If you have the short story “The All American Slurp” by Lensey Namiokain your anthology, this lesson is for you! This short story resource includes worksheets, PowerPoint, vocabulary quiz, and lesson plan. All are editable. I have included an EATS lesson plan with an Essential Question, preview vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies and a summarizing strategy (Exit Ticket). The exit tickets are printable. The lesson focuses on theme and provides an answer to the essential question so students will understand the concept. The lesson also touches on onomatopoeia. The lesson plan and worksheets are a valuable time-saver. Just print and go! Answer key is included. This resource also includes directions to use the PALS reading strategy and a PALS worksheet. I LOVE using PALS so that every student is responsible to read and comprehend. This is a great short story to use with PALS! Thank you! ~Kim

This lesson is on the short story "Miss Awful," by Arthur Cavanaugh. Please make sure you have a copy of the text in your anthology. ✓ This set includes a PowerPoint, 2 Worksheets, Written Response (Essay Prompts), Vocabulary Worksheets, Vocabulary Quiz, Final Test, Exit Tickets, and Answer Keys. ✓ The EATS lesson plan includes: Essential Question, vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies, and an Exit Ticket. ✓ The lesson plan and worksheets are a time-saver. Just print and go! Answer keys are included. ✓ The PowerPoint will help with pacing the lesson (especially if you are getting observed!) and will help students focus on the most important components of the lesson. I has also answered the essential question (using "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" example) so that students will be able to discuss how to critique an effective response. Teachers can display this sample answer when students are completing the exit ticket. The Common Core Focus is: CCSS.ELA-RL.6.1/ 7/1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Thank you!

This complete lesson for the short story “Too Soon A Woman” by Dorothy M. Johnson requires no prep! This product includes: ---3 day lesson plan in EATS format (including an activating strategy, teaching strategies, and more…) ---Six printable worksheets (including comprehension questions, discussion questions, exit tickets, and more…) ---Answer Keys ---28- Slide PowerPoint (including methods of characterization, PALS reading strategy Essential Question Sample Answer, and more…) This lesson is Common Core aligned to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. I LOVE this story! The voice, the desperate situation, the narrator’s naïve hatred all tug at my heart! I especially love the last sentence’s revelation! The lesson discusses character traits, character motivation, point of view, and conflict. Each is clearly defined- and examples are given. During the three days, students are given the opportunity to work independently, in pairs, in groups, through writing, through speech, etc. Various activities will help with differentiated learning. This lesson is particularly effective in helping students answer the Essential Question (How can we analyze how particular lines of dialogue or a particular incident in a story reveal aspects of a character?) for three reasons: 1- Students practice answering in groups with a short fable BEFORE they read the text 2- Students are shown an example of an answer, which they critique BEFORE they read the text 3- Students read the text at least twice. Due to this preparation, students are able to successfully answer the E.Q. at the culmination of the lesson (on Day 3!). I hope you enjoy this lesson as much as I do! Thank you!

An EATS lesson plan with an Essential Question, vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies, and a summarizing strategy (Exit Ticket). ✓Worksheets- Just print and go! ✓Answer key ... are all included. ✓ The 20-slide PowerPoint, 5-page lesson plan, and 2-page worksheet are aligned with the CCSS.Lit. 6-7.3 & 6-7.5. Created to be easy to use and fully engaging, the lesson plan pairs with the worksheets that I have created to be very successful with "Eleven," a short story found in most middle school anthologies. The lesson has a sample answer to the Essential Question (How do characters respond to change as the plot moves toward a resolution?), which I have found to be extremely helpful for students. They are able to see an effective answer before they are expected to write one. The sample is on "The Three Little Pigs." Students get to discuss the example answer before they write their own response for the exit ticket. I have also included the instructions and sample for the PALS reading strategy- as I've found this to be an effective strategy with short stories in my classroom. Students will discuss being eleven, write a six-word memoir, read “Name” from House on Mango Street, and more. External and Internal conflict are discussed. If you have the short story “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros in your anthology, this lesson is for you!

