High School Close Reading Activities

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.

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

Product Description:
Looking for a rich, thought-provoking short story assignment that engages students in literary analysis and Indigenous perspectives? This detailed assignment on Thomas King's "Borders" invites students to explore deep themes like identity, colonial borders, sovereignty, power dynamics, and media influence, all through an accessible and age-appropriate narrative.

🌍 Why This Resource Works:
This resource breaks down key literary elements (point of view, symbolism, narrative structure, etc.) while encouraging students to connect text to real-world issues like immigration, Indigenous rights, and government-imposed identity labels. It’s a perfect tool for building critical literacy and social awareness in your English Language Arts or Indigenous Studies classroom.

🎯 What's Included:
✅ A breakdown of 6 major literary elements and their significance in "Borders"
✅ Analysis of key themes like resistance, power structures, and liminality
✅ Prompts for student reflection and discussion
✅ Opportunities to integrate Indigenous worldviews and contemporary social issues
✅ Ready-to-use for Grades 9–12

✨ Perfect For:

• Grade 9–12 English or Literature classes
• Indigenous Studies and FNMI curriculum links
• Truth and Reconciliation discussions
• Cross-curricular links with Social Studies or Civics

📌 Bonus:
This resource pairs perfectly with inquiry-based learning and culturally responsive teaching. It's ideal for teachers who want to go beyond surface-level comprehension and guide students into meaningful analysis of Indigenous voices in literature.

This Mini-Bundle includes four Reading Assignments and Worksheets from the Pre-Columbian Era through 1860:
* Native American Women Reading Assignment and Worksheet
* Colonial Women Reading Assignment and Worksheet
* Women of the American Revolution Reading Assignment and Worksheet
* Early Women's Rights Movement Reading Assignment and Worksheet

Each Reading Assignment and Worksheet is designed to take one class period or for students to complete on their own as independent study or to complete as homework. These close reading assignments will help students learn more about women's contributions in American society as well as the challenges that women faced during each of these eras.

Worksheets provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their reading. Worksheets are available as a printable or as a digital option through Easel.

Other American Women's History Series Reading Assignments and Worksheets are also available:
Women during the Civil War

Women during the Industrial Revolution
Women's Suffrage Movement: 1865-1920
Women during the Progressive Era
Women in the 1920s
Women during the Great Depression

Do you or your students like historical fiction? Consider a book called Hearts of 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 and I appreciate any reviews! Thank you, Christa Nonnemaker

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

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

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

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

♥ 10 reading passages

♥ answer sheets

♥ mission page

♥ directions

♥ teacher answer key

♥ conclusion

Options for use:

☻Independent Work

☻Pair Work

☻Sub plan

☻Stations

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

These student workbooks have everything you need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. With their colorful design and rigorous content, the workbooks are guaranteed to amplify student engagement and ensure that every class session is highly productive.

Moreover, every page in these workbooks is fully editable! You'll be able to customize the materials to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. Recover weeks of prep time while amplifying student engagement with these rigorous and colorful literature workbooks!

Best of all, every page of this workbook comes with a detailed answer key! The answer keys are brimming with interpretive insights from Shakespeare scholars who teach at universities like Harvard and Oxford. You'll have every student reading like a professor!

Here's what you'll find in this editable 100-page teaching resource:

• Pacing Guide: The pacing guide provides suggestions about which scenes to assign for homework so that students' nightly workload will be manageable while every class session will be maximally productive. The pacing guide also includes a sample homework posting which teachers can copy and paste into their school's learning management system. (2 pages)

• STUDENT WORKBOOKS on Julius Caesar: The 50-page workbook features highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:

• The Passage Analysis section invite students to analyze one or two key passages from each scene.
• The Evidence Hunt challenges students to answer an interpretive question by finding the best textual evidence to support their answer.
• The Comparing Quotations section invites students to make connections between quotations from different scenes in the play.
• The Discussion Question section features three higher-order questions designed to foster lively discussions and interpretive debates among students.
• The Quick Writes challenge students to compose short arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights!

The workbook is guaranteed to foster skills in close reading, thoughtful analysis, and lively discussion. It will have your students feeling genuinely excited to study Shakespeare every day! (50 pages)

• WORKBOOK ANSWER KEY: The 50-page answer key to the workbook provides detailed answers to the passage analysis, evidence hunt, and comparing quotations sections. The answer key is informed by the best books and articles written by leading Shakespeare scholars: Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), Coppélia Kahn (Brown), Gayle Greene (Scripps), R. A. Foakes (UCLA), Emma Smith (Oxford), Dieter Mehl (Bonn), and others. (50 pages)

These workbooks and answer keys will come to you in two separate formats: Word Docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize them to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access PDF versions — which are easy to navigate and quick to print.

