8th Grade Close Reading Activities (by date, latest first)

Looking for a winter-themed, engaging and informative reading comprehension activity full of useful tips on how to stay healthy during flu season? This scavenger hunt is designed to help students practice skim reading, looking for context clues, and learn some useful vocabulary.

It’s perfect for EFL / ESL students at the B1/B2 level and can also be used for native English classes at grade levels 5 - 7. With low prep, just print and hang, it contains 10 tips on how to stay healthy during flu season.

The scavenger hunt is designed so that students have to revisit and reread the reading passages multiple times when looking for code words. The answer to each question is located on a different reading passage card. Once students have answered all the questions, they unscramble the letters to reveal the final answer - the name of the murderer.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

♥ 10 reading passages

♥ answer sheets

♥ mission page

♥ directions

♥ teacher answer key

♥ conclusion

Options for use:

☻Independent Work

☻Pair Work

☻Sub plan

☻Stations

If you loved this product, please be sure to come back to my store and leave feedback.

Looking for a Friday the thirteenth-themed, engaging and informative reading comprehension activity about superstitions and their origin? This scavenger hunt is designed to help students practice skim reading, looking for context clues, and learn some useful vocabulary.

It’s perfect for EFL / ESL students at the B1/B2 level and can also be used for native English classes at grade levels 5 - 7. With low prep, just print and hang, it contains 10 reading passages about superstitions and Friday the 13th.

The scavenger hunt is designed so that students have to revisit and reread the reading passages multiple times when looking for code words. The answer to each question is located on a different reading passage card. Once students have answered all the questions, they unscramble the letters to reveal the final answer - the name of the murderer.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

♥ 10 reading passages

♥ answer sheets

♥ mission page

♥ directions

♥ teacher answer key

♥ conclusion

Options for use:

☻Independent Work

☻Pair Work

☻Sub plan

☻Stations

If you loved this product, please be sure to come back to my store and leave feedback. 

• 10 Winter Holiday Narrative Essay Picture Prompts & Planner: Engage students in narrative writing with holiday-themed picture prompts and a structured planner to develop plot, character, and setting in alignment with creative writing standards.
• Christmas Hip Hop Lyrics Analysis: Teach figurative language, rhyme schemes, and tone through an engaging analysis of hip hop lyrics, blending music and ELA standards for Grades 6-8.
• St. Nick: Informational Text Structures: Explore main ideas, text structures, and author’s purpose with this winter-themed set of informational texts designed to strengthen critical reading skills.
• Unraveling Krampus: Text Structures and Critical Analysis: Develop students’ ability to identify text structures and analyze information critically with this high-interest resource focused on the Krampus folklore.
• Informational Text Structure Coloring Sort: Combine creativity and learning as students sort and color-code winter-themed informational texts to practice identifying text structures.
• Winter Wonders: Exploring Text Features Through Snow-Themed Articles: Strengthen comprehension and analysis skills by examining text features in engaging snow-themed articles, perfect for enhancing nonfiction literacy.
• Christmas Winter Holiday Characters from Around the World Research PBL: Dive into global holiday traditions with this project-based learning activity that encourages research, critical thinking, and presentation skills.
• Holiday Figurative Language & Movie Clip Standard-Based Learning Activities: Analyze figurative language through fun, holiday-themed movie clips that align with ELA figurative language standards for middle schoolers.
• Virtual Winter Sports Exploration: Engage students in a digital exploration of winter sports, focusing on informational text comprehension and analysis for Grades 4-6.
• Analyzing Narrative Point of View Winter-Themed: Develop higher-order thinking with winter-themed narrative texts that challenge students to analyze and compare points of view using Bloom’s Taxonomy.
• Winter Vacation PBL: Inspire creativity and practical application with this low-prep, project-based learning activity where stude