This is a complete lesson for the short story “Charles” by Shirley Jackson. No prep necessary! This product includes: ---3 day lesson plan in EATS format (including an activating strategy, teaching strategies, and more…) ---4 printable worksheets (including comprehension questions, writing prompts, exit tickets, and more…) ---Answer Keys ---41- Slide PowerPoint (including methods of characterization, PALS reading strategy, Sample Answer for the Essential Question, and more…)This is a great short story for the middle school! The lesson discusses: explicit details vs. implicit details, inferring, static vs. dynamic characters, and theme. During the three days, students are given the opportunity to work independently, in pairs, in groups, through writing, through speech, etc. Various activities will help with differentiated learning. This lesson is particularly effective in helping students answer the Essential Question (How can a reader determine theme of a text?) because a sample student answer is given for the class to critique. Students will independently answer the E.Q. at the culmination of the lesson (on Day 3!). I hope you enjoy this lesson ! This lesson is Common Core aligned to: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

If you are looking for a high-interest topic to tackle the reading, viewing, and listening standard, look no further! Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius’ eruption, lava, Pliny the Younger… it’s all here. The videos are superb, the the text is rigorous (but short, accessible- and has humor!) and the audio is great. I LOVE teaching Pompeii because the students are fully engaged- mesmerized! The text for READING is by Pliny the Younger. A first-hand account of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Knowing that students may struggle a bit with the language, I have created a paired activity where students summarize each sentence. I have included my summary of each sentence (in case they get stuck- or ) to compare with the student’s finished activity. Yes, Pliny actually calls his uncle out for snoring! The LISTENING text is “The Dog of Pompeii” by Louis Untermyer. If you don’t have the text in your anthology, search for free copies on the web. Students individually complete a worksheet (included) after reading. The VIEWING component uses two videos readily available on the web- one made by PBS that is 2 minutes in length (but packs a punch!) and another lengthier, informative video. Once the students have completed activities on EACH of the modes, there is a writing assignment. The writing assignment begins as a group activity. Groups will write a paragraph and compare to my sample paragraph. Then, students work individually for the final assessment- a similar paragraph that compares the three modes: reading, listening, and viewing. This is a week-long lesson, but you can just teach a part of this lesson if you are focusing on other standards (For example, you may have “Dog of Pompeii” in your anthology. You can use the worksheets and activity for just this story instead of teaching the entire unit). Thanks so much for your interest. Enjoy teaching Pompeii!

This is a complete lesson for the short story "What Do Fish Have To Do With Anything?" by Avi. No prep! This product includes: ---Lesson Plan in EATS format including an activating strategy, teaching strategies, and more. ---Five printable worksheets, which include comprehension questions, exit ticket, and more… ---Answer Keys ---Powerpoint, which includes Essential Questions, PALS reading strategy, Essential Question Sample Answer, and more… This lesson is Common Core aligned to : CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. Thank you!

This lesson includes an EATS lesson plan, 3 worksheets, answer keys, discussion questions, and a PowerPoint for the classic short story that includes O. Henry's trademark twist! Focusing on CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3 and 6.5, students will describe how the main character changes as the plot moves toward a resolution & analyze how a particular sentence contributes to the development of the plot. (Similar seventh-grade and eighth-grade standards are provided. The PowerPoint for "Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry guides the class in activating activities, defining vocabulary, discussing key details, and answering the essential question. A sample answer to the E. Q. is provided for the class to critique (and use as a model for students to answer the E.Q. at the end of the lesson!). This is a great short story for students to enjoy! Thank you!

This is a complete lesson for the short story "After 20 Years" by O. Henry. No prep! This product includes: ---Lesson Plan in EATS format including an activating strategy, teaching strategies, and more. The focus includes uncovering the theme ---Three printable worksheets, which include comprehension questions, exit ticket, and more… ---Answer Keys ---Powerpoint, which includes Essential Questions, PALS reading strategy, Essential Question Sample Answer, and more… -- Bonus Freebie PowerPoint of O. Henry. (20 slides of Biographical information) Included for Differentiation: A Writing Assignment (this is not an in-depth writing assignment, just a suggested culminating activity that is aligned with the Writing Common Core Standards This lesson is Common Core aligned to : CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. Thank you!

