Less than $5 Middle School Writing-Essays Assessment (by date, oldest first)

Should students be allowed to use cell phones in school? This is an argumentative essay prompt, two articles, a graph, and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about cell phone usage and whether or not schools should ban cell phones. This comes complete with rubric. This is a pdf.

*Update* Available under TeachShare Digital Resources which adds an interactive layer on top of the pdf for distance learning.

If you want the Google Drive editable version here it is

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Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

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Should students be required to wear school uniforms? This is an argumentative essay prompt, two articles, a graph, and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about uniforms and whether or not schools should require uniforms. This comes complete with rubric. This is a pdf.

If you want the Google Drive editable version

CLICK HERE

Looking for more argumentative prompts with articles?

Minimum Wage - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Facebook: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

Should Schools Ban Soda? - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Should students be required to learn how to write in cursive? This is an argumentative essay prompt, three articles, and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about whether or not schools should require students to learn how to write in cursive. This comes complete with rubric.

This is for Google Drive

Looking for more argumentative prompts with articles?

Minimum Wage - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

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Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

Should Schools Ban Soda? - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Should students be required to learn how to write in cursive? This is an argumentative essay prompt, three articles, and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about whether or not schools should require students to learn how to write in cursive. This comes complete with rubric.

CLICK HERE for Google Drive

Looking for more argumentative prompts with articles?

Minimum Wage - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Facebook: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

Should Schools Ban Soda? - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Should students be required to learn second language? This is an argumentative essay prompt, three articles, and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about whether or not schools should require students to learn second language. This comes complete with rubric. This is a pdf.

If you want the Google Drive editable version

CLICK HERE

Looking for more argumentative prompts with articles?

Minimum Wage - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Facebook: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

Should Schools Ban Soda? - Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

This is a prompt for whether or not Shakespeare wrote his own plays. It includes three articles, an outline sheet, and a grading rubric for the essay. This is a great resource for if you are covering essay writing but also doing Shakespeare plays or sonnets before or after.

This is a pdf. If you would like the Google Drive edition which is editable please visit here

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Essay prompt and articles :Narcissism

Essay prompt and articles: Hurricanes

Essay prompt and articles: Colonization in Africa

This includes two Articles "The History of Narcissistic

Personality Disorder" and "Selfies, Facebook, and Narcissism: What's the Link? Exploring the link between Facebook and Narcissism" plus a graph titled "College Students' Narcissistic Personality Inventory Scores 1982-2006" . After reading these two articles students are given a prompt for an expository essay on narcissism. There is also an outline sheet included for students to use in order to help them organize their essay. Plus a rubric for easy grading of final essay. This product works great in any digital classroom. This is editable in Google Docs. You must have Google Drive to use this product! You may sign up for Google drive for free Visit here for help with Google Drive

This is a prompt for whether or not Shakespeare wrote his own plays. It includes three articles, an outline sheet, and a grading rubric for the essay. This is a great resource for if you are covering essay writing but also doing Shakespeare plays or sonnets before or after. This product works great in any digital classroom. This is editable in Google Docs. You must have Google Drive to use this product! You may sign up for Google drive for free Visit here for help with Google Drive

Looking for a final writing assignment on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet? This resource features everything you'll need to lead students through the process of writing an analytical essay about Romeo and Juliet. The resource features 5 writing prompts which will motivate students to think with nuance about important themes in the play. The resource also includes scaffolding to help students select evidence, generate an outline, and begin writing. For teachers, the resource features an assessment rubric which can be used to grade and provide feedback on students' analytical writing.

Here's what you'll find in this editable 8-page resource:

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Let students choose from one of 5 thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a topic of their own. Includes a handout introducing students to the elements in an analytical essay as well as a scaffolded writing schedule with each step in the essay writing process. (4 pages)
• Outline Template: Scaffold the writing process by having students fill out an outline before they write their papers. The outline template has boxes where students can write out their hook, thesis, topic sentences, textual evidence, and so on. (3 pages)
• Assessment Rubric: A detailed assessment rubric enables teachers to grade student papers in a fast and efficient manner. (1 page)

The entire unit 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 the Romeo and Juliet. 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

Looking for a final writing assignment on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar? This resource features everything you'll need to lead students through the process of writing an analytical essay about Julius Caesar.

The resource features 5 writing prompts which will motivate students to think with nuance about important themes in the play. The resource also includes scaffolding to help students select evidence, generate an outline, and begin writing. For teachers, the resource features an assessment rubric which can be used to grade and provide feedback on students' analytical writing.

As a bonus, this resource also features a two-page handout on how to embed quotations within an analytical essay. The handout provides students with three techniques for framing textual evidence: the block quotation, the clause-and-colon method, and the integration of short quotations into one's own sentence.