1. Winter Holiday Informational Text Coloring Sort Engage middle schoolers with this unique Winter Holiday Informational Text Coloring Sort! This print-and-go resource combines reading comprehension with creative coloring, helping students identify key text structures while learning about diverse winter celebrations. Ideal for visual and kinesthetic learners.
2. Thanksgiving Text Structure Coloring Sort Lesson Bring Thanksgiving themes into your classroom with this Text Structure Coloring Sort Lesson! Students can identify and color-code different text structures in Thanksgiving-themed passages. This hands-on activity not only enhances reading skills but also adds a festive touch to learning.
3. Hands-on Text Structure Sorts & Coloring Activities This resource offers 3 Hands-on Text Structure Sorts and Coloring Activities, perfect for kinesthetic learners. Middle school students can physically manipulate and sort texts, then color-code them, making text structure analysis interactive and engaging.
4. Middle School Text Structure Print-and-Go PowerPoint, Handout, Answer Key This comprehensive resource provides a PowerPoint, handout, and answer key focused on text structures for middle school students. It's a complete print-and-go solution that simplifies teaching text structures, making it easy to deliver and understand.

Bundle together five dynamic New Year's resources for an enriching learning experience in your middle school classroom. Here's a brief overview of each component in this comprehensive package:

New Year's Informational Text Set: Structure, Central Idea, Author's Purpose!
A collection of five diverse articles, each exemplifying a different text structure like Description, Chronological, Problem and Solution, Compare and Contrast, and Cause and Effect. This set focuses on Times Square New Year’s celebrations and includes STAAR-aligned questions on the central idea, author's purpose, vocabulary, and text structure.

Classroom Synergy: Resetting Expectations in the New Year – 4 Engaging Activities!
Kick off the new year with four activities designed to reinforce classroom expectations and promote a positive learning environment. This resource includes expectation role-playing, creating expectations posters, and connecting expectations to SEL with reflective writing prompts.

Global Bites: New Year’s Celebrations and Food Traditions – Inquiry Based Learning
Explore New Year's traditions and food customs from around the world with this inquiry-based learning project. This resource encourages research and presentation skills as students delve into diverse cultural celebrations and their unique culinary traditions.

Cheers to A New Year: How to Write A Toast Workshop
Enhance public speaking skills with this engaging workshop on crafting toasts. Perfect for New Year celebrations, this resource guides students through the process of writing and delivering a meaningful toast, fostering both creativity and confidence in public speaking.

Spill the Tea: 2023 Year in Review – Google Slides Photo Project
A fun and engaging Google Slides project that allows students to reflect on the year 2023. Students create a photo-based presentation, capturing key moments, trends, and personal experiences from the year, making it an excellent activity for New Year reflections.

This bundle is perfect for middle school teachers looking to add a mix of educational and engaging activities to their New Year curriculum. Each resource is designed to be cross-curricular, supporting skills in reading, writing, research, public speaking, and social-emotional learning.

This bundle includes a great range of activities perfect for grades 5-8 for all of February!

1. Speed Friending Activity: A dynamic classroom icebreaker designed for middle and high school students. It includes a comprehensive teacher protocol, an interactive Google Slides presentation, engaging conversation rounds with embedded timers, a note-taking sheet, and a reflection writing prompt. Ideal for building classroom community, enhancing behavior management, and fostering open communication.
2. ELA Matchmaker Review Game: An 81-page ELA review resource covering synonyms, antonyms, figurative language, literary elements, and affixes & roots. It includes printable and digital versions for flexible classroom use, promoting interactive learning and critical thinking in literary concepts.
3. Black History Month Digital Resource: A set of 45 Google Slides featuring 15 influential African American artists. This resource includes detailed informational texts, short videos, and interactive response prompts. It's a comprehensive tool for exploring African American history and art, ideal for daily classroom activities.
4. Civil Rights Movement Song Analysis: Titled 'Harmony of Hope,' this resource integrates Valentine's Day and Black History Month themes for middle schoolers. It includes a Google Slides presentation and a comprehensive PDF packet, featuring analysis of seven influential Civil Rights era songs.
5. GenZ Valentine's Day Cards: A collection of 24 unique, humorous, and inclusive Valentine's Day cards suitable for middle school students. These printable cards are gender-neutral, featuring relatable puns and high-quality graphics, adding a fun twist to traditional valentine exchanges.
6. The Science of Crushes and Heartbreak: An educational resource that blends science with Valentine's Day themes, targeting middle schoolers. It includes an article, a mini-lesson in Google Slides, a graphic organizer, and analytical questions. This resource enhances understanding of text features and author's purpose.
7. Valentine's Day Argumentative Writing Resource: A tool for grades 4-8 to enhance argumentative writing skills. It features 28 'Would You Rather' prompts, available in both PDF and Google Slides, to encourage debate and persuasive writing. Ideal for various classroom activities, including warm-ups and group discussions.

