8th Grade Reading Lesson (by date, latest first)

While The Great Gatsby provides an in-depth portrayal of American culture during the Roaring Twenties, its storyline mirrors one told many times before, potentially as old as the country itself: a man rises from destitution to wealth, only to find that his fortune does not afford him the privileges enjoyed by those born into their elite status.

The central character is Jay Gatsby, a wealthy New Yorker whose occupation is vague. Gatsby is primarily known for the lavish parties he throws each weekend at his opulent Gothic mansion in West Egg. He is thought to be linked to illegal bootlegging and several criminal activities. The storyteller, Nick Carraway, resides next to Gatsby in West Egg.

This lesson plan for The Great Gatsby is designed to last approximately 90 minutes. The student activities vary and are presented in a separate worksheet. In the end, the answer key for the assignments is given separately at the end of the lesson plan.

Love in its many forms is the most important theme in *A Midsummer Night’s Dream. *The romantic encounters and subsequent confusions are the greatest cause of conflict in the play.

The play gives us variations on the theme of love – idyllic young love in the case of Hermia and Lysander; passionate and possessive love between Titania and Oberon; love lost and found again as with Helena and Demetrius; love as conquest as in the case of Theseus and Hippolyta. Shakespeare makes a point of infusing A Midsummer Night’s Dream with more than just a two-dimensional notion of romantic love – he shows us the darker side where we see love’s inconstancy, its violence, its possessiveness, and its illusory nature.

This lesson plan is designed specifically for Shakespeare's classic comedy. It lasts approximately 90 minutes (depending on the class size) and has activities for all types of learners. The photocopiable student sheet with the activities is included, as well as a separate sheet with the answers.

Twelfth Night incorporates many classic elements of comedic theater. At the core of its structure lies a network of complex romantic liaisons (Orsino loves Olivia, Olivia is smitten with Cesario and later Sebastian, Viola has feelings for Orsino, while Sir Andrew and Malvolio are attracted to Olivia); disguise (the plot centers around Viola disguising herself as a male servant to survive after being shipwrecked in Illyria); mistaken identities (Viola and Sebastian are twins so alike that nobody can tell them apart); trickery and mischief; a rich offering of song and dance; the satire of hypocrisy, excess, and arrogance; a fleeting period of chaos and confusion; concluding with a resolution where all misunderstandings are resolved and three marriages take place.

This ebook features an extensive lesson plan focused on 'Twelfth Night' and includes multiple activities intended to last at least 90 minutes. A unique printable worksheet for learners is included, along with the answer guide.

Guided Reading is a research-based instruction process whereby the teacher works with small grouping of students being equal in a particular reading achievement level. The teacher provides for each reader's development of effective reading competencies. However different than in the earlier days of reading groups, small and temporary groups are flexible and dynamic. The observance and evaluation of the progress of readers are done by teachers on a systematic basis. Thus, grouping and regrouping students is based on the strengths of students and the intense changing needs throughout their reading development.

In the 1960s in New Zealand, Guided Reading was developed. It was enhanced over the years after it arrived in the United States thanks to educators like Gay Su Pinnell and Lesley Fountas. In 1996, Fountas & Pinnell published their enormously influential book, Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (Heinemann). This book changed how reading was taught, and it is still taught today to over a million teachers worldwide. The aim of Guided Reading lessons is to develop effective readers.

A set of 13 books is bundled together with all 13 worksheets of the Guided Reading series for grades KG-12. There are lesson plans and different activities for every grade, with the answers in the end section of the worksheet.

During their final year of middle school, 8th graders engage in preparing for high school by refining and enhancing skills acquired in previous middle school years, while also acquiring new (and frequently more challenging) abilities.

In numerous ways, 8th grade serves as a transitional year since students are anticipated to have mastered middle school skills and start evolving into “high-schoolers.” In particular, 8th graders are anticipated to be self-sufficient thinkers and doers, evaluating and articulating what they understand in both their written and spoken communication.

In the 8th grade, students further develop various skills acquired in previous grades, particularly focusing on aspects such as text evidence, language, and comparisons across different genres of text. Nonetheless, 8th graders deepen their text analyses by exploring the details and writing structures while evaluating how these aspects influence the text.

This ebook contains an in-depth guided reading lesson plan complete with activities, which takes around 90 minutes to complete. Proposed responses are also included.

