$10 - $20 Middle School Literature Lesson (by date, oldest first)

This 135-page EDITABLE curriculum has everything you'll need for profoundly stimulating lessons on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese! Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The pre-reading handout, discussion questions, image analysis worksheets, vocabulary lists, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

The graphic novel is an aesthetically innovative genre in which meaning is created through the interplay of image and text. How do we read a novel in which two narrative channels — one verbal, the other visual — interact? And how do graphic novels challenge readers to expand the set of interpretive techniques that make up “close reading”? This unit will help students understand complex questions about literary and aesthetic form, the experience of social exclusion, and the troubling history of racial stereotypes in American popular media.

Here are some highlights from the 135-page curriculum:

• Author Biography: Open this unit by reading and discussing a 3-page biography of Gene Luen Yang. The biography introduces students to Yang's experience growing up as one of the only Asian-American students in predominantly white schools in California. As such, it introduces readers to many of the themes that will emerge in American Born Chinese: the painful experience of social exclusion, the threat of racial stereotypes, the healing power of literature, etc. (3 pages)

• Discussion Question Handouts (x9): Thirty pages of higher-order discussion questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with 8-10 questions for each of the book's 9 chapters. The discussion questions are the beating heart of these lesson plans. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights! Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster profound discussions! (20 pages)

• Discussion Question Answer Keys (x9): The answer keys to the discussion questions are informed by cutting-edge scholarship by literature professors who specialize in the graphic novel and Yang's American Born Chinese. Of course, there is rarely a single "correct" answer for any question; rather, the discussions questions are made up of higher-order questions designed to foster lively exchanges and interpretive debates among students. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence. (40 pages)

• Quick Writes: A "quick write" can be used at any time in a class to get students to pause and reflect on the text in writing. Introduce a quick write before you begin a discussion to allow students to collect their thoughts. Or roll one out toward the end of a discussion to let students capture and refine their best ideas. (9 pages)

• Image Analysis Worksheets (x5): These worksheets challenge students to analyze and compare more than a dozen visually complex panels from American Born Chinese. Students will reflect on how Gene Luen Yang builds meaning by through the use of aesthetic strategies such as visual parallels, verbal puns, inversions, symbolism, etc. Help students figure out what it means to "close read" a graphic novel. Worksheets are provided for chapters 1, 2, 4, 8, and 9. Answer keys included. (18 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists (x9): Lists of 8 vocabulary words for every chapter, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as they are used in American Born Chinese. A total of 72 words. (9 pages)

• Reading & Vocabulary Quizzes (x9): Daily quizzes with 6 questions on the reading homework plus another 4 questions on the vocabulary words. If you choose not to have your students study vocabulary, you can still use the portion of the quiz focused on reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 9 grades into your gradebook. Answer keys included. (18 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Gene Luen Yang's complex graphic novel. Let students choose from one of three thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a similar topic of their own. Writing schedule, outline template, and rubric included. (7 pages)

This resource packet 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 the materials to suit your teaching style and/or your students' skill levels — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials in PDFs, which are easy to navigate and quick to print!

Finally, because I believe that teachers should be able to see what they're getting before they make a purchase, the preview for this resource provides access to over 30 pages from this 135-page bundle. Click on the green “preview” button to see exactly what you’ll get....

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

NEW IN 2020: Rigorous! Thought-provoking! Discussion-based! This 80-page EDITABLE unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. Invite your students to engage in student-driven discussions that promise to be profoundly stimulating! The discussion prompts, daily quizzes, short writing prompts, and final paper will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocabulary and reading quiz. Facilitate dynamic discussions that motivate students to become attached to the thrill generating shared knowledge. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: formalist, historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, etc. Inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight!!

Everything you’ll need to teach the novel is included in this bundle. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Unit & Pacing Guide: Suggestions for how to approach the complex themes and deceptively simple language in Kincaid's Annie John.

• Discussion Questions: Sixteen pages of deeply thought-provoking discussion questions! One 2-page handout containing 6-10 questions for each of 8 chapters. The discussion questions are the beating heart of this curriculum. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions could be used to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, to foster in-class writing such as stop-and-jots, or to assign written reflections for homework. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster profound discussions!! (16 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 10-12 vocabulary words for every chapter, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as used in Annie John. A total of close to 100 words. (8 pages)

• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes: Quizzes with 10 questions per chapter. Build students’ vocabularies while holding them accountable for the nightly reading homework. Each quiz contains 7 questions on vocabulary words plus another 3 questions on reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 8 grades in your gradebook. Answer key included. (16 pages)

• Narrative Writing Assignment: A narrative writing assignment that could be given after students finish reading Chapter 3. This assignment is inspired by the "autobiographical essay" that Annie shares with her classmates. (1 page)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to find connections between quotations excerpted from different parts of Annie John. Then invite students to use those quotations as the basis for building an interpretive argument that is supported by textual evidence. Builds skills in close reading and analytical writing! Student writing sample included. (3 pages)

• Creative Writing Assignment: Invite students to think about the messages they have received about what it means to be a "man" or a "woman." Then, following the example in Kincaid's short story "Girl," have students write a short story about how they have navigated the normative pressures associated with gender. Student writing sample included. (2 pages)

• Short Story Pairings: Read and discuss two short stories that examine how and why young children are socialized into normative gender roles: Kincaid's "Girl" & Bret Anthony Johnston's "Boy." This bundle includes transcriptions of both stories as well as a page of thought-provoking discussion questions on Kincaid's "Girl." (3 pages)

• Poetry Pairing: Wrap things up with the poem that Jamaica Kincaid says "taught me how to write." This poem by Elizabeth Bishop engages with many of the same coming-of-age themes explored in Kincaid's Annie John. The poetry pairing includes discussion questions, answer keys, and a quiz on poetic devices. (10 pages)

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the materials prioritize rigorous content over decorative graphics. Yes, these lessons are filled with dozens of captivating images — maps and photographs of Antigua, paintings of historical events alluded to in the novel, portraits of the author — that shed light on various scenes from Kincaid's novel. But what really distinguishes this curriculum is how the discussion starters, close-reading exercises, and writing prompts are all designed to help student arrive at an abundance of interpretive insights!! . .

These materials will come to you in a single 80-page EDITABLE Word document. Feel free to modify the lessons to suit your teaching style and/or the needs of particular students. The previews for my resources provide direct access to over a dozen pages of actual materials. Click on the green “preview” button to see what you’ll get. .

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

UPDATED FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR: Finally, a poetry unit designed for high-school English that teenagers genuinely love!! Your students' skills in close reading and literary analysis of poems will skyrocket....

The 3-week unit features 60+ canonical poems written by a diverse spectrum of English-speaking poets. The poems and accompanying lesson plans are organized into 12 thematic packets which can be used in sequence over two weeks. That's over 200 pages worth of editable poetry resources!

This unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The discussion questions, quick writes, literary device quizzes, and analytical writing assignments will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this editable 200-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems (5-6 Poems per Packet): The 12 homework packets contain a total of 71 poems by a diverse range of award-winning poets such as William Shakespeare, John Keats, Christina Rossetti, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Robert Hayden, Theodore Roethke, Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Mary Oliver, Gary Soto, Li-Young Lee, Ada Limón, Elizabeth Acevedo, and others. The poems are collected into ten reading packets that focus on prominent literary devices and themes: 1) poems using sensory imagery, 2) poems using figurative language, 3) love poems, 4) poems on ethical dilemmas, 5) poems on complex parent-child dynamics, and 6) poems on cultural identity. Because teenagers have a lot to say about these themes, the poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (75 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: A total of ten quizzes, each with 10 questions about a wide range of literary devices: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Open each class with a quiz to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets. Answer keys included. (24 pages).

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for the first poem in each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive foot. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (60 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (24 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (15 pages)

This entire resource packet 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 the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as PDF documents — which are easy to navigate and quick to print!

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing Rigorous Resources.

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Should you prefer to purchase the poetry units individually, here are links to the five poetry units:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Poems on Ethical Dilemmas

Poetry Unit #5: Poems on Family Relationships

Poetry Unit #6: Poems on Cultural Identity

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

Nutcracker Literature Bundle: ($18 value)

Combines The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Picture Book Study and the Nutcracked Novel Study and Vocabulary Unit.

Nutcracker and the Mouse King Picture Book Study ($5 Value)

This study works excellent as an introduction to studying the Nutcracker Ballet.

Using the picture book The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the original Story by ETA Hoffman, illustrated by Gail de Marcken, and the Story adapted by Wren Mayse. The materials aim to enhance the readers understanding and interpretation of the Story.

What is Included: 23 Pages Total

· Goal and Instructional Pages for Teacher

· Lesson Plans for 10-days of lessons

· Pre-Reading Notes Page (1 page)

· Discussion Questions (9 pages)

· Story Outline (Plot Outline) (2 pages)

· Battle Plan Outline (2 pages)

· Answer Keys (4 pages)

Nutcracked Novel Study and Vocabulary ($8 Value)

Novel Study: These materials for Susan Adrian's novel Nutcracked aim to enhance readers' understanding and interpretation of the Story.

What is Included: 40 Pages

· Goal and Instructional Pages for Teacher

· Lesson Plans for 15-days of lessons- Incorporate vocabulary work in

· Discussion Questions (11 pages)

· Reality vs. Fantasy-Journal (1 page)

· Reality vs. Fantasy-Teaching Worksheet Activity (1 page)

· Reality vs. Fantasy-2 Worksheets (1 page each)

· Georgie's Problems (Conflict Worksheet) (1 page)

· Plot Diagram (1 page)

· Final Test (2 Options) (2 pages each)

· Answer Keys (8 pages)

Vocabulary: -In general, the goal for finding vocabulary words within a novel is to have students encounter words they may not have seen or heard before and then understand their meaning in the text and their everyday lives.

What is Included: 31 Pages

· Goals and Instructional Pages for Teacher

· Master Word Lists (3 pages)

· Student Dictionary (11 pages)

· Crossword Puzzles (3 pages)

· Word Search (1 page)

· Vocabulary in Context Worksheet (2 pages)

· Final Test (1 page)

· Answer Keys (6 pages)

This Bundle also includes a Bundle Guide: 8 Pages ($3 value)

· Goals and Instructions for the Bundle

· Brief Bundle Overview

· Full Bundle Lesson Plans (helps combine the two units into one)

Look to pair this Bundle with other Nutcracker Christmas School Activities. A complete 20-Day Christmas School Unit is available as a bundle through my website or TeachShare storefront.

If you are looking for the perfect way to introduce or review dystopian literature for your students with a rigorous yet engaging activity, look no further than our Escape from Dystopia Escape Room!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Dystopia Escape Room. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

How does it work?

In order to escape from your dystopian classroom of despair and destruction, your students must escape your room by solving 5 different utopian and dystopian related puzzles, discovering a hidden message, and finding clues along the way.

• Dystopia FAQs: In the first task, students must complete a crossword puzzle with questions about dystopian and utopian societies. Once complete, they must unscramble circled boxes to reveal the first code.
• Trending Now: In the second task, students must match an actual current law, statistic or trend with the dystopian novel that shows what, if taken to the extreme, could happen to our world. Once completed correctly, letters within the shaded boxes will reveal the second code.
• Word Maze: In the third task, students must complete a word maze. Letters collected along the way will reveal a theme of dystopia and act as the third code.
• Unknown Citizen: In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of W. H. Auden's The Unknown Citizen. This is the perfect poem for discussing the totalitarian aspects of dystopian societies and how citizens can completely lose their individuality within them. The letters of the multiple choice questions about the poem will form the fourth code.
• Dys/U topia?: In the fifth and final task, students must assemble two charts for Utopia and Dystopia using hypothetical elements of both types of society. Letters of the correct answers reveal the final code phrase to escape the classroom!

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and supplementary materials to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Code Word Theme Open Response for homework or in-class writing activity

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

This escape room can be used as an introduction to or as a review of dystopia, however students will need at least a fundamental understanding of utopian and dystopian societies prior to engaging in the escape room. Therefore, this 30-slide Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint is included to be taught a day or two prior to this lesson.

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We've gone digital! Check out the digital version to support distance learning here:

⭐ Escape from Dystopia Digital ESCAPE ROOM & PowerPoint

Also, check out these great products for your unit on DYSTOPIA by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Dystopian Literature Socratic Seminar

The Handmaid's Tale

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale "Hot Seat!"

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Journal Prompts

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Quote Posters

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

The Lottery

⭐The Lottery Activity Bundle

⭐ The Lottery Social Media Materials

⭐ The Lottery Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

⭐ The Lottery "Tossing Lines" Anticipation Guide

Harrison Bergeron

⭐ Harrison Bergeron ESCAPE ROOM

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

If you are looking for the perfect way to introduce or review dystopian literature for your students with a rigorous yet engaging activity, look no further than this Escape from Dystopia ESCAPE ROOM for use with Google Drive!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! Now, you can facilitate our popular Escape from Dystopia Escape Room at home for distance learning or in the classroom using your school's technology (thereby cutting down on paper and valuable prep time) with this meticulously-crafted resource. Distance learning can certainly be a struggle for both students and teachers, so this escape room aims to provide a welcome break from the monotony while encouraging higher order thinking skills and a fun introduction or review of dystopian literature.

How does it work?

In order to escape from your digital dystopian classroom of despair and destruction, your students must solve 5 different utopian and dystopian related puzzles, discover a hidden message, and find clues along the way.

