8th Grade Reading Literature Circles

This is the last novel study purchase you’ll ever need to make!  Plus each of these novel studies can be prepped in minutes instead of all weekend. You’ll be ready to engage your students in reading each of these 50+ books using reading comprehension questions that spark deep thinking. 

Each novel study includes vocabulary and reading comprehension questions by chapter. The activities in each novel study also include the opportunity to practice reading strategies, reading comprehension skills, literacy skills, respond to writing prompts, and review language skills. 

The flexible format makes it a breeze to assign reading comprehension skills to match the needs of your students, the literacy concepts most in need of reinforcing, or even the reading and writing skills demanded by the curriculum calendar. 

WHAT’S INSIDE EACH NOVEL STUDY? 

Teaching instructions and ideas for implementing in your classroom

Assignments for vocabulary and comprehension questions by chapter

Reading skills assignments including:

• visualization
• inference
• prediction
• similes and metaphors
• sensory images
• connecting to text
• summarization
• generating questions
• character traits
• main idea and details
• compare and contrast
• cause and effect
• fact and opinion
• figurative language
• elements of plot
• signposts
• plot diagram
• theme
• quest
• fantasy vs. reality

Writing prompts and response pages including:

• response to reading
• letter writing
• poetry
• persuasive writing
• narrative writing
• how-to writing

Language/grammar skills including:

• nouns

• verbs

• adjectives and antonyms

• adverbs

A link to a bonus Google Slides digital version of each novel study is included.

You will absolutely love these novel studies because they work well as a distance learning alternative, in a Daily 5/CAFE setting, as a literature circle reading group log, as well as in a traditionally structured reading class. Or even leave it as a reading activity for the substitute.

Quick and easy…just print and pass out! The ease of prep and format makes each novel study perfect for Read with Someone stations, independent classwork, or send-home packets. Students will be eagerly interacting with the text and growing as readers! The hardest part of this BOOK TITLE novel study will be keeping students from reading ahead.

What teachers just like you are saying about novel studies by Curious Classroom Adventures:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  “Wonderful novel study. I use what works for my students and don't use what I don't need. There is so much provided, I can make that choice. Thank you!”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  “This was a great novel study. The questions were clustered in nice, readable chunks for the students.  They were also well-thought-out questions, not just easy comprehension questions.  It also looks fun and inviting to the students.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  “I love how this novel study accesses higher-order thinking skills. Will be using this as a book study with my enrichment students. Thank you for saving me so much time. :) ”

GET 20 FREE NOVEL STUDIES with the BUNDLE pricing!

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Please check out the video preview for my line of Socratic Seminars!

This bundle includes every product in my Socratic Seminar Bundle line. Multiple novels and short stories are included for grades 6-12! My students LOVE Socratic Seminars, and I often use them as their final assessment grade. The can be used in small literature circle groups, or with a full class. Please ask if you have any questions!

Shakespeare Ultimate Bundle. Includes resources for the following plays: Hamlet, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, and The Twelfth Night. Great for covering Shakespeare at multiple grade levels or multiple plays. Includes different activities, study guides, games, and more. Works great as a school resource.

Elementary Spanish Bundle

More than a $23 savings!!!

-One More Product coming in this Bundle 9/18/204

Everything in this BUNDLE is BILINGUAL OR in Spanish.

Please see the list of all the items that are included!

Transform your middle school ELA classroom with this comprehensive bundle of 12 highly engaging short story units. Each unit is meticulously designed to provide a full week of dynamic lessons, complete with detailed plans, interactive slides, a choice activity board, Socratic seminar questions, three STAAR-aligned essay prompts, a film vs. text Venn diagram, and the text PDF. These short stories will captivate your students and enhance their literary analysis skills, making learning both fun and meaningful.

Included Short Stories:

1. The Most Dangerous Game
2. Sorry, Wrong Number
3. The Hitchhiker
4. The Way Up to Heaven
5. Lamb to the Slaughter
6. The Landlady
7. The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
8. Harrison Bergeron
9. Examination Day
10. The Pedestrian
11. All Summer in a Day
12. There Will Come Soft Rains

Bundle Features:

1. Comprehensive 5-Day Lesson Plans: Each story unit includes a detailed five-day lesson plan, ensuring a structured approach to teaching. Lessons are aligned with educational standards and include clear objectives and outcomes.

2. Interactive Slides: Engage your students with interactive slides that guide them through the story, provide context, and facilitate discussions. These slides are designed to keep students focused and involved.