Are you looking for a way to truly engage your students while fostering empathy, understanding, and critical thinking?

This Wonder Novel Study is more than just worksheets; it was created by someone who intimately understands what it’s like to live with a facial difference and raise children with similar experiences.

This novel study for Wonder by R.J. Palacio includes printable and digital versions.

There are over 100 pages of student work, plus answer keys! This novel study covers all 8 sections of the novel, and it also includes a Google Slides option for some of the novel study assignments.

INCLUDES:

Overview

Background info about the author

Learning about Facial Differences

Analyzing the Plot

Character Maps for main characters

Social media activity- create a social media profile for the main characters

Figurative Language

Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt

Book vs Movie Activities

Venn Diagram - Book vs. movie

Reflection Questions

Point of View Activity

Textual evidence prompts

Textual evidence exercise

Vocabulary from the Book: Parts 1-8

Printable vocabulary flashcards

Vocabulary activity for each section with answer keys when applicable

Vocabulary Bingo game with words from all sections which comes as a separate file from the novel study.

Comprehension questions for parts 1-8 with answer keys

Empathy and Kindness project and activity options

Design your own Choose Kindness T-shirt

Art and music connection activity option

Facial differences discussion questions

Journal prompts

Acrostic poem template

Precept poster activity

ALIGNS WITH COMMON CORE:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4 RL.5.7: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.5 RL.6.7 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.6 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 RL.8.7

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

3 files:

112 Printable PDF Pages of the Wonder Novel Study

28 Printable PDF -Wonder Vocabulary Bingo Game- covers vocab from all 8 sections

PDF with link to access the Google Slides - 32 pages

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

This is a digital download. You will not receive anything in the mail.

Please use a computer to download and not your phone.

This file is for personal use only and may not be reproduced or sold commercially.

I don't accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations. But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.

Thank you! :)

-Jennifer

Copyright  © 2024 ArnoldWellnessDesign

This is a novel study of Gary Paulsen's Brian’s Winter (The sequel to Hatchet). In this product, there are completed lesson plans (and a blank one if you need to write your own), a slideshow that includes everything for each chapter (introduction, review of content, copy of the doodle notes, copy of the end of chapter activity/discussion outline, and the closure question), the Doodle Notes outline for each chapter, and the End of Chapter/Discussion activities. This novel study is for 4th-grade to 7th-grade students.

****I would recommend reading Hatchet before Brian's Winter. Since it is a sequel, having the prior knowledge would help a lot. I also have a novel study to go along with Hatchet!**

Completed Lesson Plans

Each chapter comes with a completed lesson plan! The lesson plans include an I can statement (Chapter Goal), the materials needed, what students will be doing as a preview to the chapter, what they will be doing during the read, the activity after the chapter, some differentiation ideas, the assessment, and a closure. There is a spot for standards, but I did not include one because of different state standards. They are also all editable! It was made using Google Slides, so if you open the file in Google Slides or PowerPoint you can edit each lesson plan to fit your class's needs!

Doodle Notes and End of Chapter/Discussion Activities

Each chapter comes with doodle notes and an End of Chapter/Discussion Activity. Doodle notes are notes students take that involve more drawing than writing. Students will have a prompt to help them know what to focus on while listening/reading the chapter and what to take notes on. The activities focus on multiple different skills, Central Idea, Supporting Details, Problem/Solution, Cause/Effect, Summaries, Story Elements, Inferences, and more. There are also 5 discussion activities where students will need to work in groups discussing a prompt about the chapter.

Slideshow

To go along with the book, there is a Slideshow that includes an outline for each chapter! It includes what is written in the lesson plans. So there are introduction slides for each chapter, a copy of the doodle notes and chapter activities, and a slide for the closure. The slides are also editable! So if you would like to add/adapt anything to fit your class/lesson better, just open the file in Google Slides or PowerPoint. ***There is a slide, that you will need to edit. It is the “Discussion Expectations” slide. This is because each class will have different expectations for discussions.***

I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at ateacherssidekick@gmail.com

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.

Comprehensive Dahl Exploration: This bundle combines three of Roald Dahl’s most compelling stories, each presented in a detailed ELA unit designed to engage middle school students. Perfect for an author’s study, this bundle allows students to analyze Dahl’s unique narrative style and recurring themes across different works. From the mysterious escalations in "Way Up to Heaven" to the unsettling undertones of "The Landlady" and the darkly comic "Lamb to the Slaughter," students will appreciate Dahl’s mastery in crafting suspense and surprise. This bundle is an excellent resource for end-of-year activities, sub plans, or a focused thematic unit on one of literature’s most intriguing authors.

