8th Grade Literature Activities (by date, oldest first)

Three fiction stories your students will love! All three have a twist at the ending they will never guess. The Necklace, Story of an Hour, & The Last Leaf

Included in this file are:

• Abridged versions of all three stories for beginning readers
• Unabridged versions to challenge strong readers
• 10 questions per passage
• Questions that rise in rigor and complexity

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

Perfect for Horror/Gothic Literature units in English

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

What's Included:

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

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

Depth not Breadth

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

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

Looking for a fun way to get your students talking, moving, and collaborating? Look no further!

The focus of this breakout is Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night. The activities in this breakout game are designed to help students review what they have read in the play. A great review game before a test or quiz. Comes complete with answer key.

Looking for a fun way to get your students talking, moving, and collaborating? Look no further!

The focus of this breakout is Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The activities in this breakout game are designed to help students review what they have read in the play. A great review game before a test or quiz. Comes complete with answer key.

*Teaching Much Ado About Nothing?

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Shakespeare Comedies (All Plays)

Studying The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ? Looking to give students some context for the novel ? Then this product is for you! Introduction power point includes:

• About the Author
• The Setting
• Historical Background
• Native Americans and the U.S Government
• Current Issues for Native Americans
• Story Overview
• Themes
• Symbols
• Essential Questions

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Studying The Book Thief? Looking to give students some context for the novel ?

Then this product is for you! Introduction power point includes:

•About the Author

•World War II

•The Nazi Party

•Nazi Book Bans

•Death Marches

•The Concentration Camps

•Dachau

•The Holocaust

•Themes

•Symbols

•Essential Questions

Need More Help?

The Book Thief Flip book Study Guide

The Book Thief Characterization Flip book

A power point giving historical background and cultural context for the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Great addition to any novel unit on this book.

Looking for a fun way to get your students talking, moving, and collaborating? Look no further!

The focus of this breakout is The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The activities in this breakout game are designed to help students review what they have read in the novel. A great review game before a test or quiz. Comes complete with answer key.

Task #1 Plot

See if your students can figure out the overall plot for the story using a diagram and plot cards. When put in the right order students get a secret code.

Task #2 Characters

A way for your students to work together figuring out who is who from the novel with character cards and an answer sheet. Once solved students gain a code word.

Task #3 Close Read

Students must close read an excerpt from the novel and acurately answer questions about the excerpt to reveal the last code word.

Task #4 Encrypted Message

Using all the clues from the previous three tasks students must solve the encrypted message to escape the room.

Your students will love competing against the other groups in their class to solve these knowledge based puzzles around the novel.

Need more resources for The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr Hyde?

Look no further...we got you covered!

The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde Introduction Power Point

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Characterization Flip book

Looking for a fun way to get your students talking, moving, and collaborating? Look no further!

The focus of this breakout is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. The activities in this breakout game are designed to help students review what they have read in the book. A great review game before a test or quiz. Comes complete with answer key.

Studying A Wrinkle In Time ? Looking to give students some context for the novel ? Then this product is for you!

Introduction power point includes:

•About the Author

•The Cold War

•The 1960’s

•Tesseracting

•Conflicts

•Story Overview

•Themes

•Motifs

•Symbols

•Essential Questions

Studying The Call of the Wild? Looking to give students some context for the novel ?

Then this product is for you! Introduction power point includes:

•About the Author

•Klondike Gold Rush

•Story Overview

•Conflicts

•Themes

•Motifs

•Symbols

•Essential Questions

Looking for a fun way to get your students talking, moving, and collaborating? Look no further!

The focus of this breakout is The Count of Monte Cristo. The activities in this breakout game are designed to help students review what they have read in the novel. A great review game before a test or quiz. Comes complete with answer key.

Task #1 Plot

See if your students can figure out the overall plot for the story using a diagram and plot cards. When put in the right order students get a secret code.

Task #2 Characters

A way for your students to work together figuring out who is who from the novel with character cards and an answer sheet. Once solved students gain a code word.

Task #3 Close Read

Students must close read an excerpt from the novel and acurately answer questions about the excerpt to reveal the last code word.

Task #4 Encrypted Message

Using all the clues from the previous three tasks students must solve the encrypted message to escape the room.

Your students will love competing against the other groups in their class to solve these knowledge based puzzles around the novel.

Need more resources for The Count of Monte Cristo?

Look no further...we got you covered!

The Count of Monte Cristo: Introduction Power Point

The Count of Monte Cristo: Characterization Flipbook

The Count of Monte Cristo: Flip book Study Guide

The Count of Monte Cristo: Vocabulary Lists and Quizzes

The Count of Monte Cristo : Vocabulary Crosswords

The Count of Monte Cristo: Graphic Organizers

Studying The Red Badge of Courage ? Looking to give students some context for the novel ? Then this product is for you! Introduction power point includes:

• Stephen Crane
• Historical Background
• American Civil War
• Postwar Realism and Naturalism
• Red Badge of Courage
• Major Characteristics
• Stephen Crane’s Style
• Themes
• Symbols
• Essential Questions

Studying The War of the Worlds? Don't know where to begin? Then this product is for you! Includes a power point with: About the Author, Historical Significance, Literary Devices, Themes, Symbols, and Essential Questions. A great way to start off a unit on the classic novel The War of the Worlds!

Looking for a fun way to get your students talking, moving, and collaborating? Look no further!

The focus of this breakout is both Shakespeare’s A Midsummer's Night Dream. The activities in this breakout game are designed to help students review what they have read in the play. A great review game before a test or quiz. Comes complete with answer key.

Studying The Giver by Lois Lowry? Are students having problems with some of the vocabulary words? Then this product is for you! Includes 5 vocabulary crossword puzzles by chapters . Great to help students with vocabulary words as they read the text! Pairs great with The Giver Vocabulary Lists and Quizzes. Comes complete with answer key.

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The Giver Introduction Power Point

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Studying The Count of Monte Cristo ? Looking to give students some context for the novel ? Then this product is for you!

Introduction power point includes:

•About the Author

•The Bourbon Restoration

• The July Monarchy

•Conflicts

•Themes

•Symbols

•Essential Questions

This flip book goes through seven of the main characters of the novel. It includes graphic organizers for your students to fill out in order to better understand character development. It makes a great study guide and a good way to have your students understand the differences and similarities between the different characters of the novel. Offers differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all your students! Rubric included for easy grading.

Click here for Google Drive Version

This powerpoint serves as an introduction to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

A great way to start off the novel and to introduce students to concepts within the story.

Studying Hatchet ? Looking to give students some context for the novel ? Then this product is for you! Introduction power point includes:

• About the Author
• Technological Advances
• Nature vs Technology
• Story Overview
• Themes
• Symbols
• Essential Questions

Need more resources for Hatchet?

We got you covered!

**⭐Hatchet Flipbook Study Guide

⭐Hatchet Characterization Flipbook

⭐Hatchet Graphic Organizers

⭐Hatchet Vocabulary Lists and Quizzes

⭐Hatchet Vocabulary Crossword Puzzles