chart allows students to assess themselves on class vocabulary words.
• In my classroom, we chose our words from the words students have come across in their reading.
• Students write the vocabulary words, determine how well they know the word (checking a checkbox in the correct column), and type any notes or definitions they have for the word.
• Simply duplicate the chart in Google Sheets when you are ready for students to make a new self-awareness chart over new content you are learning so that students can keep a log.

What's Included

• One Google Sheets document where students will duplicate and log their vocabulary awareness across all the readings completed in your class.
• In the document, students will include:

- Name

- Date

- What the vocabulary is for

- Word

- Students will check a box for the following: know it well & can explain it, heard it or seen it before, no Clue

- Notes/Definitions

*This resource is available for Outschool teachers to purchase without the need for extra licenses.

Check out other AVID resources HERE!

Check out other Reading resources HERE!

Check out Writing Resources HERE!

Check out Collaboration resources HERE!

Check out Public Speaking resources HERE!

A quiz for Act1 of Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. Includes 10 multiple choice questions, two short written answer questions, and an answer key. Perfect for checking students understanding after reading Act 1 of the play.

A quiz for Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. Contains 10 multiple choice questions and 2 short answer questions for a total of 12 questions. Great for checking students understanding of Act 2 of the play.

A short 20 question multiple choice quiz. Comes complete with answer key. Easy to administer after teaching sentence structure.

A worksheet with requires students to analyze the famous monologue in Shakespeare's play "As You Like It". Works well on it's own or with the play. Includes an answer key.

A worksheet to help students analyze conflicts and themes in Viola's soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play: Twelfth Night. Comes with a graphic organizer and answer key. Great for when reading the play or on it's own.

20 Non-fiction writing prompts to help students with assessment writing. Comes with 20 handouts with graphics and writing space. Includes:

In my future I see...

People say I'm a dreamer...

My life is like a song...

Home represents...

Gossip spreads like wildfire...

plus 15 more non-fiction writing prompts that relate to students' lives!

Excellent for assessment prep, journal prompts, non-fiction connections to readings. Use the prompts as introduction into research then use the writing process and peer workshop essays for Common Core requirements.

A soliloquy Analysis of Hamlet's famous soliloquy. Includes a link to a video, handouts, and an answer key.

Every April, students can celebrate Tell-a-Story Day, which occurs at the end of the month. This 16 page handout will help students with organizing and telling fact-based stories. Great for building oral communication, evidence/proof, and re-telling memories. Includes: Finding storytelling topics Graphic Organizers for planning stories in chronological order Setting up a storytelling event Designing advertisements/invitations Peer workshopping stories Links to multicultural, professional, international/national storytelling centers, storytelling videos and websites Can be used any time of the year! Students will enjoy sharing stories while learning how to use fact-based information. Fun and educational!

For Middle Grade Students, all writers have it, but do you know what style is and how to recognize it? This 15 page presentation for will help students understand and analyze their own writing styles, as well as other authors' styles. Easy to follow format will have students analyzing style in no time! Includes: Checklist for Authors Handout Definitions for Author's Style . Examples of Classic Literature and Fairy Tale to Analyze How to Find Author's Style in Writing Extra Style Analysis Activities Author's Style Workshopping Handout How and Why to Improve Student's author's style Terminologies and definitions include: Audience—listeners, readers, viewers of work Author’s voice—sets writing apart from others; uniqueness of writing Genre—category/organization pattern of writing Purpose—intent of writing Mood—reader’s emotion to the writing Tone—author’s attitude about subject matter Sentence fluency—cadence, flow, transitions used Sentence variety—lengths/mixture of sentences Word choices—descriptions, figurative language, repetitions, synonyms… Excellent for introducing style, writing concepts, standardized testing reviews, class assessments, college readiness, CCSS, literacy centers, and grammar/editing revisions, Students will be able to identify their authors' styles after working through this presentation.

Should the federal minimum wage be increased? This is an argumentative essay prompt, 3 articles, graphs , and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about the federal minimum wage and whether or not it should be increased. This comes complete with rubric

Looking for more argumentative prompts with articles?

Cell phones in School: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Facebook: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

Should Schools Ban Soda? - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Hoping to deepen your students' knowledge of figurative language? Eager to equip your students with the tools and techniques for analyzing figurative language in Shakespeare's plays?

This FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE STATIONS activity is a fun and effective method for giving students practice at analyzing the most important types of figurative language. Students will develop the skills not only to identify types of figurative language but also to explain how figurative language contributes to the meaning of a literary text!

This stations activity focuses on the 8 types of figurative language that are used most frequently in William Shakespeare's plays: metaphor, simile, metonymy, personification, apostrophe, paradox, oxymoron, and hyperbole. It features over 120 quotations from Shakespeare's best plays. Students will learn about figurative language while gaining exposure to the most profound and thought-provoking lines from the world's greatest playwright!

Here's what you'll find inside this 40-page resource:

• Stations Worksheets (x8): This resource includes a total of 8 worksheets focused on 8 types of figurative language. Each worksheet challenges students to explain the meaning or effect created by the same figure of speech found across 6 quotations from Shakespeare's plays. The quotations include some of the most profound and thought-provoking lines from Shakespeare's best plays: Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest, and more. There are a total of 48 quotations from over 15 plays! (8 pages)

• Answer Keys to Stations Worksheets (x8): The answer keys explain how the figures of speech found across 48 quotations contribute to the meaning of Shakespeare's plays. (8 pages)

• Station Placards (x8): The 8 placards can be folded and placed on the desks that correspond to the 8 stations. The placards add a splash of colorful decoration to this activity. (8 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: This 1-page glossary features the 8 types of figurative language that are used most frequently throughout Shakespeare's plays. The glossary includes definitions of the 8 types of figurative language as well as one or two examples of how each figure of speech gets used in one of Shakespeare's plays. Students can use the glossary to study for the quizzes on figurative language. (1 page)

• Quiz on Metaphors & Similes: This quiz focuses only on metaphors and similes; it challenges students to identify the figures of speech used across 15 quotations from Shakespeare's plays. Includes answer key. (2 pages)

• Quiz on 8 Types of Figurative Language (x2): These two quizzes focus on all 8 types of figurative language. The first quiz challenges students to identity the figures of speech used across 25 quotations. The second quiz is similar but features 20 longer quotations; it could be used as a make-up quiz or extra-credit quiz. Includes answer keys. (8 pages)

Here are the types of figurative language featured across the 8 stations:

1. Metaphor

2. Simile

3. Metonymy

4. Personification

5. Apostrophe

6. Paradox

7. Oxymoron

8. Hyperbole

This entire 40-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: a Word doc *and* a PDF. Because the Word doc is editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students. If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

If you have any questions, please don't don't hesitate to get in touch. As a full-time teacher who is currently teaching a year-long Shakespeare elective, I'm eager to do everything I can to ensure that you have an amazing experience with the swan of Avon!

Thank you for stopping by Rigorous Resources!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Need help with organizing cause and effect essays? These 7 charts will guide students through planning and pre-writing cause and effect essays. Step-by-Step graphic organizers with note about cause and effect definitions, paragraph writing tip, and writing challenge to reorganize the essay on each handout.

Excellent for assessment practice, college test prep, standardized test prep, and expository writing. Helps build critical thinking skills. Meets state and federal ELA guidelines.

Review and practice those tricky comma rules by editing 10 short, unpunctuated (and uncapitalized) passages. If you've taught compound sentences, complex sentences, appositives, commas in dialogue, commas in a series, introductory element commas, direct address commas, and tag question commas, then this low-prep grammar resource is ideal for reviewing and honing those editing skills. Each passage uses several different types of commas making this activity fun but challenging. When laminated, these passages become reusable write & wipe boards and are the perfect addition for independent and small group writing centers/stations. Better yet, they can serve as a fast, informal assessment so you know exactly which comma rules to review and practice some more. Answer keys are included.

Comma Rules Included:

• compound sentences
• complex sentences
• apposition
• commas in dialogue
• commas in a series
• introductory element commas
• direct address comma
• tag question commas

You might also like . . .

Interactive Grammar Bookmarks

Hands-On Grammar: Bundle

Build a Sentence: Comma Rules

Hands-On Grammar: Appositives

Hands-On Grammar: Tag Questions

Hands-On Grammar: Introductory Element

Hands-On Grammar: Complex Sentences

Hands-On Grammar: Compound Sentences

Hands-On Grammar: Punctuating Dialogue

I'd love to hear how you use this resource in your classroom! Feel free to email me at iteachiwrite@yahoo.com with any questions or suggestions you may have. And don't forget to rate this product in order to earn TeachShare Credits for future purchases!

Copyright © iTeach & iWrite by Betsy Newmeyer.

All rights reserved by the author.

Permission to use for single classroom use only.

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Should schools ban soda? This is an argumentative essay prompt, three articles, and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about sugary drinks and whether or not schools should ban soda. This comes complete with rubric.

Google Drive Version can be found here

Looking for more argumentative prompts with articles?

Cell phones in School: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Facebook: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

Minimum Wage: Argumentative Prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Digital Task Cards are a great way to help your students practice figurative language! These cards can work on a computer or mobile device! No printing of cutting just assign the deck to your students and you are ready to go! Boom Learning is free to sign up for. Students get immediate feedback and teachers can take advantage of reporting tools. Easy and effective! Great for distance learning or in a digital classroom. A total of 23 task cards.

*****READ MORE ABOUT BOOM CARDS: Boom Cards are self-grading, DIGITAL resources. They live in the cloud. They can't be printed. They play on most modern browsers, Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. You open a Boom Learning℠ account to play them (to protect the children). Create Fast Play pins to assign your Boom Cards to students.

Boom Learning also has premium accounts. Premium accounts offer advanced assignment tools, individual and whole class performance tracking, and more. If you are a new Boom Learning customer, when you redeem your Boom Cards purchase you get 90-day free trial of a premium account. When your trial ends, you can renew or move to a free account. You may upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time. Free accounts use purchased Boom Cards with Fast Play pins.

***Did you know??? You can use Boom Cards in Google Classroom™! Just CLICK HERE to find out how!

Digital Task Cards are a great way to help your students practice the 3 types of irony! Students will review situational, verbal, and dramatic irony. These cards can work on a computer or mobile device! No printing of cutting just assign the deck to your students and you are ready to go! Boom Learning is free to sign up for. Students get immediate feedback and teachers can take advantage of reporting tools. Easy and effective! Great for distance learning or in a digital classroom. A total of 20 task cards.

*****READ MORE ABOUT BOOM CARDS: Boom Cards are self-grading, DIGITAL resources. They live in the cloud. They can't be printed. They play on most modern browsers, Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. You open a Boom Learning℠ account to play them (to protect the children). Create Fast Play pins to assign your Boom Cards to students.

Boom Learning also has premium accounts. Premium accounts offer advanced assignment tools, individual and whole class performance tracking, and more. If you are a new Boom Learning customer, when you redeem your Boom Cards purchase you get 90-day free trial of a premium account. When your trial ends, you can renew or move to a free account. You may upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time. Free accounts use purchased Boom Cards with Fast Play pins.

***Did you know??? You can use Boom Cards in Google Classroom™! Just CLICK HERE to find out how!

15 Commonly Confused Words J-W with engaging CCSS activities for students to learn. Includes: J-W game with fill-in-the-blank, definitions, make your own sentences/slides (individual/groups & competitive play) 2 Crossword puzzles with Commonly Confused Words 2 Word Searches with Commonly Confused Words All answer sheets included Directions and Suggestions with Extensions Words used are: 1. jewel joule 2. knew new 3. know no4. lay lie 5. loose lose6. moral morale 7. morning mourning 8. nose knows 9. none no one 10. passed past 11. pole poll 12. principal principle 13. rain reign 14. road rode15. sight site cite 16. stationary stationery 17. their there they’re 18. to too two 19. warn worn 20. weather whether Students will have fun learning these Commonly Confused Words.

Do your students need help with analysis? Use these ten graphic organizers with images for analysis practice and writing a thesis. These exercises and graphic organizers help students springboard to analyzing more complex illustrations and essays for future coursework.

This easy to implement, step-by-step analysis guide for individual, small/whole group practice includes:

Full picture slides for whole group discussion and preview

10 Analysis Graphic Organizers with images

One Blank Analysis Graphic Organizer

Analysis categories include: Assumptions/Inferences, Year, Time, Season, Setting, Stereotypes, Characterization, Genre, Emotions, and Others

Writing a Thesis Statement

This step-by-step guide is simple to follow, great for test prep, and helps students uncover the process of analysis.