Middle School Short Stories Resources

Each of these stores can be found individually here

Empower Your Students to Overcome Bullying with "The Power Within"

A Collection of Short Stories & Engaging Activities Designed to Spark Dialogue, Build Empathy, and Inspire Change

Are you seeking a powerful tool to address bullying in your middle school classroom?

"The Power Within: Stories of Overcoming Bullying" is more than just a book; it's a comprehensive resource designed to help you navigate the complex landscape of bullying with your students.

What's Inside:

• Eight Engaging Narratives: Captivating stories that explore various forms of bullying, including verbal, physical, social, and cyberbullying, from multiple perspectives – the victim, the bully, the bystander, and the supportive adult.
• Thought-Provoking Discussion Questions: Each story is followed by a set of questions designed to spark meaningful conversations, encourage critical thinking, promote self-reflection, and foster empathy.
• Creative Writing Prompts: Inspire your students to explore the themes of the stories through writing, allowing them to develop their own voices, express their understanding of bullying, and consider alternative perspectives.
• Action-Oriented Project Ideas: Empower your students to take action against bullying by engaging in projects that promote kindness, inclusivity, and positive change within their school communities.

Why Choose "The Power Within":

• Relatable and Engaging: The stories are carefully crafted to resonate with the middle school experience, capturing the attention of your students and making the lessons more impactful.
• Multifaceted Approach: The book addresses bullying from various angles, providing a holistic understanding of the issue and its complexities.
• Promotes Social-Emotional Learning: The activities and discussion prompts encourage students to develop essential social-emotional skills, such as empathy, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship building.
• Versatile Teaching Tool: Use the stories as individual reading assignments, springboards for class discussions, or the foundation for a unit on bullying prevention.

"The Power Within" is more than just a book; it's a catalyst for positive change.

Help your students find their voices, embrace their strength, and create a more compassionate and inclusive school environment. Order your copy of "The Power Within: Stories of Overcoming Bullying" today!

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Embark on a journey of friendship, loyalty, and personal growth with this captivating collection of eight short stories, perfect for teaching social-emotional learning and character education in the classroom.

"Friendship and Loyalty: Stories about the Challenges and Rewards of Maintaining Strong Friendships" is a powerful tool for educators seeking to foster meaningful discussions and lessons on the importance of building and maintaining healthy relationships. Each story in this collection highlights different aspects of friendship, such as trust, empathy, communication, and standing up for what's right, making it an invaluable resource for teaching essential life skills.

As students follow the journeys of Emma and Olivia, Jack and Liam, Maya and Zoe, and other memorable characters, they will learn valuable lessons about the power of unexpected connections, the importance of reconciliation, and the strength that comes from supporting one another through difficult times. These stories also tackle important topics such as peer pressure, standing up for oneself and others, and the consequences of one's actions on friendships.

Each story comes with a vocab list (word, part of speech, definition), a selection of potential assignments, a breakdown of the story structure, and applicable Common Core and National Health Education standards. All stories are also available individually from the DEEPbyDESIGN store.

Friendship and Loyalty: Stories about the Challenges and Rewards of Maintaining Strong Friendship

1. "The Unbreakable Bond": Two best friends, Emma and Olivia, find their friendship tested when they are assigned to compete against each other in a school science fair. As the competition intensifies, they must navigate the challenges of remaining loyal to each other while pursuing their individual goals.
2. "The Long-Distance Friendship": When Jack's best friend, Liam, moves to another country, they promise to stay in touch. Despite the time differences and the challenges of maintaining a long-distance friendship, the boys find creative ways to keep their bond strong.
3. "The Unexpected Friendship": Maya, a shy bookworm, and Zoe, a popular athlete, are paired together for a school project. As they work together, they discover that despite their differences, they have more in common than they thought and form an unlikely but powerful friendship.
4. "The Friendship Fallout": Aiden and Ethan have been best friends since kindergarten, but when a misunderstanding leads to a falling out, they must find a way to reconcile and repair their friendship.
5. "The Loyal Sidekick": When Sophia, the school's drama star, loses her voice before the big play, her best friend and understudy, Lily, steps in to help. Lily must balance her loyalty to Sophia with her own dreams of being in the spotlight.
6. "The Secret Keeper": When Nate confides in his best friend, Luke, about a family secret, Luke must decide whether to keep the secret or risk their friendship by telling an adult who can help.
7. "The Friendship Game": Four best friends, Ava, Bella, Chloe, and Daisy, create a game to test their friendship. As the challenges become more intense, they must decide what's more important: winning the game or maintaining their bond.
8. "The Friendship Rescue": When Mia's best friend, Sophie, starts hanging out with a new group of friends who engage in risky behavior, Mia must find the courage to stand up for what's right and help Sophie see the value of their true friendship.

