9th Grade Short Stories Activities

Looking for a thrilling and engaging Halloween activity? This resource guides students in crafting two-sentence horror stories, perfect for building creativity, suspense, and writing skills – all with a spooky twist!

What’s Included:

• Step-by-step instructions to help students master concise storytelling
• Mini-horror videos that demonstrate how to build suspense effectively
• A fun sharing activity where students exchange and present their stories
• Classroom competition – Students vote for the creepiest and most spine-chilling story!

Perfect for:

• ELA classrooms (middle and high school)
• Halloween-themed lessons
• Creative writing warm-ups or workshops

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.

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Table Top Twitter is a fun way for students to have a discussion. The only catch is that it is SILENT, and takes place completely on large poster paper. It's an alternate way to do a station rotation!

To set up the activity, you’ll need to copy the 10 large quotes and paste them onto larger poster size paper. Place one at each table or station. You will also need to project the directions onto your Smart Board, or make a copy of them and put them where students can see.

To begin this Tabletop Twitter, students will first read the quote, then write an insightful comment about the quote. I suggest that they can remark on the quote’s significance to the plot, theme, conflict, mood, setting, or characterization. I also insist that they cannot summarize the quote; instead, they must DELVE DEEPER and make an insightful comment! They may also put a hashtag comment for fun after their comment. After a set time you deem appropriate for your students has elapsed, direct them to silently move to the next station.

After visiting all 10 stations, students will return to the station where they began. They will read all the comments and come to a consensus about which comment was the most thought-provoking or insightful. They can also decide which hashtag was the cleverest. Afterwards, you can have them report out to the rest of the class, or do a gallery walk to the other tables to see the final products!

15 Minute Composing Challenge (Freebie)

Bring creativity and excitement into your classroom with this fast-paced, Gothic-themed writing challenge!

This 15 Minute Composing Challenge (Freebie) introduces students to the Gothic genre through engaging timed writing tasks. Perfect for middle school and high school students, this free resource gives a taste of the full 15 Minute Composing Challenge while helping students improve their creative writing skills in a fun and structured way.

Students will plan, write, and review their stories using Gothic quotes to inspire suspenseful narratives. Whether working individually or in groups, this quick exercise promotes critical thinking, creativity, and reflection—all in just 15 minutes!

What’s Included:

• Task cards with Gothic quotes for students to use in their writing
• Structured timing: 3 minutes to plan, 10 minutes to write, and 2 minutes to review
• Teacher instructions to pace the activity and guide students

Use this freebie to spark student interest in creative writing, or as a warm-up to more detailed lessons. If you enjoy this free resource, explore the full version for more prompts and activities!

This freebie offers just a taster of what the complete resource provides. If you found these prompts engaging, the full version includes more quotes, a wider range of activities, and extra tools to deepen your students' exploration of Gothic literature. Check out the full version with 5 different prompt cards, plus 3 beginner prompt cards and 2 extension prompt cards: 15 Minute Activity: Gothic Creative Short Story Writing Prompts & Activity

P.S. Follow EduHive Learning Resources for more creative teaching tools, and feel free to share your feedback—I would love to hear from you! Bee

Keywords: creative writing, composing challenge, Gothic literature, writing prompts, middle school writing, high school writing, ELA activities, quick writing exercise, free TeachShare resource, teacher, educator, homeschooling/homeschool, tutoring/tutor.

This Figurative Language Short Passage Set is a no-prep, printable close reading activity that's perfect for middle school and high school. Use it during Black History Month or any day of the year! Featuring Rosa Parks, this is a 216-word passage filled with 15 examples of figurative language, such as hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and personification. I’ve found that although my students can tell me the definition of these terms, simile is the only one they can truly pick out in a text. As a result, their writing is filled with overused similes that need work! This figurative language passage set is rigorous, uses higher-level words and phrases, and in addition to merely identifying the different types, students will be asked to discuss the impact it has on the reader, as they’re asked to do on standardized testing. Check out my other figurative language passage sets here!

Simply print and go! There is truly no preparation needed, which is why this set is perfect to leave for sub plans, bell ringers, homework, test prep, review or assessment!

