Middle School English Language Arts Unit Plans

DEEP DIVE into literature with Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart"

Perfect for Horror/Gothic Literature units in English

8 activities focusing on skills for fiction with this masterful text. Students will have the opportunity to practice comprehension, questioning the text, engage in class discussions, and respond.

What's Included:

1. Powerpoint Guide for each activity
2. Pre-reading activity to activate prior knowledge
3. Two Word Documents that allow students to form questions while reading, or make their own annotations (with the abridged text)
4. A guide to facilitate class discussions after reading
5. Summarizing activity and questions
6. Examining Story Elements page with plot diagram
7. Analyzing Characters practice
8. Inferencing
9. Constructed Responses

**All documents are in Word with a PDF - Also translated for Spanish speaking students - Answer Keys included (including sample responses for the constructed response)**

Depth not Breadth

The benefits of 'depth not breadth' are seen in many scholarly journals. When teachers & students spend more time with a text, they have more opportunities to interact and respond to literature.

• Deep Understanding: When students delve deeply into a text, they gain a thorough understanding of its themes, characters, and nuances. This deep engagement allows them to appreciate the complexities of literature, fostering a richer and more meaningful reading experience.
• Critical Thinking: Depth encourages critical thinking. Students learn to analyze, interpret, and evaluate texts, which enhances their ability to think critically about what they read. This skill is crucial not only for academic success but also for making informed decisions in everyday life.
• Skill Development: Engaging deeply with a few texts helps students develop essential literacy skills, such as close reading, analytical writing, and evidence-based argumentation. These skills are foundational for success in higher education and beyond.
• Connection and Retention: Students are more likely to form connections with the material and retain information when they study it in depth. This approach allows them to see the interconnectedness of themes and ideas, making the learning experience more cohesive and memorable.
• Personal Engagement: When students spend more time on a text, they have the opportunity to relate personally to the material, fostering a greater sense of engagement and motivation. Personal connections to literature can inspire a lifelong love of reading.
• Addressing Complexity: Many literary works are complex and require time to unpack fully. By focusing on depth, students can explore these complexities, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of literature's multifaceted nature.
• Application of Concepts: A deep dive into a text allows students to apply literary concepts and theories in a meaningful way. They can practice applying various analytical lenses, which deepens their understanding and prepares them for more advanced literary study.
• Quality Over Quantity: The quality of learning is often more important than the quantity. By focusing on a few key texts, teachers can ensure that students are engaging with high-quality literature and getting the most out of their reading experience.

Teaching a play by William Shakespeare? Want to provide students with a fascinating overview of the author's life, the construction of the Globe Theater, the language of early-modern English, the rhythm of iambic pentameter, and more? This 50-page EDITABLE resource has EVERYTHING you could possibly want to introduce ANY play by William Shakespeare....

This comprehensive bundle includes a Biography of the Bard, an account of the construction of the Globe Theater, handouts and exercises to help students understand Shakespeare's language, a Shakespearean insult generator, worksheets and quizzes introducing students to iambic pentameter, and more.

Here's what you'll find inside this 50-page resource bundle:

• William Shakespeare Biography: This 4-page biography of William Shakespeare explains the conditions of his early life and schooling in Stratford-upon-Avon, how he became involved in the London theater scene, the impact which the death of his son Hamnet had upon his writing career, his gradual transition from comedies to tragedies, and more. Includes a comprehension check with answer key. (5 pages)

• The Globe Theater: A 2-page handout on what inspired Shakespeare's acting company to build the Globe Theater. A dispute with the landlord of their old theater motivated Shakespeare's company to meet with lanterns in the middle of the night, disassemble their old playhouse, and transport the timber across the Thames River to the plot of land where they would build the Globe. How did the construction of the Globe infuse new life into Shakespeare's company? How would Shakespeare make reference to the Globe in plays written after its construction in 1599? Includes a comprehension check with answer key. (4 pages)

• Shakespeare's Language: A 3-page handout on the crucial topic of Shakespeare's language. Literary scholars have pointed out that "the life of Shakespeare's plays is in the language." What's so special about Shakespeare's language? Did he really invent 1,700 new words? What kinds of words did he invent, and how do they contribute to the meaning of his plays? Includes a comprehension check with answer key. (5 pages)