Here's what you'll find in this editable 10-page resource:

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Let students choose from one of 5 thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a topic of their own. Writing schedule, outline template, and rubric included. (4 pages)
• Framing Quotations: This handout provides students with advice about how to embed textual evidence into a body paragraph. The handout familiarizes students with three different methods for framing quotations: the block quotation, the clause-and-colon method, and the integration of key words and phrases within one's own sentence. (2 pages)
• Outline Template: Provide students with the scaffolding necessary to write a five-paragraph essay. This outline template challenges students to fill in a text box for every part of their essay: hook, thesis, topic sentences, evidence, analysis, and conclusion. (3 pages)
• Assessment Rubric: Evaluate student essays in a quick and efficient manner by using an analytical writing rubric. (1 page)

The entire unit 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 the 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

This product has 3 parts. First, there is a hi-lighting activity that requires students to go back into an Argument Essay they've already written and color-code the different essential parts of their writing. You could post this assignment on Google classroom or project the directions onto the Smart Board. The second part is a checklist for Argument Writing. You will make a copy for each student. The students could use it themselves for self- assessment, OR they could switch and use it for peer feedback. Finally, there is a very helpful chart that includes transition words for Argument Writing, including power words, transition words, turnback words, and counter argument words. You can copy this for all students, hang it on the wall, project it on the Smart Board, or post it on Google classroom. My students keep this in their binders to refer to all year long.

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This product features 20 generic essay prompts that will work for any novel. They can be used within the classroom and for distance learning.

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.

Example: How reliable is the narrator of your novel? Is the reader able to fully trust him/her? Why or why not? Support your answer with three specific and relevant details from the text.

Essay prompts focus on literary analysis and are recommended for middle and high school students.

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Check out these related resources by Language Arts Excellence to start your year in ELA off strong!

⭐ Back to School ELA Bundle

⭐ Back to School ELA Escape Room

⭐ Back to School ELA Escape Room - Pop Culture Edition

⭐ First Day of ELA "Book Talk" Activity

⭐ Back to School "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover" Activity

⭐ First Day of School Powerpoint Presentation

⭐ Study Hall Expectations Powerpoint Presentation

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Also, check out these great resources that can be adapted for any novel by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Literature Activities {{BUNDLE!}}

⭐ Differentiated Essay Prompt Task Cards

⭐ Novel Soundtrack Assignment

⭐ Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

⭐ Differentiated End of Term Reflection Activities

⭐ Book Recommendation Form

⭐ Differentiated End of Year Reflection Activities

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This product contains 9 thoughtful essay prompts for A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, all perfect for a 5 paragraph essay or a short open response for a test (I have used them in both ways). A detailed rubric is also included.

Here is an example of a prompt:

Although A Midsummer Night’s Dream is categorized as one of Shakespeare’s comedies, much has been written about the darker side of this play including some of terrible ways the characters treat one another. Identify three separate instances in which the play is dark and discuss why each instance could be considered tragic. __________________________________________________________________________________________

Save 20% off this resource when you purchase as part of a bundle of all A Midsummer Night's Dream products by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Activity BUNDLE

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Also, check out these great products to complement your unit on A Midsummer Night's Dream:

⭐ Introduction to Shakespeare Powerpoint

⭐ Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Shakespeare ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Anticipation Activity

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Bell-Ringer Prompts

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Puzzles

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream HOT SEAT!

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Social Media Materials

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Literature Guide

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⭐ Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This product features all the materials you need to assign a compare/contrast essay for Edgar Allan Poe's two famously gruesome tales: "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat."

For this assignment, students will need to think critically and specifically about the similarities and differences between the two famous stories. A comprehensive chart is provided to prompt students to take a close look at both tales and to think beyond the obvious (like the fact that they are both written by Edgar Allan Poe) and consider the deeper similarities and differences (like plot structure, mental state of the narrators, and elements of suspense) between them. These thoughtfully-constructed materials will help students develop exemplary compare/contrast essays that they can be proud of!

Product Includes:

• Complete assignment directions
• Specific similarities/differences chart with 17 story components
• Venn diagram template
• Essay graphic organizer (Block Method)
• Rubric
• Teacher key for chart

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Check out these great products to supplement your study of The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat:

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart Literature Guide

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart Anticipation Guide and Lesson Plan

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart Creative Writing Assignment on Perspective

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart Figurative Language Challenge Activity

⭐ Unreliable Narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart Lesson Plan

⭐ The Black Cat Literature Guide

⭐ The Black Cat ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Unreliable Narrator of The Black Cat Lesson Plan

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe "Breaking News" Article and Illustration Activity

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart/The Black Cat Socratic Seminar Materials

More resources to round out your Edgar Allan Poe unit:

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe PowerPoint

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Crossword Puzzle

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Brochure

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe's Obituary

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Quote Posters

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

But why stop with two stories? We have enough Edgar Allan Poe resources to frighten your students for months!