*As an optional review activity, use my No-prep Four Corners Figurative Language Activity resource for a fun whole-group game, then use this passage set for assessment!
Activity:
Students can complete all three worksheets as part of a packet, but I suggest using one each day. If you teach allusion, alliteration, idiom, or onomatopoeia, you can ask students to include those in Task 2 where they will be asked to continue the passage using a similar writing style. I have left some blanks on the checklist for this very purpose.

Reflection:
The class can review the answers and comments as a whole group when the activity is complete. You’ll be surprised how much better they’ll get at figurative language after being exposed to some high-quality examples!

INCLUDED WITH YOUR PURCHASE:

• 3 Printable Worksheets

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"Growing Up" by Gary Soto: this introductory Google Slide lesson provides digital pre-reading information for the author, genre, and setting. The lesson also includes vocabulary study, practice, and assessment.

GOAL: to prepare each student to read rigorous literature by front-loading story elements critical to comprehension aligned to standards

AUDIENCE: whole group, small group, or independent work for regular ed, learning support, ESL or virtual classrooms

PDF LINK TO TEXT INCLUDED**

PDF FILE. Plus, each ZIP file comes with a PDF folder containing 8 printable worksheets to be used with the PPT lesson! These printables include Connotation and Grammar sort, Word Study, and Vocabulary Quiz with optional word bank and answer key.

Google Slides:

1. **Author Bio:** To connect vocabulary with real-world context, we provide author biographies related to each short story. This adds depth to the lesson, allowing students to appreciate the words in the context of the author's life experience.

2. **Setting**: highly informative slides include maps, historical images and intriguing video links to prepare students to have a deeper understanding of the location and time period in which the story takes place. This is a crucial element when preparing students to read outside their own worldview.

3. **Vocab with Concise Definitions :** Our PowerPoint lesson provides clear and concise definitions for challenging vocabulary words, ensuring that students understand the meaning of each word in context as it appears in the text. Vocab slides: (poverty, sensible, ventured, plains, gruff, irrigation, sheepishly, foreman, self-conscious, resentful, trinkets, patio, riddled, dilute, reluctant,miffed)

4.**Bold Photos:** Visual learners will thrive with our visually appealing slides, featuring bold and relevant images that help reinforce vocabulary concepts and make learning more engaging.

5.**Parts of Speech:** Understanding the parts of speech is crucial for effective language comprehension. Our lesson includes sections dedicated to identifying the part of speech for each vocabulary word.

6. **Grammar Review & Sort** Strengthen language skills with integrated grammar review sections, ensuring students can apply the vocabulary words correctly in their own writing and communication.

7. **Connotation Review & Sort** Dive deeper into vocabulary nuances by exploring the connotations of words, helping students grasp the subtle shades of meaning and usage.

8.**Context Clues Sentences:** Our lesson includes carefully curated sentences that employ context clues, enabling students to decipher word meanings from surrounding text. This fosters independent comprehension skills. These worksheets can be used for practice or assessment.

9.**Quizlet Practice:** Reinforce learning and encourage self-assessment with Quizlet practice sets tailored to the vocabulary words covered in the lesson. This interactive tool allows students to review and quiz themselves.

10**PDF file** 9 organizers, activities, and quizzes

11 **Fun Fact** photos and video links are inserted throughout to bring important elements of the story into context and aid comprehension

DIGITAL USES IN THE CLASSROOM:

· Introduce new story

· Provide backstory to text

· Stimulate group discussion/prediction

· Create predictions about text

· Use as distance learning resource

· Post on webpage for review · Add to electronic notebooks

· Provide test review

· Prompt Writing or Research assignments

· Grammar study / parts of speech

· Discuss Word Connotation

PRINTABLE USES: word walls and interactive notebooks

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

This product is also available in PowerPoint!

This resource should accompany the short story Secret Samantha by Tim Federle. This story can be found in the book Flying Lessons and Other Stories.

This resource includes five student worksheets in color and in b/w for printing. There is also a presentation to accompany the worksheets. The presentation and worksheets include a pre-reading journal entry, vocabulary from the story, tiered reading questions, and post-reading questions focused on a standard about determining the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text.

Immerse your students in the magic of the holidays with this engaging ELA resource, centered on the heartwarming short story The Key to Christmas Hollow. This resource combines reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and creative thinking activities, making it perfect for the festive season.

What’s Included:

The Short Story:

A captivating tale about Liam, a "quiet dreamer" who discovers the true spirit of Christmas in a magical town called Christmas Hollow.

Vocabulary Awareness Activity:

A pre-reading vocabulary chart featuring key terms such as "intricately," "palpable," and "astonishment." Students record their familiarity with each word, look up definitions, and rephrase them in their own words.

Comprehension Questions (with Answer Key):

Questions designed to develop critical thinking, including:

• Setting and Atmosphere
• Character Motivation and Analysis
• Inference and Theme Exploration
• Symbolism and Cause & Effect
• Creative Thinking Prompts

Answer Key for Teachers:
Detailed responses to all comprehension questions, aiding in efficient grading and discussion facilitation.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop vocabulary and reading fluency.
• Analyze characters, themes, and literary elements.
• Encourage creative writing and personal reflection.

Usage:

• Perfect for whole-class reading, independent assignments, or as a holiday-themed ELA activity.
• Designed for upper elementary to middle school students.
• Printable and ready to use!

This resource features a comprehensive list of questions to introduce the life and times of Edgar Allan Poe. Students will be shocked to learn some of the gruesome details of his life. This resource works great as homework prior to beginning your Poe unit or can be done in the classroom with computer access.

Resource includes:

• 15 questions about Edgar Allan Poe
• Full answer key
• List of credible websites for students to explore when looking for answers

_____________________________________________________________________________

We've gone digital! Check out our paperless version to support distance learning:

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Digital Scavenger Hunt

Save 20% off this resource when you purchase as part of a bundle of Edgar Allan Poe products:

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

More resources to round out your Edgar Allan Poe unit:

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe PowerPoint

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Crossword Puzzle

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Brochure

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe's Obituary

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Human Tic Tac Toe Review Game

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Quote Posters

___________________________________________________________________________

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Teach themes and morals through this ANANSI [the spider] STORIES resource. Middle through 9th graders will students learn how to live with each other and learn about their world through these age-old stories. Students learn symbolism, self-reflection, and other vital lessons through their use of this unit. This Unit has 5 popular ANANSI Folk Tales, 15 Comprehension questions, Suggested Uses, 50 TASK CARDS, and 11 PROJECTS to help make your classroom be GREAT! Check 'em out!

This Resource includes:

1. 5 ANANSI TALES

2. LESSONS FROM ANANSI STORIES [TEACHER NOTES]

3. 11 Lesson plan activities/Projects

4. 50 TASK CARDS

5. 15 MULTIPLE CHOICE/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

6. YOUTUBE videos for each folktale to add multimodal parts to your lesson

FOLKTALES included:

1. ANANSI and the WISDOM POT

2. ANANSI and the TURTLE'S DINNER

3. ANANSI and the MAGIC ROCK

4. ANANSI and the EAR OF CORN

5. ANANSI and the TALKING MELON

You may also appreciate:

• SEVENTH GRADE [LESSON PLANS and TEACHER NOTES]
• HIGH HORSE GOES COURTING [LESSON ACTIVITIES]
• THE OPEN WINDOW [LESSON ACTIVITIES]
• AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE [TASK CARDS]
• THE SNIPER [TASK CARDS]
• A WORN PATH [TASK CARDS]

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I'm Richard Williams, The Angry Teacher. I've been teaching for and have amassed quite a bit of knowledge to share. Please consider joining the Angry Teacher family; we'll enjoy having you in the fam!

Please consider checking out the other EDUCATIONAL materials and resources in my store.

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Qin Shi Huangdi Wanted Poster Based on information from the text decide whether Qin Shi Huangdi was an effective or an ineffective ruler. If you believe he was an effective ruler, design a commemorative plaque if you an ineffective ruler, design a “wanted” poster. Use evidence from the text to support your claim. Students posters must contain the certain criteria given in the worksheet

This set of 12 Speed dating questions are a fun alternative to a traditional class discussion and will help your students analyze "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson!

In order to prepare, you simply have to copy the 12 discussion prompts below and cut them into separate strips. You can laminate them if you’d like! Arrange your classroom so pairs of students will be facing one another. My classes have about 24 students in each, so I set up my desks facing one another down the center of the classroom. Alternatively, you could do two concentric circles depending on the space you have to work with!

When it’s time for the speed dating to begin, each “couple” will flip over their question and discuss it. I usually set a timer for 60 seconds, but you can do longer or shorter depending on the needs of your students. When the timer buzzes, one row (or circle) moves one way, and the other goes in the opposite direction. In this way, each student will have the opportunity to discuss every question.

I've included a reflection/ ticket out the door half sheet question for afterwards if time allows!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this activity! I’d love to hear your feedback after you complete it in your classroom. Thank you so much!

Unlock your students' creative potential with this engaging and flexible Gothic-themed creative writing unit! Designed with High-Impact Teaching Strategies/High Impact Practices, this resource is perfect for Middle School to High School students (Years 6-10 USA / Years 7-10 AU). Students will craft eerie, suspenseful short stories using carefully selected Gothic and atmospheric sentence starters while developing key narrative skills like suspense-building, character development, and structured storytelling. Perfect for Halloween, or any time of the school year!

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, homeschool educator, relief/substitute teacher, or tutor, this resource is easy to adapt to your needs. With step-by-step guidance, worked examples, differentiated activities, and printable resources, this short unit offers a complete framework for 2-4 lessons.

What’s Included:

• 2 x PDFs: one with USA English and the other with Australian English
• Teacher Guide: Step-by-step instructions for facilitating brainstorming, planning, writing, and reflection.
• Glossary of Gothic and Atmospheric Words (Printable): A comprehensive list of 95 words to expand students’ vocabulary and enhance their spooky storytelling.
• Sentence Starters (Printable): A set of 27 Gothic-themed sentence starters to spark creative ideas.
• Worked Example (Printable): A modeled short story exposition that demonstrates how to build suspense and create atmosphere.
• Brainstorming Prompts (Printable): Prompts designed to help students generate ideas for their Gothic tales.
• Short Story Planner (Printable): A structured template to guide students in planning their exposition, complication, sequence of events, climax, and resolution.
• Rubrics (Printable): Comprehensive rubrics for self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher feedback.
• Extension Activities: Additional creative challenges, including illustration, scriptwriting adaptation, or continuing the story for advanced learners.

Accessibility Features

This resource is dyslexia-friendly, incorporating:

• Arial font
• Increased letter and word spacing
• 1.5 line spacing
• White space for readability
• Visual signposting for ease of navigation.

Key Skills Addressed:

• Narrative structure: Exposition, complication, sequence of events, climax, and resolution.
• Building suspense and atmosphere through figurative language and descriptive details.
• Character development and crafting character arcs.
• Writing with varied sentence structures to create mood and effect.

Perfect For:

• Classroom use
• Homeschooling
• Relief/substitute teacher lessons
• Tutoring sessions
• Creative writing units
• Gothic-themed writing tasks
• Group work or independent learning
• Differentiated learning with extension options for advanced students

Format & Accessibility

• PDF: Includes brainstorming prompts, planning templates, and rubrics for assessment.
• Print & 'Go' or Display Digitally: Printable and easy to upload for digital display for class use.

Terms of Use

This resource is licensed for personal classroom use only. You may print copies for your students, but please do not share, distribute, or upload this resource online. If colleagues are interested, kindly direct them to EduHive Learning Resources on TeachShare to purchase their own copy. Thank you for respecting copyright laws and supporting independent creators.

Acknowledgments

This resource incorporates graphics and design elements sourced from:

• Canva: Professional-quality designs under appropriate licensing.

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Keywords

Creative Writing | Gothic Stories | Suspense Building | Short Story Writing

Writing Prompts | Story Starters | Differentiated Learning | Extension Activities

HITS (High-Impact Teaching Strategies) | HIPs (High-Impact Practices) | English Lessons | Homeschool Creative Writing | Tutor Resources | Substitute/Relief Teacher Lessons | Peer & Self-Assessments | Rubrics for Writing

This Figurative Language Short Passage Set is a no-prep, printable close reading activity that's perfect for middle school and high school. This is a 210-word passage filled with 19 examples of figurative language, such as hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and personification. I’ve found that although my students can tell me the definition of these terms, simile is the only one they can truly pick out in a text. As a result, their writing is filled with overused similes that need work! This figurative language passage set is rigorous, uses higher-level words and phrases, and in addition to merely identifying the different types, students will be asked to discuss the impact it has on the reader, as they’re asked to do on standardized testing.