3. Choice Activity Board: Each unit comes with a creative choice board, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding through various projects such as writing an alternate ending, creating a comic strip, designing a literary brochure, and more.

4. Socratic Seminar Questions: Encourage critical thinking and in-depth discussion with six thought-provoking Socratic seminar questions for each story. These questions help students delve deeper into the text and analyze its themes, characters, and literary elements.

5. Three STAAR-Aligned Essay Prompts: Each unit includes three essay prompts (argumentative, correspondence, and informational) that are aligned with STAAR standards, helping students practice their writing skills and prepare for standardized assessments.

6. Film vs. Text Venn Diagram: Enhance your students' analytical skills with a film vs. text Venn diagram activity. Students compare and contrast the short story with its film adaptation, focusing on key similarities and differences.

7. Text PDF: Each unit comes with a PDF of the short story, making it easy to provide students with the text for reading and annotation.

Why Choose This Bundle?

• Engaging Content: These short stories are highly engaging and perfect for capturing the interest of middle school students. The diverse selection of stories includes suspense, science fiction, dystopian themes, and more.
• Comprehensive and Ready-to-Use: Save time with ready-to-use lesson plans, activities, and resources. Each unit is designed for easy implementation, ensuring you can focus on teaching and engaging your students.
• Develop Critical Thinking: The activities and discussions included in each unit promote critical thinking, literary analysis, and deeper understanding of the text.
• Flexible and Adaptable: The bundle provides flexibility in teaching, with a variety of activities and assessment options to suit different learning styles and classroom needs.

Perfect for middle school humanities teachers, this bundle offers everything you need to deliver engaging and effective ELA lessons throughout the year. Enrich your curriculum and inspire your students with these timeless short stories and comprehensive teaching resources.

Now with newly added material!

This resource features a bundle of all of our best-selling lesson plans, materials, and activities for Shakespeare's beloved comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Each product is thoughtfully crafted and allows students to think outside the box by delving deeply into the play's themes, characters, and plot development. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement. Comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and journal prompts for each scene are included so that students may achieve a basic level of understanding of the play, however the real winners in this bundle are the rest of the materials that bring the play to life!

Included in this bundle:

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Literature Guide

This resource features a comprehensive literature guide for use while reading A Midsummer Night's Dream. The packet provides an excellent basis for comprehension and vocabulary acquisition for the play and promotes strong reader response by encouraging students to connect and have fun with this highly relatable text! The wide range of activities in this guide from daily journal prompts, illustration activity, and a creative writing assignment to the final essay questions will keep your students engaged throughout and help them to gain a deep understanding of possibly their first interaction with the great William Shakespeare. A full answer key is provided for this guide.

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Anticipation Activity

This product features a fun and engaging pre-reading activity for A Midsummer Night's Dream called "Tossing Lines." Give your students a chance to become familiar with the lines before they even begin reading the play. This is a prediction activity that encourages critical thinking and actually gets students excited to start reading Shakespeare! Over the years, this non-intimidating approach to Shakespeare has been the most often requested anticipatory activity that I do with my students.

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Bell-Ringer Prompts

One of my goals in teaching A Midsummer Night's Dream is for my students to be able to easily relate to the play. I begin each day with a reflective bell-ringer journal prompt that allows students to connect with the day's scene. These prompts are tried and true and encourage deep thinking from students but more importantly, they allow students to understand the timelessness of the play and Shakespeare in general.

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

This resource features lesson plans and materials to conduct a formal set of Socratic Seminars for Shakespeare's most beloved comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Socratic Seminars (or "Fish Bowl" Conversations as referred to in this resource) are higher order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class texts. These seminars rely on the power of inquiry and allow students to take the lead in their learning and discussion. The only problem? They require a great deal of preparation. Fortunately, this student-tested resource includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom surrounding the play... and no preparation is required by you at all.

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Social Media Materials

This resource features two fun, interactive activities to bring A Midsummer Night's Dream into the current day! In this 50 minute lesson plan with accompanying materials, your classroom will transform into a real life "tweeter-world" in which students will create tweeter accounts for characters in the novel and interact with one another through their tweeter pages. The Snap Chatter worksheet and assignment is perfect for an engaging homework or sub-plan that your students will look forward to working on and sharing with their friends. Your students will thank you for offering such fun ways to connect with the play and will not even realize how much they are learning by digging deep into the text. Both activities work perfectly for a Friday or any day that students need a mental break and a chance to tap into their creativity!

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream HOT SEAT!

This resource features all the materials you need to conduct a thoughtful and engaging "HOT SEAT" for A Midsummer Night's Dream. 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 play and allows them to showcase their knowledge of the characters and the relationships between them.