• Dystopia FAQs: In the first task, students must complete a crossword puzzle with questions about dystopian and utopian societies. Once complete, they must unscramble circled boxes to reveal the first code.
• Trending Now: In the second task, students must match an actual current law, statistic or trend with the dystopian novel that shows what, if taken to the extreme, could happen to our world. Once completed correctly, letters within the shaded boxes will reveal the second code.
• Word Maze: In the third task, students must complete a word maze. Letters collected along the way will reveal a theme of dystopia and act as the third code.
• Unknown Citizen: In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of W. H. Auden's The Unknown Citizen. This is the perfect poem for discussing the totalitarian aspects of dystopian societies and how citizens can completely lose their individuality within them. The letters of the multiple choice questions about the poem will form the fourth code.
• Dys/U topia?: In the fifth and final task, students must assemble two charts for Utopia and Dystopia using hypothetical elements of both types of society. Letters of the correct answers reveal the final code phrase to escape the classroom!

Product Includes:

- Instructions for how to access and share escape room and answer key through Google Drive

- Materials for 5 Tasks: digital task signs, detailed task instructions, and editable worksheets

- Digital Student Answer Booklet

- Digital Teacher Answer Key

This escape room can be used as an introduction to or as a review of dystopia, however students will need at least a fundamental understanding of utopian and dystopian societies prior to engaging in the escape room. Therefore, this 30-slide Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint is included to be taught a day or two prior to this lesson.

___________________________________________________________________________

Also, check out these great products for your unit on DYSTOPIA by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Dystopian Literature Socratic Seminar

⭐ Escape from Dystopia ESCAPE ROOM (paper version)

The Handmaid's Tale

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale "Hot Seat!"

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Journal Prompts

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Quote Posters

⭐ The Handmaid's Tale Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

The Lottery

⭐The Lottery Activity Bundle

⭐ The Lottery Social Media Materials

⭐ The Lottery Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

⭐ The Lottery "Tossing Lines" Anticipation Guide

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This bundle featuring six of our best-selling language arts resources is the perfect teacher's survival kit that can be adapted for any short story or novel throughout the school year!

The variety of lesson plans, activities, and assessments in this bundle will spruce up your ELA curriculum and encourages learning in thoughtful, creative ways. Due to the diversity of resources, your students will be hitting several Common Core reading, writing, and speaking/listening standards with each activity. Your students will thank you for offering such engaging ways to learn!

Products included in this bundle:

⭐Characters in the Hot Seat

This product features all the materials you need to conduct a thoughtful and engaging "HOT SEAT" for almost any class novel! The hot seat is set up essentially like a talk show, however in order to allow for full class participation, there are multiple interviewers and multiple character guests. Through role play, this lesson tests your students' understanding of the novel and allows them to showcase their knowledge of the characters and the relationships between them. Your students will be having so much fun that they will not even realize the high-order thinking skills they are applying! This activity can easily modified for almost any novel as well as for the number of students in your classroom.

⭐Novel Playlist Assignment

This product features a creative and contemporary assignment in which students create their own music playlist for a novel by analyzing the lyrics of their favorite songs and synthesizing them with literary elements of their chosen book. This is a great activity that encourages students to think beyond the traditional 5 paragraph essay and consider literary elements in a deeper and more creative way. Your students will thank you for giving them a chance to have fun as they apply higher-order thinking skills!

⭐Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

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 what they are learning in class. 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, I did the work for you! This packet includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom and can be adapted for absolutely any topic. All you need are the questions to form the basis of these discussions!

⭐Literature Circle Task Cards

This set of 32 unique task cards contain engaging thought-provoking questions meant to prompt lively discussion for literature circles or books clubs in your middle or high school ELA classroom. Questions are mainly reader-response and are fully aligned to the Common Core. They can be used at any point during the reading of a novel or short story and are great as both full-class lesson plans or for time-fillers at the end of class. I also like to use these cards as bell-ringer activities to check in on my students' thoughts and understanding of the novel as we go. These are the perfect task cards to add to your teacher's toolbox and use all year long!

⭐Figurative Language Challenge

I created this "Figurative Language Challenge" activity and lesson plan several years ago for my middle school students as they were studying Edgar Allan Poe's figurative language-laden works. Little did I know that it would become the most requested game among my students of all time. This resource includes a meticulously-detailed lesson plan using warm-up, explanation, application, and synthesis, and a one-of-a-kind game that will get your students excited about identifying figurative language. This is the perfect lesson plan for a Friday or any time you need to amp up the energy in your classroom without sacrificing learning... and of course, it is Common Core aligned!

⭐ Differentiated Essay Prompts for ANY Novel!

This product features 20 beautifully-made task cards with generic essay prompts that will work for any novel. These prompts are differentiated so that they appeal to all learners and give all students a chance to shine in their essay writing! After years of tweaking my essay prompts, I have created questions that are thoughtful and concise so that in turn, they reap excellent student responses.

Purchasing these resources as a bundle saves 20% off the cover price!

___________________________________________________________________________

⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This bundle featuring six of our best-selling language arts resources is the perfect teacher's survival kit that can be adapted for any short story or novel throughout the school year!

The variety of lesson plans, activities, and assessments in this bundle will spruce up your ELA curriculum and encourages learning in thoughtful, creative ways. Due to the diversity of resources, your students will be hitting several Common Core reading, writing, and speaking/listening standards with each activity. Your students will thank you for offering such engaging ways to learn!

Products included in this bundle:

⭐Characters in the Hot Seat

This product features all the materials you need to conduct a thoughtful and engaging "HOT SEAT" for almost any class novel! The hot seat is set up essentially like a talk show, however in order to allow for full class participation, there are multiple interviewers and multiple character guests. Through role play, this lesson tests your students' understanding of the novel and allows them to showcase their knowledge of the characters and the relationships between them. Your students will be having so much fun that they will not even realize the high-order thinking skills they are applying! This activity can easily modified for almost any novel as well as for the number of students in your classroom.

⭐Novel Playlist Assignment

This product features a creative and contemporary assignment in which students create their own music playlist for a novel by analyzing the lyrics of their favorite songs and synthesizing them with literary elements of their chosen book. This is a great activity that encourages students to think beyond the traditional 5 paragraph essay and consider literary elements in a deeper and more creative way. Your students will thank you for giving them a chance to have fun as they apply higher-order thinking skills!

⭐Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

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 what they are learning in class. 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, I did the work for you! This packet includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom and can be adapted for absolutely any topic. All you need are the questions to form the basis of these discussions!

