8th Grade Reading Activities

Do your students need highly engaging morning meeting digital resources or a picture of the day to start off their morning? Morning Meeting Picture Slides are important to utilize to develop strong relationships with students and peer-to-peer relationships.  The picture of the day allows for deeper conversations and the building of a strong classroom community, which in turn raises academic achievement skills. The digital resource has many diverse pictures where everyone can feel represented.

How I Use Picture of The Day

We use a picture of the day every morning during our morning meeting routine. The morning meeting slides are projected on our screen for all students to see. Students are asked to infer, visualize, synthesize, and create connections with the picture. Looking closely at a picture is an important reading skill for students to develop to create inferences about what they are reading. 

Additionally, The picture of the day can be used for writing prompts or centers. Students can look at the picture and write a story based on the picture. 

This is also an excellent resource to use with your remote learners. You could assign one or more morning meeting slides to their learning management system for morning meetings and writing or reading activities. 

“Morning Meeting is an engaging way to start each day, build a strong sense of community, and set children up for success socially and academically.” -Responsive Classroom

“Morning meetings are an excellent way to help students transition from home to school and help them get ready to learn. In addition, these meetings can help you connect with your students, help students build relationships with each other, and promote an overall sense of community in the classroom.” -Centervention

The topics and what is included:

• 180 pages of editable Google Slides. 
• Diverse, beautiful pictures.
• Pictures were either taken by me or were purchased stock photos. 
• No worksheets. 
• An excellent time-saver where all of the pictures are ready to go in one place!

Resources you may also love.

• Morning Meeting Questions
• If you need grant money to buy more resources, check out my e-book on Grant Writing Tips for Teachers and Administrators. 
• Surgery Day Transformation Activity- Surgery Day Math

Blog Posts You Might Enjoy

• Grants for Teachers
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Challenge your students with a deep exploration of figurative language with this complete, standards-aligned lesson plan centered on Langston Hughes’ classic poems Dreams and Harlem. Perfect for grades 6-8, this 60-minute lesson introduces and reinforces figurative language skills with a variety of Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels, from identification to detailed analysis. Through engaging activities, guided notes, fill-in-the-blank practice, and insightful discussions, students will strengthen their understanding of metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, repetition, and more!

What's Included:

• Do Now Prompt: Connect students personally to the theme of dreams and aspirations.
• Guided Notes & Slides: Fill-in-the-blank notes and a comprehensive slide deck introduce and review key figurative language concepts.
• Figurative Language Practice Handout: Allows students to identify and categorize figurative language independently or in pairs.
• Detailed Analysis of Dreams and Harlem: Thought-provoking questions and guided analysis help students apply figurative language skills in context, from interpreting similes and metaphors to discussing theme.
• Reflection and Discussion: Encourages students to connect poetic themes to real life and deepen their understanding of how figurative language enhances literature.

Why Teachers Love It: This resource provides a complete and flexible plan that fits seamlessly into any poetry or figurative language unit, with resources to support all stages of learning—from foundational identification to advanced interpretation. It’s ideal for introducing figurative language or deepening students’ analysis skills, making it a versatile addition to any ELA classroom.

Key Features:

• Differentiated Levels of Analysis: Activities move from DOK Level 1 (identifying figurative language) to DOK Levels 3-4 (interpreting meaning and thematic connections).
• Engagement-Boosting Content: Uses two of Hughes’ most powerful poems to explore big ideas about dreams, aspirations, and consequences, making learning relevant and impactful.
• Aligned with Language Standards: Perfect for reinforcing figurative language standards through high-interest texts.

Boost your students' confidence with figurative language and inspire thoughtful conversations with this enriching lesson plan! Download today to elevate your poetry and figurative language instruction with this ready-to-use, engaging resource!

Learning new vocabulary doesn't have to be a dry and boring task! This engaging "Donut Delight" activity sheet transforms vocabulary exploration into a fun and interactive experience for your students.

What's Included?
OPTION #1: Fillable Donut Template: This printable features a delicious-looking donut with designated sections for students to record:

• Word
• Synonym
• Antonym
• Definition

OPTION #2: Cut-and-Paste Option: An additional sheet provides a donut outline that students can cut out and decorate.