Craft the ultimate narrative writing journey for your students with our Seasonal Narrative Writing Bundle! This comprehensive collection is designed to spark creativity and enhance writing skills across grades 4-6 throughout the year. Each season brings a unique set of picture prompts that invite students into worlds of imagination, exploration, and storytelling.

Spring Picture Prompts: Dive into the renewal and wonders of spring with our Spring Picture Prompts resource. It features 23 engaging slides that guide students through the elements of a plot diagram, the importance of showing vs. telling, and offers 10 unique, spring-inspired photo prompts. Each image is paired with a comprehensive writing guide to brainstorm settings, characters, and conflicts, cultivating well-structured stories that bloom like the season.

Summer Picture Prompts: Turn up the heat on narrative writing with our Summer Picture Prompts toolkit. This sun-drenched resource walks students through the narrative writing process with warmth and adventure as their backdrop. From mysterious summer camps to beach escapades, the 10 vibrant, summer-themed photo prompts are sure to ignite the spark of creativity. In-depth writing guides accompany each prompt, ensuring students can craft captivating stories under the summer sun.

Winter Holiday Narrative Essay Picture Prompts: Cozy up to the winter season with 10 Winter Holiday Narrative Essay Picture Prompts. This festive resource is perfect for inspiring stories of winter wonderlands, holiday adventures, and heartwarming family traditions. With a focus on narrative essays, this print-and-go package includes planners and engaging slides that help students capture the essence of the winter season in their writing.

Autumn Narrative Essay Picture Prompts: Fall into storytelling with our Autumn Narrative Essay Picture Prompts. This collection captures the essence of fall with 10 autumn-inspired photo prompts, from the mystical to the mundane. Accompanied by a planner and print-and-go slides, it provides a seamless transition into autumnal narratives, encouraging students to explore the rich colors, themes, and emotions of the season.

Narrative Essay Planning Guide with Engaging Picture Prompts: Lay the foundation for effective storytelling with our Narrative Essay Planning Guide. This essential resource is packed with engaging picture prompts that cover various themes and settings, making it a versatile tool for any narrative writing activity. It includes a planning guide to help students structure their stories, focusing on character development, setting, and plot, ensuring a deep and engaging writing experience.

This bundle offers a year-round solution to narrative writing, equipping educators with everything needed to foster creativity, enhance writing skills, and teach critical writing concepts in an engaging and adaptable format. Whether used for creative writing classes, homework assignments, or extension activities, these resources provide a gateway to imagination and critical thinking that will keep students engaged and excited about writing all year long.

1. Examination Day Full-Week ELA Unit Plan: Socratic Seminar, Choice Board, Slides

• Dive into Henry Slesar's thought-provoking short story, "Examination Day," with a full-week ELA unit plan designed for middle school. This comprehensive package includes detailed Socratic seminar procedures, engaging choice board activities, and dynamic presentation slides to encourage critical thinking and student-led discourse on themes of intelligence testing and government control.

1. Harrison Bergeron Full-Week ELA Plan: Socratic Seminar, Choice Board, Slides

• Explore Kurt Vonnegut's classic dystopian tale, "Harrison Bergeron," in this complete week-long ELA unit. Middle school students will engage deeply with themes of enforced equality and individuality through structured Socratic seminars, creative choice board activities, and informative slides, all designed to foster critical analysis and vibrant classroom discussions.

1. All Summer in a Day Comprehensive Week-Long Lesson Plan: Seminar, Choice Board

• Immerse your students in Ray Bradbury's poignant story, "All Summer in a Day," with this extensive unit plan. The curriculum includes everything you need to facilitate meaningful discussions around themes of isolation, bullying, and the longing for sunshine. Engaging seminars and diverse choice board activities provide varied learning opportunities that cater to different student interests and learning styles.

1. The Pedestrian Full-Week ELA Unit Plan: Socratic Seminar, Choice Board, Slides

• Step into the futuristic world of Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian" with this detailed unit plan for grades 6-8. Through thoughtful Socratic seminars, a creative choice board, and educational slides, students will analyze the story's critique of technological dependency and societal conformity, developing critical thinking skills that transcend the classroom.