Young Voices: Stories of Courage & Resilience in Conflict & Adversity

64 pages

Grade 5 to 8

All stories also available individually

Discover the resilience and hope of youth with our collection of eight short stories for grades 5 to 8, each set against the backdrop of global conflict and adversity. These narratives, ranging from a diary in the ruins of Gaza to unexpected friendships in Kashmir, offer a window into the impact of war on young lives. They capture the essence of innocence and the unyielding human spirit, providing a poignant exploration of loss, tradition, and the strength found in family and friendship bonds amidst turmoil.

Our carefully curated anthology spans from the streets of Sarajevo to the tense borders of East Ukraine and beyond, bringing to light the often-overlooked experiences of children in war-torn environments. These authentic tales not only confront the harsh realities of violence but also weave threads of hope, suggesting paths toward healing and peace. This collection is a profound reminder of our shared humanity and the vital importance of nurturing and listening to the world's youth, who carry the promise of a brighter, more united future.

Each story comes with a set of probing and thought-provoking questions.

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Stories

Iqbal & Yasmin: A Kashmiri Story

● A Kashmiri boy starts a cricket league to bring together youth from opposing

sides and provide hope in the midst of conflict.

Mykhala & Daniela: Slava Ukraini

● Two girls driven from their homes in Ukraine find friendship and purpose in

creating a bird sanctuary, becoming symbols of resilience and peace.

Kiribati: Rising Tides, Resilient Hearts

● Two girls from the island nation of Kiribati find strength in their bond as their

community is forced to leave their sinking homeland.

Irene’s Steps: A Story from the Troubles in Northern Ireland

● An unlikely friendship between a Catholic girl and a Protestant boy in Northern

Ireland during the Troubles helps bridge divides through their school project

sharing personal stories.

Beyond the Horizon: A Mexican Tale

● Four friends from Mexico undertake the perilous journey across the border,

driven by hopes for a better future.

Echoes of Hope: The Children of Sarajevo

● Children create an oasis of hope and resistance through education and art during the Siege of Sarajevo.

Gaza Diary: Shadows of Hope

● A young girl in Gaza chronicles her family's daily struggles for survival and

glimpses of hope amidst the cycles of war devastating her community.

The Day the World Changed: 9/11

● Two NYC teenagers find purpose helping their community cope with the

aftermath of 9/11, gaining resilience amidst tragedy.

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General Learning Objectives for Deep by Design Stories

Understanding Conflict: The material offers insights into the dynamics of territorial conflicts and their ramifications for those caught in the crossfire.

Effects of War or Conflict on Youth: The content underlines the deep-seated impact of hostilities on the mental and physical health of children and adolescents.

Resilience and Hope: Through character experiences, the narrative highlights the

human capacity for endurance and the quest for collective healing amidst adversity.

Cultural Insight: The text provides a window into the complexities of a region's culture and the intense obstacles its inhabitants endure.

Human Rights: The narrative serves as a primer for dialogues concerning the

safeguarding of civilians and the enforcement of human rights in times of strife.

Peacebuilding: The book promotes an investigation into the adoption of nonviolent strategies for mitigating disputes and fostering reconciliation at the community level.

Your students will be transported back in time to hunt dinosaurs! They will have to find the various time guides to gather information necessary to prevent the disturbance of the timeline. Only by carefully following all of the employees’ directions will they be able to return to the present, thus successfully completing the escape room!