***Check out my other figurative language passage sets here!

Simply print and go! There is truly no preparation needed, which is why this set is perfect to leave for sub plans, bell ringers, homework, test prep, review or assessment!

*As an optional review activity, use my No-prep Four Corners Figurative Language Activity resource for a fun whole-group game, then use this passage set for assessment!

Activity:
Students can complete all three worksheets as part of a packet, but I suggest using one each day. If you teach allusion, alliteration, idiom, or onomatopoeia, you can ask students to include those in Task 2 where they will be asked to continue the passage using a similar writing style. I have left some blanks on the checklist for this very purpose.

Reflection:
The class can review the answers and comments as a whole group when the activity is complete. You’ll be surprised how much better they’ll get at figurative language after being exposed to some high-quality examples!

INCLUDED WITH YOUR PURCHASE:

• 3 Printable Worksheets

⭐️ LOOKING FOR MORE RELATABLE ACTIVITIES FOR TEENS?

Check out the Pop Culture ACTIVITY BUNDLE - your solution to no-stress lesson planning and easy print and go sub plans.

INCLUDES THESE HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS FOR TEENS...

⭐️ Crocs

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⭐️ Air Jordans

⭐️ TikTok

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6-Page Article & Activity Sets - Includes 8 Sets!

Each set includes...

► 1-page pop culture article

► Reading Comprehension - 7 multiple choice questions

► Critical Thinking - 5 short answer questions

► Crossword Puzzle

► Design Page

► Impossible MAZE

This Pop Culture Bundle for Middle School will make your students WANT to work and stay on task as they read about high-interest trending topics among teens. Also available for High School and Upper Elementary School.

Have a question?

Please check out the Q&A section or message me and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Don't forget to leave me feedback! I love to hear what my buyers say, how the product worked for them, and any feedback I can use to improve my product! (It also earns you points towards future TeachShare Purchases)

**For personal and single classroom use only. If using with multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses at the discounted rate.**

★I would love to have you as my newest follower!★ Click here to follow.

Thank You Ma'am By Langston Hughes: This introductory Google Slide lesson provides digital pre-reading information for the story’s author and genre. Bold photo visuals and engaging video clips support the story details. The lesson includes an in-depth vocabulary study, practice, assessment, and printable organizers.

This standard-aligned material is for use with whole group, small group, or independent work for regular ed, learning support, ESL or virtual/homeschool classrooms

— PDF LINK TO TEXT INCLUDED

Google Slides:

1. **Author Biography** We provide author biographies for each short story. This adds depth to the lesson, allowing students to appreciate the story in the context of the author's life experience.

2. **Setting**Highly informative slides include maps, historical images and intriguing video links allowing students to have a deeper understanding of the location and time-period in which the story takes place. This is a crucial element when preparing students to read outside their own worldview.

3.**Bold Photos: ** Visual learners will thrive with our visually appealing slides, featuring bold and relevant images that help reinforce vocabulary concepts and make learning more engaging.

4. **Vocab with Concise Definitions and Part of Speech: ** Our lesson provides clear and concise definitions for challenging vocabulary words, ensuring that students understand the meaning of each word in context. Understanding the parts of speech is crucial for effective language comprehension. Our lesson includes sections dedicated to identifying the part of speech for each vocabulary word.

Vibrant Vocab Slides: frail, half-nelson, roomer, kitchenette, mistrusted, presentable, suede, latching, barren, stoop,

5.**Quizlet Practice Link ** Reinforce learning and encourage self-assessment with Quizlet practice tailored to the vocabulary words covered in the lesson. This interactive tool allows students to review and quiz themselves.

6. **Fun Fact Images and Videos** These features highlight unique elements of the text to aid comprehension

PDF FILE.

Plus, each ZIP file comes with a PDF folder containing printable worksheets to be used with the lesson!

**Grammar Sort**

Strengthen language skills with integrated grammar review sections, ensuring students can apply the vocabulary words correctly in their own writing and communication.