Mettry's Tip:

• Laminate the completed donut sheets for durability and create a classroom vocabulary word wall. This allows for collaborative vocabulary exploration and reinforcement.
• Use the donut sheets as a springboard for class discussions about synonyms, antonyms, and sentence construction.
• Compile the completed donut sheets throughout the year to create a personalized vocabulary booklet for each student.

⭐Practice Alert: Synonyms & Antonyms Robot Sheet⭐

Don't forget to share with me how it went with your little ones. I hope it was useful in your classroom.

If you like this product, follow my store -Mettry Teaches- for more.

Looking for a thought-provoking, creative activity to pair with your Wonder novel study? This acrostic poem and "Design Your Own Choose Kindness Shirt" art activity are just what you need to inspire your students while reinforcing themes of kindness, empathy, and self-expression!

Recommended for grades 5-8.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

✨ Acrostic Poem Template: Students use their names to craft thoughtful poems inspired by the story and its powerful message. It’s perfect for encouraging critical thinking and creativity.

✨ Kindness T-Shirt Design Activity: Have your students imagine they’re creating their own “kindness campaign” by designing a T-shirt with a positive message or a powerful quote from the book. This hands-on activity promotes individuality, self-expression, and classroom collaboration.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT FOR YOUR CLASSROOM OR HOMESCHOOL:

✔️ No Prep, Easy to Use – Just print and go!

✔️ Aligned with SEL Themes – Focus on empathy, respect, and inclusivity.

✔️ Fun and Flexible – Use as a quick activity, a station in your classroom, or as part of a larger unit on Wonder.

✨ BONUS: These activities also make a great bulletin board display to celebrate your students’ creativity and showcase the lessons learned from Wonder.

Love this freebie? Take your Wonder novel study to the next level!

Check out my comprehensive Wonder Novel Study with over 100 pages of engaging activities that dive deeper into character analysis, themes, literary devices, and much more. It’s packed with tools to inspire rich discussions and critical thinking—all aligned to standards and designed for grades 5-8.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

This is a digital download. You will not receive anything in the mail.

Please use a computer to download and not your phone.

Perfect touch of holiday spirit to motivate your students to complete their I-Ready Lessons.

PDF includes:

Half page per student (must cut)

10 Christmas Trees for math lessons

7 stockings for reading lessons

Students color one graphic per lesson complete with at least 75%.

Easy and helps to create accountability. Use them weekly or as students fill them up.

Embark on a captivating journey to discover the essence of Thai language with our set of 90 Flashcards. Dive into the vibrant world of Thai vocabulary, organized into three engaging categories: fruits and vegetables, delicious foods, and fascinating animals. Each flashcard is thoughtfully designed to enhance your learning experience, making it an enjoyable and effective way to explore the richness of the Thai language.

This is a primary source analysis of Civil War Solider, Sullivan Ballou's, letter to his wife. Includes a graphic organizer with 10 questions for analysis. A great supplement to any discussion about soldiers in the Civil War.

Sample questions:

-Is this document a primary or secondary source? How do you know?

-Who is Ballou writing to?

-When and where was this document written?

-Did Ballou believe in the cause he was fighting for? How do you know?

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.

To view more of my products, visit my store at Nemo's Nook.

Studying Ender's Game ? Looking to give students some context for the novel ? Then this product is for you! Introduction power point includes:

• About the Author
• The Cold War
• Causes of the Cold War
• Story Overview
• Themes
• Symbols
• Essential Questions

Need more resources for Ender's Game ?

Ender's Game - Study Guide Flip book

Ender's Game Characterization Flip book .

Ender's Game Vocabulary Lists and Quizzes

Ender's Game Vocabulary Crosswords

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

Not grade specific/Excellent for ALL grades!

PDF File

Graphic Organizer will help students think and write about how peer pressure plays an important role in the lives or characters. The graphic organizer can be used for any book (and is not book specific). They will identify and analyze how one negative influence of peer pressure led the character to detrimental consequences and how one positive influence of peer pressure proved to be an asset in the character’s life.