The seven stations address the elements of the short story, including characterization, symbolism, summary, vocabulary, syntax and diction, foreshadowing, and figurative language. This is a rigorous review and analysis activity. Students should read the text BEFORE they do the escape room.

Download one of the 7 stations to preview here! Freebie Station!

Thanks for checking out my product! Please let me know if you have any questions!

My students are absolutely addicted to escape rooms, and LOVED Roald Dahl’s story “The Landlady”. I created this escape room to review the elements of the short story, including foreshadowing, characterization, figurative language, vocabulary, plot, and author's craft/ diction/ syntax. Students should read the text BEFORE they do the escape room.

Students will act as detectives trying to solve the mystery of the landlady’s true identity. The escape room will take place in the infamous Bed and Breakfast. You’ll set up your room with the different areas of interest from the story for your students to examine. They will visit each station and complete the task there in order to gather information to add to their dossier (answer sheet). Some stations will take longer/ shorter than others. It is up to you if you want to have your students work individually, with a partner, or in a small group.

Once all stations are complete, students will use the clues and information they’ve recorded on their dossier to identify which suspect is the murderer. My students had A TON of fun with this activity!

Did you like this escape room? Try my other escape rooms based on Bradbury's "The Veldt" or "A Sound of Thunder!

Ray Bradbury's "The Veld"t Mystery Escape Room

Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" Mystery Escape Room

This resource bundles two products from Stephen King's Night Shift! You'll get a Speed Dating Discussion Activity and a set of Socratic Seminar booklets + rubric! Please check out each product individually using the links below. Thank you!

This bundle includes the 3 resources I use to teach Ray Bradbury's iconic short story, "There Will Come Soft Rains". There is a comprehension quiz (answers included), a poetry foldable for the Sara Teasdale poem that appears in the text, and a Tabletop Twitter Silent Discussion Activity for analyzing the text. Please check out each item individually, and let me know if you have any questions!

This Bundle contains 2 products for Hawthorne's story "The Birthmark": a question trail that is chock full of text analysis questions, and a Socratic Seminar that could be used as a final assessment. Check out each of the products above in further detail! Buying them together saves 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!

Teach your students how to write a great story with this comprehensive, step-by-step Story Writing Unit! Perfect for teachers who want to provide explicit, easy-to-follow lessons on story writing, this no-prep resource guides students through the entire process, from brainstorming and planning to drafting and revising. Help your students master essential writing skills as they build characters, develop plots, and create engaging stories that they’ll be proud of.

What's Included:

• 55 Fully Editable Teaching Slides:

  • Lessons on plot structure, including the beginning, middle, and end of a story.
  • Visual breakdown of key elements like rising action, climax, and falling action.
  • Detailed guidance on character development, settings, and story arcs.
  • Step-by-step instructions to help students plan and structure their stories.
  • Examples and visuals, including popular story references, to aid understanding.

• 25-Page Printable Workbook:

  • Brainstorming Pages: Help students generate ideas for characters, settings, and plots.
  • Character Development Sheets: Guides to create dynamic, multi-dimensional characters.
  • Plot Planning Tools: Plot mountain and story arc templates to outline story events.
  • Story Writing Prompts: Structured activities to encourage creative thinking.
  • Final Draft Templates: Space for students to write, revise, and finalize their stories.

• Final Writing Rubric: A clear rubric to guide and assess students as they write their final stories, ensuring they understand the essential components of a great story.

Key Features:

• No Prep, Ready to Use: Simply print the workbook and present the editable slides—perfect for busy teachers who want to make story writing easy and accessible.
• Step-by-Step Guidance: Each stage of the writing process is laid out in a clear, structured format, helping students learn how to write a complete, polished story.
• Engaging & Visual: The slides feature visual aids and real-world examples to make complex concepts easy to understand and fun to learn.
• Versatile Use: Great for individual, small group, or whole-class instruction. Suitable for writing centers, creative writing units, and language arts lessons.

Perfect For:

• Teachers who want to teach story writing in a clear, structured way with no prep required.
• Students who need explicit instruction on how to brainstorm, plan, and write a story.
• Educators looking for an all-in-one resource to build writing skills and boost creativity.

Get your students excited about writing with this engaging, comprehensive Story Writing Unit! They’ll learn everything they need to craft their own unique stories, step by step.