1. Way Up to Heaven ELA Unit

Description: Explore the suspenseful realms of Roald Dahl’s "Way Up to Heaven" with this detailed ELA unit. This package includes engaging slides for easy teaching, a structured Socratic seminar to foster deep discussion, comprehensive lesson plans for effective learning, and versatile choice board activities to cater to diverse learning preferences. Students will delve into thematic analysis, character study, and the craft of writing through guided essays and creative projects.

2. The Landlady ELA Unit

Description: Dive deep into the chilling story of "The Landlady" with this complete ELA unit. It features dynamic slides that enrich the narrative experience, a Socratic seminar to enhance critical thinking, and a choice board that offers creative and analytical options like comic strips and alternate endings. Additional essays and activities, including a film comparison using a Venn diagram, make this unit perfect for a comprehensive study of narrative techniques and thematic development.

3. Lamb to the Slaughter ELA Unit

Description: Unpack the intrigue of Roald Dahl’s "Lamb to the Slaughter" in this all-inclusive ELA unit. This resource provides detailed slides for seamless instruction, engaging seminar guidelines to discuss the complexities of the plot, and a range of activities including a choice board for student-driven projects. The unit also includes tailored essay prompts and additional activities that encourage a deeper understanding of the story’s themes and Dahl’s distinctive writing style.

Bonus:

Includes in-depth character analysis across three stories and synthesizing essay prompt with graphic organizers!

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.

Searching for a lesson that’s legendary? Your students will be dying to dive into this spine-chilling exploration of urban legends! Perfect for grades 6-8, this highly engaging resource takes your students through the mysterious world of urban myths like the New Jersey Devil, Mothman, and more. Whether they believe the legends or not, they’ll get hooked on analyzing the creepy details, all while meeting CCSS standards.

This Urban Legends Resource Includes: Elements of Urban Legends – A detailed mini-lesson exploring the key features of urban legends: mysterious creatures, storytelling traditions, fear of the unknown, and cultural connections.

New Jersey Devil Informational Text – A captivating article about one of America’s most infamous urban legends.
Creature Profile Worksheet – Students will use evidence from the text to create their own legendary creature profile.
Horror Story Starter – A thrilling writing prompt to inspire students to create their own creepy tales, encouraging creativity and critical thinking.

Why You'll Love It:

• High Engagement: Who doesn’t love a good mystery? This resource hooks even the most reluctant readers with thrilling legends.
• Standards Aligned: Aligned with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.5, and W.6.2. Your students will analyze, infer, and explain using textual evidence!
• Perfect for Critical Thinking: Students will compare legends, use logical reasoning to debunk myths, and cite textual evidence.
• Versatile Usage: Ideal for whole group lessons, independent work, or spooky-themed projects!

Suggested Uses:

• Reading & Comprehension: Use the articles to teach informational text standards, build inference skills, and analyze author’s purpose.
• Creative Writing: Turn your classroom into a ghost story-writing workshop!
• Discussion & Debate: Let students debate whether the legends are fact or fiction while citing their sources.
• Socratic Seminars: Engage your class in thoughtful, standard-aligned discussions about the purpose of urban legends.

Checklist of Benefits: ✅ Highly engaging urban legend topics
✅ Perfect for spooky-themed lessons
✅ Standards-aligned (CCSS)
✅ Supports critical thinking and analysis
✅ Includes a writing prompt for creativity
✅ Flexible for a range of classroom activities
✅ Perfect for 6-8 grade classrooms

Don’t be left in the dark—grab this unbelievably good resource today and make your lessons legendary!

Looking to transport your students to other worlds while teaching core literary elements? This Science Fiction Elements Lesson Plan is out of this world! Packed with engaging guided notes, multimedia activities, and text-based analysis, this resource is perfect for teaching the key components of science fiction.

Whether you're exploring futuristic technology, time travel, or alien encounters, this lesson will help your students boldly go where they've never gone before in their understanding of science fiction.

What's Inside?

✅ Detailed Slides breaking down the elements of science fiction:

• Futuristic Technology
• Space Exploration
• Time Travel
• Alien Life
• Parallel Universes

✅ Guided Notes to help students follow along and actively participate in the lesson.

✅ Multimedia Analysis: Includes practice with the Avengers: Endgame trailer to identify sci-fi elements in a fun and interactive way.

✅ Text-Based Practice: Excerpts from A Wrinkle in Time, Ender's Game, The Last Human, and The Wild Robot for in-depth analysis.

Suggested Uses:

Introduction to Science Fiction: Kick off your sci-fi unit with an engaging overview of the genre.
Genre Review: Perfect for reinforcing science fiction concepts and elements.
Cross-Subject Application: Use the multimedia elements to blend ELA with film analysis.

Benefits:

• Student Engagement: Combines multimedia, guided notes, and engaging excerpts to keep students focused and excited.
• Critical Thinking: Challenges students to think deeply about the core elements of science fiction and how they influence stories.
• Versatility: Can be used in ELA classes or as a cross-curricular lesson to explore both literature and film.
• Easy to Implement: Ready-to-use slides, notes, and assessments save you time and prep work.

Prepare your students for intergalactic learning adventures with this comprehensive science fiction lesson plan that will have them mastering literary elements faster than light speed!

Looking to haunt your students' imaginations and get them excited about suspenseful storytelling? This Elements of Suspense lesson is a bone-chilling introduction or review of key suspense techniques that will leave your students on the edge of their seats! Perfect for humanities teachers, this resource brings thrills, chills, and academic skills to the classroom just in time for the fall and Halloween season.

Designed for grades 6-8, this engaging lesson breaks down the five essential elements of suspense—Pacing, Foreshadowing, Uncertainty, Danger, and Red Herrings—with fun, easy-to-understand examples, guided notes, and opportunities for practice using classic literature and media. Whether you're introducing these concepts for the first time or reinforcing them for deeper understanding, this lesson is sure to give your students a frighteningly good grasp of suspense in literature.

What's Included:

• Detailed lesson slides breaking down each element of suspense
• Fill-in-the-blank guided notes to keep students engaged
• Interactive practice with both the Tell-Tale Heart and a suspenseful twist on a popular movie trailer (ELF turned spooky!)
• Step-by-step guidance for identifying suspense in texts and media

Why You'll Love This Resource:

✔️ Engaging, spooky themes that make learning fun and memorable
✔️ Perfect for fall/Halloween, adding an eerie twist to your classroom
✔️ Adaptable for grades 6-9, ensuring a wide range of students benefit
✔️ Easy-to-use format for quick prep and effective teaching
✔️ Great for introduction or review, fitting seamlessly into any unit on suspense, literature, or storytelling

Transform your classroom into a realm of suspense and surprises this fall with this high-quality, student-centered resource. It’s a fang-tastic way to teach the art of suspense while keeping your students engaged in their learning. Don't miss out on this spine-tingling lesson just in time for Halloween!

Perfect for:

• Humanities & ELA teachers
• Fall and Halloween lesson planning
• Review or introduction of suspense techniques in literature

Let the spooky season creep into your classroom with this thrilling lesson on suspense!

Ready to dig into a legendary lesson? Your students will howl with excitement as they explore the spine-tingling tale of the Rougarou, a famous Cajun folklore creature! Perfect for grades 6-8, this highly engaging resource leads your students through the eerie swamps of Louisiana to discover the legend of the Rougarou. Whether they believe it or not, they’ll be hooked on analyzing the mysterious details, all while meeting CCSS standards.

This Rougarou Urban Legends Resource Includes: Elements of Urban Legends – A detailed mini-lesson exploring the key features of urban legends: mysterious creatures, storytelling traditions, fear of the unknown, and cultural connections.
Rougarou Informational Text – A fascinating article about the legendary werewolf-like creature from Cajun folklore.
Creature Profile Worksheet – Students will use evidence from the text to create their own legendary creature profile.
Horror Story Starter – A thrilling writing prompt to inspire students to craft their own creepy tales, encouraging creativity and critical thinking.

Why You'll Love It:

• High Engagement: Who can resist a good swampy mystery? This resource captivates even the most reluctant readers with thrilling folklore.
• Standards Aligned: Aligned with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.5, and W.6.2. Your students will analyze, infer, and explain using textual evidence!
• Perfect for Critical Thinking: Students will compare legends, use logical reasoning to explore myths, and cite evidence from the text.
• Versatile Usage: Ideal for whole group lessons, independent work, or spooky-themed projects!

Suggested Uses:

• Reading & Comprehension: Use the article to teach informational text standards, build inference skills, and analyze the author’s purpose.
• Creative Writing: Turn your classroom into a spooky story-writing workshop!
• Discussion & Debate: Let students debate whether the Rougarou is fact or fiction while citing their sources.
• Socratic Seminars: Engage your class in thoughtful, standards-aligned discussions about the purpose of urban legends.

Checklist of Benefits: ✅ Highly engaging legend of the Rougarou
✅ Perfect for spooky-themed lessons
✅ Standards-aligned (CCSS)
✅ Supports critical thinking and analysis
✅ Includes a writing prompt for creativity
✅ Flexible for a range of classroom activities
✅ Perfect for 6-8 grade classrooms

Don’t be left howling in the dark—grab this unbelievably good resource today and make your lessons legendary!

Is your classroom ready to dive into the dark, twisted futures of dystopian worlds? This Elements of Dystopia lesson plan is a totalitarian teaching tool that will captivate your middle school students while helping them identify and analyze key features of dystopian literature. Whether you're introducing this thought-provoking genre for the first time or reviewing it as part of a unit, this resource is your survival guide to dystopian education!

This Lesson is “Utopia” for Teachers Because:

✔️ Perfect for the fall and Halloween season, bringing an eerie edge to your ELA or humanities class.
✔️ Multi-media magic with guided notes, engaging discussions, a dystopian movie trailer (The Hunger Games), and short story (Examination Day) activities.
✔️ Makes teaching complex concepts like government control, surveillance, and rebellion easy to understand!

What’s Inside:

• Detailed lesson slides on the key elements of dystopia: Government Control, Surveillance, Lack of Individual Freedom, Dehumanization, Resistance/Rebellion, and Environmental Disaster/Scarcity.
• Fill-in-the-blank guided notes to engage students as they explore dystopian features in both The Hunger Games trailer and the short story Examination Day.
• Practice activities to identify dystopian themes in multimedia (film and literature).
• Creative writing and analysis opportunities to deepen understanding of the genre.

Use This Resource To:

• Introduce or review dystopian literature with your students.
• Engage learners with multi-modal content (video, text, and discussion).
• Teach during the spooky fall season for maximum engagement with dystopian fears.
• Reinforce essential reading comprehension and critical thinking skills as students analyze dystopian societies.

What You’ll Love:

• The guided practice with The Hunger Games trailer hooks students right from the start!
• Independent analysis of Examination Day lets students practice identifying dystopian elements on their own.
• Eerie, thematic puns and a structured approach make this lesson perfect for dystopian fans and curious minds alike.

Take your students to a world where nothing is as it seems—except the high-quality teaching materials you can rely on. This resource is your key to unlocking the chilling, totalitarian thrill of dystopian literature in your classroom!

Uncover the excitement of mystery writing with this engaging, print-and-go lesson plan!

Designed to introduce middle school students (grades 5-8) to the elements of the mystery genre, this comprehensive, 60-minute lesson plan is perfect for kicking off a new unit. With a focus on deduction, clue-finding, and critical thinking, students will explore the foundations of mystery stories in a fun and interactive way!

What’s Included:

• Guided Notes: Fill-in-the-blank format for easy comprehension and engagement as students learn the essential elements of a mystery.
• Teacher Slides: Ready-to-use slides that cover key elements such as crime, suspects, clues, red herrings, and more. Perfect for both in-person and virtual teaching!
• One-Page Mystery Story: "The Case of the Missing Trophy" is an original, age-appropriate mystery that encourages students to apply the elements they’ve learned to solve the case.
• Answer Keys: Complete with answers for the guided notes and mystery-solving tasks, making grading and discussion a breeze.
• Movie Trailer Activity: Includes a fun activity where students watch the Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase trailer and identify mystery elements.

Key Features:

• Print & Go: All materials are ready to use, requiring no prep time!
• Interactive & Engaging: Combines visual learning through slides, critical thinking with guided notes, and hands-on problem-solving with a mystery story.
• Assessment Included: Students are tasked with identifying the elements of a mystery using the provided story, with clear rubrics and answer keys.
• Flexible for Classroom Use: Adaptable for a wide range of students in grades 5-8, perfect for both in-person and remote learning.
• Builds Critical Thinking Skills: Encourages students to analyze evidence, question suspects, and solve a puzzle, preparing them for deeper reading comprehension.

Perfect For:

• Teachers introducing a new mystery unit.
• ELA classrooms looking for a fun and structured one-day lesson.
• Educators seeking an engaging, low-prep way to teach genre elements and get students excited about mystery stories.

Grab this engaging introduction to the mystery genre today, and watch your students become master detectives!

Challenge your students with a deep exploration of figurative language with this complete, standards-aligned lesson plan centered on Langston Hughes’ classic poems Dreams and Harlem. Perfect for grades 6-8, this 60-minute lesson introduces and reinforces figurative language skills with a variety of Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels, from identification to detailed analysis. Through engaging activities, guided notes, fill-in-the-blank practice, and insightful discussions, students will strengthen their understanding of metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, repetition, and more!

What's Included:

• Do Now Prompt: Connect students personally to the theme of dreams and aspirations.
• Guided Notes & Slides: Fill-in-the-blank notes and a comprehensive slide deck introduce and review key figurative language concepts.
• Figurative Language Practice Handout: Allows students to identify and categorize figurative language independently or in pairs.
• Detailed Analysis of Dreams and Harlem: Thought-provoking questions and guided analysis help students apply figurative language skills in context, from interpreting similes and metaphors to discussing theme.
• Reflection and Discussion: Encourages students to connect poetic themes to real life and deepen their understanding of how figurative language enhances literature.

Why Teachers Love It: This resource provides a complete and flexible plan that fits seamlessly into any poetry or figurative language unit, with resources to support all stages of learning—from foundational identification to advanced interpretation. It’s ideal for introducing figurative language or deepening students’ analysis skills, making it a versatile addition to any ELA classroom.

Key Features:

• Differentiated Levels of Analysis: Activities move from DOK Level 1 (identifying figurative language) to DOK Levels 3-4 (interpreting meaning and thematic connections).
• Engagement-Boosting Content: Uses two of Hughes’ most powerful poems to explore big ideas about dreams, aspirations, and consequences, making learning relevant and impactful.
• Aligned with Language Standards: Perfect for reinforcing figurative language standards through high-interest texts.

Boost your students' confidence with figurative language and inspire thoughtful conversations with this enriching lesson plan! Download today to elevate your poetry and figurative language instruction with this ready-to-use, engaging resource!

Are you looking for a way to truly engage your students while fostering empathy, understanding, and critical thinking?

This Wonder Novel Study is more than just worksheets; it was created by someone who intimately understands what it’s like to live with a facial difference and raise children with similar experiences.

This novel study for Wonder by R.J. Palacio includes printable and digital versions.

There are over 100 pages of student work, plus answer keys! This novel study covers all 8 sections of the novel, and it also includes a Google Slides option for some of the novel study assignments.

INCLUDES:

Overview

Background info about the author

Learning about Facial Differences

Analyzing the Plot

Character Maps for main characters

Social media activity- create a social media profile for the main characters

Figurative Language

Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt

Book vs Movie Activities

Venn Diagram - Book vs. movie

Reflection Questions

Point of View Activity

Textual evidence prompts

Textual evidence exercise

Vocabulary from the Book: Parts 1-8

Printable vocabulary flashcards

Vocabulary activity for each section with answer keys when applicable

Vocabulary Bingo game with words from all sections which comes as a separate file from the novel study.

Comprehension questions for parts 1-8 with answer keys

Empathy and Kindness project and activity options

Design your own Choose Kindness T-shirt

Art and music connection activity option

Facial differences discussion questions

Journal prompts

Acrostic poem template

Precept poster activity

ALIGNS WITH COMMON CORE:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4 RL.5.7: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.5 RL.6.7 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.6 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 RL.8.7

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

3 files:

112 Printable PDF Pages of the Wonder Novel Study

28 Printable PDF -Wonder Vocabulary Bingo Game- covers vocab from all 8 sections

PDF with link to access the Google Slides - 32 pages

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

This is a digital download. You will not receive anything in the mail.

Please use a computer to download and not your phone.

This file is for personal use only and may not be reproduced or sold commercially.

I don't accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations. But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.

Thank you! :)

-Jennifer

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