Context Clues Task Cards for High School and Middle School Secondary students will learn how to determine the meaning of unknown words using the surrounding text. Definition, example, antonym, and details are the 4 strategies used to guess the definition in this NO PREP product. This NO PREP product uses the 4 strategies of definition, example, antonym, and details. Included: -- Preview Activity with 4 sample task cards -- Preview PowerPoint, with sample answers for discussion --24 Task Cards with a mystery word and a context clue-filled sentence. Print, cut, and go! -- Answer Key (in two formats) -- Bonus: Creating Context Clue-Filled Sentences Directions and Blank Cards -- Bonus: Creating Context Clue-Filled Sentences 20 Mystery Words with Definitions The Preview Activity allows students to try their hand at context clues before they are graded. This will be especially useful if this product is not being used immediately after a Context Clues lesson. The four sample cards work as a review to remind students of the four main strategies (definition, example, antonym, and details) for context clues. The class will use the PowerPoint to check their answers and generate a discussion if they have questions. Task Cards can also be used as Entrance Tickets, Differentiation, Homework, Comprehension Check, Exit Tickets … the possibilities are many! Simply print and cut. Laminate for years of use.

Cootie Catchers are also called fortune tellers. This is a fun FOLDABLE and great interactive activity for studying multiplication! Just print and pass out! Students will cut off the bottom strip, fold, and begin studying! Included in this product are 20 different BLACK AND WHITE cootie catchers, each with 8 different multiplication equations (answers included). Instructions are also included. Partners will use these cootie catchers to practice and review the multiplication tables between 2 and 12! Print all Cootie Catchers and randomly pass out- for maximum variability- or focus on the specific multiples: Slide 3 Equations using 3 ( 6 x 3, 8 X 3…) Slide 4 Equations using 4 Slide 5 Equations using 5 Slide 6 Equations using 6 Slide 7 Equations using 7 Slide 8 Equations using 8 Slide 9 Equations using 9 Slide 10 Equations using 10 Slide 11 Equations using 11 Slide 12 Equations using 3 Slide 15 Mixture of equations using 3 and 4 Slide 16 Mixture of equations using 3 and 4 Slide 17 Mixture of equations using 5 and 6 Slide 18 Mixture of equations using 5 and 6 Slide 19 Mixture of equations using 7 and 8 Slide 20 Mixture of equations using 7 and 8 Slide 21 Mixture of equations using 9 and 10 Slide 22 Mixture of equations using 9 and 10 Slide 23 Mixture of equations using 11 and 12 Slide 24 Mixture of equations using 11 and 12 These cootie catchers really grab students’ enthusiasm! Learning and fun! This bundle of cootie catchers are in BLACK and WHITE. Enjoy!

This Literary Terms Match-Up Game is effective, fun, and can be used over and over in the classroom! Accompanied with an EATS lesson plan and following the Common Core RI.7.4., the "board" gives 28 definitions. Literary terms included are: Dialogue, Figurative language, Plot Inference, Genre, Suspense, Imagery, Theme, Flashback, Irony, Effect, Omniscient, Point of View, Fiction, Cause, Paraphrase, Retelling, Conflict, Setting, Climax, Foreshadowing, Predict, Stanza, Tone, Mood, Main idea, Resolution,Character, Drama, Non-fiction, Narration, Onomatopoeia. The answer key is provided not only to make life easier, but to allow students to check their own work. At the beginning of the year, have students work in groups to match the term to the definition. As the year progresses, use it as a review to see if the students learned the material. Eventually, students will complete the activity individually. It is a great activity for the end of the year, too. You will be impressed how much the students have learned. What took them 20 minutes at the beginning of the year now takes 5 minutes for many students! Throughout the year, I use this as a "filler" when the power goes out or a bomb threat is called in (Yes, it happens!) without wasting students' time. Once, my principal unexpectedly visited my classroom while the students were working on this activity- and he asked if I made this myself. He was impressed. Yay! (The happiness we teachers get from a pat on the back...) I suggest making copies of the game pieces with colored paper so the words stand out more. (Mine was printed on colored paper- in the picture. Laminating the game board and pieces (hint: BEFORE you cut them apart) is a really good idea as well! I also print out copies and give at Open House or at conferences. My students' parents were very grateful!

