8th Grade Other (ELA) Resources

Immerse your students in the thrilling world of "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell with this comprehensive, end-of-year ELA unit, perfect for middle school humanities teachers! This meticulously designed resource offers a full week of engaging, scaffolded lessons, culminating in a dynamic Socratic seminar and creative choice board activities.

What's Included:

• Fully Detailed Lesson Plans: Each day is carefully planned with clear objectives, standards alignment, and step-by-step instructions. Scaffolds and differentiation strategies ensure all students can participate and succeed.
• Engaging Activities: Students will read and analyze the text, watch a captivating film adaptation, and participate in thought-provoking discussions. Every lesson is designed to captivate students' imaginations and deepen their understanding of the material.
• Socratic Seminar: Facilitate a rich, student-led discussion with our structured Socratic seminar guidelines. Students will engage in meaningful dialogue, using evidence from the text and film to support their points.
• Choice Board Projects: Empower students to demonstrate their learning creatively with a variety of project options, including writing an alternate ending, crafting a comic strip, designing a literary brochure, and more. Each option includes graphic organizers and rubrics to guide student work.
• Comprehensive Question Sets: Thoughtful questions accompany each lesson, encouraging critical thinking and textual analysis. An answer key is provided to support teacher facilitation.
• Paper-Based Resource: Designed for easy implementation, this unit is fully printable and ready to use in any classroom setting.

Unit Breakdown:

• Day 1: Whole-class reading of "The Most Dangerous Game." Discussion on suspense and setting.
• Day 2: Watching a short film adaptation and gathering evidence using the claim, evidence, reasoning (CER) format. Preparation for the Socratic seminar.
• Day 3: Socratic seminar day. Students explore and discuss the text, aiming to speak 2-3 times, using textual evidence to support their points.
• Days 4 & 5: Choice board activities. Students choose from a range of creative projects to showcase their understanding of the story.

Benefits:

• Engaging End-of-Year Content: Keep students motivated and excited about learning with a thrilling, suspenseful story that will capture their interest.
• Scaffolding and Extension Ideas: Each lesson includes scaffolds to support all learners and extension ideas to challenge advanced students.
• Comprehensive and Ready-to-Use: Save time with detailed lesson plans, organized materials, and everything you need to deliver a successful unit.

Perfect for middle school humanities teachers looking to end the year with a bang, this unit will leave students discussing, debating, and reflecting on "The Most Dangerous Game" long after the lessons are over. Bring your classroom to life with this engaging, paper-based resource!

Included in this 12 week unit: Ultimate Middle School Short Story Bundle: 12 Week Engaging Suspense ELA Units (TeachShare.com)

Looking for an engaging way to cover the novel 1984? Look no further! This is a GROWING bundle for the classic novel 1984. Great activities to go alongside the novel and incorporate differentiation in your classroom to meet the needs of multiple learners. Includes an intorduction powerpoint, a characterization flipbook, a study guide, graphic organizers, and a film adaptation worksheet. All of which can be used in TeachShare Digital Activities for distance learning!

Are you looking for something fun and different for your students? Maybe you need some extra activities for early finishers...well look no further!

Entertain your class while integrating music and language with Music Wordle! This resources includes 46 Music Wordles that you can assign to your students or play together as a class. You could even hold a competition to see who can solve each Worldle first! There is lots of flexibility on how you can use this resource. I created this in Google Sheets. Your Music Wordle Google Sheet will include links to each of the 46 Music Wordle Puzzles. I've included a solutions tab as well as a table that includes puzzle hints, if you choose to share with your students. Each hyperlink is set up for you to make a copy of the Music World Puzzle before you play.

This 23-page resource with 20 primary sources plus three DBQ prompts gives students a chance to delve deeper into the challenges, obstacles and opportunities on the home front during World War II. The first two pages include Lesson Planning strategies, an Overview, notes on Primary Sources,and a list of Primary Sources.

Here’s a chance for students to read documents that shed light on how the war gave certain groups of people, like women and African-Americans, greater opportunities than they'd ever had before. At the same time, some people suffered greatly, such as the Japanese-Americans due to their internment in camps. All Americans needed to make sacrifices, however, in most areas. The primary sources show the extent to which war affected life in a variety of ways.

Assign just one, a few or all of the sources depending on time constraints and student interest.

Primary sources include interviews, photos, posters, newspaper articles, reports and other documents. Each page of primary sources includes questions at the end in order for students to analyze perspectives, consider key ideas and identify bias.

Included is a one-page sheet that explains what primary sources are and how to analyze them using specific questions through a process called HAPPY. There is also a page at the end for students to apply the HAPPY process to one source.

Three DBQ prompts are included at the end with instructions on how to create a response to the prompt. An Answer Key to all the questions and the DBQ prompts are available at the end of the packet.

This is excellent practice for all high school students, particularly Honors and AP students, but all students will find these resources engaging.

This is also available as a digital resource through Easel so students may complete it online.

Please check out my other Primary Source Analysis and DBQ Teaching Resources:

Women in Colonial America: DBQ's and Primary Sources

Women in Revolutionary America: DBQ's and Primary Sources

Women and the Early Women's Rights Movement: DBQ's and Primary Sources Women during the Industrial Revolution: DBQ's and Primary Sources Women's Suffrage: DBQ's and Primary Sources

Interested in more about World War II? Check out my Giant Bundle of World War II Teaching Resources:

World War II Teaching Bundle - BIG!

If you like World War II historical fiction (with some clean romance), my book, Hearts at War, highlights the secret and unsung contributions of the Nisei soldier in the Pacific theater who served as translators and interrogators. Young Adult/Adult/Interracial Romance. Available on Amazon.

Thank you and I appreciate any TeachShare or Amazon reviews!

- Christa Nonnemaker

If you like World War II historical fiction, I have written a novel called Hearts at War featuring a Nisei soldier who served in the Military Intelligence Service as a translator and a woman who served in the Women Army Corps, both of whom were assigned to the Pacific theater. In writing this book, I wanted to bring an unknown aspect of history to light. Available on Amazon or Kindle. Interracial Romance/Young Adult/Adult Fiction. I appreciate any reviews!

Thank you!

Christa Nonnemaker

Wondering what to do with students after testing?

Need to keep them reading and writing?

Want them to have fun while they're doing it?

I took a page from the Choose Your Own Adventure books and made the best selling books digital. Now students can read a story of their choice and write their own alternate story endings with this digital resource. Perfect after testing activity, reading projects, summer reading projects, and more.

Everything you need is included for your students to have fun thinking, creating, writing and playing through this activity!

Students will love being able to write new story lines based on the character’s choices!

• Interactive digital resource
• All digital
• integrated reading & writing
• Student templates for plotting
• Two editable PowerPoint templates
• Included ‘how-to’ video for plug and play learning
• Clickable links are ready to go on each slide to keep the story moving along
• Decorative elements & icons are included for students to make their slides unique

Ten individual and group interactive quizzes and scenarios for upper elementary, middle school, and high school students on plagiarism. Includes: Defining, working with, and understanding plagiarism Youtube presentation link Short answer traditional quiz Student Images with questions & short answers in speech bubbles Guilty of Plagiarism: You be the Judge Plagiarism Court: Defender; Prosecutor with Jury Guilty/Not Guilty Plagiarism Scenarios Age differentiated images and activities Great for introduction to plagiarism or as assessment tools.

Elevate Teacher Appreciation Quotes with our diverse bundle of therapeutic activities. Explore soothing Quotes Coloring Pages and intricate Quotes Mandala Coloring Pages. Engage your mind with Jigsaw Puzzles, Quotes Cut and Paste. Foster connection with Games. This collection offers relaxation, mindfulness, and empowerment for all ages.

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE

• ( PDF + PNG )

• Large 8.5'' x 11'' designs that can easily be printed on regular sized paper

• High-resolution images

• Unlimited prints

• Great for kids, boys and girls

JUST DOWNLOAD, PRINT AND GET STARTED

• This item comes as a high-resolution PDF + PNG files that you can download straight after purchasing.

• You can print as many copies as you want.

NOTE

• This is a digital item.

• No physical product or printed material will be shipped.

• No refunds as this is a digital product.

Organize your next play or musical production with our Character Description Breakdown Template! This dynamic resource is a must-have for directors, educators, and students alike, serving as a versatile tool to elevate your theatre productions and class resources.

For Directors: Streamline your audition process with ease and precision. Our template allows you to craft detailed character profiles with fields for character description, gender identity, age range, vocal range, and even special casting notes and considerations. Whether you're preparing for auditions, crafting announcements, or finalizing casting decisions, this tool will become your go-to guide for bringing characters to life with clarity and creativity.

For Educators and Students: Dive deeper into character analysis and understanding with this engaging assignment tool. Perfect for directing classes or theatre studies, students can use the template to present their insights on characters from plays or musicals they have read or watched. This resource encourages critical thinking and allows students to showcase their comprehension of character motivations, relationships, and development from a director’s perspective.

Features:

• Comprehensive Sections: Cover everything from character traits and background to vocal range, age range, and more.
• User-Friendly Layout: Designed for ease of use, allowing you to focus on creativity and analysis without getting bogged down by complex formatting.
• Adaptable & Versatile: Suitable for any play or musical, this template is fully customizable to match the production or producing company’s fonts and styles, making it a timeless addition to your theatrical toolkit.
• Printable & Digital Formats: Access the template in a way that suits your needs, whether you prefer a hands-on approach or a digital workflow.

Elevate your theatre experience with our Play & Musical Character Description Breakdown Template—where every character’s story becomes a masterpiece waiting to unfold!

How to Access

This product is delivered via a file download. You will receive links to access the Google Doc template. If you have trouble with the file please email me at classroomtocurtain@gmail.com.

To utilize the Google Doc, a free Google account is required.

If don't have a Google account, you can create a free one here: https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/webcreateaccount?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=SignUp

This product is for single classroom personal use only!

___________________________________________________________________________

If you need help with this product, please contact me!

Connect with me for more ways to elevate your theatre program classroom to curtain:

Instagram

Pinterest

Subscribe to Mailing List

Website

Classroom to Curtain © 2025

Learning involves both oral and written presentations, which are crucial to mastering presentation skills. To aid in the evaluation process, this rubric covers both types of presentations and is presented on a single, user-friendly page. It can be used by students, teachers, or paraprofessionals. Additionally, a digital version is provided for students to assess their peers.

HOW TO GET TeachShare CREDITS ON FUTURE PURCHASES:

- Go to MY PURCHASES page.

- You will see a PROVIDE FEEDBACK button.

- Please leave a star rating and a comment. This will help lower the cost for future purchases!

Remember to click the GREEN STAR under my name to become a follower!

These 8 protocol/guideline slides are perfect for any essay in any subject! Students will follow the guidelines in order to present their essays to their peers and recieve direct and specific feedback through 3 column note taking.

Before the Lesson:

• Students should have completed a rough draft of their writing.
• Pre decide small revision groups.
• Make copies of each students essay for each of their group members.

Directions:

• Go through each of these 8 protocol slides with students as they recieve feedback from their peers in order to make revisions on their essay:

1. Distribute
2. Explain
3. Read
4. Read again
5. Share
6. Receive
7. Clarify
8. Repeat

Click HERE to see our other AVID resources. We also have several great AVID bundle options available down below!

AVID Mega Growing Bundle

AVID Teambuilding Bundle

AVID Writing Bundle

*Note this product may be used in brick an mortar classes as well as virtual systems like Outschool.

Engage your students with a complete and ready-to-use teaching resource for S.E. Hinton’s classic novel, The Outsiders.  This comprehensive package includes everything you need to deliver an effective and engaging literary unit:

• Detailed Lesson Plan: A well-structured, day-by-day guide that covers key themes, character development, and essential vocabulary.

• Scope & Sequence: A clear outline that maps out the learning objectives, pacing, and essential skills for the entire unit.

• PowerPoint Presentation: Visually appealing and informative slides designed to enhance understanding and foster class discussions, covering important quotes, plot points, and character analysis.

This resource is perfect for middle school and high school English teachers looking to create a rich, interactive, and meaningful learning experience for their students.  Whether you are a new teacher or a seasoned educator, this package saves you time and provides quality materials that engage students and deepen their understanding of The Outsiders.

With this activity, students will use a die to determine the format, topic, and purpose to use in their writing assignment. Students should have a solid understanding of what it means for an author to persuade, inform, or entertain before diving in to this activity. A rubric is included. This is meant to be a fun, amusing exercise for students learning about author's purpose. Both the instructions and the rubric come in color and b/w.

Check out my free Ethos, Logos, Pathos Dice Roll Writing Activity, and my Character Reading Response Dice Roll Writing Activity as well!

This ELA reading comprehension activity is the perfect tool to use in your classroom all year long. These 15 cover-up boards work for any book or story and have questions that encourage metacognition and increase reading comprehension skills! Perfect for early finishers, reading centers, test-prep, tutorials, small group work and more!

✨ELA Bundle!✨

What's Included

• 15 different Cover-Up boards with 4 questions on each

Directions

• With Cover Ups, the comprehension questions can be answered using any book or story.

• When students are done with their reading, they can grab a Cover Up board (consider having them laminated and printed on colored paper) and use the book that they are reading to answer the questions.

• Then students will use sticky notes to write out their answers and place them directly on top of the question on the Cover Up board.

Other resources you may like...

Roll a Story Bundle

Pathos, Ethos, and Logos Stand Up Sit Down

Word Work

Retro Coloring Pages

Printable Jane Austen fan bookmarks set DIGITAL DOWNLOAD with watercolor blue and purple pansy flowers and quotes by Jane Austen from Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey.

Reading Responses are a great way to assess student comprehension, writing skills, grammar skills, and so much more - all in one assignment! They can work with novel studies, short stories, or any written literature or nonfiction text.

But do your students really know what they need to do to complete your reading responses? With this checklist, there is no question about it! Students know EXACTLY what you're looking for and EXACTLY what is expected of them.

Each checklist includes:

• RACE Components
• Grammar Components (conventions and usage; spelling, capitalization, and punctuation)
• Grammar skill assessment

This resource is 100% EDITABLE - so you can add, remove, and alter the components to best fit the needs of your classroom!

Four checklists fit on each page for easy printing - color or black and white options available!

Resource Includes:

• Cover page
• Table of Contents
• Note to the Teacher
• Color Checklists (4 to a page)
• Black & White Checklists (4 to a page)
• Terms of Use
• More Resources
• Thank You

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Checkout my store here - all teacher friends are welcome!

Other resources you may like:

DIGITAL Unit Guide Template | Scope & Sequence | Google Docs | EDITABLE

Boho Rainbow Café Growth Mindset Google Classroom Headers / Banners - EDITABLE

6th, 7th, AND 8th Grade ELA Common Core State Standards DIGITAL Checklist BUNDLE

Flipped Classroom Parent / Student BUNDLE

Starbooks Virtual Book Tasting with Verse Novels

*** New Seller please follow, comment, and review if you like these! ❤️***

These Academic Language Scripts are perfect in an AVID classroom setting. It is used to build classroom discussion and improve how students respond to each other during discussion. These are used as questions stems to add to discussion during socratic seminar or philosophical chairs.

*Available in two colors brights and primary colors

This Resource is Great For:

✨Socratic Seminar

✨Philosophical Chairs

✨Classroom Discussion

✨Literature Circles

✨Promoting Critical Thinking

✨Building Classroom Community

✨Student Centered Results

How to Use:

*Print cut in half

*Laminate

*Cut out and Hole punch

*Can be used as bookmarks!

Need Help or Have Questions?
If you have any questions or need assistance with this product, feel free to reach out to me at ashlee@msgamification.com. I'm here to help!

Love This❤️? Check These Out!
If this product has you inspired, you'll love these other resources too.

Related Products:

• Figurative Language Color By Number Worksheets Bundle

• Informational Text Non Fiction Text Features Worksheet Color by Number

• Figurative Language Color by Number Worksheets

Stay Updated:
Follow my store for updates on new products and special promotions. Click the "Follow Me⭐" button to stay informed!☝

Leave a Review and Earn Credits♻️:
Did you know that leaving a review can earn you TeachShare credits? After using this product, please leave a review. Not only will your feedback help me improve, but you’ll also get credits to use on future purchases.

Support My Small Business❤️:
Your support means the world to me! If you loved this product, please consider leaving a 5-star review. It helps my small business grow and allows me to create more quality resources for you. Thank you!

Terms of Use:

This product is intended solely for the teacher who purchased it. Please refrain from sharing it with other teachers. If multiple teachers wish to use it, each should acquire their own license. Thank you for respecting these terms and supporting educational resources!

Copyright 2017 ©️ Ms Gamification

Students will fill these pages in response to any novel they are reading, whether independently or as part of a whole class reading assignment. Each Project includes a student page with instructions and directions to complete each journal page, as well as a grading rubric to use these journal pages as a whole novel project. You could also use these pages individually and pick ones to use for a specific concept to teach or reflect on. Level one is geared toward middle school-aged students or those who require additional support or guidance with a reflective journal piece. Level two is intended for high school students and requires more in-depth analysis and writing skills. Both levels are included in this product, allowing you to choose the level that is most suitable for your students or to mix and match as needed (note that the grading rubric will not apply if you combine pages from one level with those from another).

Reading Journal Project 1: This level is intended for middle school students or can be used as a less in-depth study as Project 2 is.