**Connotation Sort**

Dive deeper into vocabulary nuances by exploring the connotations of words, helping students grasp the subtle shades of meaning and usage.

**Context Clues Sentences, Word Bank and Key: **

Our lesson includes carefully curated sentences that employ context clues, enabling students to decipher word meanings from surrounding text. This fosters independent comprehension skills. These worksheets can be used for practice or assessment.

**Vocabulary Organizer**

This worksheet allows the students to infer the meaning from the animated vocabulary slide. After students complete the organizer, it is a great reference sheet.

**Synonym and Antonym Word Study**

The graphic organizer allows the students to explore the variations in meaning of the new vocabulary word.

DIGITAL USES IN THE CLASSROOM:

· Introduce new story

· Provide backstory to text

· Stimulate group discussion

· Create predictions about text

· Use as distance learning resource

· Post on webpage for review

· Add to electronic notebooks

· Provide test review

· Prompt Writing or Research assignments

· Grammar study / parts of speech

· Discuss Word Connotation

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!

This lesson should accompany the short story Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds. The story can be found in the anthology Fresh Ink.

This lesson focuses on making inferences and identifying themes. Students will provide and explain textual evidence that supports inferences and themes that they identify from the story.

This resource includes 6 slides for display at the front of the class and 2 student worksheet pages which come in color and b/w.

This resource features two engaging, character-driven activities to bring Shirley Jackson's The Lottery into the 21st century! Included are realistic-looking Tweeter and Snap Chatter graphic organizers and one 45 minute lesson plan. In the lesson plan, your classroom will be transformed into a real life "tweeter-world" in which students will create accounts for hypothetical characters in the story and interact with one another through their pages. The Snap Chatter worksheet 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 Jackson's twisted tale and will not even realize how much they are learning by digging deeply into the text and characters.

Product Includes:

• Snap Chatter graphic organizer
• 2-Page Twitter graphic organizer in color and in black and white
• Meticulously-explained lesson plan for Tweeter activity

___________________________________________________________________

Also, check out these great products by Language Arts Excellence to supplement your unit on The Lottery:

⭐Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint Presentation

⭐ The Lottery ESCAPE ROOM

⭐The Lottery Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐The Lottery "Tossing Lines" Pre-Reading Activity

⭐ The Lottery Literature Guide

⭐Escape from Dystopia ESCAPE ROOM

___________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Teach themes and morals through this ANANSI [the spider] STORIES resource. Middle through 9th graders will students learn how to live with each other and learn about their world through these age-old stories. Students learn symbolism, self-reflection, and other vital lessons through their use of this unit. This Unit has 5 popular ANANSI Folk Tales, 15 Comprehension questions, Suggested Uses, 50 TASK CARDS, and 11 PROJECTS to help make your classroom be GREAT! Check 'em out!

This Resource includes:

1. 5 ANANSI TALES

2. LESSONS FROM ANANSI STORIES [TEACHER NOTES]

3. 11 Lesson plan activities/Projects

4. 50 TASK CARDS

5. 15 MULTIPLE CHOICE/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

6. YOUTUBE videos for each folktale to add multimodal parts to your lesson

FOLKTALES included:

1. ANANSI and the WISDOM POT

2. ANANSI and the TURTLE'S DINNER

3. ANANSI and the MAGIC ROCK

4. ANANSI and the EAR OF CORN

5. ANANSI and the TALKING MELON

You may also appreciate:

• SEVENTH GRADE [LESSON PLANS and TEACHER NOTES]
• HIGH HORSE GOES COURTING [LESSON ACTIVITIES]
• THE OPEN WINDOW [LESSON ACTIVITIES]
• AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE [TASK CARDS]
• THE SNIPER [TASK CARDS]
• A WORN PATH [TASK CARDS]

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING ME ON THESE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:

TheAngryTeacherBLOG

EMAIL LIST

INSTAGRAM

Youtube

Facebook

Pinterest

TIKTOK

Hey Angry Teacher Fam,

I'm Richard Williams, The Angry Teacher. I've been teaching for and have amassed quite a bit of knowledge to share. Please consider joining the Angry Teacher family; we'll enjoy having you in the fam!

Please consider checking out the other EDUCATIONAL materials and resources in my store.

Also, guys, remember that leaving REVIEWS is a way that TeachShare gives you credit on products! So let's do it!

Thanks for stopping by!

This set of 12 Speed dating questions are a fun alternative to a traditional class discussion and will help your students analyze "Dark They Were, and Golden- Eyed", originally published as "The Naming of Names", by Ray Bradbury!

In order to prepare, you simply have to copy the 12 discussion prompts below and cut them into separate strips. You can laminate them if you’d like! Arrange your classroom so pairs of students will be facing one another. My classes have about 24 students in each, so I set up my desks facing one another down the center of the classroom. Alternatively, you could do two concentric circles depending on the space you have to work with!

When it’s time for the speed dating to begin, each “couple” will flip over their question and discuss it. I usually set a timer for 60 seconds, but you can do longer or shorter depending on the needs of your students. When the timer buzzes, one row (or circle) moves one way, and the other goes in the opposite direction. In this way, each student will have the opportunity to discuss every question.

I've included a reflection/ ticket out the door half sheet question for afterwards if time allows!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this activity! I’d love to hear your feedback after you complete it in your classroom. Thank you so much!

15 Minute Composing Challenge (Freebie)

Bring creativity and excitement into your classroom with this fast-paced, Gothic-themed writing challenge!

This 15 Minute Composing Challenge (Freebie) introduces students to the Gothic genre through engaging timed writing tasks. Perfect for middle school and high school students, this free resource gives a taste of the full 15 Minute Composing Challenge while helping students improve their creative writing skills in a fun and structured way.

Students will plan, write, and review their stories using Gothic quotes to inspire suspenseful narratives. Whether working individually or in groups, this quick exercise promotes critical thinking, creativity, and reflection—all in just 15 minutes!

What’s Included:

• Task cards with Gothic quotes for students to use in their writing
• Structured timing: 3 minutes to plan, 10 minutes to write, and 2 minutes to review
• Teacher instructions to pace the activity and guide students

Use this freebie to spark student interest in creative writing, or as a warm-up to more detailed lessons. If you enjoy this free resource, explore the full version for more prompts and activities!

This freebie offers just a taster of what the complete resource provides. If you found these prompts engaging, the full version includes more quotes, a wider range of activities, and extra tools to deepen your students' exploration of Gothic literature. Check out the full version with 5 different prompt cards, plus 3 beginner prompt cards and 2 extension prompt cards: 15 Minute Activity: Gothic Creative Short Story Writing Prompts & Activity

P.S. Follow EduHive Learning Resources for more creative teaching tools, and feel free to share your feedback—I would love to hear from you! Bee

Keywords: creative writing, composing challenge, Gothic literature, writing prompts, middle school writing, high school writing, ELA activities, quick writing exercise, free TeachShare resource, teacher, educator, homeschooling/homeschool, tutoring/tutor.

This Figurative Language Short Passage Set is a no-prep, printable close reading activity that's perfect for middle school and high school. This is a 226-word passage filled with 17 examples of figurative language, such as hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and personification. I’ve found that although my students can tell me the definition of these terms, simile is the only one they can truly pick out in a text. As a result, their writing is filled with overused similes that need work! This figurative language passage set is rigorous, uses higher-level words and phrases, and in addition to merely identifying the different types, students will be asked to discuss the impact it has on the reader, as they’re asked to do on standardized testing.

***Check out my other figurative language passage sets HERE!

Simply print and go! There is truly no preparation needed, which is why this set is perfect to leave for sub plans, bell ringers, homework, test prep, review or assessment!

*As an optional review activity, use my No-prep Four Corners Figurative Language Activity resource for a fun whole-group game, then use this passage set for assessment!

Activity:
Students can complete all three worksheets as part of a packet, but I suggest using one each day. If you teach allusion, alliteration, idiom, or onomatopoeia, you can ask students to include those in Task 2 where they will be asked to continue the passage using a similar writing style. I have left some blanks on the checklist for this very purpose.

Reflection:
The class can review the answers and comments as a whole group when the activity is complete. You’ll be surprised how much better they’ll get at figurative language after being exposed to some high-quality examples!

INCLUDED WITH YOUR PURCHASE:

• 3 Printable Worksheets

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Have a question?

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**For personal and single classroom use only. If using with multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses at the discounted rate.**

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