Middle School Exit Slips are based on Common Core Literature Standards and can be used with any selection, any day! Just print, cut, and distribute! CCSS Aligned You can use each of the twenty-one tickets several times throughout the year with different literature selections. Although these are titled “Exit Tickets,” they can be used as activating strategies, homework slips, prompts for extemporaneous speeches, task cards… The uses are MANY. I have found these cards to be very successful with collaborative pairs as an informal assessment. Each of the 21 printable pages has four Exit Tickets. If you need 40 exit tickets, simply make 10 copies. Print, then cut along the lines. You may choose to laminate and keep them in a Ziplock bag to use more than once. (Since they work with any selection, students will benefit from repeated practice!) Two Exit Tickets that are included in this product: *How did the main character change during the story? (based on CCSS) *How might the story change if the ending was different? (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) Each card will be the same size (easy collecting and stacking!). A box at the bottom of each card is provided for the score (easy grading!). I have also added 14 Bonus Exit Ticket ideas (common core aligned) that are more specific- PLUS a blank Exit Ticket page. Write in your own idea! These bonus tickets might not work well with every story, but when you find one that works for your selection, simply: cut, paste, and print! Exit Slips are the tickets to get out of the door. They help students process what they've learned by allowing them to reflect and summarize. Thank you!

High School Exit Tickets (a.k.a. Exit Slips) are based on Common Core Standards and can be used with any selection, any day! Just print, cut and distribute! You can use each of the twenty tickets with EACH of the selections you assign. Although these are titled “Exit Tickets,” they can be used as Activating strategies, homework slips, prompts for extemporaneous speeches, task cards… The uses are MANY. I have found these cards to be very successful with collaborative pairs as an informal assessment. Each of the 20 printable pages has four Exit Tickets. If you need 40 exit tickets, make 10 copies. Simply print and cut along the lines. You may choose to laminate and keep them in a Ziplock bag to use more than once. (Since they work with any selection, students will benefit from repeated practice!) Two Exit Tickets that are included in this product: “How did one character develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot? (based on CCSS) If the main character transported to the past (or the future), how well would s/he endure? (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) Each card will be the same size (easy collecting and stacking!). A box at the bottom of each card is provided for the score (easy grading!). Thank you! Exit Slips are the students' tickets to get out of the door!

This is Poetry Match-Up Game that is effective and can be used over and over in the classroom! Accompanied with an EATS lesson plan and following the Common Core RI.7.4., the "board" gives 28 definitions. If poetry terms seem a little too rigorous- or you want to begin slowly, I’ve divided the words into two sections. You can give students half of the words to begin. When they finish, you can give them the more challenging words. Or, to differentiate instruction, you can challenge gifted students with all words immediately. Poetry words (in blue) are: Free verse, Haiku, Internal rhyme, Alliteration, Limerick, Simile, Metaphor, Rhyme scheme, Imagery, Personification, Hyperbole and Pun. Challenging words (in green) are: Acrostic, Bard, Genre, Ballad, Symbol, Allusion, Foot, Tone, Parody, Theme, Stanza and Harlem Renaissance. The answer key is provided not only to make life easier, but to allow students to check their own work. At the beginning of the year, have students work in groups to match the term to the definition. As the year progresses, use it as a review to see if the students learned the material. Eventually, students will complete the activity individually. It is a great activity for the end of the year, too. You will be impressed how much the students have learned. What took them 20 minutes at the beginning of the year now takes 5 minutes for many students! Throughout the year, I use this as a "filler" when the power goes out or a bomb threat is called in (Yes, it happens!) without wasting students' time. Once, my principal unexpectedly visited my classroom while the students were working on this activity- and he asked if I made this myself. He was impressed. Yay! (The happiness we teachers get from a pat on the back...) I suggest making copies of the game pieces with colored paper so the words stand out more. (My copy is on colored paper in the photo. You may use plain white paper. I've put the terms in a colored font- in hopes you have a colored printer). Laminating the game board and pieces (hint: laminate BEFORE you cut them apart) is a really good idea as well. I also print out copies and give at Open House or at conferences. My students' parents were very grateful!

Secondary students will learn how to determine the meaning of unknown words using the surrounding text. This NO PREP product uses the 4 strategies of definition, example, antonym, and details to guess the definition of the mystery word when reading to help comprehension. Included: -- Preview Activity with 4 sample task cards -- Preview PowerPoint, with sample answers for discussion --20 Task Cards with a mystery word and a context clue-filled sentence. Print, cut, and go! -- Answer Key (in two formats) -- Bonus: What's the Difference Between Details and Examples? The Preview Activity allows students to try their hand at context clues before the graded assignment. This will be especially useful if task cards are not being used immediately after a Context Clues lesson. The four sample cards work as a review to remind students of the four main strategies (definition, example, antonym, and details) for context clues.The class will use the PowerPoint to check their answers and generate a discussion if they have questions. (This is the same Preview Activity included in Set #1.) To find Set #1, click this link: Task cards work perfectly after a “Context Clues” lesson. Need one? Search for Kroll Context Clues Lesson Task Cards can also be used as Entrance Tickets, differentiation, homework, comprehension check, Exit Tickets … the possibilities are many! Simply print and cut. Laminate for years of use.

Students learn the four common text structures: Compare/Contrast, Description, Cause/Effect, and Problem/ Solution. In this lesson, students learn the definition of text structure- and the difference between it and text features (commonly confused). This product includes the PowerPoint, an EATS lesson plan, graphic organizer, worksheet and answer key. Once students are shown several examples, they will practice identifying original paragraphs (created by me) and writing in a text structure format. Students will write their own paragraph using a structure of their choosing. Others will guess which structure they used. Lastly, students will pair up to summarize the lesson. Students will learn: What clues can I use to determine the text structure of a written piece? and How do text features and structures help the reader understand what they are reading? Common Core Standards: RI. 6.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas. Thank you and ENJOY!

The powerpoint, worksheets, lesson, and more are aligned with the 7th grade standards for this short story by Gary Soto. Check out the reviews! I have included: --a 2-day EATS lesson plan with an Essential Question, preview vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies, and a summarizing strategy (Exit Ticket) -- two worksheets- just print and go! -- a 24-slide PowerPoint -- answer keys -- printable Exit Tickets -- printable Exit Ticket Sample Answers for student pairs to critique I have also included the definitions to the vocabulary, a review on the elements of a short story, PowerPoint slides with timers (to keep students focused on discussions), and sample responses to questions (for students to analyze- or use as a model). This product turns the short story “Mother and Daughter” into an interactive lesson. Make sure you have a copy of the story before buying this product. Due to copyright laws, it is not provided with this purchase. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot). Thank you!

This product includes a Powerpoint, two- day lesson plan, and several worksheets. Created to be fully useful, this is a straightforward lesson plan with worksheets that I have found to be very successful with "Ta-Na-E-Ka," a short story on traditions. I use this at the beginning of the year when teaching the plot mountain. Included: ---2 EATS lesson plan with an Essential Question, preview vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies and a summarizing strategy (Exit Ticket). ---4 worksheets- Just print and go! ---Answer keys ---An extra (optional) worksheet for differentiated instruction. ---Quiz The lesson has a sample answer to the Essential Question, which I have found to be EXTREMELY helpful for students to see before they are expected to write. The sample is on "The Three Little Pigs." A link to the story is provided if you want to read the story to your students. I have also included the lesson plan, worksheet and sample for PALS reading- as I've found this to be an effective strategy. External and Internal conflict are discussed. Thanks so much! ~Kim

If you have the short story “A Day’s Wait” by Ernest Hemingway in your anthology, this lesson is for you. Included in this resource are: a PowerPoint, lesson plan, and 3 worksheets. ✓ The EATS lesson plan includes: Essential Question, vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies, and an Exit Ticket. ✓ The lesson plan and worksheets are a time-saver. Just print and go! Answer keys are included. ✓ The PowerPoint will help with pacing the lesson (especially if you are getting observed!) and will help students focus on the most important components of the lesson. Indirect and Direct Characterization are discussed. I have also answered the essential question (using an example for "The Boy Who Cried Wolf") so that students will be able to discuss how to critique an effective response. Display this sample answer when students are completing the exit ticket. The Common Core Focus is: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. Thank you!