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality resources on William Shakespeare. Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching Julius Caesar. If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I love hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature! 

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to “follow” my store to receive email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

Unlock the power of inferencing with this comprehensive resource pack tailored for middle and high school students. Dive into the world of critical thinking and analysis with 19 unique files, carefully curated to enhance inferencing skills across various mediums.

Delve into captivating texts with a selection of short stories and poems, including "The Chaser," "Rose from the Concrete," "Rolling in the Deep," and "Cry me a River." Each file comes with detailed summaries and thought-provoking questions to stimulate deep comprehension and inferencing abilities.

Equip your students with the tools they need to excel in inferencing with supplementary materials, such as checking account statements for real-world application and a list of words describing tone to aid in textual analysis.

Explore the intricacies of inferencing through engaging activities, including an Inferencing Lesson with 26 slides designed for both group instruction and individual practice. With meticulously crafted lessons, students will develop a keen eye for detail and learn to draw insightful conclusions from diverse sources.

Unleash the power of music, poetry, literature, and more as students analyze and infer meaning through a variety of mediums. Whether used for group lessons, individual practice, or assessments, this resource pack provides all the materials you need for rapid inferencing success.

Plus, with answer keys included for all activities, you can streamline your grading process and focus on what matters most: empowering your students to become master inferencers. Elevate your teaching and transform your classroom into a hub of critical thinking and discovery with this inferencing activity!

Ready to teach literary elements and concepts combined with historical fiction and social skills? This zip packet contains: Preview file with cover image 3 Readers theater-like scripts of 3-4 pages each 1 Readers' Script Getting Started Packet Readers' Script Critical Thinking handouts: Readers' Script Information Guideline for implementing activities Subject Theme Plot line Mood Tone Character analysis Text evidence Symbolism Genres 6 Project based assignments 2 Fact based, real life connection assignments Fabulous Vocabulary Handout with graphic organizer Differentiated vocabulary list 3 Readers' Scripts Stories: Readers’ Script Overview Script 1 Title: The Great Steamboat Race Genre: Historical Fiction Four Characters: Tom, Abby, Mr. Millborn, Mrs. Millborn Setting: Banks of Mississippi River No. of Acts: 1 (3 pages) Script Overview: Tom and Abby can’t wait for the Mississippi River steamboat race! Both are surprised when Tom’s former classmate is spotted working aboard one of the ships. However, Mr. and Mrs. Millborn are shocked to learn their son’s classmate dropped out of school to work on a river boat. Can two parents persuade their son to continue his education, or will an exciting life on the Mississippi River persuade him to join his classmate? Script 2 Title: The Frozen Fiancés Genre: Historical Fiction Four Characters: Narrator, Richard, Lydia, and Captain Setting: Ship’s Deck, December 22, 1850, Rockland Harbor, Maine No. of Acts: 3 (3 pages) Script Overview: Richard and Lydia are aboard a schooner on their way to Owl’s Head Lighthouse to be married when a winter storm delays them. Can the captain safely guide the ship across the harbor, or will their lives end in Rockland Harbor? This historical fiction script is based upon a true story that resulted in Owl’s Head Lighthouse being named the most famous haunted place in America. Script 3 Title: Terror Aboard the Titanic Genre: Historical Fiction Three Characters: Jane, John, Edward Setting: 1915 local newspaper office No. of Acts: 1 (4 pages) Script Overview: Jane and John, twin sister and brother, survived a horrifying night aboard the unsinkable Titanic. Now, the twins relive the story when Edward, a local reporter, interviews them for a fantastic scoop. But, is the journalist more interested in Jane or the Titanic tale? Historical facts about the Titanic and its fateful voyage make this historical fiction script an interesting read. These 3-4 page scripts are perfect for at-risk, ESL/ELL, homeschool, flipped classrooms, and even for AP. Great for classes with short time frames and students with short attention spans! Use for close readings and critical analysis. Perfect for standardized test prep for analyzing text and meaning. Social topics and historical fiction combined for quick lessons that reinforce reading and writing skills. Great for small group settings and literacy centers.

This Bundle contains 2 products for Hawthorne's story "The Birthmark": a question trail that is chock full of text analysis questions, and a Socratic Seminar that could be used as a final assessment. Check out each of the products above in further detail! Buying them together saves you $$!