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 Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado 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 The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task (and it is!), 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. Because this is a skills-based escape room, it is the perfect way to review the story for the final quiz or test. 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!

How does it work?

In this escape room, students will try to escape out of the Montresor family catacombs by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, completing a secret message, and finding clues along the way.

• Plot Diagram: In the first task, students must order the plot events of The Cask of Amontillado on Freytag's Pyramid. Once solved, corresponding letters reveal the first code.
• Figuratively Speaking: In the second task, students must identify 9 types of figurative language within the short story. Highlighted boxes in the correct answers will reveal the code.
• Criss-Cross: In the third task, students must solve a crossword puzzle with questions about literary elements and plot events of the story. Circled boxes on the crossword once unscrambled will reveal the code.
• Vocab Match-Up: In the fourth task, students must fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from The Cask of Amontillado. When matched correctly, shaded boxes will reveal the code.
• Jig Saw Quote: In the fifth and final task, students must complete a jig saw puzzle that reveals a quote from The Cask of Amontillado. In order to escape the Montresor family crypt, they must complete the missing word in the quote.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

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This escape room pairs perfectly with the The Cask of Amontillado Literature Guide

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Plus, check out these great products to supplement your study of The Cask of Amontillado:

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado Family Crest Activity

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado Socratic Seminar

More resources to round out your Edgar Allan Poe unit:

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe PowerPoint

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Compare Contrast Essay

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Brochure

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Socratic Seminar Materials

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Unit Test

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe's Obituary - Halloween Lesson Plan

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Quote Posters

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

And because your students will be begging for more escape rooms...

⭐ The Raven ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Black Cat ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Pit & the Pendulum ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Fall of the House of Usher ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death ESCAPE ROOM

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

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 Shirley Jackson's The Lottery 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 The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task (and it is!), 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!

How does it work?

In this escape room, students will try to escape the picturesque American town with a dark secret by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, deciphering an encrypted message, and finding clues along the way.

• Close Read: In the first task, students must answer challenging multiple choice questions about The Lottery. The corresponding letters of the correct answers reveal their first code.
• Vocab Challenge: In the second task, students must fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from the text. Shaded boxes within the correct answers form their second code.
• Character IDs: In the third task, students must fill in a blank character chart about important characters in the story. When assembled correctly, letters of the correct answers reveal the third code.
• Criss-Cross: In the fourth task, students must solve a crossword puzzle with questions about literary elements and plot events of the story. Circled boxes on the crossword once unscrambled will reveal the code.
• Encrypted Message: In the fifth and final task, students must decipher an encrypted message (a quote from The Lottery) using clues they collected during the first four tasks. When the message is written on the scroll, final question is answered, and booklet brought to you, they can finally escape before it is their turn to pick from the dreaded black box.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

Because this is a skills-based escape room, it is perfect for a review of the story before the test.

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Check out these great products to supplement your study of The Lottery:

⭐ The Lottery Digital Escape Room - paperless version

⭐ The Lottery "Tossing Lines" Pre-Reading Activity

⭐ The Lottery Social Media Activities

⭐ The Lottery Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

⭐ The Lottery Comprehension Questions, Literary Elements & Vocabulary

Check out these great DYSTOPIA resources to frame the study of this tale:

⭐ Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint Presentation

⭐ Escape from Dystopia ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Dystopian Literature Socratic Seminar

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

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 Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron 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 Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task (and it is!), 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!

How does it work?

In this escape room, students will try to escape from 2081 by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, deciphering an encrypted message, and finding clues along the way.

• Close Read: In the first task, students must answer challenging multiple choice questions about Harrison Bergeron. The corresponding letters of the correct answers reveal their first code.
• Plot it Out: In the second task, students must order the plot events of Harrison Bergeron on Freytag's Pyramid. Once solved, corresponding letters reveal the code.
• Vocab Challenge: In the third task, students must fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from Harrison Bergeron. When inserted correctly, shaded boxes will reveal the code.
• Criss-Cross: In the fourth task, students must solve a crossword puzzle with questions about literary elements and plot events of the story. Circled boxes on the crossword once unscrambled will reveal the code.
• Final Question: In the fifth and final task, students must complete a jig saw puzzle that reveals a quote about freedom and equality_._ In order to escape from 2081, they must answer the final question about the quote.