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream ESCAPE ROOM

Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching with a lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with A Midsummer Night's Dream ESCAPE ROOM! There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Escape Room for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Human Tic Tac Toe Review Game

This resource features a lesson plan and materials for the Human Tic Tac Toe Review Game, an engaging and competitive way to review A Midsummer Night's Dream. Let's face it, review days can be difficult... and boring... so your students will appreciate you making learning fun with this collaborative game. The resource includes not only a meticulously detailed lesson plan and set-up instructions, but 75 questions on characters, plot, quotations, and vocabulary from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Besides simple set-up, very little preparation is needed for this lesson and if your students are like mine, they will ask for this form of review for every unit of study!

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay Prompts & Rubric

This product contains 9 thoughtful essay prompts for A Midsummer Night's Dream, all perfect for a 5 paragraph essay or a short open response for a test (I have used them in both ways). A detailed rubric is also included.

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Puzzles

This resource features 3 fun puzzles that focus on elements from A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is the perfect activity for when a school vacation is coming up and you’re scrounging for lesson ideas or when you need a quick sub plan during your Midsummer Night's Dream unit. I like to use it prior to a break; while so many other classes are watching movies, you have three activities that will keep them busy and challenge their knowledge about the play.

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Quote Posters - newly added!

Make your classroom pop with this set of 30 beautifully-made posters featuring quotes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Each 7.5 x 7.5 (square) PDF poster contains a noteworthy quote from the play imposed over a stunning photograph that will spruce up your ELA classroom. The square format is reminiscent of Instagram and makes for an eye-catching arrangement on your wall or bulletin board. I suggest laminating the posters and using them not just during your Macbeth unit, but all year long!

Buying this bundle saves OVER 20% off the price of these resources.

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⭐ Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

Now with newly added material!

This resource features a bundle of all of our best-selling lesson plans, materials, and activities for Walter Dean Myer's highly relevant novel, Monster. Each product is thoughtfully crafted and allows students to think outside the box by delving deeply into the novel's themes, characters, and plot development. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement. This bundle is all that you need for the study of Monster from basic comprehension and vocabulary acquisition to activities that will bring the novel to life!

Included in this Bundle:

⭐ Literature Guide:

This product features a comprehensive literature guide for use while reading Monster. Monster is such a fun book to teach students about the American justice system while bringing up many moral issues and thoughtful points for discussion. This literature guide provides an excellent basis for comprehension and vocabulary acquisition for Monster and encourages students to play along with the jury as they read. I am confident that it will increase your students' understanding of this spellbinding novel dramatically.

⭐ Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan:

This product features an anticipation guide and meticulously-explained lesson plan that is in my opinion, the absolute best way to approach a new novel. Using a non-intimidating method called "Numbered Heads", this activity will get your students thinking, writing, conversing, and reporting about themes you will be encountering during your study of Monster.

⭐ "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity:

This product features a thoughtful and engaging activity for use during your study of Monster. Centering around 5 different provocative passages from the book, this lesson provides your students with a chance to think, reflect, and respond to their peers without ever saying a word. This creative approach is a great way to differentiate instruction among your students and allows even your most quiet students to shine. I am confident that this no-prep lesson will become a must-do activity within your unit on Monster!

⭐ Socratic Seminar Lesson & Materials:

Socratic Seminars (or "Fish Bowl" Conversations as I like to call them with my students) are fantastic, higher order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class text. These seminars rely on the power of inquiry and allow students to take the lead in their learning and discussion. The only problem? They require a great deal of preparation. Fortunately, this student-tested resource includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom surrounding Monster... and no preparation is required by you at all!

⭐ Monster vs. Murder on a Sunday Morning Compare Contrast Project:

This week-long project asks students to view the Oscar Award-Winning documentary, Murder on a Sunday Morning, and compare it to the shockingly similar novel. Students love seeing the real-life courtroom action play out and connecting it to the novel they read in class. It is incredibly relevant for our times and is in my opinion, a "must-do" for your Monster unit!

⭐ ESCAPE ROOM

Salvatore Zinzi and Wendell Bolden are at it again, snitching on their buddies to lessen their own sentences in prison. Except this time, they've snitched on your students! Each one has been accused of being a part of a robbery gone wrong and now they are trapped in a frighteningly dark and dreary jail cell. The only way to escape is by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, discovering a hidden message, and finding clues along the way.

⭐ Monster (Myers) Human Tic Tac Toe Review Game

This resource features a lesson plan and materials for the Human Tic Tac Toe Review Game, an engaging and competitive way to review Monster. Let's face it, review days can be difficult and boring... so your students will appreciate you making learning fun with this collaborative game. The resource includes not only a meticulously detailed lesson plan and set-up instructions, but 60 questions on characters, plot, and vocabulary from Monster. Besides simple set-up, very little preparation is needed for this lesson and if your students are like mine, they will ask for this form of review for every unit of study!

⭐ Quizzes for Entire Novel:

This resource features 3 comprehensive and thoughtfully-written quizzes for the acclaimed novel, Monster. While Monster is perfect for optimal student engagement and involved discussions on contemporary issues in society, it is also important that students understand what is going on. These straightforward quizzes will make sure that you students understand the plot, characters, and vocabulary of this amazing and relevant novel!

Purchasing this bundle saves over 20% off the cost of all resources.

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This is a complete unit on Romeo and Juliet.

In this bundle you will find the following:

- Romeo and Juliet study guide flip book

-Romeo and Juliet Characterization flipbook

- Romeo and Juliet Escape Room

- Romeo and Juliet Jeopardy Powerpoint

- Romeo and Juliet Quizzes for each Act

- Romeo and Juliet Vocabulary quiz

- Shakespeare Tragedies powerpoint

- Romeo and Juliet Graphic Organizers

-Film Adaptation Worksheet

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Notice to Buyers: Want to earn TeachShare credits for future purchases on this website? Review this product and let us know what you think!

Doing a novel unit on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? Looking for materials to help students comprehend the text? Need some differentiation? Look no further! This bundle includes a study guide, characterization flip book, graphic organizers, film adaption, introduction power point, and novel project choice board.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Complete Teacher's Unit is the ultimate resource for English teachers seeking to bring this classic tale to life for their students. This comprehensive package contains everything needed to teach the novel in a meaningful and engaging way.

The unit begins with an Introduction Power Point that sets the stage for the novel and provides important background information. This presentation is a valuable tool for engaging students and generating interest in the story.

The Study Guide is a comprehensive resource that includes about the author, a character map. and questions that encourage critical thinking and analysis. With this guide, teachers can easily guide their students through the plot and ensure a deep understanding of the themes and symbolism present throughout the text.

The Characterization Flipbook is a fun and interactive way for students to explore the characters in the novel. With this flipbook, students can create character sketches and analyze the motivations and actions of each character.

Graphic Organizers are also included, providing students with a visual way to organize their thoughts and ideas. These organizers are designed to help students explore key themes and concepts in the novel, making it easier for them to make connections and analyze the text.

The Vocabulary Lists and Quizzes are essential tools for building students' vocabulary and understanding of the language used in the novel. These lists and quizzes are comprehensive and designed to challenge students at all levels.

The Vocabulary Crossword Puzzles provide an entertaining way for students to review and reinforce their understanding of the novel's vocabulary.

The Escape Room is a fun and engaging way to bring the novel to life. With this activity, students work together to solve puzzles and clues based on the novel's themes and characters.

Ultimately, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Complete Teacher's Unit is a must-have resource for any English teacher. With its comprehensive materials and engaging activities, this unit is sure to capture the attention of students and foster a love of literature that will last a lifetime.

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 partner and group 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 novel study for The Wednesday Wars includes the following resources for each chapter:

Teacher Instructions for The Wednesday Wars Novel Study:

• week-at-a-glance timeline
• Instructions for facilitating the in-class group discussion
• ANSWER KEYS

Pre-reading Slides and Worksheets for The Wednesday Wars Novel Study:

• 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 for The Wednesday Wars Novel Study:

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

Post-Reading Slides and Worksheets for The Wednesday Wars Novel Study:

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

If you'd like to try this Wednesday Wars Novel Study before you buy, Chapter 1-September is a FREE DOWNLOAD.

This novel study also comes with assessment ideas including a real-life application scenario (complete with a grading rubric) and prompts for traditional literary analysis essays.

Your students will love studying The Wednesday Wars with this novel study because the lively discussion questions offer them a fun alternative that truly gets them to discuss the book.

As a teacher you'll love this study because it doesn't require a lot of grading! Listening in on their answer to the discussion questions throughout the unit is a great way to collect all formative assessment information you need. You'll also find that the true summative assessment at the end of the novel with an easy-to-follow grading rubric brings all their learning together and allows them to showcase their new knowledge and skills. The daily discussion question slides are designed to be interactive and formative activities, however a paper and pencil version of the discussion questions, vocabulary, and notes are included for teachers and students that need that daily accountability.

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 previews for a closer look!