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Spanish Short Readings

Lower Levels

and Higher Level

Bundle

Purchase this bundle and save more than 65%!

Please Note that many of the short stories are my original stories as I am a Children's book writer :)

⭐No-Prep Needed

⭐Substitute Friendly

Want to be the first to know about the latest resources and special promotions? Follow me on TeachShare HERE! Terms of Use THESPANGLISHMOM™️. By purchasing and/or downloading this electronic file, you agree to the following terms. For personal use/single classroom use only. No part of this document may be distributed, posted on the internet, copied, edited, or resold. ALL contents of this document are under copyright protection including all content, text, fonts, and graphics, Thank you for respecting my hard word as well as the hard work of the artists whose work helped create this product. FOLLOW MY STORE so that you can receive notifications of new products (up to 50% OFF) and sale. To purchase additional licenses select to purchased additional licenses at checkout or go to “my purchases”, select the item, and click “buy additional licenses”. Did you know there are TeachShare School Accounts? Tell your administrator and ask if your school will purchase this for your classroom.

Thank you, Ariana Perez-Urbina

©TheSpanglishMom

Dive into the rich heritage and traditions of the Chumash people with our comprehensive two-page nonfiction reading passage. This resource provides in-depth insights into various aspects of Native American life, perfect for research or close reading activities. Perfect for Indigenous People's Day!
Need a report template?? Look for our research booklet in the bundle

Key Features:
Land: Explore where the Chumash people lived.

Homes: Learn about the types of homes built by the Chumash people, showcasing their ingenuity and adaptation to different environments.

Clothing: Discover the unique clothing styles and materials used by the Chumash people.

Children: Gain insights into the lives of Chumash children, including their roles within the tribe.

Influential Chumash Leader: Delve into the lives and achievements of notable Chumash individuals who have made significant contributions to their community and history.

Two Differentiated Levels:
Elementary Level: Simplified language and engaging visuals to captivate young learners and foster a deeper understanding of Chumash culture.

Middle/High School Level: More detailed and complex information tailored for older students, encouraging critical thinking and deeper analysis.

**Why Choose This Product?
**Versatile Use: Ideal for classroom instruction, homework assignments, or independent study.

Educational Value: Provides a thorough and respectful portrayal of Chumash heritage, promoting cultural awareness and appreciation.

Enhance your students' knowledge and appreciation of Chumash history and culture with our expertly crafted information packet. Order now and enrich your curriculum with this essential educational tool!

This Figurative Language Short Passage BUNDLE includes four passages with 3 close reading and writing worksheets each - for a total of 12 high-quality worksheets! Answer Keys Included!

Figurative Language Short Passage Sets are a no-prep, printable close reading activity that's perfect for middle school and high school. Each passage has between 206-226 words and is filled with between 14-19 examples of figurative language, such as hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and personification. I’ve found that although my students can tell me the definition of these terms, simile is the only one they can truly pick out in a text. As a result, their writing is filled with overused similes that need work! These figurative language passage sets are rigorous, use higher-level words and phrases, and in addition to merely identifying the different types, students will be asked to discuss the impact it has on the reader, as they’re asked to do on standardized testing.

***Check out all my figurative language passage activities here!

Simply print and go! There is truly no preparation needed, which is why this set is perfect to leave for sub plans, bell ringers, homework, test prep, review or assessment!

*As an optional review activity, use my No-prep Four Corners Figurative Language Activity resource for a fun whole-group game, then use this passage set for assessment!

Activity:
Students can complete all three worksheets in each set as part of a packet, but I suggest using one each day. If you teach allusion, alliteration, idiom, or onomatopoeia, you can ask students to include those in Task 2 where they will be asked to continue the passage using a similar writing style. I have left some blanks on the checklist for this very purpose.

Reflection:
The class can review the answers and comments as a whole group when the activity is complete. You’ll be surprised how much better they’ll get at figurative language after being exposed to some high-quality examples!

WHAT'S INCLUDED...

12 Printable Worksheets

Each set includes...

► Task 1: Read and Highlight a Figurative Language Passage

► Task 2: Write a Similar Figurative Language Passage Using a Checklist

► Task 3: Figurative Language Analysis Graphic Organizer

⭐️ LOOKING FOR RELATABLE READING ACTIVITIES FOR TEENS?

Check out the Pop Culture ACTIVITY BUNDLE - your solution to no-stress lesson planning and easy print and go sub plans.

INCLUDES THESE HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS FOR TEENS...

⭐️ Crocs

⭐️ Netflix

⭐️ Takis

⭐️ Fortnite

⭐️ MrBeast

⭐️ Air Jordans

⭐️ TikTok

⭐️ OpenAI

6-Page Article & Activity Sets - Includes 8 Sets!

Each set includes...

► 1-page pop culture article

► Reading Comprehension - 7 multiple choice questions

► Critical Thinking - 5 short answer questions

► Crossword Puzzle

► Design Page

► Impossible MAZE

This Pop Culture Bundle for Middle School will make your students WANT to work and stay on task as they read about high-interest trending topics among teens. Also available for High School and Upper Elementary School.

Have a question?

Please check out the Q&A section or message me and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Don't forget to leave me feedback! I love to hear what my buyers say, how the product worked for them, and any feedback I can use to improve my product! (It also earns you points towards future TeachShare Purchases)

**For personal and single classroom use only. If using with multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses at the discounted rate.**

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The graphic novel, Frizzy - The Graphic Novel by Claribel A Ortega is great for children ages 9 - 15 years old, as they can relate with the main character, Marlene as she figures out who she is, what she likes, and who she wants to be. This is a book about friendship, developing interests, finding oneself, starting something new, being a good friend, being different from others and embracing those differences, standing up for oneself, and doing what is best for you. Comprehension questions, fill in the blank questions, and multiple choice questions are provided in this product and are separated by the books chapters.

The comprehension questions in this product relate with the text as well as students own experiences. Vocabulary words, their meanings, and a few example sentences are presented in the packet. As the book is being read aloud, as students are reading the book or after the book has been read, students can answer the comprehension questions in this packet. An answer key is provided for the comprehension questions.

If you like this product you may like these:

True Friend File Folder Activity:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/True-Friend-File-Folder-Activity-11022377

Friendship Role Playing Scenarios:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Friendship-Role-Playing-Scenario-Task-Cards-10869511

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes - Every Cloud has a Silver Lining Comprehension Questions

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Allergic Graphic Novel Comprehension Questions:

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Besties Work it Out - By Kayla Miller - Graphic Novel Comprehension Questions:

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Camp - By Kayla Miller - Graphic Novel Comprehension Questions:

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Act - By Kayla Miller - Graphic Novel Comprehension Questions:

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Real Friends Graphic Novel Comprehension Questions

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If you download this product, and found it useful, please leave me a positive review! :)

Introduce your students to the thrilling no prep Ancient Egyptian Scavenger Hunt! This engaging and interactive activity puts students in the shoes of a detective trying to find a long lost burial site of an unknown pharaoh who was said to have more riches than even King Tutankhamun.

Each student, or group of students, will receive 10 reading task cards related to Ancient Egypt, how the Egyptians modified their environment, how they used their local resources, the role of artifacts and archaeological features. The task is not only to read the cards but to solve 10 questions—the catch is that the answer to each question is found on a different card, encouraging students to read all the information thoroughly.

How It Works:

• Students will need to determine the code word for each card by answering the fill-in-the-blank questions.
• Once all the code words have been found, students must unscramble the letters from each code word to discover the final mystery word.
• In addition, they will collect clues to uncover a 4-digit code, which will help them successfully complete their journey.

Failing to unscramble the mystery word or crack the 4-digit code will result in the tomb remaining sealed forever, and the expedition will be lost to the sands of time. However, completing the mission means students will have made one of the greatest discoveries in history, uncovering the forgotten pharaoh’s solid gold burial site, filled with unimaginable riches, artifacts, and secrets of Ancient Egypt!

What Makes This Activity Perfect for Your Classroom:

• Engaging and Educational: Your students will be excited to play the role of an explorer while learning about Ancient Egypt and how the Egyptians used/modified their environment.
• Critical Thinking Skills: By having to cross-reference information from multiple task cards, students practice comprehension, critical thinking, and attention to detail.
• No-Prep Needed: Simply print the task cards and hand them out to your students! It’s ready to go with minimal prep.
• Flexible Usage: This scavenger hunt can be used independently, as a group activity, or even as a fast-finisher task. It works perfectly as a history lesson, or as a fun, educational activity!

Ideal for Different Learning Styles

Whether done individually or in groups, this scavenger hunt provides the perfect opportunity for students to collaborate and share ideas as they solve the puzzles. If students are working independently, it gives them a chance to practice self-paced learning while still engaging with the history of Ancient Egypt.

Perfect for History Lessons or Fun Themed Activities This activity fits seamlessly into your classroom’s history curriculum. It’s a perfect way to introduce and reinforce learning about Ancient Egypt.

This Ancient Egypt Scavenger Hunt is not only a fun, no-prep classroom activity, but it also ensures that students gain a deeper understanding of history while developing important reading and comprehension skills. Bring the excitement of the search for the Ancient Egyptian burial site into your classroom with this adventure-packed scavenger hunt.

Unraveling the Darkness: Explore Ed Gein's Case & Spark Conversations About Mental Health & Culture

Delve into the disturbing yet captivating true story of Ed Gein, the "Butcher of Plainfield," with this in-depth reading comprehension worksheet. This resource goes beyond the sensationalism, exploring Gein's troubled life, chilling crimes, the impact on victims and communities, and the lasting cultural influence on horror. It encourages critical thinking and discussions about mental health, societal factors, and responsible media portrayals.

Key Features:

• Engaging & Thought-Provoking: Combines historical facts with engaging questions, sparking discussions about complex and relevant issues.
• Multi-Faceted Exploration: Examines Gein's psychology, societal influences, investigation details, and cultural impact.
• Critical Thinking Tools: Multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions for deep analysis and interpretation.
• Primary Source Included: Newspaper clippings offer authentic perspectives from the time.
• Answer Key Included: Saves time and ensures accurate assessment.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop critical thinking skills by analyzing complex historical events.
• Explore the potential links between mental health, upbringing, and societal factors in extreme cases.
• Understand the impact of crime on victims, families, and communities.
• Analyze the ethical implications of true crime media and its cultural influence.
• Engage in thoughtful discussions and debates about important societal issues.

Recommended Common Core Standards:

• RI.9-10.1, 2, 3, 8: Analyze textual evidence, identify central ideas, and evaluate author choices.
• RI.9-10.9: Analyze seminal U.S. events of historical and literary significance.
• W.9-10.1, 2, 4: Write with clarity and purpose, citing evidence, and conducting research.
• SL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4: Participate in collaborative discussions, debates, and presentations.

Celebrate the start of the year with the short story The Clock of Second Chances. This resource combines reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and creative writing activities. Perfect for sub plans, lesson planning, guided reading and building comprehension and vocabulary skills!

What’s Included

**The Short Story:**A heartwarming tale of Leo, a young man given the chance to repair a broken friendship through the magic of a mysterious grandfather clock that rewinds time on New Year’s Eve.

**Vocabulary Awareness Activity: **A pre-reading vocabulary chart featuring key terms such as "peculiar," "reconciliation," and "sincere." Students assess their familiarity with each word, define them in their own words, and enhance their understanding of the story’s language.

**Comprehension Questions (with Answer Key): **Questions designed to encourage deep thinking and analysis, including:

• Symbolism and Theme Analysis
• Character Motivation and Growth
• Setting and Atmosphere
• Ethical Reflection and Personal Connection
• Creative Writing Prompts

**Answer Key for Teachers: **Detailed answers to all comprehension questions, facilitating discussions and streamlining grading.

Learning Objectives:

• Build and enhance vocabulary knowledge.
• Analyze characters, themes, and literary devices.
• Foster creative writing and reflective thinking.

Usage:

• Ideal for whole-class instruction, small groups, or independent reading assignments.
• Perfect for middle school ELA or upper elementary enrichment activities.
• Printable and classroom-ready for ease of use.

Start the New Year with a story that inspires, teaches, and engages!

Socratic Seminars (or "Fish Bowl" Conversations as I like to call them with my students) are fantastic, higher order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class text. These seminars rely on the power of inquiry and allow students to take the lead in their learning and discussion. The only problem? They require a great deal of preparation. Fortunately, with this resource, the work has been done for you!

This packet includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom surrounding the novel, Divergent, by Veronica Roth - NO PREPARATION NEEDED!

• Assignment Directions

• 5 Discussion Questions for each “Fish Bowl”

• “Fish Bowl” Preparation Sheet

• Observation Sheets

• Rubric

___________________________________________________________________________

Check out these great resources to supplement your unit on Divergent by Veronica Roth:

⭐ Divergent Unit Test

⭐ Divergent "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity

⭐ Divergent Fear Landscape Assignment

⭐ Divergent Faction Personality Quiz

⭐ Divergent Final Project - Long Lost Sixth Faction

⭐ Divergent Symbolism Lesson Plan: Tattoos of Divergent Characters

⭐ Divergent Mock Choosing Ceremony - Lesson Plans and Materials

⭐ Divergent Characters Word Search

⭐ Divergent Faction Acrostic Poem Assignment

⭐ Divergent Worksheet Bundle

___________________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

From Figurative Language to textual analysis, this 4-set, 100+-item TASK CARDS product allows students to break apart Martin Luther King, Jr's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." This product has black/white and colored versions; numbered and unnumbered versions. Students get to delve deeply into the literature. Their readings will come to life and their comprehension will soar. These 34-question items will make your English Language Arts class the place to be!

This Product Includes:

1. 34-numbered, colored question TASK CARDS

2. 34-numbered, black&white question TASK CARDS

3. 34-unnumbered, colored question TASK CARDS

4. 34-unnumbered, black&white question TASK CARDS

5. 14-item Suggested Uses page

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Hey guys,

I'm Richard Williams, The Angry Teacher. I've been teaching for 18+ Years , and have amassed quite a bit of knowledge to share. Please consider joining the Angry Teacher family; we'll enjoy having you in the fam!

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Help your students keep track of all the animals in Aimal Farm! Revolutionize your literature classroom with the interactive Google Slides, designed to engage middle and high school students in deeply exploring George Orwell's classic allegory. Print the pennants to display in your classroom as easy, quick visual reminders! This versatile and comprehensive resource empowers students to track character development, analyze critical quotes, and delve into the symbolic representation of animals in the story, all while fostering critical thinking and visual literacy skills.

Key Components:

1. Google Slides Character Tracking: Dive into the world of Animal Farm with the Google Slides activity. Students can track characters, collect relevant quotes, and identify the symbolic representations of each animal. This interactive platform encourages active engagement and deeper comprehension of the text.
2. Classroom Pennants Display: The printable pennants bring the characters of Animal Farm to life in your classroom. They serve as visual reminders of the characters and their evolving roles in the narrative. As the story progresses, students can add new characteristics to the pennants, creating a dynamic and interactive display.
3. Add Characteristics: Both options come with additional icons and images that students can add to their Google Slides, or the teacher can add to the pennants. These support learners as they follow the story and learn what happens to the animals.

Why Choose Our Animal Farm Character Tracking Resource?

• Engaging and Interactive Learning: Capture students' interest with interactive Google Slides activities that promote active participation and deeper engagement with the text.

• Visual Representation of Character Development: Foster visual literacy skills by allowing students to visually represent character traits and symbolic representations, enhancing their understanding of character development and symbolism in literature.

• Flexible: Adapt the resource to suit your classroom needs and teaching style, whether through virtual instruction or in-person displays.

• Comprehensive and Versatile: Address multiple learning objectives, including character analysis, textual evidence collection, and symbolic interpretation, in one comprehensive resource.

Unlock Real-World Skills with our School-Based Functional Texts! Elevate learning with 2 levels of engaging content, featuring field trip slips, science fair flyers, teacher emails, school newspaper updates, and class schedules. Empower students with practical comprehension in a classroom-tested package!

Through engaging reading exercises, students will interact with these practical texts and develop crucial comprehension skills. They'll explore each functional text and respond to targeted questions that assess their understanding.

Designed with differentiation in mind, this resource offers two distinct levels, ensuring that all students can benefit, learn, and succeed.

This resource is also available as part of a bundle saving you over 20%

Functional Texts - School Edition BUNDLE

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

• 5 school themed functional texts
• 2 levels (cut & paste + write in the answer)
• 24 worksheets with 150 questions
• Answer key

Level 1: Cut & Paste - Simpler Questions - Bolded Key Words

• 12 worksheets
• 65 questions (5 - 6 questions per page)
• Teacher answer key

Level 2: Write in the Answer - More Complex Questions - Some Multi-Part

• 12 worksheets
• 85 questions (6 - 8 questions per page)
• Teacher answer key

TOTAL:

⭐ 5 DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL TEXTS

⭐ 24 WORKSHEETS WITH 150 QUESTIONS

TEXTS INCLUDED:

• Field Trip Notice/ Permission Slip
• Science Fair Flyer
• Teacher Email
• School Newspaper Flyer
• Student Academic Schedule

OTHER SCHOOL THEMED RESOURCES:

Product Label Comprehension - Back to School Edition

Dollar Up Shopping Worksheets - Back to School Store

Back to School Shopping Task Cards

Back to School Coloring Pages

Back to School Advertisements

September Life Skills Morning Work - Paper