• Renaissance Glossary: This 2-page glossary features 50 words that appear frequently within Shakespeare's plays but are no longer used in modern-day speech: adieu, beseech, ere, fain, naught, prithee, troth, wot, etc. Familiarizing students with this words will make their reading experience much smoother! This glossary includes a definition for each word as well as an example of how it's used in Shakespeare's plays. (2 pages)

• Translation Practice: This 2-page worksheet features 20 brief quotations from a diverse range of Shakespeare's plays. Challenge students to translate each quotation into modern English. This exercise gives students a change to demonstrate their understanding of the words in the Renaissance Glossary. Includes answer key. (4 pages)

• Decode the Idiom: This 1-page worksheet features 12 quotations that feature idioms which Shakespeare invented: wear my heart on my sleeve, all that glitters is not gold, I have a charmed life, as good luck would have it, and more. Challenge students to identify the idiom by filling in the word missing from the quotation. Then have students explain the meaning of the idiom. Includes answer key. (2 pages)

• Blank Verse: A 2-page handout on the when and why Shakespeare employs blank verse (i.e. unrhymed iambic pentameter). This handout explains how blank verse emerged as a popular verse form as well as what distinguished Shakespeare's usage of blank verse. When and why do some of Shakespeare's characters break with the regular rhythms of blank verse? Why might some characters alternate between using verse and prose? (2 pages)

• Scansion Practice: Students learn to identify iambic pentameter by scanning 10 well-known quotations from Shakespeare's plays. Includes answer key. (4 pages)

• Quizzes on Meter (x2): The 2 quizzes on meter are designed to asses whether students are able to accurately scan Shakespearean lines. Each quiz features 10 quotations from Shakespeare's plays. Includes answer keys. (8 pages)

• Shakespearean Insult Generator: Shakespeare's characters are exceptionally creative in their elaboration of insults. Indeed, some scholars have suggested that the insults in Shakespeare's plays amount to their own education in wit. If your students are sufficiently mature, you could use this exercise to invite them to generate their own original Shakespearean insults. (2 pages)

The resource will download as a Zip folder which contains the entire 50-page unit in two separate formats: Word Doc *and* PDF. Because the Word Doc is fully EDITABLE, you'll be able to customize it to match your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access a PDF version of the full unit — which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

If you have questions about ANYTHING related to Shakespeare, please don't hesitate to get in touch! This unit was designed by a Ph.D. in English who has devoted over 20 years to studying Shakespeare — and who currently teaches a course called "Shakespeare's Masterpieces." I LOVE hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature. Wishing you an amazing experience with the Swan of Avon!

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!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

This 135-page EDITABLE curriculum has everything you'll need for profoundly stimulating lessons on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese! Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The pre-reading handout, discussion questions, image analysis worksheets, vocabulary lists, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

The graphic novel is an aesthetically innovative genre in which meaning is created through the interplay of image and text. How do we read a novel in which two narrative channels — one verbal, the other visual — interact? And how do graphic novels challenge readers to expand the set of interpretive techniques that make up “close reading”? This unit will help students understand complex questions about literary and aesthetic form, the experience of social exclusion, and the troubling history of racial stereotypes in American popular media.

Here are some highlights from the 135-page curriculum:

• Author Biography: Open this unit by reading and discussing a 3-page biography of Gene Luen Yang. The biography introduces students to Yang's experience growing up as one of the only Asian-American students in predominantly white schools in California. As such, it introduces readers to many of the themes that will emerge in American Born Chinese: the painful experience of social exclusion, the threat of racial stereotypes, the healing power of literature, etc. (3 pages)

• Discussion Question Handouts (x9): Thirty pages of higher-order discussion questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with 8-10 questions for each of the book's 9 chapters. The discussion questions are the beating heart of these lesson plans. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights! Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster profound discussions! (20 pages)

• Discussion Question Answer Keys (x9): The answer keys to the discussion questions are informed by cutting-edge scholarship by literature professors who specialize in the graphic novel and Yang's American Born Chinese. Of course, there is rarely a single "correct" answer for any question; rather, the discussions questions are made up of higher-order questions designed to foster lively exchanges and interpretive debates among students. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence. (40 pages)

• Quick Writes: A "quick write" can be used at any time in a class to get students to pause and reflect on the text in writing. Introduce a quick write before you begin a discussion to allow students to collect their thoughts. Or roll one out toward the end of a discussion to let students capture and refine their best ideas. (9 pages)

• Image Analysis Worksheets (x5): These worksheets challenge students to analyze and compare more than a dozen visually complex panels from American Born Chinese. Students will reflect on how Gene Luen Yang builds meaning by through the use of aesthetic strategies such as visual parallels, verbal puns, inversions, symbolism, etc. Help students figure out what it means to "close read" a graphic novel. Worksheets are provided for chapters 1, 2, 4, 8, and 9. Answer keys included. (18 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists (x9): Lists of 8 vocabulary words for every chapter, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as they are used in American Born Chinese. A total of 72 words. (9 pages)

• Reading & Vocabulary Quizzes (x9): Daily quizzes with 6 questions on the reading homework plus another 4 questions on the vocabulary words. If you choose not to have your students study vocabulary, you can still use the portion of the quiz focused on reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 9 grades into your gradebook. Answer keys included. (18 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Gene Luen Yang's complex graphic novel. Let students choose from one of three thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a similar topic of their own. Writing schedule, outline template, and rubric included. (7 pages)

This resource packet will come to you in two separate formats: Word docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit your teaching style and/or your students' skill levels — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials in PDFs, which are easy to navigate and quick to print!

Finally, because I believe that teachers should be able to see what they're getting before they make a purchase, the preview for this resource provides access to over 30 pages from this 135-page bundle. Click on the green “preview” button to see exactly what you’ll get....

Thank you for choosing “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!

NEW IN 2020: Rigorous! Thought-provoking! Discussion-based! This 80-page EDITABLE unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. Invite your students to engage in student-driven discussions that promise to be profoundly stimulating! The discussion prompts, daily quizzes, short writing prompts, and final paper will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocabulary and reading quiz. Facilitate dynamic discussions that motivate students to become attached to the thrill generating shared knowledge. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: formalist, historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, etc. Inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight!!

Everything you’ll need to teach the novel is included in this bundle. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Unit & Pacing Guide: Suggestions for how to approach the complex themes and deceptively simple language in Kincaid's Annie John.

• Discussion Questions: Sixteen pages of deeply thought-provoking discussion questions! One 2-page handout containing 6-10 questions for each of 8 chapters. The discussion questions are the beating heart of this curriculum. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions could be used to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, to foster in-class writing such as stop-and-jots, or to assign written reflections for homework. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster profound discussions!! (16 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 10-12 vocabulary words for every chapter, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as used in Annie John. A total of close to 100 words. (8 pages)

• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes: Quizzes with 10 questions per chapter. Build students’ vocabularies while holding them accountable for the nightly reading homework. Each quiz contains 7 questions on vocabulary words plus another 3 questions on reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 8 grades in your gradebook. Answer key included. (16 pages)

• Narrative Writing Assignment: A narrative writing assignment that could be given after students finish reading Chapter 3. This assignment is inspired by the "autobiographical essay" that Annie shares with her classmates. (1 page)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to find connections between quotations excerpted from different parts of Annie John. Then invite students to use those quotations as the basis for building an interpretive argument that is supported by textual evidence. Builds skills in close reading and analytical writing! Student writing sample included. (3 pages)

• Creative Writing Assignment: Invite students to think about the messages they have received about what it means to be a "man" or a "woman." Then, following the example in Kincaid's short story "Girl," have students write a short story about how they have navigated the normative pressures associated with gender. Student writing sample included. (2 pages)

• Short Story Pairings: Read and discuss two short stories that examine how and why young children are socialized into normative gender roles: Kincaid's "Girl" & Bret Anthony Johnston's "Boy." This bundle includes transcriptions of both stories as well as a page of thought-provoking discussion questions on Kincaid's "Girl." (3 pages)

• Poetry Pairing: Wrap things up with the poem that Jamaica Kincaid says "taught me how to write." This poem by Elizabeth Bishop engages with many of the same coming-of-age themes explored in Kincaid's Annie John. The poetry pairing includes discussion questions, answer keys, and a quiz on poetic devices. (10 pages)

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the materials prioritize rigorous content over decorative graphics. Yes, these lessons are filled with dozens of captivating images — maps and photographs of Antigua, paintings of historical events alluded to in the novel, portraits of the author — that shed light on various scenes from Kincaid's novel. But what really distinguishes this curriculum is how the discussion starters, close-reading exercises, and writing prompts are all designed to help student arrive at an abundance of interpretive insights!! . .