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

Included Short Stories:

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

Bundle Features:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Choose This Bundle?

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

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

Elements of Suspense Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8)

Description:
Dive into the spine-tingling world of suspense with this engaging lesson plan! Students will analyze the key elements of suspense—pacing, foreshadowing, red herrings, danger, and more—through guided notes, interactive activities, and media examples like film trailers. This resource is perfect for Halloween or any time you want to keep your students on the edge of their seats. Ideal for introducing or reviewing the genre of suspense.

Elements of Dystopia Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8)

Description:
Welcome to the dark side of fiction with this comprehensive dystopian literature lesson. Students will explore themes like totalitarian regimes, environmental disasters, survival, and rebellion. Using multimedia examples and text excerpts, students will analyze how these elements create powerful dystopian worlds. This resource is perfect for introducing dystopian fiction or as a review of the genre, making it a great fit for discussions on social justice or government control.

Elements of Science Fiction Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8)

Description:
Blast off into the universe of science fiction! This lesson plan introduces students to the exciting elements of sci-fi, including futuristic technology, space exploration, time travel, alien life, and parallel universes. Students will analyze these elements through guided notes, multimedia, and text excerpts. Whether you're teaching the genre for the first time or reviewing it with your class, this resource is out of this world!

Elements of Fantasy Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8)

Description:
Step into magical realms with this enchanting lesson plan on the elements of fantasy. Students will explore key components such as world-building, magical systems, mythical creatures, quests, and good vs. evil. Using guided notes and multimedia, students will be transported into the fantastical worlds of dragons, wizards, and epic quests. This resource is perfect for immersing students in the magic of fantasy fiction, sparking their imaginations and developing their literary analysis skills.

Elements of Mystery Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8)

Introduce your students to the mystery genre with this 60-minute, print-and-go lesson plan that includes everything you need to kick off a mystery unit! This engaging lesson features guided notes, teacher slides, a one-page mystery story, and answer keys. Students will explore key mystery elements, such as clues, suspects, and red herrings, and apply their knowledge by solving the included mystery. Perfect for grades 6-8, this resource makes it easy to teach critical thinking and deduction skills while introducing a fun and interactive genre.

Engage your middle school students with this spooky Halloween Urban Legend Bundle, perfect for Grades 6-8! This comprehensive resource includes informational text on popular urban legends, interactive slides, and a fun, challenging quiz to boost reading comprehension. Whether you're looking for Halloween literacy activities or thrilling lessons to excite your students, this bundle delivers. Perfect for building critical thinking skills, analyzing scary stories, and creating a memorable classroom experience with a Halloween twist.

1. Jersey Devil Urban Legend Resource

Uncover the chilling mystery of the Jersey Devil in this engaging resource! Students will explore the legend of this winged creature, diving into its history and sightings in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The resource includes an informational text, comprehension questions, and creative writing prompts to help students analyze and craft their own spine-tingling stories.

2. Rougarou Urban Legend Resource

Journey into the swamps of Louisiana with the legend of the Rougarou, a fearsome werewolf-like creature! This resource provides an informative article about Cajun folklore, a 10-question quiz to assess comprehension, and creative activities to get students writing their own eerie tales of the Rougarou. Perfect for building writing skills through myth and legend.

3. Bell Witch Urban Legend Resource

Enter the haunted world of the Bell Witch, one of America's most famous ghost stories! Students will learn about the haunting of the Bell family in early 19th-century Tennessee. The resource includes a detailed article, STAAR-aligned quiz, and a writing prompt where students can craft their own ghostly urban legend based on this timeless tale.

4. Goatman Urban Legend Resource

Introduce your students to the spine-chilling legend of the Goatman, the axe-wielding creature from Maryland! This resource includes an informational text that dives into the origins of this urban legend, followed by critical thinking and comprehension activities. Students will develop their own spooky stories based on this fearsome figure, complete with an engaging quiz.

5. Create Your Own Urban Legend Resource

Empower your students to become urban legend creators with this exciting, interdisciplinary writing activity! Students will choose a local landmark, develop a mysterious creature or event, and write their legend as a two-page newspaper article. The resource includes brainstorming worksheets, character development guides, and newspaper templates, plus a 3-day lesson plan to guide them through the creative process.