⭐Literature Circle Task Cards

This set of 32 unique task cards contain engaging thought-provoking questions meant to prompt lively discussion for literature circles or books clubs in your middle or high school ELA classroom. Questions are mainly reader-response and are fully aligned to the Common Core. They can be used at any point during the reading of a novel or short story and are great as both full-class lesson plans or for time-fillers at the end of class. I also like to use these cards as bell-ringer activities to check in on my students' thoughts and understanding of the novel as we go. These are the perfect task cards to add to your teacher's toolbox and use all year long!

⭐Figurative Language Challenge

I created this "Figurative Language Challenge" activity and lesson plan several years ago for my middle school students as they were studying Edgar Allan Poe's figurative language-laden works. Little did I know that it would become the most requested game among my students of all time. This resource includes a meticulously-detailed lesson plan using warm-up, explanation, application, and synthesis, and a one-of-a-kind game that will get your students excited about identifying figurative language. This is the perfect lesson plan for a Friday or any time you need to amp up the energy in your classroom without sacrificing learning... and of course, it is Common Core aligned!

⭐ Differentiated Essay Prompts for ANY Novel!

This product features 20 beautifully-made task cards with generic essay prompts that will work for any novel. These prompts are differentiated so that they appeal to all learners and give all students a chance to shine in their essay writing! After years of tweaking my essay prompts, I have created questions that are thoughtful and concise so that in turn, they reap excellent student responses.

Purchasing these resources as a bundle saves 20% off the cover price!

___________________________________________________________________________

⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This resource features a bundle of all of our lesson plans, materials, and activities for Paolo Coelo's inspirational best-selling novel, The Alchemist. Each product is thoughtfully crafted and allows students to think outside the box by delving deeply into the novel's themes, characters, and plot development. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement. You will not find tedious lists of comprehension questions and vocabulary words in this bundle; instead you will find materials that will bring the novel to life!

Included in this Bundle:

⭐ The Alchemist "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity

This product features a thoughtful and engaging activity for use during the study of The Alchemist. Centering around 5 different provocative passages from the book, this lesson provides your students with a chance to think, reflect, and respond to their peers without ever saying a word. This creative approach is a great way to differentiate instruction among your students and allows even your most quiet students to shine. I am confident that this no-prep lesson will become a must-do activity within your unit on The Alchemist!

⭐ The Alchemist Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan

This product features an anticipation guide for The Alchemist, and a meticulously-explained lesson plan that is in my opinion, the absolute best way to approach a new novel. Using a non-intimidating method called "Numbered Heads", this activity will get your students thinking, writing, conversing, and reporting about themes you will be encountering during your study of The Alchemist.

⭐ The Alchemist Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

This resource features a set of 25 reader response journal prompts for use during your unit on The Alchemist. Each bell ringer is comprised of a quote from the novel and a thoughtfully crafted question that encourages students to personally connect with his inspirational words. Prompts can be used as bell-ringers (most popular and mean the first 5 minutes of every class for a month are planned for you!), summarizers, stations, full class or small group discussion questions, for homework, task cards, sub plans, as a filler activity… the possibilities are endless!

⭐ The Alchemist ESCAPE ROOM

This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Escape Room for The Alchemist. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. All tasks are skills-based so that with this fun lesson, learning is not sacrificed. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

⭐ The Alchemist Quote Posters

Make your classroom pop with this set of 20 gorgeous posters featuring quotes from The Alchemist. Each 7.5 x 7.5 (square) poster contains a provocative quote from the novel imposed over a stunning photograph meant to inspire your students and motivate them to follow their dreams. The square format is reminiscent of Instagram and makes for an eye-catching arrangement on your wall or bulletin board. I suggest laminating the posters and using them not just during your Alchemist unit, but all year long!

⭐ The Alchemist Socratic Seminar Materials

This resource features lesson plans and materials to conduct a formal set of Socratic Seminars for The Alchemist. Socratic Seminars (or "Fish Bowl" Conversations as referred to in this resource) are higher order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class texts. 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, this student-tested resource includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom surrounding The Alchemist... and no preparation is required by you at all.

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This bundle includes the in-class and digital version of our Escape from Dystopia Escape Room!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock. Now, you can facilitate our popular Escape from Dystopia Escape Rooms in the classroom and at home for distance learning with this meticulously-crafted bundle. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours run smoothly from start to finish. All tasks are skills-based so that with these fun lessons, learning is not sacrificed. Whether they are in school or at home, your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize how much they're learning about dystopian literature!

How does it work?

In order to escape from your dystopian [digital] classroom of despair and destruction, your students must escape your room by solving 5 different utopian and dystopian related puzzles, discovering a hidden message, and finding clues along the way.

• Dystopia FAQs: In the first task, students must complete a crossword puzzle with questions about dystopian and utopian societies. Once complete, they must unscramble circled boxes to reveal the first code.
• Trending Now: In the second task, students must match an actual current law, statistic or trend with the dystopian novel that shows what, if taken to the extreme, could happen to our world. Once completed correctly, letters within the shaded boxes will reveal the second code.
• Word Maze: In the third task, students must complete a word maze. Letters collected along the way will reveal a theme of dystopia and act as the third code.
• Unknown Citizen: In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of W. H. Auden's The Unknown Citizen. This is the perfect poem for discussing the totalitarian aspects of dystopian societies and how citizens can completely lose their individuality within them. The letters of the multiple choice questions about the poem will form the fourth code.
• Dys/U topia?: In the fifth and final task, students must assemble two charts for Utopia and Dystopia using hypothetical elements of both types of society. Letters of the correct answers reveal the final code phrase to escape the classroom!

In-Class Escape Room Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Visual "Keys"

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

Digital (Paperless) Escape Room Includes:

- Instructions for how to access and share escape room and answer key through Google Drive

- Materials for 5 Tasks: digital task signs, detailed task instructions, and worksheets

- Digital Student Answer Booklet

- Digital Teacher Answer Key

*Note that this is the digital version of the escape room; tasks are identical, just reformatted for digital experience. Requires use of Google Slides.*

These escape rooms can be used as an introduction to or as a review of dystopia, however students will need at least a fundamental understanding of utopian and dystopian societies prior to engaging in the activities. Therefore, this 30-slide Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint is included to be taught a day or two prior to the escapes.

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This resource features a bundle of all of our lesson plans, materials, and activities for Edgar Allan Poe's chilling tale of plague and pestilence, The Masque of the Red Death. Each product is thoughtfully crafted and allows students to think outside the box by delving deeply into the story's themes, characters, vocabulary, and plot development. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement. This activity bundle provides a week's worth of material to bring the story to life!

Included in this Bundle:

• The Masque of the Red Death Literature Guide: This literature guide features a Common Core-aligned mini-unit for use while reading The Masque of the Red Death. The packet provides an excellent basis for comprehension and vocabulary acquisition for the short story and encourages students to think critically about Poe's use of literary elements, figurative language, and symbolism. Also included are 12 reader response task cards for literature circles and a creative social media activities that will bring the story to life in the 21st century. A full answer key is provided along with three bonus student-tested lesson plans. The wide range of activities in this guide will keep your students engaged and help them to gain a deep understanding of one of the most horrifying tales in American literature.

