A sample letter of advice to Dr. Frankenstein from his friend Henry Clerval and another to Nemo from Finding Nemo. These letters model how the student should write the letter to any literature character of their choice or the one assigned. Can be made into a transparency or blown up for better viewing. Includes helpful internet links. Editable Word document. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This lesson is designed to help engage and facilitate learning about weathering, erosion, and deposition process for students. It includes linked videos, handouts, and creative ways to assess students’ learning (blank comic strip templates).There is also Frayer model vocabulary model sheets available to help students understand and remember key vocabulary. Also includes works cited page for research. This lesson is student-centered meaning: --it allows you to become a facilitator --happier teachers --happier students --happier administrators

A sample letter of advice to Dr. Frankenstein from his friend Henry Clerval and another to Nemo from Finding Nemo. These letters model how the student should write the letter to any literature character of their choice or the one assigned. Can be made into a transparency or blown up for better viewing. Includes helpful internet links. Editable Word document. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: --it allows you to become a facilitator! --happier teachers! --happier students! --happier administrators!

A 12-slide powerpoint with pictures and information about TX and the Civil War, including President Lincoln, Dred Scott, Slavery, Cotton Diplomacy, Consequences and vocabulary words. Pictures strategically placed for emphasis on key points. This lesson is student-centered meaning: --it allows you to become a facilitator --happier teachers --happier students --happier administrators

This bundle of 10 tests on 9 secondary English (grades 6-9) reading selections from the textbook series from HOLT McDOUGAL LITERATURE, includes multiple-choice questions (number varies depending on length of reading selection) from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: summarization, main idea, characterization, author’s purpose, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, literary devices, figurative language, fact & opinion, analogies, theme, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) and are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Answer key included. Comes in editable MS Word Doc format. These 10 tests total over 139 pages of test material. Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! *PLEASE NOTE: Due to copyright restrictions, this product does not contain the reading selection(s). *PRO TEACHER TIP: Even though some of these tests may be specifically designed for a higher grade level, there are students on lower grade levels that can rise to the rigorous test questions! Tests cover the reading selections listed below: “Sorry, Right Number” by Stephen King (12 pages total) “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” by Rod Serling(24 pages total) “Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe MS version (19 pages total) “Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe HS version (22 pages total) “A Glow in the Dark” by Gary Paulsen (11 pages total) “Incident in a Rose Garden” poem by Donald Justice (6 pages total) “The Man Who Cheated Death” by Carlos Salinas (16 pages total) “Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe (10 pages total) “The Cremation of Sam McGee” poem by Robert Service (12 pages total) “The Raven” poem by Edgar Allen Poe (7 pages total) This product is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators! Join our email list to get teaching tips & resources, teacher humor, inspirational quotes, and more right in your inbox! MS ELAR teachers join here! HS English teachers join here!

A 6-slide slideshow describing the causes and effects of the Battle of Gonzales, including the Grass Fight, Battle of the Alamo, and Texas temporarily becoming its own country. Includes pictures for emphasis on key points. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

A 6-slide PowerPoint slideshow with pictures describing the concept of Manifest Destiny with specific emphasis on annexing Texas into the United States. Includes topics such as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, The Mexican-American War, along with questions for discussion or essays. Also includes John Gast’s painting, “American Progress”. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

A 17 multiple-choice-question test about the discovery and manufacturing of oil in TX. Social studies test aimed for 7th grade but versatile for other grades. Includes KEY. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

The activity comes with 4 YouTube video links (entitled: The NASA moon landing, Life on Mars?, Galileo’s Story, and Life on a Space Shuttle) along with small-group discussion questions. This activity worked great with my 7th graders and really engaged them in discussions. I would play the video twice and then let them discuss and answer the questions. This lesson is student-centered meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 50-question multiple-choice reading analysis/comprehension test/quiz on Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief movie has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It also includes one essay open-ended question about the film and characters. Show the movie and feel confident that students will see it through a language arts and English class lens! It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection, plot development, elements of literature, and characterization.Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. Answer key and writing rubric included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text/film/media says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text/film/media. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 54-question multiple-choice reading analysis/comprehension test/quiz on Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory (2016) movie has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It also includes two essay open-ended questions about the film and characters (56 questions total). Show the movie and feel confident that students will see it through a language arts and English class lens. It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the movie, plot development, point of view, making inferences, literary devices, and figurative language. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. Answer key and writing rubric included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text/film/media says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text/film/media. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

Thirty-one fill-in-the-blank listening questions to Mythbusters' episode "Viral Hour"(S6, E12) to help students focus on the episode. Can be graded. Key included. This lesson is student-centered meaning: --it allows you to become a facilitator --happier teachers --happier students --happier administrators

A 9-slide PowerPoint presentation about the Indian Wars in Texas. Includes musical lyrics to music about these events (Cherokee Nation by Blackfoot, and Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley) and links to YouTube music videos. Pictures included. Editable! This lesson is student-centered meaning: --it allows you to become a facilitator --happier teachers! --happier students! --happier administrators!

This 28-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on the African folk tale “All Stories Are Anansi’s” by Harold Courlander has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: plot development, characterization, author’s purpose, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, literary devices, figurative language, analogies, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. This product is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 35-question multiple-choice reading analysis and comprehension test on the short story “The Bear Boy” by Joseph Bruchac has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection, plot development, characterization, author’s purpose, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, literary devices, and figurative language. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 29-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on “I Am a Native of North America” nonfiction by Chief Dan George has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, cause and effect, figurative language, literary devices, author’s purpose, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 35-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on “Bernie Williams: Yankee Doodle Dandy” nonfiction article by Joel Poiley has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, cause and effect, figurative language, literary devices, author’s purpose, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 26-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on an excerpt from In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens Nonfiction by Alice Walker has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, cause and effect, figurative language, literary devices, author’s purpose, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 42-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on “Rattlesnake Hunt” nonfiction selection by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, cause and effect, figurative language, literary devices, author’s purpose, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. This product is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 46-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on “No Gumption” nonfiction selection by Russell Baker has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, cause and effect, figurative language, literary devices, author’s purpose, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!