These materials will come to you in a single 80-page EDITABLE Word document. Feel free to modify the lessons to suit your teaching style and/or the needs of particular students. The previews for my resources provide direct access to over a dozen pages of actual materials. Click on the green “preview” button to see what you’ll get. .

Thank you for choosing “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!

These student workbooks feature everything you'll need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. These workbooks, with their colorful design and rigorous content, are guaranteed to have your students falling in love with Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed lovers!

Every page of these teacher-friendly workbooks is fully editable. So you'll be able to customize the materials to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. Recover weeks of prep time while amplifying student engagement with these rigorous and colorful literature workbooks!

Best of all, every page of this workbook comes with a detailed and insightful answer key! The answer keys are brimming with interpretative expertise from leading Shakespeare scholars who teach at universities like Harvard and Cambridge. You'll have every student reading like a professor!

Here's what you'll find in this editable 100+ page teaching resource:

• Pacing Guide: The pacing guide features brief summaries of every scene in the play. It also provides suggestions about which scenes to assign for homework so that students' nightly workload will be manageable while every class session will be maximally productive. The pacing guide also includes a sample homework posting which teachers can copy and paste into their school's learning management system. (3 pages)

• STUDENT WORKBOOKS on Romeo and Juliet: The 50-page workbook features highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:

• The Passage Analysis section invite students to analyze one or two key passages from each scene.
• The Evidence Hunt challenges students to answer an interpretive question by finding the best textual evidence to support their answer.
• The Comparing Quotations section invites students to make connections between quotations from different scenes in the play.
• The Discussion Question section features three higher-order questions designed to foster lively discussions and interpretive debates among students.
• The Quick Writes challenge students to compose short arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights!

The workbook is guaranteed to foster skills in close reading, thoughtful analysis, and lively discussion. It will have your students feeling genuinely excited to study Shakespeare every day! (50 pages)

• WORKBOOK ANSWER KEY: The 50-page answer key to the workbook provides detailed answers to the passage analysis, evidence hunt, and comparing quotations sections. The answer key is informed by the best books and articles written by leading Shakespeare scholars: Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), Emma Smith (Oxford), Coppélia Kahn (Brown), Catherine Belsey (Cambridge), Susan Snyder (Swarthmore), David Bevington (Chicago), Dympna Callaghan (Syracuse), and many others. (50 pages)

These workbooks and answer keys will come to you in two separate formats: Word Docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize them to match the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access PDF versions — which are easy to navigate and quick to print.

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality resources on William Shakespeare. Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching Romeo and Juliet. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I love hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature! 

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to “follow” my store to receive email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

This is a full unit plan for reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding through a choice of two different lenses: Psychology or Gender. You'll receive the full Unit Plan in a grid format, as well as every assignment for both lenses.

Students will be put in groups according to their chosen lens and will explore a number of resources pertaining to their lens. They'll complete a wide variety of assignments, including a Double Entry Journal, Socratic Seminar, Symbolism Word Splash and Explanation, Theme Formal Essay, and Characterization Creative Situational Writing. The directions and rubric are included for each assignment. Since it's in a Google Doc, it's all ready for you to post and have your students complete digitally, OR you can print it out and have then do it that way, too!

Please let me know if you have any questions! My students LOVED being in charge of their own learning by choosing how they would read the text and having all of the assignments laid out for them right from the beginning. Thanks for looking!

When I read Night with my students, our focus is how imagery contributes to the author’s purpose of examining how cruelty fuels dehumanization. This product gives you everything you need to track the imagery, check for understanding with 2 paragraph response prompts, and a final test. I’ve included many examples you can refer to as exemplars for the tracking chart, sample paragraph responses, and the Essential Question that you can hang on your board. The final test includes 10 rigorous multiple choice questions that require students to analyze Wiesel's imagery, as well as a final paragraph response question. A thorough answer key for the test is included as well.

Please help my little business grow!

Did you know that you can receive $ credit towards future TeachShare purchases by reviewing this product? Please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account" at TpT. Thank you!

This product bundles ALL of my shop's Holocaust- related resources together. Please check out each product individually using the links below. Thank you!

Please help my little business grow!

Did you know that you can receive $ credit towards future TeachShare purchases by reviewing this product? Please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account" at TpT. Thank you!

This bundle includes an imagery unit plan, a question trail, an analysis of "Never Shall I Forget" from chapter 3, an analysis of "Juliek's Violin" by Cyrus Cassells (to use with chapter 6), and a Socratic Seminar for Elie Wiesel's Night. Please check out each product individually. Thank you!

Please help my little business grow!

Did you know that you can receive $ credit towards future TeachShare purchases by reviewing this product? Please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account" at TpT. Thank you!

Nutcracker Literature Bundle: ($18 value)

Combines The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Picture Book Study and the Nutcracked Novel Study and Vocabulary Unit.

Nutcracker and the Mouse King Picture Book Study ($5 Value)

This study works excellent as an introduction to studying the Nutcracker Ballet.

Using the picture book The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the original Story by ETA Hoffman, illustrated by Gail de Marcken, and the Story adapted by Wren Mayse. The materials aim to enhance the readers understanding and interpretation of the Story.

What is Included: 23 Pages Total

· Goal and Instructional Pages for Teacher

· Lesson Plans for 10-days of lessons

· Pre-Reading Notes Page (1 page)

· Discussion Questions (9 pages)

· Story Outline (Plot Outline) (2 pages)

· Battle Plan Outline (2 pages)

· Answer Keys (4 pages)

Nutcracked Novel Study and Vocabulary ($8 Value)

Novel Study: These materials for Susan Adrian's novel Nutcracked aim to enhance readers' understanding and interpretation of the Story.

What is Included: 40 Pages

· Goal and Instructional Pages for Teacher

· Lesson Plans for 15-days of lessons- Incorporate vocabulary work in

· Discussion Questions (11 pages)

· Reality vs. Fantasy-Journal (1 page)

· Reality vs. Fantasy-Teaching Worksheet Activity (1 page)

· Reality vs. Fantasy-2 Worksheets (1 page each)

· Georgie's Problems (Conflict Worksheet) (1 page)

· Plot Diagram (1 page)

· Final Test (2 Options) (2 pages each)

· Answer Keys (8 pages)

Vocabulary: -In general, the goal for finding vocabulary words within a novel is to have students encounter words they may not have seen or heard before and then understand their meaning in the text and their everyday lives.

What is Included: 31 Pages

· Goals and Instructional Pages for Teacher

· Master Word Lists (3 pages)

· Student Dictionary (11 pages)

· Crossword Puzzles (3 pages)

· Word Search (1 page)

· Vocabulary in Context Worksheet (2 pages)

· Final Test (1 page)

· Answer Keys (6 pages)

This Bundle also includes a Bundle Guide: 8 Pages ($3 value)

· Goals and Instructions for the Bundle

· Brief Bundle Overview

· Full Bundle Lesson Plans (helps combine the two units into one)

Look to pair this Bundle with other Nutcracker Christmas School Activities. A complete 20-Day Christmas School Unit is available as a bundle through my website or TeachShare storefront.

A biography writing unit about the life of the famous ruler of Tikal in the Maya Empire, Jasaw Chan K'awiil I. The NO PREP unit has been split into four separate lessons and is perfect for students in fifth grade or sixth grade.

Included in this PDF printable resource: Four fact sheets which students need to cut out and sort into paragraphs Writing templates for four draft paragraphs Two prompt sheets for students to write their introduction and conclusion A template for students to write up their neat biography text A crossword puzzle & wordsearch activity to consolidate learning

If you would like to add another lesson, download the Jasaw Chan K'awiil Reading Comprehension Activity. This would give the students more background knowledge before they start writing the biography.

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This resource is great for: In class learning Independent work Homework Creative writing sessions Assessment practice Emergency sub plans

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The first lesson is interactive and involves students cutting out facts, and then sorting these facts into paragraphs. In the second lesson the students need to use these facts to write four paragraphs. Then, in the third lesson children need to choose the most important facts and include these in an introduction; after this they need to answer several questions on a prompt sheet before writing up their conclusion. In the final lesson students need to check their draft paragraphs for mistakes before writing up their work on to a neat copy on the template provided.

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Narrative Writing made simple! This Narrative Writing Unit provides all of the lessons, graphic organizers, and activities needed to guide students through the entire writing process. Ideal for upper elementary and middles school classrooms, this resource provides a structured approach to crafting engaging narratives, ensuring that students develop their writing skills effectively.

Resource Overview:

Identifying Narrative Elements:

• Mentor Texts for analyzing key narrative elements.
• Guided activities to explore characters, setting, and conflict.

