Middle School Tools for Common Core Handouts

Students create avatars with this 22 page handout is based on character traits and character flaws. Students debate for a seat on a lifeboat to survive a luxury cruise shipwreck. Uses social skills combined with ELA skills to practice compare and contrast, fact-based arguments and persuasion. Includes:

Directions

Character Trait List with Definition

Character Flaw List with Definition

12 Male Avatars

12 Female Avatars

Lifeboat Scenario

Group Chart with Note Taking section

Character Reflection Sheet

Extra Resources

Optional Writing, Project, and Video Assignments

Excellent for small/whole group, whether at-risk/GT/AP, that uses character traits and fact-based evidence/proof to practice decision making processes and expository writings.

Every April, students can celebrate Tell-a-Story Day, which occurs at the end of the month. This 16 page handout will help students with organizing and telling fact-based stories. Great for building oral communication, evidence/proof, and re-telling memories. Includes: Finding storytelling topics Graphic Organizers for planning stories in chronological order Setting up a storytelling event Designing advertisements/invitations Peer workshopping stories Links to multicultural, professional, international/national storytelling centers, storytelling videos and websites Can be used any time of the year! Students will enjoy sharing stories while learning how to use fact-based information. Fun and educational!

Free checklist of parts of an introductory literary analysis for AP, Pre-AP, G/T, college level writers. Students are asked to locate: Hook--different kinds list Author's name Title of text Summary Area of literary analysis list Thesis, and write down your thesis Makes writing an introduction for a literary analysis easier to understand. Great for ELA test prep! Meets CCSS.

Twitter-like page with tweets handouts for social media discussions and short responses, such as main ideas, paraphrasing and summarizing. Includes: Directions and Suggestions for Use ______'s Page for creating a social media page Top 5 Trending, Add Pic/Photo, Subjects to Share, Banner, @_________ new social media name Tweets boxes with 140 spaces for writing short responses Use with CCSS and other state aligned materials to help students with short answer responses. Fun way to include social media an discussions about appropriate online guidelines and posts!

Get students thinking about presidential elections and political campaign promises with 16 handouts that generate higher level learning.The journal-like prompts include historical facts that will have students wondering, "What if.I was president..?" Social issues to write about include:

family issues

government growth

importing goods

internet issues

laws and rules

leadership style

national debt

national security

social security

space exploration

succession

transportation problems

war

world peace

There are sixteen famous presidents, with their greatest accomplishments. Included are: Adams, Bush, Clinton, Cleveland, Coolidge, Eisenhower, Jackson, Johnson, Kennedy, Lincoln, Nixon, Reagan, Roosevelt,Washington

Includes Extra Resources (videos, web-links) and Ideas for Use in the classroom.

Can be used with English, Government, History classes.

Do your students need help with analysis? Use these ten graphic organizers with images for analysis practice and writing a thesis. These exercises and graphic organizers help students springboard to analyzing more complex illustrations and essays for future coursework.

This easy to implement, step-by-step analysis guide for individual, small/whole group practice includes:

Full picture slides for whole group discussion and preview

10 Analysis Graphic Organizers with images

One Blank Analysis Graphic Organizer

Analysis categories include: Assumptions/Inferences, Year, Time, Season, Setting, Stereotypes, Characterization, Genre, Emotions, and Others

Writing a Thesis Statement

This step-by-step guide is simple to follow, great for test prep, and helps students uncover the process of analysis.

13 colorful Valentine's Day themed slides that introduce and help students to use and master figurative language. Includes: Directions with optional activities Alliteration Hyperbole Idioms Imagery Internal Rhyme Metaphor Onomatopoeia Personification Simile Symbolism Valentine's Day Images Writing Activities Each slide includes definition, example(s), and writing practice. Presentation can be used for assessment, flipped classrooms, and all differentiated levels of students. Can also be used for individual reviews of specific terminologies.

What better way to introduce and teach research skills than with a historical based dinner party with United States Presidents? This 28 page handout focuses on research skills, such as citations, details, dialogue/text evidence, main idea, sources, paraphrasing, summarizing, topic/theme. It includes: Scoring Rubric Directions Party Invitations to make 22 Caricature Presidents Speech Bubbles Tables Sources and Citations sheets Extra Optional Projects Resources Supplemental Resources Have fun researching historical documents then creating dinner party conversations with this complete introduction to research unit.

An easy-to-follow, 14-page guide for understanding and writing literature analysis. Includes: Individual/Group activities Writing process approach Definitions Purpose Goal Options Terminologies for students to look up and define Steps for analyzing Critical thinking components Literary Prior Knowledge Handout Worksheet for Analyzing Literature Extra Resources (Video and more...) Interactive approach to understanding how to properly begin, write, and complete literary analysis essays. Be sure to build a class model!

Reinforce word origins by having students come up with their own made-up words! Use compound words, foreign words, prefixes/suffixes, shortened words, sound words, rhyming words, etc...for this fun, visual activity. Includes: Directions Definition Example from Classic Poem Student Examples Application Activity Publishing Activities Meets CCSS, improves vocabulary, uses decoding skills, and visualization. Use for individual or group activity.

A 15 page resource for student publishing of essays and written works includes: Guideline checklist Author Tips Cover Sheet/Query Letter Publishing Tips Where to Send Work: Online, local, regional, national... Books for Publishing Help Blogging Self-Publishing Publishing Checklist to Guide Students through the Process Publishing Summary List (Keep up with correspondence) Can be used individually, small/whole group, with flipped classrooms, homework, assessment of writing processes, for peer workshopping, grammar reinforcements, and as real life writing assignment. Easy to follow and implement in ELA/Journalism classrooms.

Become a news reporter and write your own daily column with these 22 inferencing, journalism writing activities. Newspaper format and great graphics are easy for students to work with. Uses writing process and peer workshopping strategies. Comes with two blank templates for creative fun and one lined page for extra writing space. Includes optional media and technology projects for differentiated classrooms. Excellent for use with relationship words, time order, fact vs. opinion, and more...Meets CCSS.

40 prompts to help students with on-demand writing. Each handout has a black and white image to color that is non-fiction, real life related. Factual, lined page, story starters for critical thinking, assessment-style, standardized writing practice. Topics include: In my future, I see... Some people say I'm a dreamer... The road of life has many obstacles... The root system of a tree is as complicated as... Home represents... If I could soar like a bird... To walk a mile in another's shoes... The world's future is.... One of the biggest exaggerations I've heard or told was... I have a place in my heart for... Gossip spreads like wildfire. An example of this is... My friends are as unique as leaves on a tree... plus so many more fact-based prompts... Full page lined writing handout for 2 sided copying Copy and handout to students for on-demand, non-fiction writing practice, diagnostic testing, assessment practice, peer workshopping practice, and more. Meets Common Core and State ELA Standards for writing.

15 Commonly Confused Words A-I with engaging activities for students to learn. Includes:

A-I game with fill-in-the-blank, definitions, make your own

sentences/slides (individual/groups & competitive play)

2 Crossword puzzles with Commonly Confused Words

2 Word Searches with Commonly Confused Words

All answer sheets included

Directions and Suggestions with Extensions

Words used are:

1. accept except

2. aloud allowed

3. bare bear4. brake break

5. coarse course6. council counsel

7. desert dessert

8. dose doze

9. envelope envelop

10. forbear forebear

11. grisly grizzly

12. glance glimpse

13. hair hare

14. hole whole

15. ingenious ingenuous

Students will have fun learning these Commonly Confused Words.

16 Halloween coloring images with holiday word banks that include: Cats Bats Dracula Frankenstein Ghosts Pirate Pumpkins Trick or Treat Witches Zombies and more... Includes Suggestions For Use sheet and template to create your own vocabulary word bank. Upper levels can use for poetry and contest writing. Fun way to assess writing skills in an ELA classroom. Grab a blanket and flashlight, turn on the lighted pumpkin, and have a classroom read-around of Halloween stories!

Introduce character traits to students then tie the concepts to real life with this pot o' gold activity. Students choose one character trait to define each of their classmates. Then, they write the character traits on gold coins, cut and paste onto peers' pot o' gold. Informative writing activity that reinforces using examples for fact-based essays. Includes: Easy to follow directions with optional age-based activities Pot o' Gold Coins handout Character Trait Sheet Follow-up writing activities Fun, engaging activity for elementary students who need introductions or reinforcement in working with character traits and fact-based writing.

Make using and working with symbolism collaborative, fun and educational (Meets CCSS) with this interactive writing project that focuses on 850 B.C. and the discovery of the Snake Circle: Includes: 1. KWL Chart 2. Extra Resources: Take a tour of Ancient Greece, learn about the lives of adults and children, and watch videos to understand the time period of 850 B.C. 3. Uncover its origin: The Snake Circle object came from the days of Homer, so explore its meaning with the use of two symbolism sheets. 4. Discuss and interpret the Snake Circle shield handout. 5. Write stories: choose a genre; then Peer Workshop essays 6. Color the shields--review students' colorful examples 7. Display for all to enjoy! Comes with: handouts to complete writings, students' samples, and class project photos. Everything needed for writing fun! Excellent for teaching how to interpret and use symbolism, reinforce concepts and skills, and working with multigenres. Combination of historical technology resources with writing and using literal concepts.

Students are Hollywood stars in this movie-themed, narrative writing project. Differentiated writing project Includes: Brainstorming handouts Plot line for upper level students Lined essay paper Credits/playbill page Directions for use Narrative definition Project Extensions for GT/AP Supplemental Resources Fun, engaging format for working with narrative writing. Use as introduction to narratives or for assessment purposes. Meets CCSS.

Interactive, peer workshopping approach to teaching Descriptive Writing. The PowerPoint has 21 slides and includes: Includes: Interactive Activities Descriptive Assignments Frequent checks for comprehension Crossword Puzzle Examples Figurative Language/Senses Peer Workshopping Resources Slide It defines, explains, introduces, and encourages descriptive writing through figurative language, five senses, tone, mood, show not tell, and visualization. Writing activities and handouts for scaffodling, assessment and comprehension of descriptive writing are included.

Prepare students for informational, on-demand assessment writing with fourteen factual prompts that address everyday issues. Includes: Prompts: Driving Economy Fashion Global Warming Health Technology School Science Space Sports Lined extra handout paper for writing Themed graphics Help students overcome writer's block and fear of testing with these informational, on-demand prompts. Meets CCSS.