Product Includes:

• Escape Room Basics
• Detailed Day-Of Instructions
• Escape Room Print Checklist
• Student Teams Chart
• Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations
• Student Answer Booklet
• Teacher Answer Keys
• Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity
• Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

Because this is a skills-based escape room, it is perfect for a review of the story before the test.

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Also, check out these great products for your dystopian unit by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint & Crossword Puzzle

⭐ Escape from Dystopia ESCAPE ROOM & PowerPoint

⭐ Escape from Dystopia Digital ESCAPE ROOM & PowerPoint

⭐ Dystopian Literature Socratic Seminar

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This resource features a rigorous, fun, and extremely informative escape room for one of the most celebrated American authors of all time, Edgar Allan Poe. It is the perfect way to introduce, re-introduce, or review the author with your students in an engaging and meaningful way.

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 on the Father of Horror himself. 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 massive knowledge they will gain about Poe in playing this game!

How does it work?

The ghost of Edgar Allan Poe has risen from the grave to have his revenge on your students who he feels, spend too much time on their smartphones and not enough time studying him. He has trapped them in the room until they can show that they do in fact "know Poe!"

• Poe FAQs: In the first task, students must complete a crossword puzzle with questions about Poe. Once complete, they must unscramble circled boxes to reveal the first code.
• Death Mystery: In the second task, students must find all 21 theories of how Poe died in a word search. Remaining letters will form the second code.
• Extra! Extra! Read All About it!: In the third task, students must match fictional newspaper headlines with the short story by Poe that they represent. This task is in the form of a mat puzzle and the code is revealed when students have matched all short stories correctly.
• Annabel Lee: In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of one of Poe's most famous poems, Annabel Lee. The letters of the multiple choice questions about the poem will form the fourth code.
• Jig Saw Quote: In the fifth task, students must assemble a jig saw puzzle with a quote from one of Poe's stories.

The final task brings the first 5 tasks together. Students will learn that each of the codes represent an aspect of one of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories. Students must figure out what story it is, then draw a picture of the title to escape!

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 6 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions, and supplementary materials

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

This escape room is ideal for an introduction, refresher, or review of Edgar Allan Poe. If using as an introduction, internet access is required as not all information that students need to complete the escape room will be common knowledge.

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

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

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Also, check out these great products to supplement your Edgar Allan Poe unit by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe PowerPoint

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Brochure

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe's Obituary

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Quote Posters

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Human Tic Tac Toe Review Game

Chilling literature guides to frighten your students for months:

⭐ The Raven Literature Guide

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart Literature Guide

⭐ The Black Cat Literature Guide

⭐ The Pit and the Pendulum Literature Guide

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado Literature Guide

⭐ The Fall of the House of Usher Literature Guide

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death Literature Guide

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Short Story BUNDLE

And because your students will be begging for more escape rooms...

⭐ The Raven ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Black Cat ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Pit & the Pendulum ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Fall of the House of Usher ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado ESCAPE ROOM

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

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 Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol 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 Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. All tasks are Language Arts skills-based so that with this fun lesson near a sugar-filled holiday, learning is not sacrificed. 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!

How does it work?

It is Christmas morning and you have traveled all the way to London to visit your Uncle Scrooge. He is visibly shaken and tells you that he’s had a terrible dream about 3 ominous ghosts. He says that apparently he’s supposed to have learned some valuable lesson last night but he can’t remember what it is…. and if he can’t remember it by midnight, Christmas will be destroyed forever! The only way to escape the room and save Christmas is by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles about A Christmas Carol to help Scrooge remember the lessons he learned last night.

• Plot it Out: In the first task, students must order the major plot points of A Christmas Carol on Freytag's Pyramid. When ordered correctly, letters in the shaded boxes on the chart form their first code.
• VocaBah Humbug: In the second task, students must match the vocabulary words from A Christmas Carol with their definitions by drawing a line connecting them. Letters not intersected by these lines will form their second code word. Clue cards using the words in context are included.
• Criss-Cross: In the third task, students must complete a crossword puzzle about major plot points, characters, setting, figurative language, and quotes from the story. Circled letters within the crossword, once unscrambled, reveal the code.
• Say What: In the fourth task, students must match notable quotes with the characters who said them. When cards are matched correctly, the fourth code is revealed.
• Missing Word: In the final task, students must assemble a jig saw puzzle that forms a notable quote from the story with one missing word. Once the puzzle is assembled and students figure out the missing word, they may escape the room and save Christmas.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print & Classroom Preparation Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Sheet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

This escape room is an ideal way to end your unit on A Christmas Carol and a great way to review for the final test.

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Also, check out more great holiday products by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ A Christmas Carol "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity

⭐ Christmas ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Christmas Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Hanukkah Kwanzaa Christmas Diwali ESCAPE ROOM

⭐‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Figurative Language Lesson Plan

⭐ The Little Match Girl Sensory Details Lesson Plan

⭐"Christmas Talk" Lesson Plan

⭐The Gift of the Magi & The Necklace Compare/Contrast Essay

⭐Christmas Song Figurative Language Powerpoint Presentation

⭐Figurative Language in Christmas Songs - 32 Task Cards

⭐Letter to a Member of the Military

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching remotely with a lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with Shirley Jackson's The Lottery ESCAPE ROOM for use with Google Drive!

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! Now, you can facilitate our best-selling The Lottery Escape Room at home for distance learning or in the classroom using your school's technology (to cut down on paper and valuable prep time) with this meticulously-crafted resource. Distance learning can certainly be a struggle for both students and teachers and this escape room aims to provide a welcome break from the monotony while encouraging higher order thinking skills and a fun review of the darkest town in America.

How does it work?

In this escape room, students will try to escape the picturesque American town with a dark secret by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, deciphering an encrypted message, and finding clues along the way.

• Close Read: In the first task, students must answer challenging multiple choice questions about The Lottery. The corresponding letters of the correct answers reveal their first code.
• Vocab Challenge: In the second task, students must fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from the text. Shaded boxes within the correct answers form their second code.
• Character IDs: In the third task, students must fill in a blank character chart about important characters in the story. When assembled correctly, letters of the correct answers reveal the third code.
• Criss-Cross: In the fourth task, students must solve a crossword puzzle with questions about literary elements and plot events of the story. Shaded boxes on the crossword once unscrambled will reveal the code.
• Encrypted Message: In the fifth and final task, students must decipher an encrypted message (a quote from The Lottery) using clues they collected during the first four tasks. When the message is written on the scroll, final question is answered, and booklet brought to you, they can finally escape before it is their turn to pick from the dreaded black box.

Product Includes:

- Instructions for how to access and share escape room and answer key through Google Drive

- Materials for 5 Tasks: digital task signs, detailed task instructions, and interactive worksheets

- Digital Student Answer Booklet

- Digital Teacher Answer Key

***This product requires free accounts through Google Drive and is completely paperless.***

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Check out these great products to supplement your study of The Lottery:

⭐ The Lottery ESCAPE ROOM (paper version)
⭐ The Lottery Activity Bundle
⭐ The Lottery "Tossing Lines" Anticipation Guide
⭐ The Lottery Comprehension Questions, Literary Elements & Vocabulary
⭐ The Lottery Social Media Activities
⭐ The Lottery Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

Great DYSTOPIA resources to frame the study of this tale:

⭐ Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint Presentation

⭐ Escape from Dystopia ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Dystopian Literature Socratic Seminar

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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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 Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death 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 The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task (and it is!), 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. Because this is a skills-based escape room, it is the perfect way to review the story for the final quiz or test. 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!

How does it work?

In this escape room, students will try to escape from the clutches of the Red Death in Prince Prospero's lavish castle by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, completing a secret message, and finding clues along the way.

• Close Read: In the first task, students must perform a close reading of a passage from The Masque of the Red Death and answer multiple choice questions about the selection that when correct, reveal the code.
• Masked Figure-ative Language: In the second task, students must identify 7 types of figurative language within the short story. Highlighted boxes in the correct answers will reveal the code.
• Ahh-Mazing: In the third task, students must solve a word maze that relates to a theme of the story. Letters collected along the way reveal the code.
• Vocab Match-Up: In the fourth task, students must fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from The Masque of the Red Death. When matched correctly, shaded boxes will reveal the code.
• Jig Saw Quote: In the fifth and final task, students must complete a jig saw puzzle that reveals a quote from The Masque of the Red Death. In order to escape the Red Death, they must complete the missing word in the quote.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions, and supplementary materials to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Sheet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

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This escape room pairs perfectly with the The Masque of the Red Death Literature Guide

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Plus, check out these great products to supplement your study of The Masque of the Red Death:

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death Socratic Seminar

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death Anticipation Guide

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death Social Media Materials

More resources to round out your Edgar Allan Poe unit:

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe PowerPoint

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Brochure

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe's Obituary

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Quote Posters

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

And because your students will be begging for more escape rooms...

⭐ The Raven ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Black Cat ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Pit & the Pendulum ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Fall of the House of Usher ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado ESCAPE ROOM

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Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching with a creepy lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with Ray Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains 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 There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task (and it is!), 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.

How does it work?

In this escape room, students will try to escape their malfunctioning SMART classroom by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles about There Will Come Soft Rains, discovering codes, and finding clues along the way.

• Fire, Toast, and Robot Mice: In the first task, students complete the similes within the story.
• Criss-Cross: In the second task, students must solve a crossword puzzle with questions about characters, literary elements, quotes, and plot events.
• Vocab Match Up: In the third task, students fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from the story.
• There Will Come Soft Rains: In the fourth task, students will perform a close reading of Sara Teasdale's There Will Come Soft Rains in order to gain an understanding of the connection between the poem and the story.
• Jig Saw Quote: In the fifth and final task, students must complete a jig saw puzzle that reveals a quote that connects to a major theme within the tale. Once they figure it out and bring it to you, students escape the classroom!

Product Includes:

• Escape Room Basics
• Detailed Day-Of Instructions
• Escape Room Print Checklist
• Student Teams Chart
• Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations
• Student Answer Sheet
• Teacher Answer Keys
• Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity
• Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

Because this is a skills-based escape room, it is perfect for a review of the story before the test.

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Also, check out these great products to supplement your Ray Bradbury unit by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Ray Bradbury Escape Room

⭐ A Sound of Thunder Escape Room

⭐ All Summer in a Day Escape Room

⭐ Marionettes, Inc. Escape Room

⭐ The Veldt Escape Room

⭐ Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Give your students the chance to hone their skills with figurative language with this engaging yet rigorous Short Story 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 Short Story Elements Escape Room. 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. All tasks are Language Arts skills-based so that with this fun lesson, learning is not sacrificed. 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!

How does it work?

The ghosts of Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, and Charles Dickens have risen from the grave to lock your students inside your classroom. They are upset because they believe that students spend too much time on Tik-Tok and not enough time reading and writing short stories. In order to appease them, your students must show their expertise with short story elements.

• Plot it Out: In the first task, students will identify the steps and step definitions of Freytag’s Pyramid and place them on the plot diagram.
• What's the POV?: In the second task, students will match passages from short stories with the point of view in which they are written (first person, second person, third person limited, omniscient and objective). Cheat sheet outlining points of view included for differentiation.
• I'm so Conflicted: In the third task, students will match the descriptions from literary works with the conflicts they exemplify (character vs. self, character, society, nature, technology, fate).
• Crossword: In the fourth task, students will complete a crossword puzzle about short story elements.
• The Final Word: In the final task, students will use their code words to determine a final word that completes a quote about short stories.

Product Includes:

• Escape Room Basics
• Detailed Day-Of Instructions
• Escape Room Print Checklist
• Student Teams Chart
• Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs, task instructions, and supplementary materials
• Opportunities for Differentiation
• Student Answer Sheet
• Teacher Answer Keys
• Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

This escape room is suitable for middle and high school students and is ideal for any time throughout your short story unit, prior to state testing, or any time you're looking to switch it up in the classroom while maintaining rigor and standards.

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Check out more short story escape rooms by Language Arts Excellence here:

⭐ Short Story Escape Rooms

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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This literature guide features a Common Core-aligned mini-unit for use while reading Edgar Allan Poe's horrifying allegory of plague and pestilence, The Masque of the Red Death. The packet provides an excellent basis for comprehension and vocabulary acquisition for the short story and encourages students to think critically about Poe's use of literary elements, figurative language, and symbolism. Also included are 12 reader response task cards for literature circles and a creative social media activities that will bring the story to life in the 21st century. A full answer key is provided along with three bonus student-tested lesson plans. The wide range of activities in this guide will keep your students engaged and help them to gain a deep understanding of one of the most horrifying tales in American literature.

Product Includes:

• Attractive Cover Page for Student Packet
• Masque of the Red Death Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan
• Vocabulary Worksheet
• Vocabulary Drawing Activity
• Comprehension Questions
• Literary Elements Chart
• Figurative Language Worksheet
• Symbolism Drawing Activity
• "Twitter" Activity Graphic Organizers
• Snap Chat Worksheet
• 12 Reader Response Task Cards
• Conversation Builder Cards for use with literature circles
• Full Answer Key for Teacher Use
• Suggested Lesson Plan for Anticipation Guide
• Suggested Lesson Plan for Symbolism Drawing Activity
• Suggested Lesson Plan for "Twitter" Activity

While this literature guide is Common Core aligned for eighth grade, it is appropriate for students in eighth-twelfth.

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Check out these great products to supplement your study of The Masque of the Red Death:

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death Socratic Seminar

More resources to round out your Edgar Allan Poe unit:

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe PowerPoint

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt

⭐ 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 Quote Posters

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

But why stop with one story? We have enough Edgar Allan Poe resources to frighten your students for months!

⭐ The Raven Literature Guide

⭐ The Black Cat Literature Guide

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart Literature Guide

⭐ The Pit and the Pendulum Literature Guide

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado Literature Guide

⭐ The Fall of the House of Usher Literature Guide

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Short Story BUNDLE

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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 O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi 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 The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. All tasks are Language Arts skills-based so that with this fun lesson near a sugar-filled holiday, learning is not sacrificed. 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!

How does it work?

The ghost of O. Henry has returned from the grave and is upset because he believes that people nowadays care too much about getting expensive gifts at Christmas and no longer understand the true importance and wisdom of the magi. He has decided to destroy Christmas forever, unless your students can show their knowledge of the short story and in turn, recall the lessons that Jim and Della learned themselves not so long ago.

• Magi Trivia: In the first task, students must complete a crossword puzzle about major plot points, characters, setting, figurative language, and quotes from the story. Circled letters within the crossword, once unscrambled, reveal the code.
• Merry Vocabulary: In the second task, students must match the vocabulary words from The Gift of the Magi with their definitions by drawing a line connecting them. Letters not intersected by these lines will form their second code word. Clue cards using the words in context are included.
• Word Maze: In the third task, students must complete a word maze. Letters collected along the way form the third code.
• Off the Chart: In the fourth task, students must fill in a chart containing literary elements and questions about the short story. Shaded boxes next to the correct answers reveal the fourth code.
• Missing Word: In the final task, students must assemble a jig saw puzzle that forms a notable quote from the story with one missing word. Once the puzzle is assembled and students figure out the missing word, they may escape the room and save Christmas.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print & Classroom Preparation Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Sheet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

This escape room is an ideal way to end your unit on The Gift of the Magi and a great way to review for the final test.

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Also, check out these resources to round our your unit on The Gift of the Magi:

⭐ The Gift of the Magi Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan

⭐ The Gift of the Magi Socratic Seminar Materials

⭐ The Gift of the Magi & The Necklace Compare Contrast Essay

More great holiday products by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Christmas ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Christmas Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Hanukkah Kwanzaa Christmas Diwali ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ A Christmas Carol ESCAPE ROOM

⭐‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Figurative Language Lesson Plan

⭐ The Little Match Girl Sensory Details Lesson Plan

⭐"Christmas Talk" Lesson Plan

⭐Figurative Language in Christmas Songs Task Cards

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence