8th Grade Other (ELA) Activities

Dive into the suspenseful world of "Sorry, Wrong Number" by Lucille Fletcher 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, listen to the captivating radio play, 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 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 "Sorry, Wrong Number" followed by listening to the radio play. Discussion on suspense and foreshadowing.
• Day 2: Collecting evidence and constructing responses 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 "Sorry, Wrong Number" 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)

Covering The Boy in the Striped Pajamas? Don't know where to start? We have you covered! This bundle includes six different products to help: an introduction power point, a holocaust web quest, a study guide, a characterization flip book, graphic organizers, and a film analysis. Great for differentiated instruction!

*Study Guide and Characterization flipbook are both the Google Drive Version; however, to access them you will need to click on the bonus file and follow the links.

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.

Four Sets of DBQs and Primary Sources about these World War II topics:

* Home Front
* Victory Gardens
* Japanese-American Internment
* Women in the Military

DBQ and Primary Source Sets

DBQ and Primary Source sets include primary sources with questions, DBQ prompts and Answer Keys. Students have a chance to develop understanding of context, perspective, purpose, audience and context. DBQ prompts prepare them for integration of sources into essay responses. These are excellent ways for students to develop historical thinking skills. APUSH students can benefit from DBQ practice. A Bonus File on "How to Integrate Sources in a DBQ" is included.

Choose which sets to use, or which pages to use. Mix and match or provide different sets to different sets of students.

If you like World War II historical fiction (with some romance!), my book, Hearts at War, highlights the secret and unsung contributions of the Nisei soldiers 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

This Sentence Auction Game is the perfect classroom activity to engage students while reinforcing essential grammar skills. In this interactive grammar game, students use fake money to bid on sentences. Some sentences are perfectly correct, while others contain common errors like missing commas, misplaced apostrophes, spelling mistakes, comma splices, subject-verb agreement errors, capitalization errors, and commonly confused words.

Students must identify and correct the mistakes to maximize the value of their sentences. The game ends with a winner declared based on the total value of the sentences they’ve collected.

This sentence editing game is an excellent tool for grammar practice, sentence correction, and peer learning. Ideal for middle school and high school classrooms, it’s a fun way to improve your students' writing and editing skills!

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.

This bundle has passages and comprehension questions and answers included, this resource is a great way to learn about this incredible woman's legacy during Women's History Month.

Feel free to let us know how we're doing in the Ratings & Comments section.

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

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!

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

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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.

These sentence diagramming bell ringers will last four full months. This bundle contains sixteen Google Slide presentations- one for each week. There is also an assessment for the end of week four, the end of week seven, the end of week twelve, and the end of week 16 to test student knowledge. The daily activities should last 5-10 minutes. EVERYTHING IS EDITABLE.

THIS BUNDLE COVERS:

- Subject

- Predicate / Verb

- Helping Verbs

- Articles

- Adjectives

- Adverbs

- Prepositions

- Adjectival Prepositional Phrases

- Adverbial Prepositional Phrases

- Coordinating Conjunctions

- Compound Sentences

- Compound Subjects and Predicates

- Compound Adjectives and Adverbs

- Compound Prepositional Phrases

- Linking Verbs

- Predicate Adjectives

- Predicate Nominatives

- Transitive Verbs

- Direct Objects

- Indirect Objects

Answers are included for all diagrams.

Sentence diagramming is so helpful when teaching students parts of speech and sentence structure. The repetitiveness of diagramming for a bell ringer is extremely beneficial for students. I tried grammar workbooks for years, but my students hardly retained anything. Daily sentence diagramming made them remember their parts of speech, and was an amazing foundation for my students to have when we started forming different types of sentences. They picked up on fixing run-ons quickly as well because of their diagramming foundation.

This AVID Costa's Levels of Thinking Early Finisher Packet includes a variety of critical thinking activities for middle and high school students. It features a passage with leveled questions, a creative "Finish the Story" activity using Costa’s levels, and an exercise where students categorize questions by thinking level. Perfect for classroom use or independent practice, this packet helps deepen understanding and encourages higher-level thinking!

Find this in...

✨AVID Bundle

✨Costa Bundle

✨Early Finisher Packets

What's Included

1. Passage with Leveled Questions

• Overview: This activity provides students with a short, engaging passage followed by questions categorized by Costa's Levels of Thinking.

2. Costa’s "Finish the Story" Activity

• Overview: This creative writing activity allows students to apply Costa’s Levels of Thinking as they finish a partially written story. Each stage of the activity corresponds to a different level of thinking.

3. Categorizing Costa's Questions Activity

• Overview: In this activity, students are given a set of questions related to a topic and must categorize them into Costa’s Levels of Thinking. This helps students learn how to identify different types of thinking questions.

Bonus Features

• Answer Key: An answer key is provided for teachers to quickly check the categorization activity and leveled questions.
• No-Prep, Print-and-Go Format: Just print and distribute!

Perfect For:

• Early finishers
• Enrichment activities
• Critical thinking lessons
• Independent or small group work
• Sub plans

Nutcracker Ballet Mini Introduction Lesson

This two page resource is a must for a pre-reading assignment for the book The BFG by Roald Dahl. 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!

** Research has shown that deeper comprehension takes place when students are engaged in activities that bridge prior knowledge with what they are about to learn. This product will help students connect the novel to their already existing knowledge in order to make the new reading more stimulating and engaging.

★ 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!

E-Learning / Home Learning / Remote Learning / Distance Learning / COVID-19 / Coronavirus / Paperless

Check out my other 'Pre-Reading Reflections' for novel studies below!

The One and Only Ivan Pre-Reading Reflection

Charlotte's Web Pre-Reading Reflections

Because of Winn Dixie Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

James and the Giant Peach Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

Wonder Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

Stellaluna Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

Sarah, Plain and Tall Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

Freckle Juice Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

Stone Fox Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

My Father's Dragon Pre-Reading Reflection Questions

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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

This engaging resource features an exciting revising & editing passage about the island of Bora Bora, the jewel of the South Pacific. My students have enjoyed this resource, and while it is sometimes a struggle to get them engaged in revise/edit activities, I heard tons of collaborative conversation as I monitored while they worked.

Aligned to Texas TEKS & Common Core

What's Included:

• Revise/Edit Passage: "Bora Bora! The Jewel of the South Pacific." This passage about the small island of Bora Bora is interesting and engaging, filled with opportunities for students to practice revising and editing.

• Targeted skills practice:

  • Revising:
    • Revising for Clarity
    • Combining Sentences
    • Unnecessary Details
    • Adding Details
  • Editing:
    • Homophones/Commonly Confused Words
    • Spelling
    • Commas/Complex Sentences

• Flexible Assessment (3 formats): (All assessment types feature the same questions.)

  • 10 Multiple Choice Questions: A traditional assessment format to gauge understanding
  • Task Cards: Interactive and student-driven practice
  • Google Form (Link Included): Easy online assessment with automatic grading (requires a Google account).

• Answer Key: Makes grading a breeze, saving you valuable time.

This resource is perfect for:

• Grammar and mechanics practice
• Building editing and revising confidence
• Low-prep test prep activity
• Engaging students with an engaging topic
• Providing differentiated assessment options

Turn editing and revising from mundane to captivating with this exciting resource! I hope you find it as useful in your class as I have in mine!

Not sure what to do after state testing? Dive into the futuristic world of Ray Bradbury with our week-long dystopian unit plan centered around his intriguing short story, "The Pedestrian." This meticulously crafted resource is specifically designed for middle school humanities teachers looking to inspire and engage their students in deep, meaningful discussions about technology, society, and individuality.

Product Features:

• Complete Text & Accompanying Slides: Includes a full copy of "The Pedestrian" and visually engaging slides that complement the reading, ensuring students understand the setting, plot, and key themes.
• Socratic Seminar Guide: Detailed procedures and prepared questions for a Socratic seminar that encourage students to delve deeper into the text. Our guide helps students articulate their thoughts using claims, evidence, and reasoning, fostering critical thinking and debate.
• Evidence Writing Worksheets: Teach your students how to effectively back their arguments with textual evidence. These worksheets guide students through the process of making claims and supporting them with precise details from the story and film.
• Diverse Essay Prompts: Includes argumentative, informational, and correspondence essay questions that cater to different writing levels and interests, helping students explore various aspects of the narrative.
• Creative Activities: Engage your students’ creative sides with a comic strip activity and an alternate ending writing task. These exercises not only enhance understanding of narrative techniques but also allow personal expression and creativity.
• Film vs. Text Venn Diagram: A comparative activity where students analyze the differences and similarities between the short story and its film adaptation, enhancing their analytical skills.
• Choice Board Extension Activities: Offers a variety of project-based learning tasks that allow students to explore the themes of the story in diverse and engaging ways.

Perfect For:

• End-of-Year Lessons: Wrap up the year with a comprehensive, thought-provoking unit that engages students in critical thinking.
• Substitute Teacher Plans: Easy-to-follow lessons that ensure valuable and structured learning continues in your absence.
• Mini Dystopian Units: Ideal for a focused thematic study on dystopian literature, prompting discussions on societal impacts of technology and personal freedom.

Adjustability:

• Suitable for grades 6-8 and can be easily adapted for different levels of understanding or class sizes, making it a versatile tool for any middle school classroom.

Perfect Pairing: "All Summer in a Day" Comprehensive Week-Long Lesson Plan, Seminar, Choice Board (TeachShare.com)

Empower your students to think critically about their own world through the lens of dystopian literature. This "The Pedestrian" unit plan is not just a lesson—it's an exploration into critical thinking, creative expression, and scholarly discussion. Equip your classroom with this all-encompassing resource today and watch your students thrive!

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

Covering The Scarlet Letter? Don't know where to get started? This bundle is for you, focusing on Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel The Scarlet Letter it includes an introduction power point, flip book study guide, characterization flip book, graphic organizers, and a film analysis worksheet.

The United States Home Front during World War II:

* Primary Source Analysis and DBQ's

* Power Point Lesson

* Reading Assignment and Worksheet (Guided Reading)

Use portions or the entirety of the resources as needed.

Primary Source Analysis and DBQ's

This 23 page Primary Source Analysis and DBQ activity gives students a chance to delve deeper into the experience of life on the home front in the United States during World War II. There are 20 primary sources and 3 DBQ prompts. After completing this resource, students will be able to determine what issues were important to society during this era. In addition, there are Document-Based Question prompts.

A Lesson Plan and other supplemental information is provided at the beginning of the resource. Students can read this on their own as a homework assignment or it can be a group activity in a classroom. It is also ideally suited for home-schoolers, college students or independent learners who want to learn more. Teachers can assign just a few sources to analyze or the entire packet. Student work time will vary dependent on the aforementioned factors.

Also 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. Primary sources in the packet include text excerpts, photographs and posters. Each page of primary sources includes questions. There is also a page at the end for students to apply the HAPPY process to one source. DBQ prompts are also provided. An Answer Key to all the questions, the HAPPY primary source analysis process, and the DBQ’s is available at the end of the packet.

A separate PowerPoint presentation on How to Integrate Sources for a DBQ is included as a Bonus File.

There is also an Easel Activity which allows students to answer the questions at the end of each primary source online. For homework purposes, Home Schoolers or for asynchronous learning, this is an especially valuable digital option .

Power Point Presentation

This 29 slide presentation about life on the home front in the United States during World War II presents a broad and deep look at the nature of the four years between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the end of World War II. The slides use engaging visuals including photographs and posters to convey the experiences on the home front. These visuals are primary sources that the instructor can use to further student understanding beyond textbook reading. This slide presentation is equally valuable for the home-schooled student or for those instructors who want to provide supplemental information to their students. At the end of the presentation, there is a slide that provides annotations on the websites used to access the primary sources which are featured throughout the presentation. This presentation will deepen student understanding about an experience that shaped a nation.

A digital assessment in Easel is provided for teachers to measure student understanding, retention and analysis of the material.

Reading Assignment

This six-page close reading and worksheet activity provides an overview of how life in the United States during World War II. It covers the issues around mobilization, wartime productivity, racism and the opportunities and challenges of the time. Students can read this on their own as a homework assignment or it can be a group activity in a classroom. It is also ideally suited for home-schoolers or independent learners who want to learn more. A Worksheet with questions based on the reading is included, along with an Answer Key.

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

If you or your students like World War II historical fiction, consider my novel, Hearts at War about a Nisei soldier who served in the Military Intelligence Service and a woman who served in the Women Army Corps. In writing this book, I wanted to bring an unknown aspect of history to light. Available on Amazon or Kindle. Young Adult/Adult; Interracial Romance. I appreciate any reviews! - Christa Nonnemaker

• My students had so much fun doing this, they didn't want it to end! Four Disney villains are being brought to court with charges and your students will either prosecute or defend them in "court":

• Ursula - The Little Mermaid: Fraud & Exploitation

• Scar - The Lion King: Manslaughter & Environmental Crimes

• Gaston - Beauty & The Beast: Attempted Murder & Inciting a Riot

• Lady Tremaine - Cinderella: Emotional Abuse/Neglect & Exploitation

Assign your students to be prosecutors and defenders with their own custom files. Each team has their own responsibilities and will need to craft their argument well to win the judge & jury.

-Reinforce learning of claim, support, point of view and more!

- Students need to support their claims with facts from the movie. Perfect for an argumentative unit!

*Lesson has been adapted with extensive sentence stems and examples. Teacher made examples are also included. This is a scaled activity that all students can do without too much teacher intervention.

Check out these other resources!

• ELA Test Prep, Study Guide & Activities Bundle (new)
• All Things English For Middle & High School Students (best seller)
• Revising & Editing Workbook
• Revising & Editing for Group Lessons
• Bell Ringers for the Semester
• Everything Writing

Celebrate Women's History Month with our Reading Comprehension Passage on Katherine Johnson, the brilliant mathematician who played a pivotal role in NASA's early space missions.

This engaging passage details Johnson's life and accomplishments, including her groundbreaking work on the calculations for the first human spaceflight, and her efforts to help diversify NASA's workforce.

With comprehension questions and answers provided, this resource is perfect for educators looking to teach their students about the incredible contributions of women in STEM fields.

Feel free to let us know how we're doing in the Ratings & Comments section.

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WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE

• 5 Pages

• ( PDF + PNG + PPTX )

• 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

Keywords : Women's History Month, coloring sheets, printable, notable women, inspirational quotes, March, April, educational, creativity, celebration, historical figures, fun, family, friends, appreciation, contributions, society.

NOTE

• This is a digital item.

• No physical product or printed material will be shipped.

• No refunds as this is a digital product.