Included Pages:

• Journal Cover Page
• Book Overview
• Characters
• Main Character Spotlight
• Plot Outline
• Theme & Setting
• Conflict
• Reflection Questions

Reading Journal Project 2: This level is designed for high school students or those seeking a more in-depth study than Project 1.

**Included Pages:                                                                                                      **

• Journal Cover Page
• Book Overview
• Book Summary Page
• Character Overview
• Character Comparison
• Main Character Analysis
• Plot Outline
• Main Idea and Theme
• Conflict
• Reflection Questions

Are you reading Wonder in your classroom? This little bundle is perfect! Whether you are doing a novel study or just a class read aloud, this bundle is for you. It includes two popular Wonder products: Pre-Reading Reflection Questions and Writing Prompts. it includes 41 pages total. Printable (pdf) and Google Drive (Google Slides) versions included!

More details about this product:

Pre-Reading Reflection Questions: This resource is the perfect pre-reading assignment for the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It includes six statements where students need to decide if they strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, and strongly disagree. They then have to give their reasoning. These six pre-reading reflection questions get students' brains activated and thinking about various themes, lessons, and ideas they will come across in the novel. It is great to see what students are thinking on these big topics before they begin the novel!! Not only is it fun and engaging for your students, the responses students give are also very interesting to read as a teacher! This product comes with a printable version (pdf) and a Google Drive (Google Slides) version for a total of 4 pages.

Writing Prompts: This product for Wonder, by R.J. Palacio_,_ contains over 19 pages of unique writing prompts and writing pages for both a printable (pdf) version and a Google Drive version (Google Slides). The printable version includes 12 unique prompts for students to complete both during and at the completion of this novel, 6 extra themed writing pages, and 1 blank page where you can use to to create your own prompts if desired. The Google Drive version of this product comes with 18 pages of prompts and writing pages. In total, this product has 37 pages. A must have if you are doing a novel study on Wonder or reading the book in class!

★ This product is great for Distance Learning. Simply assign the Google Slides to students on Google Classroom or your classroom digital platform. It can be accessed at school or home and requires no prep at all!

★ Feel free to use either the paper OR digital version - BOTH are included with your purchase!

Freebies & Discounts:

Be sure to follow my store on TeachShare.com to stay up to date on all my new products, including products that are FREE and on discount!

Comments:

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this product and found it useful. I really love reading how you are using my products in your classroom :) thank you in advance for taking the time to leave a review!

This unit will guide students through reading and analyzing "The Outsiders." Students will explore themes of class conflict, friendship, and identity while developing their comprehension and critical thinking skills. The unit will include formative assessments, discussions, and creative assignments.

• Pre Reading Activity
• Compare and Contrast (characters & self)
• Character Map
• Anatomy of a Greaser/Soc
• Choice Boards x2
• Jigsaw
• Stations
• Journal/Writing Prompts
• Slides Project
• Debate
• Essay Revision

Turn classroom review into an interactive throwdown!

Throwdown Cards are a dynamic and fun way to assess student understanding and promote active participation in your small group sessions. This set of playing cards replaces traditional answer sheets with an engaging twist!

Here's How It Works:

1. Review Previously Taught Skills
2. Pose a Multiple Choice Question
3. Throwdown Time! Students Throw Down Their Card
4. Defend Your Choice
5. Question Review

Benefits of Throwdown Cards:

• Multiple Formats: Choose to use Throwdown Cards in Small Group at Teacher Table, in Workshop Stations, or make a class set for whole-class review!
• Engaging and Interactive: Move away from passive note-taking and transform review into a game-like activity.
• Immediate Feedback: See student understanding at a glance with the "throw down" motion.
• Promotes Discussion: Encourage healthy debate and peer-to-peer learning as students defend their answers.
• Boosts Confidence: Students are more likely to participate when answers are hidden initially.
• Versatile Use: Adaptable to various subjects, grade levels, and question formats (multiple choice, true/false, etc.).

Make learning an active adventure! Add Throwdown Cards to your classroom toolkit today!

Be sure to get credit towards future TeachShare purchases by leaving a review of your purchase! Follow the steps below to earn credit towards future purchases.

1. Go to your My Purchases page.

2. Look for a Provide Feedback button next to each purchase.

3. Click "Provide Feedback," and you will be taken to a page to leave a review.

4. Every time you leave a review, TeachShare gives you credits that you can use to lower the cost of future purchases.

Thank you so much for your feedback!

Follow along with Mandy in the Middle for more resources!