• Masque of the Red Death Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan (also included within Literature Guide): This resource features an anticipation guide for the story along with a meticulously-explained lesson plan that is in my opinion, the absolute best way to approach a new short story. Using a non-intimidating method called "Numbered Heads", this activity will get your students thinking, writing, conversing, and reporting about themes you will be encountering during your study of The Masque of the Red Death.

• The Masque of the Red Death Social Media Activities (also included within Literature Guide): This resource features two fun, interactive activities to bring The Masque of the Red Death into the 21st century! In this 45 minute lesson plan with accompanying materials, your classroom will transform into a real life "twitter-world" in which students will create twitter accounts for hypothetical characters in the story and interact with one another through their twitter pages. The Snap Chat worksheet is perfect for an engaging homework or sub-plan that your students will look forward to working on and sharing with their friends.Your students will thank you for offering such fun ways to connect with Poe's twisted tale and will not even realize how much they are learning by digging deep into the text. Both work perfectly for a Friday or even on Halloween when students need a mental break and a chance to tap into their creativity!

• The Masque of the Red Death Socratic Seminar: This resource features lesson plans and materials to conduct a formal set of Socratic Seminars for The Masque of the Red Death. Socratic Seminars (or "Fish Bowl" Conversations as referred to in this resource) are higher order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class texts. 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, this student-tested resource includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom surrounding the short story... and no preparation is required by you at all.

• The Masque of the Red Death ESCAPE ROOM: This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Escape Room for The Masque of the Red Death. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task (and it is!), but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. Because this is a skills-based escape room, it is the perfect way to review the story for the final quiz or test. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

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This bundle includes the in-class and digital version of our The Lottery Escape Rooms!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock. Now, you can facilitate our popular The Lottery Escape Rooms in the classroom and at home for distance learning with this meticulously-crafted bundle. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours run smoothly from start to finish. All tasks are skills-based so that with these fun lessons, learning is not sacrificed. Whether they are in school or at home, your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize how much they've learned about the short story.

How does it work?

In this escape room, students will try to escape the picturesque American town with a dark secret by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, deciphering an encrypted message, and finding clues along the way.

• Close Read: In the first task, students must answer challenging multiple choice questions about The Lottery. The corresponding letters of the correct answers reveal their first code.
• Vocab Challenge: In the second task, students must fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from the text. Shaded boxes within the correct answers form their second code.
• Character IDs: In the third task, students must fill in a blank character chart about important characters in the story. When assembled correctly, letters of the correct answers reveal the third code.
• Criss-Cross: In the fourth task, students must solve a crossword puzzle with questions about literary elements and plot events of the story. Circled boxes on the crossword once unscrambled will reveal the code.
• Encrypted Message: In the fifth and final task, students must decipher an encrypted message (a quote from The Lottery) using clues they collected during the first four tasks. When the message is written on the scroll, final question is answered, and booklet brought to you, they can finally escape before it is their turn to pick from the dreaded black box.

In-Class Escape Room Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

Digital (Paperless) Escape Room Includes:

- Instructions for how to access and share escape room and answer key through Google Drive

- Materials for 5 Tasks: digital task signs, detailed task instructions, and worksheets

- Digital Student Answer Booklet

- Digital Teacher Answer Key

*Note that this is the digital version of the escape room; tasks are identical, just reformatted for digital experience. Requires use of Google Slides.*

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This resource features a bundle of four exciting lesson plans, activities, and classroom decor for your unit on the hero's journey. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement. You will not find tedious lists of comprehension questions and vocabulary words in this bundle; instead you will find materials that will allow your students to understand and connect with the hero's journey on a deeper level.

⭐ Hero's Journey Anticipation Lesson Plan:

This product features an engaging introductory lesson plan that will have your students thinking, writing, speaking, and moving on the first day of your hero's journey unit. In this activity, they must choose between 6 different quotes by famous figures about what makes a hero, articulate why the quote aligns with their own perspective, then share their findings with the rest of the class in a fun, non-intimidating way.

⭐ Hero's Journey Socratic Seminar:

This resource features everything you need in order to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom for any novel that follows the model of the hero's journey. Socratic Seminars are high-order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class texts. These seminars rely on the power of inquiry and allow students to take the lead in their learning and discussion. They are also a great way for students to work together and build upon one another's ideas without the assistance of a teacher. The only problem? They require a great deal of preparation. Fortunately, with this resource, the work has been done for you and you will have several days of student-led learning during your unit on the hero's journey!

⭐ Hero's Journey ESCAPE ROOM:

Though your students have been learning about the 12 stages, 8 archetypes, and countless examples of the hero's journey through literature and film, it is time for them to become heroes themselves by escaping your classroom! In order to do this, they must work in small teams to solve 5 different puzzles related to the hero's journey, discovering a hidden message, and finding clues along the way.

⭐ Hero's Journey Quote Posters:

Make your classroom pop with this set of 25 posters featuring provocative quotes about the hero's journey. Each 7.5 x 7.5 (square) PDF poster contains a quote about heroes imposed over a stunning photograph to spruce up your ELA classroom during your unit on the hero's journey. The square format makes for an eye-catching arrangement on your wall or bulletin board and serves as a great conversation starter. I suggest laminating the posters so that you can use them year after year!

Purchasing this bundle saves more than 20% off the cost of the four resources for your hero's journey unit.

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Also, check out these great products for your unit on the hero's journey by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ The Alchemist

⭐ Divergent

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This bundle includes the in-class and digital versions of our Shakespeare Escape Room.

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! Now, you can facilitate our popular Shakespeare Escape Room at home for distance learning or in the classroom with this meticulously-crafted resource. Whether they are in school or at home, your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize how much they are learning about the Bard while trying to escape!

How does it work?

In order to escape from Elizabethan England and return to the present day, your students must escape your classroom by solving 6 different puzzles, discovering a hidden message, and finding clues along the way.

• Shakespeare FAQs: In the first task, students must complete a crossword puzzle with questions about Shakespeare. Once complete, they must unscramble shaded boxes to reveal the first code.
• The Globe: In the second task, students must correctly identify components of the Globe Theater. Shaded boxes within the correct answers reveal the second code.
• Name That Play: In the third task, students must match fictional newspaper headlines with the Shakespearean play they represent. This task is in the form of a mat puzzle and the code is revealed when students have matched all plays correctly.
• My Mistress' Eyes: In the fourth task, students must analyze one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets, My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing like the Sun. The letters of the multiple choice questions about the sonnet will form the fourth code.
• Jig Saw Quote: In the fifth task, students must assemble a jig saw puzzle with a quote from one of Shakespeare’s plays.
• Putting it all Together: The final task brings the first 5 tasks together. Students will learn that each of the codes represent an aspect of one of Shakespeare’s plays. The name of the play is the key to escape Elizabethan England and return to the present day!