Brainstorming:

• Prompts and exercises to inspire creativity and originality.
• Strategies for drawing from observations and unique perspectives

Planning Graphic Organizers:

• Graphic organizers for planning characters, setting, and conflict.
• Plot graphic organizers to outline the sequence of events.
• Anchor charts and diagrams to help visualize plot structure.
• Detailed resources for planning plot with clear beginnings, middles, and ends.

Drafting:

• Mini-lessons on Transitions, Dialogue, and Imagery to enrich writing.
• Activities to practice and incorporate these elements into drafts.

Revising and Editing:

• Self and peer revision checklists to guide the improvement process.
• Editing checklists for polishing grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Publishing:

• Finalization steps for preparing narratives for publication and presentation.
• A rubric for assessing narrative quality and completeness.

Additional Features:

• Flexible pacing guidelines to fit into your writing block.
• Opportunities for differentiation based on student needs.
• Engaging materials and activities to enhance students' narrative writing skills.

This unit plan provides a detailed roadmap for teaching narrative writing, making it easier to help students produce well-structured and compelling stories.

Are you looking for mini grammar lessons and practice sheets? Then you will love this bundle! This bundle includes a printable packet for 6 units with 3 mini-lessons, 3 practice sheets, and answer keys. Each unit has 5 weeks of skills for your student to practice giving you a full year of grammar! These grammar skills do follow McGraw Hill Wonders for 5th grade however the grammar skills are your standard grammar skills taught in upper elementary.

Grammar skills included:

• Sentences
• Subject/Predicate
• Commas
• Compound Sentences and Conjunctions
• Complex Sentences and Sentence Combining
• Run on Sentences/Fragments
• Common and Proper Nouns
• Singular and Plural Nouns
• Collective Nouns
• Possessive Nouns
• Prepositional Phrases
• Action Verbs
• Verb Tenses
• Main and Helping Verbs
• Linking Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Pronouns and Antecedents
• Kinds of Pronouns
• Homographs
• Possessive Pronouns
• Pronouns and Homophones
• Independent and Dependent Clauses
• Adjectives
• Adverbs
• Negatives

Want to try out a week first before you buy it? Grab a free SAMPLE of the first two weeks of unit 1. Please reach out if you have any questions!

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This Google Sheets resource is a detailed tool to help you keep track of 6th, 7th, AND 8th grade ELA Common Core State Standards you cover throughout the school year!

All middle school ELA standards are included!

This BUNDLED resource gives you a digital option with easy-to-use checkboxes and is 100% editable! It is organized by months, weeks, and there is a spot to add your units! It is based off of a mid-August to mid-May school year, however, you may edit this resource to fit your needs.

Just for fun, it is color-coded! 6th grade is turquoise, 7th grade is purple, and 8th grade is green!

If you only need ONE grade level, check out my other products below:

6th Grade ELA Common Core State Standards DIGITAL Checklist

7th Grade ELA Common Core State Standards DIGITAL Checklist

8th Grade ELA Common Core State Standards DIGITAL Checklist

*NEW* 5th Grade is now also available here!

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Other resources you may like:

RACE Writing Strategy | Citing Text Evidence | ELA TEST PREP - BUNDLE

Boho Rainbow Café Classroom Decor Theme Set | GROWING BUNDLE

DIGITAL Unit Guide Template | Scope & Sequence | EDITABLE
Flipped Classroom Parent / Student BUNDLE
Starbooks Virtual Book Tasting with Verse Novels

This Google Sheets digital resource is a detailed tool to help you keep track of 7th grade ELA Common Core State Standards you cover throughout the school year!

All ELA standards are included!

This resource gives you a digital option with easy-to-use checkboxes and is 100% editable! It is organized by months, weeks, and there is a spot to add your units! It is based off of a mid-August to mid-May school year, however, you may edit this resource to fit your needs.

Just for fun, it has a purple color theme!

This sheet is also included in this combined Google Sheets file: 6th, 7th, AND 8th Grade ELA Common Core State Standards DIGITAL Checklist BUNDLE

*NEW* 5th Grade is now also available here!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like this resource? Please leave a helpful review/rating and EARN SOME TeachShare CREDITS towards your next TPT purchase!

Checkout my store here - all teacher friends are welcome!

Other resources you may like:

RACE Writing Strategy | Citing Text Evidence | ELA TEST PREP - BUNDLEBoho Rainbow Café Classroom Decor Theme Set | GROWING BUNDLE

DIGITAL Unit Guide Template | Scope & Sequence | EDITABLE
Flipped Classroom Parent / Student BUNDLE
Starbooks Virtual Book Tasting with Verse Novels

This Google Sheets digital resource is a detailed tool to help you keep track of 8th grade ELA Common Core State Standards you cover throughout the school year!

All ELA standards are included!

This resource gives you a digital option with easy-to-use checkboxes and is 100% editable! It is organized by months, weeks, and there is a spot to add your units! It is based off of a mid-August to mid-May school year, however, you may edit this resource to fit your needs.

Just for fun, it has a green color theme!

This sheet is also included in this combined Google Sheets file: 6th, 7th, AND 8th Grade ELA Common Core State Standards DIGITAL Checklist BUNDLE

*NEW* 5th Grade is now also available here!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like this resource? Please leave a helpful review/rating and EARN SOME TeachShare CREDITS towards your next TPT purchase!

Checkout my store here - all teacher friends are welcome!

Other resources you may like:

RACE Writing Strategy | Citing Text Evidence | ELA TEST PREP - BUNDLEBoho Rainbow Café Classroom Decor Theme Set | GROWING BUNDLE

DIGITAL Unit Guide Template | Scope & Sequence | EDITABLE
Flipped Classroom Parent / Student BUNDLE
Starbooks Virtual Book Tasting with Verse Novels

This Google Sheets digital resource is a detailed tool to help you keep track of 6th grade ELA Common Core State Standards you cover throughout the school year!

All ELA standards are included!

This resource gives you a digital option with easy-to-use checkboxes and is 100% editable! It is organized by months, weeks, and there is a spot to add your units! It is based off of a mid-August to mid-May school year, however, you may edit this resource to fit your needs.

Just for fun, it has a turquoise/teal color theme!

This sheet is also included in this combined Google Sheets file: 6th, 7th, AND 8th Grade ELA Common Core State Standards DIGITAL Checklist BUNDLE

*NEW* 5th Grade is now also available here!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like this resource? Please leave a helpful review/rating and EARN SOME TeachShare CREDITS towards your next TPT purchase!

Checkout my store here - all teacher friends are welcome!

Other resources you may like:

RACE Writing Strategy | Citing Text Evidence | ELA TEST PREP - BUNDLEBoho Rainbow Café Classroom Decor Theme Set | GROWING BUNDLE

DIGITAL Unit Guide Template | Scope & Sequence | EDITABLE
Flipped Classroom Parent / Student BUNDLE
Starbooks Virtual Book Tasting with Verse Novels

Introduce students to Summer & Winter Solstice celebrations while building essential reading comprehension skills. With structured vocabulary activities, lesson plans, & comprehension questions to support critical thinking & ELA test prep in a meaningful, culturally rich way.

This Winter & Summer Solstice Unit includes 4 close-reading passages focused on key traditions, from Winter Solstice to Yalda Night.

From the mysteries of the Winter Solstice to the festivities of Dongzhi and Yalda Night, students will uncover global traditions while mastering reading skills such as sequence, cause and effect, and compare and contrast.

Incorporate this unit to enrich your curriculum with meaningful, solstice-themed reading comprehension lessons that promote deep learning and understanding.

These activities are perfect for close reading, test prep, or any time!

What’s Included?

⭐ Teacher Resources

⭐ Lesson Sequence 1. (Introduction to Background Knowledge and Vocabulary, Essential Question)

⭐ Passage 1: Winter Solstice, Passage

⭐ Passage 2 Dongzhi Festival (Cause and Effect), Passage

⭐ Passage 3: Yalda Night (Sequence),

⭐ Passage 4: Summer Solstice (Compare and Contrast),

⭐ Review, Reflection, and Interactive Activities.

⭐ Teacher Guide

⭐ Lesson Purpose

⭐ Lesson Plans & Standards

⭐ Essential Question

⭐ Vocabulary Cards & Activities

⭐ Writing Activities

⭐ 4 Close Reading Passages Text Dependent, Text Marking, & Open-Ended Questions (Winter Solstice, Dongzhi Festival, YALDA NIGHT, & Summer Solstice)

⭐ Unit Assessment

⭐ Answer Keys

Additional Ways to Use This Resource

⭐ Reading Comprehension Prep: Ready-made for preparing students for reading comprehension exams.

⭐ Test Prep: Focused passages help students practice ELA test skills with structured support.

⭐ Independent Assignments: Perfect for homework, sub plans, or enrichment activities.

⭐ Winter Learning Stations: Engage students in learning centers with culturally rich solstice-themed passages.

You can find other helpful activities :

⭐ Unit 1 Week 5

⭐ Winter Close Reading Packet

⭐ Self-Checking Google Sheet Bundle 3rd-5th Grade

⭐ The Girl & The Bicycle Read Aloud Unit Lesson Plans, Slides & Activities

⭐ Behavior Management | The Diamond Trail Challenge

⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏

Thank you so much for your support and honest feedback!

Click here to learn about my store-wide sales, freebies, and new products.

Follow me on social media:

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Facebook Group

Pinterest

Email

Newsletter

Thank you so much for all you do for students as educators!

M. Tehfe

Literacy Tales

Where Stories Come Alive✎

Comic Strips Story Board for Reading & Writing. Reinforce Reading skills ( Inferences, summarizing, sequence, point of view, & More) & Writing (Narrative elements, dialogue, storytelling, & more). Boost engagement, support diverse Learning Styles, promote language Development, and enhance social and Emotional Learning with these engaging comic strips.

Keep them engaged throughout the task. Also, use multilingual and ESL students to enhance vocabulary and reinforce conversational dialogue.

Celebrate storytelling while practicing their reading & writing skills. Think about all the benefits of using this resource: enhancing and drilling your students' reading skills while responding to reading by creating a story using comic strips.

Included in this NO Prep Packet:
Teacher's Tools :

⭐ Why Comic Strips

⭐ How to use Comic Strips.

⭐ A Lesson Plan Sample

⭐ 9 teacher’s slides

Students Templates:

⭐ How to use

⭐ 15 Comic Strips Templates

Suggestions for Use:

• Sub plans
• Fun assessment
• Whole class or group activities
• Thematic connections
• Morning work

Don't delay – unlock the potential of your classroom with our No Prep Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary packet today!

You can find other helpful activities :
⭐ Valentine's Day Close Reading

⭐ Winter Close Reading Packet

⭐ November Holidays ELA Packet

⭐ Self-Checking Google Sheet Bundle 3rd-5th Grade

⭐ The Girl & The Bicycle Read Aloud Unit Lesson Plans, Slides & Activities

⭐ Valentine's Day Writing Activity Digital & Printable

⭐ Valentine's Day Math Activities Digital & Printable

⭐ Behavior Management | The Diamond Trail Challenge

⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏

Thank you so much for your support and honest feedback!

Click Here to be the first to know about my store-wide sales, freebies, and new products.

Follow me on social media:

Instagram

Facebook Group

Pinterest

Email

Thank you so much for all you do for students as educators!

M. Tehfe

Literacy Tales

Where Stories Come Alive✎

Argumentative Writing Unit! Engage Students with this complete argumentative writing unit! This resource includes Teacher Slides, Graphic Organizers, Topic Task Cards, Writing Templates, a Let's Argue activity, Checklists, & more. It is perfect for introducing, teaching, practicing, and implementing.

Students will find planning, drafting, and revising their essays a breeze. Plus, you’ll get a PowerPoint presentation to support your lessons!

Included:

✎ Graphic Organizers to Differentiate

✎ In Your Own Words

✎ Word Bank

✎ Put it Together

✎ Writing Pages Templates

✎ Transitional Example Checklist

✎ Editing & Revising Checklist

✎ Argumentative Topics Cards

✎ Let's Argue Graphic Organizer

✎ Let's Argue Brochure

✎ TAG: Peer Feedback

✎ Teacher's Slides (PowerPoint)

You can find other Writing helpful activities :

⭐ Writing Center Activities All Year Long

⭐ Comic Strips Reading & Writing

⭐ Self-Checking Google Sheet Bundle 3rd-5th Grade

⭐ The Girl & The Bicycle Read Aloud Unit Lesson Plans, Slides & Activities

⭐ Behavior Management | The Diamond Trail Challenge

⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏⤏

Thank you so much for your support and honest feedback!

Click here to learn about my store-wide sales, freebies, and new products.

Follow me on social media:

Instagram

Facebook Group

Pinterest

Email

Newsletter

Thank you so much for all you do for students as educators!

M. Tehfe

Literacy Tales

Where Stories Come Alive✎