• Thanksgiving Gratitude Toast Writing Unit with Slides and Awards
• Looking for a meaningful and engaging way to bring gratitude into your classroom this Thanksgiving season? This 4-Day Thanksgiving Toast Writing Unit has everything you need to help your students craft heartfelt toasts while building their public speaking and writing skills.
• Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Informational Texts: Central Idea & Author’s Purpose
• This resource features informational texts centered around the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Students will practice identifying the central idea and author’s purpose using guided activities, perfect for grades 4-6. Includes quizzes and engaging slides to bring the festive event into your classroom!
• Multiple Genre Thanksgiving Writing Fun: Story Starters, Centers, and Activities
  Spark creativity with these 10 engaging Thanksgiving-themed story starters! This freebie offers writing prompts perfect for centers or bell-ringers, allowing students to explore genres while creating their own holiday-inspired tales. Ideal for grades 4 and up!
• Text Features with Thanksgiving Football Text Set, Quizzes, and Slides
  Bring excitement to your lessons with this text feature set using Thanksgiving football articles. Students will analyze and identify different text features while engaging with a fun, seasonal topic. Quizzes and slide presentations are included for easy, interactive learning.
• Thanksgiving Argument Writing Unit: Debate Topics & Lesson Plans for STAAR ECRs
  Help your students master argumentative writing with this resource, complete with four Thanksgiving-themed debate prompts. Perfect for middle school, the unit includes a 75-minute lesson plan, guided notes, and templates for teaching claims, evidence, and rebuttals.
• Thanksgiving Author’s Purpose Reading Unit: Passages, Slides, Guided Notes (Grades 5-7)
  This reading unit features five double-sided Thanksgiving-themed passages that explore different author’s purposes. With interactive slides and guided notes, this resource is great for whole-group instruction, centers, or intervention activities in grades 5-7.
• Thanksgiving Digital Resource: Interactive Slides for Middle School Fall Break Vibes
  This non-academic, interactive slide deck is perfect for building community and having fun the day before Fall Break. Featuring 22 slides with thought-provoking and engaging Thanksgiving prompts, it's a fun, low-prep activity to wrap up the season.
• Thanksgiving Persuasive Writing Activity: Rhetoric for Grades 5-7 (Ethos, Pathos, Logos)
  This resource guides students through persuasive writing with a focus on rhetoric. Using Thanksgiving-themed prompts, students will practice developing strong arguments using ethos, pathos, and logos. Perfect for building writing and critical thinking skills in grades 5-7.
• Thanksgiving Text Structure Coloring Sort & Lesson
  Teach text structures in a creative and interactive way with this Thanksgiving coloring activity. Students will learn about different text structures and apply them through sorting and coloring activities, making the lesson both educational and fun.
• 10 Fall Narrative Essay Picture Prompts and Planner: Print and Go & Slides
  This resource includes 10 narrative essay prompts, each with a fall theme, designed to help students craft compelling stories. Perfect for middle school students, the resource includes both print-and-go materials and a slide deck for easy classroom use.

This bundle could cover 20-25 days of classroom instruction, depending on how the resources are paced and implemented. It offers a great variety of activities for both Thanksgiving season and beyond.

Are you looking for an interesting way to integrate your students' love for anime and your love for literary elements? This front and back worksheet can be assigned virtually or printed for independent work. Students will watch an episode of their favorite anime and analyze for setting, conflict, theme, mood, and symbolism. This resource can be used for extension work, passion projects, or a flex day in ELA.

Looking for a versatile resource that works with any fiction novel? This Lit Circle Packet is perfect for Upper Elementary and middle school students, offering a wide range of engaging activities designed to encourage deep analysis, creativity, and critical thinking, regardless of the novel being studied. Whether you're working on a class novel, independent reading, or small group book clubs, this resource provides a comprehensive approach to exploring literature.

What’s Included: This packet includes 20 flexible and meaningful activities that can be applied to any fiction text. From character analysis to creative writing, each activity is designed to help students engage with and understand the story on a deeper level.