In-Class Escape Room Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 6 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklets (small and large options)

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Code Word Theme Open Response for homework or in-class writing activity

Digital Escape Room Includes:

- Instructions for how to access and share escape room and answer key through Google Drive

- Materials for 6 Tasks: digital task signs, detailed task instructions, and supplementary materials

- Digital Student Worksheets

- Digital Teacher Answer Key

**Please be aware that both escape rooms are designed for use with internet access. The purpose of the escape rooms are to learn about Shakespeare, his plays, and the Globe Theater and therefore many aspects will not be common knowledge. It is therefore highly recommended that computers or tablets are available for student use.**

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Why is it that calling out sick can actually mean more work as you scramble to come up with a plan for your substitute teacher?

This product features a bundle of 6 (mostly) print & go emergency lesson plans that are ideal for days prior to and returning from vacations, between units, emergency sub plans, or simply those days when you just "can't." (And let's face it, we've all been there!)

Each lesson plan maintains a high standard for student learning and engagement with minimal preparation on your end. Plans are varied yet cohesive and allow for differentiation within your classroom. It is recommended that you read through each lesson plan prior to the start of class to make sure that you have all materials ready as photocopying and in some cases moderate set-up is required. While plans work well for substitutes, you may find that they are so much fun that you will want to experience them with your students yourself!

Purchasing these resources as a bundle saves 20% off the cover price!

Products included in this bundle:

⭐ "Still I Rise" (Angelou) Lesson Plan & Materials -- A best-selling product!

This lesson plan on Angelou's poem can be used in a variety of ways throughout the school year. For instance, the lesson is the perfect jumpstart for your unit on slavery, Civil Rights, poetry, or Women's Rights in America. It can also be used as a stand-alone lesson to get your students to reflect upon and discuss overcoming their own personal obstacles. Given the theme of the poem, the lesson even acts as a great medium for discussing how to to rise above bullying in a society where bullying is sadly so prevalent. These meticulously laid-out materials and lesson plan will have your students thinking, speaking, reading, and writing all in one class period and interacting deeply with one of the most beautiful and resounding works of American poetry.

⭐ We Didn't Start the Fire Activity

This step-by-step two-day lesson plan encourages students to consider what defines their generation and then create their own lyrics to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Every year, this lesson has been a huge hit with my students especially on the last two days of school. Your students will appreciate your taking the time to allow them to step back and reflect upon their world. You will love it because no preparation is needed at all for this very memorable activity!

⭐Shakespeare's "Death Lines" Activity

In this full-length lesson plan, students will closely examine the final lines of Shakespearean characters before their deaths (if you know Shakespeare, there are quite a few!). Following a mini-lesson on the importance of these final words, students will take part in the classic game, Mafia, with a unique, Shakespearean twist. I invented the take on this game several years ago and it has become one of my students' and my favorite days of the whole school year. There is truly nothing like seeing students having a great time while studying Shakespeare. I am confident that your students will love it too!

⭐"Literature Talk" Lesson Plan

This product features an engaging "Literature Talk" activity that will have your students thinking, writing, speaking, and moving all in one class period. In this activity, they must choose between 6 different quotes about books and articulate why the quote aligns with their own perspective. They will have a chance to discuss their opinions in small groups and as part of a full class discussion. The full-length lesson plan can literally be used any day of the school year and is sure to spark thoughtful discussion among your students.

⭐Collaborative Writing Activity

"Collaborative Story Time" is a communal story-telling activity in which students practice using Freytag's Pyramid plot structure in their own narrative writing. In this activity, each student begins a story inspired by a unique evocative photograph. They are prompted to write the exposition of the tale by introducing the setting and main characters. After the allotted amount of time, the story is then passed to another student who is prompted to write the inciting incident or conflict and begin to detail the rising action. The paper is passed from student to student twice more until the story is resolved. When the stories are finished, the worksheet is returned to the original student who can then make edits and is responsible for producing a final draft.

⭐Poe's Annabel Lee Poetry/Song Pairing

Who in the world knows more about love and loss than Edgar Allan Poe? This resource features a full-length lesson plan and accompanying materials for a song/poem pairing of "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe and popular song, "Sad Beautiful Tragic." Lesson plan is Common Core aligned and centers around rhyme scheme, repetition, figurative language, and theme. This student-tested activity is the perfect addition for any unit on Edgar Allan Poe and is guaranteed to enlighten your students on the timelessness of Poe's poetry in an engaging and contemporary way.

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⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This resource features a bundle of exciting presentations, lesson plans, and materials to supplement your unit on dystopian literature. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement with any dystopian short story or novel. In this bundle, you will not find tedious lists of comprehension questions and vocabulary words; instead you will find material that will bring dystopias to life (well not literally!) in your classroom.

Included in this bundle:

⭐ Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint: This resource features an engaging, interactive, editable PowerPoint Presentation for introducing or reviewing Dystopian Fiction to your students! PowerPoint Presentation runs through an entire lesson from warm-up to explanation, application, and summarizer. Also included are 2 pages of "guided notes" so that you may differentiate your lecture for all levels of students. Since utopias and dystopias are intrinsically motivating for students, this lesson is always a fun one and gets students excited about the upcoming unit on whatever dystopian novel or short story you'll be reading!

⭐ Escape from Dystopia ESCAPE ROOM: This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Dystopia Escape Room. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

⭐ Dystopian Literature Socratic Seminar: This resource features everything you need in order to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom for any dystopian short story or novel. It is the PERFECT addition to any dystopia unit for middle or high school students! Socratic Seminars are high-order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class texts. 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!

⭐ Dystopia Quote Posters: Make your classroom pop with this set of 25 posters featuring provocative quotes about dystopia. Each 7.5 x 7.5 (square) PDF poster contains a quote either about dystopias or from dystopian literature imposed over a stunning photograph to spruce up your ELA classroom during your dystopian unit. The square format makes for an eye-catching arrangement on your wall or bulletin board and serves as a great conversation starter. I suggest laminating the posters so that you can use them year after year!

Purchasing this bundle saves more than 20% off the cost of the resources for your unit on dystopia.

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This resource features a bundle of all of our best-selling lesson plans, materials, and activities for Veronica Roth's best-selling dystopian novel, Divergent. Each product is thoughtfully crafted and allows students to think outside the box by delving deeply into the novel's themes, characters, and plot development. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement. You will not find tedious lists of comprehension questions and vocabulary words in this bundle; instead you will find materials that will bring the novel to life!

Included in this Bundle:

⭐ Introduction to Dystopia Powerpoint & Crossword

This resource features an engaging, interactive, editable PowerPoint Presentation for introducing or reviewing Dystopian Fiction to your students! The PowerPoint Presentation runs through an entire lesson from warm-up to explanation, application, and summarizer. Also included are 2 pages of "guided notes" so that you may differentiate your lecture for all levels of students. Recently, a fun dystopia crossword puzzle has been added to help reinforce knowledge of the lesson. Since utopias and dystopias are intrinsically motivating for students, this lesson is always a fun one and gets students excited about the upcoming unit on Divergent.

⭐ Divergent "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity

This product features a thoughtful and engaging activity for use during your study of Divergent. Centering around 5 different provocative passages from the book, this lesson provides your students with a chance to think, reflect, and respond to their peers without ever saying a word. This creative approach is a great way to differentiate instruction among your students and allows even your most quiet students to shine. I am confident that this no-prep lesson will become a must-do activity within your unit on Divergent!

⭐ Tattoos of Divergent Character Symbolism Lesson Plan

This powerpoint explores the symbolism behind the character's tattoos. It is a fantastic opening mini-lesson to an activity in which students choose their own "symbolic" tattoos. My students LOVE this activity - just be prepared to share what symbolic tattoo you would get - they WILL ask!

⭐ Divergent Faction Acrostic Poem Assignment

This product contains an assignment for students to create their own acrostic poem for their favorite faction from Divergent. This is the perfect assignment to give after conducting a mock ceremony in your classroom.

⭐ Divergent Fear Landscape Assignment

This resource contains two separate assignments for creating a fear landscape so that you may differentiate among your figurative and literal thinkers. The first is more appropriate for students who can think symbolically (typically end of eighth grade and above) while the second is better suited for your literal thinkers (sixth-seventh grade). No matter which assignment you give, this is an engaging project that will urge students to consider their deepest fears and connect with Tris and her Dauntless friends in Divergent.

⭐ Divergent Mock Choosing Ceremony

This product contains everything you need to conduct your very own true-to-the-book Choosing Ceremony for Divergent in your classroom! This is one of my favorite activities I do with my students all year as I truly get insight into who they are and what they believe. The Choosing Ceremony will be an emotional challenge for some but very well-worth it!

⭐ Divergent Worksheet Bundle

This product includes a crossword puzzle, faction knowledge worksheets, a Freytag's Pyramid worksheet for entire novel, character review worksheet, and full answer keys.

⭐ Divergent Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

Socratic Seminars are 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 Final Project - Long Lost Sixth Faction

This project instructs students to create their own faction. They must create everything from faction name, symbol, jobs, and manifesto to a propaganda poster, initiation process and more! This comprehensive project takes students about 1 week to complete. Because it is such an incredibly engaging activity, it truly runs itself and is the perfect way to conclude your study of Divergent.

⭐ Divergent Unit Test

This comprehensive test includes 46 well-written questions: character matching, plot-level multiple choice, faction knowledge chart, vocabulary, and short answer along with full answer key.

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This resource features a bundle of all of our lesson plans, materials, and activities for Edgar Allan Poe's chilling tale of revenge, The Cask of Amontillado. Each product is thoughtfully crafted and allows students to think outside the box by delving deeply into the story's themes, characters, vocabulary, and plot development. Lessons have all been classroom-tested and allow for differentiation while encouraging optimal student engagement. This activity bundle provides a week's worth of material to bring the story to life!

Included in this Bundle:

• The Cask of Amontillado Literature Guide: This 25-page literature guide features a Common-Core aligned mini-unit for the story. It provides basis for comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and reader response for The Cask of Amontillado and encourages students to think critically about Poe's use of irony, foreshadowing, literary elements, and symbolism. A full answer key is provided along with one bonus student-tested lesson plan. The wide range of activities in this guide will keep your students engaged and help them to gain a deep understanding of and appreciation for one of the most horrifying tales in American literature.

• The Cask of Amontillado ESCAPE ROOM: This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Escape Room for The Cask of Amontillado. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task (and it is!), but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. Because this is a skills-based escape room, it is the perfect way to review the story for the final quiz or test. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

• The Cask of Amontillado Socratic Seminar: This resource features lesson plans and materials to conduct a formal set of Socratic Seminars for Edgar Allan Poe's chilling tale of insult and revenge. Socratic Seminars (or "Fish Bowl" Conversations as referred to in this resource) are higher order ways of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class texts. 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, this student-tested resource includes everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom surrounding the short story, The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe... and no preparation is required by you at all.

• The Cask of Amontillado Family Crest Activity (also included within Literature Guide): This product features a thoughtful and engaging supplemental activity for the story. In this mini-project that can be done in class or as homework, students will closely examine Montresor's family crest (or is it!?), then create their own symbolic family crest using meticulous instructions and the template provided. They will also need to thoroughly explain what they have included on their family crest. A detailed lesson plan is included for use on the following day that allows students to showcase and explain their family crests using an imaginative teaching method. This is a great activity to get your students to think symbolically and to reflect upon the ideals of their own families. Your students will thank you for offering such a thoughtful activity to go along with their reading of The Cask of Amontillado!

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Figurative Language Lesson Plan and PowerPoint | Activities | Worksheets

About This Resource

★ Figurative Language

★ Lesson, PowerPoint, Activities, Assessment

★ Total of 102 pages (Absolutely no “nonsense” pages | slides)

★ Print and Digital

★ Full Lesson PACKET | 45 pages

★ Editable Lesson Plan | 5 pages (Modify as you wish)

★ Lesson POWERPOINT | 46 slides

★ Test/Assessment | 6 pages (with Answer Key)

★ Duration: 2-3 days

★ Suitable for grades 6-9, Special Ed, and English Language Learners

★ NO PREP Packet

Items in this product include:

☆ POWERPOINT (46 slides – very visually appealing!!)

☆ In-depth Lesson Plan (5 pages –PDF File)

☆ EDITABLE Lesson Plan (5 pages)

☆ 2 Figurative Language Note-Taking Sheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Differentiated Do Now Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Mini Lesson Figurative Language Types Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Simile Practice Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Metaphor Practice Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Hyperbole Practice Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Idioms Practice Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Personification Practice Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 2 Onomatopoeia Practice Worksheets and Answer Key

☆ 1 Passage Figurative Language Practice Worksheet and Answer Key

☆ Teacher’s Step-by-Step Direction Page for Flap Book Activity (with pictures)

☆ 2 Interactive Flap Book Pages to choose from (for activity)

☆ 1 Lesson Reflection Sheet

☆ Figurative Language Test/Assessment and Answer Key (31 questions)

GOOGLE SLIDES versions:

☆ PowerPoint

☆ All lesson practice worksheets

☆ Assessment

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This resource is also included in Google Slides! Text boxes have already been created to make it easier for you and your students! Each slide includes two instruction solution tabs for when students accidentally delete text boxes and when they want to zoom in (to enlarge worksheets). It's super helpful for students who are not that familiar with how to use Google Slides or need the extra assistance.

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RESOURCE BREAKDOWN:

▶️ Lesson Plan

This comprehensive Lesson Plan Packet aims to assist students in:

• Differentiating between figurative language and literal language
• Learning various types of figurative language such as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, idiom, personification, and onomatopoeia
• Understanding the meanings of these figurative language types
• Explaining the purpose behind using specific subjects, objects, and ideas to reference other concepts (emphasizing academic rigor)
• Deepening comprehension of how authors use figurative language techniques in their writing

This detailed Figurative Language Lesson covers simile, metaphor, hyperbole, idiom, personification, and onomatopoeia. It offers multiple opportunities for students to practice identifying these elements in writing and understanding their meanings. What sets this lesson plan apart is its step-by-step instructions for teachers, ensuring straightforward delivery and guidance. Each section of the lesson includes visual cues with small worksheet images on the left side, making it easy to navigate and use effectively.

***An editable version of the lesson plan is also included so you can customize it as needed!

▶️ Practice Worksheets (Print and Digital)

Each figurative language type includes two practice worksheets, along with Answer Keys, to assist you in teaching this lesson effectively and providing ample practice for students to identify and deepen their understanding of each type of figurative language.

▶️ This resource is also available on Google Slides! Text boxes have been pre-created to simplify use for both you and your students. Each slide features two instruction solution tabs, aiding students who may accidentally delete text boxes or wish to zoom in for a closer look at worksheets. This feature is especially beneficial for students who are less familiar with Google Slides or who require additional assistance.

▶️ PowerPoint (PowerPoint and GOOGLE SLIDES)

Furthermore, a 46-slide PowerPoint comprehensively covers the entire lesson. It includes stunning graphics that vividly depict the meanings of the featured figurative language types. Certain slides feature engaging urban-style graphics designed to captivate students' interest, ensuring they gain a thorough understanding of the lesson's content.

❌ The PowerPoint slides cannot be edited due to copyright restrictions imposed by the contributing font and clip art artists.

✅ The PowerPoint slides and lesson worksheets are also available in Google Slides! This allows you the flexibility to easily share these resources with your students.

▶️ Flap Book Interactive Activity

This resource features a fun and engaging interactive activity where students create flap books to write example sentences illustrating each figurative language type (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, idiom, personification, and onomatopoeia). They can personalize their flap books with colors, making them a wonderful addition to your bulletin boards. This activity can be completed independently, in pairs, or in groups according to your preference. Step-by-step instructions with pictures for teachers are also provided!

▶️ Assessment / Test (Print and Digital)

Lastly, there is a comprehensive test featuring 31 questions, including multiple-choice, matching, and one short-answer question. The Answer Key for the test is also included!

▶️ Answer Keys
Each worksheet includes a detailed Answer Key, eliminating the need for you to create answers yourself! These Answer Keys ensure smooth delivery of the lesson and PowerPoint.

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*Save $$$ by purchasing the Figurative Language BUNDLE!!

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This resource is also included in the following discounted bundles:

❤️ Figurative Language Bundle

❤️ ELA Lesson and PowerPoint Bundle

❤️ All ELA Mega Bundle

❤️ ELA/SEL MEGA Bundle

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Other Figurative Language resources you might be interested in:

❤️ Figurative Language Bundle

❤️ Figurative Language Lesson Plan and PowerPoint Packet

❤️ Figurative Language Text Message Conversations and Answer Keys

❤️ Figurative Language Practice Worksheet Bundle

❤️ Figurative Language in Music Worksheet and Key

❤️ Figurative Language Interactive Activity Packet

❤️ Figurative Language in Literature Graphic Organizers

❤️ Figurative Language Exit Slips, Quizzes, and Answer Keys

❤️ Figurative Language Task Cards and Answer Keys

❤️ Figurative Language Posters

Figurative Language Practice Worksheets:

❤️ Figurative Language Practice Worksheets, Test, and Key (Combo)

❤️ Personification Practice Worksheets, Test, and Answer Keys

❤️ Metaphor Practice Worksheets, Test, and Answer Keys

❤️ Hyperbole Practice Worksheets, Test, and Answer Keys

❤️ Simile Practice Worksheets, Test, and Answer Keys

❤️ Idioms Practice Worksheets, Test, and Answer Keys

❤️ Onomatopoeia Practice Worksheets, Test, and Answer Keys

Figurative Language Tests:

❤️ Figurative Language Test and Answer Key Bundle

❤️ Figurative Language Combination Test and Answer Keys

❤️ Simile Test and Answer Keys

❤️ Metaphor Test and Answer Keys

❤️ Hyperbole Test and Answer Keys

❤️ Idiom Test and Answer Keys

❤️ Personification Test and Answer Keys

❤️ Onomatopoeia Test and Answer Keys

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Created by © Queen's Educational Resources | All Rights Reserved

Your purchase includes one copy to be used in a single classroom. If you are looking for multiple copies, please be sure to purchase additional licenses.

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Click here to FOLLOW ME!

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!

queenseducationalresources@gmail.com

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Interested in REAL-LIFE SCENARIOS?

Checkout my REAL-LIFE SCENARIOS LIBRARY!

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Interested in realistic kids, teens, and adults clipart? Check out my CLIPART GALLERY!

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❤️ Reviews and Ratings: Reviews and Ratings are extremely important to me. Your time to rate this product and write a review will greatly be appreciated! ;-)

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This bundle includes lessons for all stories in the book Flying Lessons and Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh. The stories are not included in this resource. Lessons are focused on the following stories:

- How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium by Matt De La Peña

- The Difficult Path by Grace Lin

- Sol Painting, Inc. by Meg Medina

- Secret Samantha by Tim Federle

- The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn by Kelly J. Baptist

- Choctaw Bigfoot, Midnight in the Mountains by Tim Tingle

- Main Street by Jacqueline Woodson

- Flying Lessons by Soman Chainani

- Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents by Kwame Alexander

- Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push by Walter Dean Myers

Each lesson includes WORKSHEETS and a PRESENTATION. Worksheets come in color and b/w. Presentations include answer keys.

Each lesson contains:

- Pre-reading journal prompt

- Story vocabulary (except Main Street)

- Tiered reading questions

- Questions focused on one particular ELA standard

- Answer keys

BONUS ESSAY WRITING PROMPTS ARE INCLUDED!

If you teach 90 minute block classes, you would likely get through one lesson per day. If you teach 50 minute classes like I do, each lesson could take two days. This bundle could last from 2 weeks to 4 weeks depending on your schedule.