Great scaffolding tool to help students gather and organize information.

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This is a multilingual flashcards resource of 95 Dolch nouns, it is a collection of educational materials designed to help students learn and practice vocabulary in multiple languages (English-Spanish-Arabic-Russian-Chinese).

The resource includes a set of flashcards featuring 95 Dolch nouns, which are important words that kids and students need to know in order to read fluently.

The flashcards are designed with bright and engaging visuals to help students better understand and remember the words they are learning. Each card features the Dolch noun in English, as well as translations of the word in multiple languages: Chinese (simplified/Red), Arabic (Violet), Russian (Green), and Spanish (Brown), allowing students to practice and reinforce their knowledge in different languages.

This TeachShare resource can be a valuable tool for language learners, especially those who are learning English as a second language, as it can help them build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension skills.

The Dolch nouns included in the flashcards are carefully selected to cover a wide range of common words that are essential for reading success, making this resource a valuable addition to any language learning curriculum.

Each label takes up 1/4 of a page so they are nice and big, but not too obtrusive. There are 95 Dolch Nouns for a total of 24 pages. Check out the thumbnail and the preview of some pages in the pictures. They each feature the English verb in big, bold black letters while the other languages are in a smaller font and in different colors. Languages included are Chinese (simplified/Red), Arabic (Violet), Russian (Green), and Spanish (Brown). To help aid meaning, I've included illustrations.

The 95 Nouns included are: apple-baby-back-ball-bear-bed-bell-bird-birthday-boat-box-boy-bread-brother-cake-car-cat-chair-chicken-children-Christmas-coat-corn-cow-day-dog-doll-door-duck-egg-eye-farm-farmer-father-feet-fire-fish-floor-flower-game-garden-girl-good-bye-grass-ground-hand-head-hill-home-horse-house-kitty-leg-letter-man-men-milk-money-morning-mother-name-nest-night-paper-party-picture-pig-rabbit-rain-ring-robin-Santa Claus-school-seed-sheep-shoe-sister-snow-song-squirrel-street-sun-table-thing-time-top-toy-tree-watch-water-way-wind-window-wood-yard

Complementary resources:

➡ Multilingual ESL Animals & Colors Labels English Chinese Arabic Russian Spanish

➡ Multilingual ESL Numbers Labels English Chinese Arabic Russian Spanish

➡ Multilingual Days Months Seasons Labels English Chinese Arabic Russian Spanish

➡ Multilingual ESL Kitchen Objects Labels English Chinese Arabic Russian Spanish

➡ Multilingual ESL Human Body Parts Labels English Chinese Arabic Russian Spanish

➡ Multilingual ESL Familly Members Flashcards Labels English Chinese Arabic Russia

➡ Multilingual ESL Action Verbs in English Spanish Arabic Chinese Russian

➡ Animals' Common & Scientific Names Flashcards - Biology resource

➡ Multilingual ESL Vegetables Vocabulary English Arabic Spanish Russian Chinese

➡ Multilingual ESL Fruits Vocabulary English Arabic Spanish Russian Chinese

➡ Multilingual ESL Jobs and Occupations English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese

➡ Multilingual ESL Periodic Elements Flashcards English Chinese Arabic Russian

➡ Multilingual ESL Transport Vehicles Flashcards English Chinese Arabic Russian

➡ Multilingual ESL Sports List Flashcards English-Spanish-Arabic-Russian-Chinese

You may also like:

➡ Bilingual ESL Animals & Colors Labels English - Spanish (Colors & Animals)

➡ Bilingual ESL Animals & Colors Labels English - Arabic (Colors & Animals)

➡ Bilingual ESL Animals & Colors Labels English - Chinese (Colors & Animals)

➡ Bilingual ESL Animals & Colors Labels English - Russian (Colors & Animals)

➡ English - Arabic Phonetic Pronunciation Classroom Objects Flashcards - Teacher

Also, I'm open to suggestions about other words to add to this set.

Note: This product is not for resale and absolutely not for Commercial Use.

If you have any requests we can help.

Make Valentine's Day fun with these engaging, hands-on Valentine's Day activities! This packet includes 14 pages of templates and their perfect for exploring and building creativity. It is great for multiple ages. Quick and easy setup, plus clear student directions make these Valentine's Day activities perfect for centers or substitute days, too!

Lead your students in discovering the world of Valentine's Day fun using coloring, word unscrambling, mazes, word searches, find the difference, crossword puzzles, riddles, finish the drawings, and picture search. Students will love exploring together by using their critical & problem solving skills through these fun Valentine's Day activities, and won't even realize how much they're learning! Have fun!

Here's what you'll get:

• 1 Valentine booklet name cover
• 1 maze plus Valentine's Day riddles
• 1 word search
• I Valentine word scramble
• 1 Valentine crossword puzzle
• 1 Valentine picture search
• 1 Can You Spot the Difference Valentine activity
• 1 Finish the Valentine drawing
• 4 Valentine's Day coloring sheets

Your students will love doing all of these Valentine's Day activities with a variety of common classroom materials. They'll be concentrating in their seats, engaged, and exploring various Valentine's Day activities.

These Valentine's Day activities use materials readily available in most classrooms and homes and includes 27 Christmas unicorn activities to complete. It can be printed in black and white or color. You will need crayons, markers, and pencils.

Prep is quick and easy... Just print the student pages, gather the materials listed, and you're ready for a fun and engaging class! Great for prek to 6th grade or a little older for children with special needs! Mainly for 2nd-6th because of the reading and writing. The coloring, drawing, and finding the difference pages can be done with the littler ones. Adults can enjoy some of these activities at parties too or work.

Staple as a booklet or you can also just print and use as one time worksheets or save them by using a pocket protector for some activities.

You may also like…

→ Pin the Nose on the Reindeer Game

→Christmas Holiday Build a Nutcracker Craft Activity

→ Christmas Build a/Crown/Mask Santa, Christmas Tree, Gnome, Reindeer, Elf, Snowman

Don't forget to follow me for more fun activities & leave a review for credit!

___________________________________

Copyright © Marte Business Services.

Permission to copy for single classroom/homeschool use only.

If you would like to use for commercial purposes please purchase an additional license for every 10 subscription boxes or every 20 children you have in your class online.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

Looking for an engaging and informative reading comprehension activity on the topic of school systems in the USA and the UK? These reading passages are are designed to help students practice **skim reading, summarizing **and comparing.

They are perfect for EFL / ESL students at the B1/B2 level and can also be used for native English classes at 7rd to 9th grade level. With low prep, just print and use. It contains 2 reading passages about the school systems in the States and the United Kingdom.

Each reading passage comes with 4 multiple-choice reading comprehension questions. Summarization questions are on a separate sheet of paper. Students use Venn diagrams (included) to compare the 2 countries or to compare and contrast the system in the US or the UK with any other country.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

♥ 2 reading passages (each with 4 multiple-choice questions)

♥ 1 sheet with summaries (2 per page - students choose the best fitting summary)

♥ 2 Venn diagrams (USA vs UK and a universal one)

♥ directions

♥ teacher answer key

Options for use:

☻Independent Work

☻Pair Work

☻Sub plan

☻Stations

If you loved this product, please be sure to come back to my store and leave feedback. 

Three fiction stories your students will love! All three have a twist at the ending they will never guess. The Necklace, Story of an Hour, & The Last Leaf

Included in this file are:

• Abridged versions of all three stories for beginning readers
• Unabridged versions to challenge strong readers
• 10 questions per passage
• Questions that rise in rigor and complexity

Check out these other resources!

• ELA Test Prep, Study Guide & Activities Bundle (new)
• All Things English For Middle & High School Students (best seller)
• Once Upon A Crime
• Revising & Editing Workbook
• Revising & Editing for Group Lessons
• Bell Ringers for the Semester
• Everything Writing

Enhance literacy with our Interactive Guided Reading Worksheets! Elevate reading proficiency through captivating activities designed to engage learners. Our innovative approach promotes comprehension, vocabulary expansion, and critical thinking. Explore themed worksheets tailored to various reading levels, ensuring an enjoyable learning journey for all. Dive into interactive exercises that encourage active participation and skill development. From decoding strategies to story analysis, our resources foster a love for reading while honing essential skills. Perfect for educators, parents, and students alike, our guided worksheets offer a fun and effective way to boost reading skills. Discover a comprehensive tool to enrich reading experiences and empower learners. Transform reading sessions into dynamic adventures with our Interactive Guided Reading Worksheets!

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Ten four-leaf clovers with St. Patrick's Day vocabulary for individual, small or whole group creative writings. Hand one to each student/group and have students use the vocabulary to build creative writings or timed assessment writings. Great for incorporating St. Patrick's Day terminology into lesson plans.

Fun Book day Quotes Coloring Pages For Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten, Girls, Boys Kids. This paint dauber coloring Pages is perfect for younger to practice pre-writing skills and have fun at the same time. Makes a fun gift!

Feel free to let us know how we're doing in the Ratings & Comments section.

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE

• 30 Pages Coloring Pages

• ( PDF + PNG )

• Large 8.5'' x 11'' designs that can easily be printed on regular sized paper

• High-resolution images

• Unlimited prints

• Great for kids, boys and girls

JUST DOWNLOAD, PRINT AND GET STARTED

• This item comes as a high-resolution PDF + PNG files that you can download straight after purchasing.

• You can print as many copies as you want.

NOTE

• This is a digital item.

• No physical product or printed material will be shipped.

• No refunds as this is a digital product.

Get your students excited about learning with this engaging Text Quest on the rise of reggaetón! This high-interest reading comprehension activity explores the origins and global impact of reggaetón, a genre that has captivated millions worldwide. Your students will practice close reading, critical thinking, and cultural analysis as they dive into reggaetón's fascinating journey from the streets of Panama and Puerto Rico to international fame.

This resource includes:  

✅ A 600-word reading passage on the history of reggaetón (written in English)  

✅ 4 interactive challenge activities (multiple-choice, matching, true/false, and sequencing)  

✅ 2 engaging writing activities   

✅ Answer keys for all challenge activities  

✅ Teacher instructions with implementation tips and activity options

This no-prep, flexible resource is perfect for:

✳️ **Substitute lesson plans:** An engaging, independent lesson that keeps students focused.  

✳️ **Pre-break or holiday lessons:** A high-interest activity to maintain engagement before a break.  

✳️ **Cultural enrichment:** Help students explore the influence of Latin music and the cultural significance of reggaetón.  

✳️ **Reading comprehension practice:** A fun and dynamic way to reinforce reading and writing skills while connecting to real-world topics.

Best of all, your students will explore a meaningful cultural topic while sharpening their comprehension skills and making connections to modern music. Whether used as a one-day text quest or part of a larger music or cultural unit, this activity will motivate and inspire your students!

Copyright © Rachel Bailey (La Señorita Creativa®) All Rights Reserved

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

This is a novel study to go along with Roland Smith’s Novel Peak. This product includes completed lesson plans for each chapter, a Google Slide Show for each chapter, Doodle Notes for each chapter, an End of chapter activity for each chapter, and a final STEM project to go with the book. Students will practice making inferences, central idea, supporting details, writing summaries, cause and effect/Problem and solution text structures, research skills, and discussion skills.

A large part of this novel study is discussion-based. I have included a slide on the slideshow where you will put your classroom expectations for discussions. There are also times for the introduction to the chapter, you will start with a whole group discussion. (I would maybe recommend turn and talks if you use groups in your classroom)

The Lesson Plans and Google Slides are editable for you. You can edit them on Google Slides and/or Microsoft Powerpoint (I would recommend Google Slides because that is the app that it was created with). **The standards are not included in the lesson plans due to each state having their own standards**

I hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review!

This WebQuest includes 15 questions with individual links for students to explore to find the answer to the question.

Includes a comprehensive answer key.

Written at a 9th grade level, suitable for many different grades