Activities:

1. Summary – Students summarize key events of each chapter to track the story’s development.
2. List the Characters – Identify characters and describe their roles or actions in the chapter.
3. I Predict... – Students make predictions based on text evidence, promoting critical thinking.
4. Significant Quote – Choose a key quote and explain its importance to the story’s themes or characters.
5. Illustrate an Important Scene – Draw and explain a pivotal moment from the chapter.
6. Vocabulary – Define new words, use them in context, and draw pictures to reinforce meaning.
7. Character Adjectives – Describe the protagonist with three adjectives and support one with text evidence.
8. Musical Playlist for the Main Character – Create a playlist that represents the character's journey or emotions.
9. Character Identity – Explore six key elements of the character’s identity and support with text from the novel.
10. Window and Mirror – Compare and contrast yourself with the main character, identifying similarities and differences.
11. Conflict Analysis – Identify and explain three types of conflict (e.g., character vs. character, self, society, etc.).
12. Text Conversation – Write a text message conversation between yourself and a character to help them solve their conflict.
13. Setting Analysis – Explore how different settings impact the characters and the story’s events.
14. Imagery of Setting – Use sensory details to describe a setting and analyze the mood it creates.
15. Theme Statements – Write three universal theme statements that apply to the novel’s message or lesson.
16. Rewrite the Ending – Get creative by rewriting the final chapter or scene using the author’s tone and style.
17. Comic Strip – Draw a comic strip of four key moments from the story, showing the progression of the plot.
18. Breaking News – Write a newspaper article about a major event in the story, reporting it as breaking news.
19. Expository Essay – Write an essay explaining how the protagonist changes throughout the novel, supported by evidence.
20. Argumentative Essay – Argue whether the protagonist’s critical decision was justified, using textual evidence to support your claim.

Why You’ll Love This Resource:

• Flexible for Any Novel: These activities can be applied to any fiction text, making this packet a versatile tool for any reading assignment, novel study, or literature circle.
• Engaging and Interactive: Activities encourage students to think critically, make connections, and engage creatively with the story.
• Multiple Skills: Students will practice a variety of skills, including summarization, analysis, prediction, creative expression, and essay writing.
• Ready-to-Use: Simply print and go! Perfect for class novels, independent reading, or book clubs.

Use this Lit Circle Packet to foster a deeper understanding of any novel while encouraging meaningful discussion and creative expression in your classroom!

Introducing our dynamic ELA resource, expertly designed to enhance middle school students' understanding of narrative perspectives. This 15-page toolkit focuses on the skill of identifying different points of view, including first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient, making it an essential addition to your teaching arsenal this winter.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Point of View Exploration: Delve into the nuances of narrative perspectives. This resource covers first, second, third person limited, and third person omniscient points of view, providing a holistic understanding of this fundamental ELA concept.
• 15 Pages of Tiered Activities: Enjoy a rich collection of tiered exercises. Each page is carefully designed to progressively build your students' skills, ensuring a deep and thorough grasp of the topic.
• Differentiated Instruction: This resource recognizes the diverse learning styles and abilities in your classroom. The activities are differentiated using Bloom's Taxonomy to cater to varying levels of comprehension and engagement, making learning inclusive and effective.
• Engaging Winter Themes: Capture your students' interest with activities that are wrapped in appealing winter themes. This seasonal touch adds relevance and fun to the learning process, keeping students motivated and curious.
• Ideal for Middle Schoolers: Specifically crafted for 6th to 8th graders, these activities align with middle school benchmarks in ELA. They challenge students to think critically and creatively, enhancing their reading and analytical skills.

Upgrade your teaching toolkit with our point of view activities and watch as your middle school students develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of narrative perspectives. Perfect for winter-themed learning, this resource is a must-have for any dedicated ELA educator!

Elevate your middle school students' narrative writing skills with this winter-themed essay planning guide. This resource features 10 captivating, holiday-themed photos, ranging from a snowman on the beach to a gingerbread family on the run, Krampus enjoying hot chocolate, and a pirate ship bathed in green holiday lights. These images are perfect for sparking creativity and guiding students through the narrative writing process.

Learning Objectives:

• Enhance the ability to plan and draft a narrative story that is both engaging and imaginative.
• Encourage creativity while ensuring narratives encompass all essential elements of a structured narrative text.

What's Inside:

• 10 double sided planning guides, one for each photo!
• Detailed graphic organizers to assist students in exploring the setting, characters, conflict, and resolution.
• A Google Slides presentation featuring each high-interest photo for classroom projection, facilitating the introduction of each new writing prompt.

How to Use:

• Day 1: Display the photo prompt using the slides and encourage students to brainstorm ideas with the graphic organizer.
• Day 2: Start drafting the narrative, drawing inspiration from the vivid image.
• Day 3: Continue the narrative, adding details and developing the storyline.
• Day 4: Conduct peer reviews or teacher feedback sessions, followed by revisions and editing.
• Day 5: Publish the final narrative piece, celebrating the students' creative achievements.

Standards Alignment:

• Aligned with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 through W.8.3, ensuring the resource meets educational standards for narrative writing.

Formats Available:

• A ready-to-use PDF for printouts and a Google Slides version for seamless classroom integration.

Usage Scenario:

• Ideal for middle school teachers to use as a standalone writing unit, an extension activity, or as a part of a choice board for students.

Highlights:

• Engaging and diverse photo prompts: Each image is carefully chosen to resonate with middle school students, featuring themes like winter holidays, mythical creatures, adventure, and family.
• Classroom-ready: The Google Slides format allows for easy introduction of each writing prompt, while print-ready PDFs ensure quick and effortless preparation.

Transform your classroom's narrative writing approach with this captivating, standards-aligned essay planning guide. Watch as your students' imaginations soar with each unique and inspiring photo prompt!

Delve into the intriguing world of Krampus with this comprehensive ELA resource, designed specifically for upper middle school students. "Unraveling Krampus" presents a unique opportunity to explore this mythical figure through a literary lens, enhancing key reading and analysis skills.

What’s Inside:

• Five Engaging Articles on Krampus: Each article focuses on a different text structure – compare and contrast, description, problem and solution, cause and effect, and chronological order
• – providing a multifaceted view of Krampus' lore and cultural significance.
• Skill-Focused Comprehension Quizzes: After reading, students can apply their knowledge with quizzes targeting central ideas, author's purpose, inferences, summaries, and text-dependent questions.
• 15-Slide Google Slides Presentation: A visually engaging presentation to introduce or reinforce each literacy skill. These slides are interactive and tailored for upper middle school learners, perfect for both classroom and remote instruction.
• Targeted Skill Development: This resource is crafted to bolster students' abilities in identifying text structures, understanding authorial intent, drawing inferences, summarizing, and engaging with text-dependent analysis.
• Interactive Annotation and Reading Experience: Encourage active reading with annotation prompts, fostering deeper comprehension and critical thinking.

Benefits:

• Enhances Critical Thinking: Cultivates analytical skills essential for upper middle school ELA.
• Captivating Content: The mysterious and intriguing subject of Krampus keeps students engaged and curious.
• Facilitates Deeper Understanding: Helps students grasp complex concepts like text structure and author's purpose in an engaging context.
• Ready for Classroom Use: A complete, ready-to-use package that saves preparation time for busy educators.

Ideal For:

• Upper Middle School ELA Teachers
• Reading and Literacy Coaches
• Homeschool Educators
• Tutors Specializing in Advanced Literacy

Step into the captivating folklore of Krampus and transform your ELA lessons into an exciting and educational exploration. "Unraveling Krampus" not only offers a deep dive into a unique cultural phenomenon but also arms students with critical literacy skills. Add this rich, engaging resource to your educational toolkit and elevate your teaching approach today!

For lower level readers, try this resource: St. Nick: Informational Text Structures, Main Idea, Author's Purpose 5 text sets (TeachShare.com)

Engage your middle schoolers with a festive dive into informational text skills using the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as the backdrop. This comprehensive resource is designed to captivate students while reinforcing critical reading skills over two to three class periods.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and analyze the central idea in informational texts.
• Understand and evaluate the author's purpose.
• Recognize and interpret various text structures.
• Determine the meaning of academic words in context.

What's Included:

• Five high-interest informational texts centered on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• A four-question multiple-choice quiz for each text, complete with an answer key.
• A Google Slides presentation to introduce and review key informational text skills.

How It Works:

• Day 1: Kickstart the lesson with a Google Slides presentation to refresh students on each skill's definition. Then, dive into the first two texts with guided annotation and strategic multiple-choice question approaches.
• Day 2: Continue with the remaining texts and quizzes, followed by a comprehensive review of the answers, solidifying students' understanding.

Perfect for Busy Teachers:

• Print & Go: No prep needed! Simply print the materials or share them digitally for an interactive class experience.
• Highly Engaging Material: The vibrant history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade keeps students interested and learning.
• Holiday Themed: Bring the Thanksgiving spirit into your classroom with content that's both educational and festive.
• Rigorous & Multi-Skill Focused: Challenge students with texts that are rigorous and cover multiple ELA standards.

Usage Scenario: Ideal for ELA, special education, and interventionist teachers, this resource serves as an excellent review of priority standards. It's adaptable to various student abilities and can be used after teaching the skills explicitly, ensuring that all students can participate and learn effectively.

Highlights:

Holiday Material: Students will enjoy learning with content themed around a beloved national holiday event.

• Engagement & Rigor: Not only does this set engage students, but it also challenges them to apply multiple literacy skills in a cohesive manner.

Elevate your ELA curriculum with this ready-to-use Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade informational text set. It's the perfect blend of holiday cheer and academic rigor, designed to keep your students engaged and on track with their literacy skills!

Engage and Inspire Your Middle School ELA Students!

Dive into the festive season with our Christmas Hip Hop Lyrics Analysis resource, exclusively designed for grades 6-8 ELA classrooms. This unique, print-and-go package on TeachShare brings the vibrant world of hip hop into your classroom, featuring iconic tracks "Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow and "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC.

What's Inside:

• Comprehensive Lyrics Annotation Guide: Students will delve into the lyrics, identifying key elements like setting, rhyme scheme, imagery, connotation, and repetition.
• Figurative Language Classification: A step-by-step guide to help students classify different types of figurative language used in the songs.
• Critical Thinking through Discourse: Utilize the innovative Agree, Disagree, Modify method for stimulating classroom discussions.
• Thematic and Plot Analysis: Students will explore the themes and plot elements, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
• Multiple Choice Quiz: Test their understanding with a 6-question multiple-choice quiz, tailored to middle school comprehension levels.

Why Choose This Resource?

• Culturally Relevant: Connects with students using the universal language of music, particularly hip hop.
• High Engagement: Keeps students interested and involved with contemporary and relatable content.
• Rigorously Designed: Meets educational standards while challenging students' critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Ready to Use: No prep needed, just print and you're ready to teach!

Elevate your teaching approach with this comprehensive RL.8.1 Resource Kit, meticulously crafted to align with Bloom's Taxonomy. This dynamic resource, featuring sports-themed texts for high engagement, is superbly suited for 8th Grade ELA teachers targeting Tier 1 instruction and 7th-grade educators with advanced students.

Key Features:

• Aligned with RL.8.1: Meticulously designed to fulfill the rigorous demands of RL.8.1, this kit emphasizes citing textual evidence and making inferences, essential for literary mastery.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy Framework: The activities, progressing from Remember to Create, are structured to cultivate higher-order thinking skills, making them ideal for both introducing new concepts and reteaching for mastery.
• Sports-Themed Texts: Engage your students with relatable, sports-themed texts that make learning both fun and relevant.
• Differentiated Instruction: This resource adapts to individual learning levels, ensuring every student is both challenged and supported.
• Engaging and Interactive: Dive into diverse activities like text analysis, lively group discussions, and creative writing prompts, all designed to stimulate critical thinking.
• Teacher-Friendly: Equipped with detailed instructions, comprehensive answer keys, and practical classroom implementation tips.
• Versatile Use: Tailored for varied instructional strategies, including classroom instruction, small group activities, and individual study.

Benefits:

• Deep Literary Analysis: Cultivate your students' ability to dissect literature with precision and insight.
• Critical Thinking: Foster essential analytical skills, preparing students for academic success.
• Effective Evidence Citing: Equip students with the skills to cite textual evidence confidently and make informed inferences.
• Interactive Learning: Engage students in a dynamic learning process with varied and thought-provoking activities.

Target Audience: 8th Grade ELA Teachers, 7th Grade Teachers with Advanced Students.

Whether you're introducing new concepts or reinforcing existing knowledge, this kit is an invaluable tool for elevating your teaching and enriching your students' learning experience.