⭐ The Raven Literature Guide

⭐ The Pit and the Pendulum Literature Guide

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death Literature Guide

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado Literature Guide

⭐ The Fall of the House of Usher Literature Guide

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Short Story BUNDLE

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

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. Example: How reliable is the narrator of your novel? Is the reader able to fully trust him/her? Why or why not? Support your answer with three specific and relevant details from the text. Essay prompts focus on literary analysis and are recommended for middle and high school students. _________________________________________________________________________ Also, check out these great resources that can be adapted for any novel by Language Arts Excellence: Differentiated Essay Prompts for use with ANY Novel Novel Soundtrack Assignment Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials Adaptable for ANY Topic Differentiated End of Term Reflection Activities Book Recommendation Form Differentiated End of Year Reflection Activities

Self-reflection is so important for students of all ages and what better time to reflect on learning than at the end of the school year? With that in mind, I created this end of year reflection assignment that prompts students to consider all of the meaningful experiences they had all year in my class. My students really get into this assignment and I'm sure yours will too! I've included in this product a model of my assignment and a fully editable template for you - it will only take a few minutes to tweak it and make it your own. Your students will thank you for offering this differentiated assessment! I also included three exemplary student examples. ___________________________________________________________________________ Check out these related resources by Language Arts Excellence to finish your school year strong: ⭐ End of Year ELA Escape Room
⭐ End of Year ELA Escape Room - Pop Culture Edition ⭐ End of Year Mad Libs ⭐ We Didn't Start the Fire Activity ⭐ End of Year "Book Talk" Activity
⭐ Guess Your Grade - Effective Effort Form ___________________________________________________________________________ ⭐ Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This product features all the materials you need to assign a compare/contrast essay for Roald Dahl's Lamb to the Slaughter and Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat.

For this assignment, students will need to think critically and specifically about the similarities and differences between the two famous stories of marital strife taken to the extreme. A comprehensive chart is provided to prompt students to take a close look at both tales and to think beyond the obvious (like the fact that they are written by different authors) and consider the deeper similarities and differences (plot structure, mental state of the narrators, and elements of suspense, etc.) between them. These thoughtfully-constructed materials will help students develop exemplary compare/contrast essays that they can be proud of!

Product Includes:

• Complete assignment directions
• Specific similarities/differences chart with 16 story components
• Venn diagram template
• Essay graphic organizer (Block Method)
• Rubric
• Teacher key for chart

This assignment works well in any short story unit but is best near Halloween when creepy is the way to go!

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Also, check out these great products to supplement your units on Lamb to the Slaughter and The Black Cat:

⭐ Lamb to the Slaughter Literature Guide

⭐ Lamb to the Slaughter Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan

⭐ The Black Cat Literature Guide

⭐ The Black Cat ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Unreliable Narrator of The Black Cat Lesson Plan

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart/The Black Cat "Breaking News" Article and Illustration Activity

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart/The Black Cat Socratic Seminar Materials

________________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This 3-page form asks students to specifically rate their performance on the 6 components of effective effort on a given essay: TIME, FOCUS, RESOURCEFULNESS, USE OF STRATEGIES, USE OF FEEDBACK, and COMMITMENT. This product is modeled after teachings from The Skillful Teacher by Jon Saphier, Mary Ann Haley-Speca, and Robert Gower and encourages a growth mindset in students. I provide this form to my students every single time I assign a paper and am always pleasantly surprised at how honest they are in their responses, especially as the incentive for guessing their grade is 2 bonus points! ____________________________________________________________________________ Also, check out this great lesson plan for teaching Effective Effort by Language Arts Excellence: ⭐Effective Effort Lesson Plan ____________________________________________________________________________ ⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This 3-page form asks students to specifically rate their performance on the 6 components of effective effort on a given essay: TIME, FOCUS, RESOURCEFULNESS, USE OF STRATEGIES, USE OF FEEDBACK, and COMMITMENT. This product is modeled after teachings from The Skillful Teacher by Jon Saphier, Mary Ann Haley-Speca, and Robert Gower and encourages a growth mindset in students. I provide this form to my students every single time I assign a paper and am always pleasantly surprised at how honest they are in their responses, especially as the incentive for guessing their grade is 2 bonus points! ____________________________________________________________________________ Also, check out this great lesson plan for teaching Effective Effort by Language Arts Excellence: ⭐Effective Effort Lesson Plan ____________________________________________________________________________ ⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This product features all the materials you need to assign a compare/contrast essay for Roald Dahl's Lamb to the Slaughter and Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat.

For this assignment, students will need to think critically and specifically about the similarities and differences between the two famous stories of marital strife taken to the extreme. A comprehensive chart is provided to prompt students to take a close look at both tales and to think beyond the obvious (like the fact that they are written by different authors) and consider the deeper similarities and differences (plot structure, mental state of the narrators, and elements of suspense, etc.) between them. These thoughtfully-constructed materials will help students develop exemplary compare/contrast essays that they can be proud of!

Product Includes:

• Complete assignment directions
• Specific similarities/differences chart with 16 story components
• Venn diagram template
• Essay graphic organizer (Block Method)
• Rubric
• Teacher key for chart

This assignment works well in any short story unit but is best near Halloween when creepy is the way to go!

________________________________________________________________________

Also, check out these great products to supplement your units on Lamb to the Slaughter and The Black Cat:

⭐ Lamb to the Slaughter Literature Guide

⭐ Lamb to the Slaughter Anticipation Guide & Lesson Plan

⭐ The Black Cat Literature Guide

⭐ The Black Cat ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Unreliable Narrator of The Black Cat Lesson Plan

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart/The Black Cat "Breaking News" Article and Illustration Activity

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart/The Black Cat Socratic Seminar Materials

________________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence