International educator with over 15 years experience.
I love the nuts and bolts of language teaching, but I also like communicative activities and task based learning, including simulations.
I hold a Master of Education with specializations in reading and behavior management, as well as graduate degrees in writing and education.
International educator with over 15 years experience.
I love the nuts and bolts of language teaching, but I also like communicative activities and task based learning, including simulations.
I hold a Master of Education with specializations in reading and behavior management, as well as graduate degrees in writing and education.
Product Description
This resource is one of ten standalone products targeting Middle School Writing Skills.
Each lesson focuses on a particular genre and highlights a particular textual feature.
This product ***Informational Writing*** focuses on:
• Complex sentences with essential and non-essential subordinate clauses
Every lesson contains:
★ Model Text
★ Structural Analysis
★ Transition Words or other useful textual feature focus
★ Planning Handouts/ Graphic Organizers
★ Writing Prompts
★ Grading Rubrics
★ Teacher's Notes
Other resources/ genres in this series include:
✓ Describing a Process (Procedural Texts)
✓ Narrative Writing
✓ Describing Data (Change)
✓ Describing Data (Making Comparisons)
✓ Expressing an Opinion
✓ Cause and Effect Writing
✓ Problem and Solution Writing
✓ Persuasive/ Argument Writing (An Argument with Evidence)
✓ Informational/ Expository Writing
✓ Compare and Contrast Writing
- get to know you
- introductions & greetings
-yes/no questions
- info questions
- hobbies and interests
-and/or/but
-play/go/do with sports
- is/are + verb-ing
-possessives (his/her etc)
-shopping
- talking about the future & making predictions
- physical descriptions
- family members
- count vs. non-count
-prepositions
- times
-dates
-can/ be able to/ knows how to
- get to know you questions
- asking for more info
- reported speech
- prepositions
- comparatives
- superlatives
- directions
- as adjective as
- time & sequence
- simple past
- past progressive/ continuous
- used to/ used for
-modal auxiliary verbs
- giving opinions
-making suggestions
- could/ should
- adverbs of frequency
- preferences
- feelings
- would questions
- the senses
This is a fun reading activity comparing the similar though distinct family/ religious/ seasonal celebrations of Christmas, Eid-al-Fitr, Diwali, and Hanukkah. Students read about these holidays in small groups before returning to their "home-groups" to consolidate information, and then finally coming together as a class check their findings.
- Targeted to grade 5 - 7
- Common Core Aligned
***Resource contains:***
- Four reading comprehension passages (each a brief overview of the way Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid-al-Fitr, and Diwali is celebrated).
- A “jigsaw” worksheet where students can record their answers.
- A PowerPoint presentation displaying sample answers to the information required in the jigsaw reading worksheet (in ppt, pptx, and pdf forms).
- Detailed instructions
ALTERNATIVE: This activity could be completed alone or in pairs, just by giving the students every reading. It wouldn’t be as much fun, though.
1. Lists of Words for Making Partners.
2. What’s your favorite…? Survey
3. Find Someone Who…
4. Signature BINGO
5. Weather Jigsaw Activity
6. Find the snakes! (Hobbies, likes, and dislikes)
7. Five in a row! (Clothing and prices)
Product Description
This resource is one of ten standalone products targeting Middle School Writing Skills.
Each lesson focuses on a particular genre and highlights a particular textual feature.
This product ***Narrative Writing*** focuses on:
• Temporal linking words
• Reported speech
Every lesson contains:
★ Model Text
★ Structural Analysis
★ Transition Words or other useful textual feature focus
★ Planning Handouts/ Graphic Organizers
★ Writing Prompts
★ Grading Rubrics
★ Teacher's Notes
Other resources/ genres in this series include:
✓ Describing a Process (Procedural Texts)
✓ Narrative Writing
✓ Describing Data (Change)
✓ Describing Data (Making Comparisons)
✓ Expressing an Opinion
✓ Cause and Effect Writing
✓ Problem and Solution Writing
✓ Persuasive/ Argument Writing (An Argument with Evidence)
✓ Informational/ Expository Writing
✓ Compare and Contrast Writing
Product Description
This resource is one of ten standalone products targeting Middle School Writing Skills.
Each lesson focuses on a particular genre and highlights a particular textual feature.
This product ***Problem and Solution Writing*** focuses on:
• Intensifying adverbs & graded adjectives
• Absolute adverbs and non-graded adjectives
Every lesson contains:
★ Model Text
★ Structural Analysis
★ Transition Words or other useful textual feature focus
★ Planning Handouts/ Graphic Organizers
★ Writing Prompts
★ Grading Rubrics
★ Teacher's Notes
Other resources/ genres in this series include:
✓ Describing a Process (Procedural Texts)
✓ Narrative Writing
✓ Describing Data (Change)
✓ Describing Data (Making Comparisons)
✓ Expressing an Opinion
✓ Cause and Effect Writing
✓ Problem and Solution Writing
✓ Persuasive/ Argument Writing (An Argument with Evidence)
✓ Informational/ Expository Writing
✓ Compare and Contrast Writing
Product Description
This resource is one of ten standalone products targeting Middle School Writing Skills.
Each lesson focuses on a particular genre and highlights a particular textual feature.
This product ***Cause and Effect Writing*** focuses on:
• Transition words for cause and effect
Every lesson contains:
★ Model Text
★ Structural Analysis
★ Transition Words or other useful textual feature focus
★ Planning Handouts/ Graphic Organizers
★ Writing Prompts
★ Grading Rubrics
★ Teacher's Notes
Other resources/ genres in this series include:
✓ Describing a Process (Procedural Texts)
✓ Narrative Writing
✓ Describing Data (Change)
✓ Describing Data (Making Comparisons)
✓ Expressing an Opinion
✓ Cause and Effect Writing
✓ Problem and Solution Writing
✓ Persuasive/ Argument Writing (An Argument with Evidence)
✓ Informational/ Expository Writing
✓ Compare and Contrast Writing
Product Description
This resource is one of ten standalone products targeting Middle School Writing Skills.
Each lesson focuses on a particular genre and highlights a particular textual feature.
This product ***Describing Data: CHANGE*** focuses on:
• Adverbs, verbs, and nouns to describe change
• Interpreting and explaining information from graphs
Every lesson contains:
★ Model Text
★ Structural Analysis
★ Transition Words or other useful textual feature focus
★ Planning Handouts/ Graphic Organizers
★ Writing Prompts
★ Grading Rubrics
★ Teacher's Notes
Other resources/ genres in this series include:
✓ Describing a Process (Procedural Texts)
✓ Narrative Writing
✓ Describing Data (Change)
✓ Describing Data (Making Comparisons)
✓ Expressing an Opinion
✓ Cause and Effect Writing
✓ Problem and Solution Writing
✓ Persuasive/ Argument Writing (An Argument with Evidence)
✓ Informational/ Expository Writing
✓ Compare and Contrast Writing
Product Description
This resource is one of ten standalone products targeting Middle School Writing Skills.
Each lesson focuses on a particular genre and highlights a particular textual feature.
This product ***Describing Data: Comparisons*** focuses on:
• Adverbs/ adjectives of Intensity
• Writing numbers in texts
• Interpreting and explaining information from pie-charts
Every lesson contains:
★ Model Text
★ Structural Analysis
★ Transition Words or other useful textual feature focus
★ Planning Handouts/ Graphic Organizers
★ Writing Prompts
★ Grading Rubrics
★ Teacher's Notes
Other resources/ genres in this series include:
✓ Describing a Process (Procedural Texts)
✓ Narrative Writing
✓ Describing Data (Change)
✓ Describing Data (Making Comparisons)
✓ Expressing an Opinion
✓ Cause and Effect Writing
✓ Problem and Solution Writing
✓ Persuasive/ Argument Writing (An Argument with Evidence)
✓ Informational/ Expository Writing
✓ Compare and Contrast Writing
1) The Pre-reading Survey:
This is a fun way to orient and introduce students to some of themes and topics in the novel. Have students complete it individually, or by interviewing a friend. Revisit it as a post-reading activity to see if students’ opinions have changed.
2) Chapter-by-chapter Comprehension Questions:
These literal, inferential, reflective, and analytical comprehension questions are perfect for homework or classwork. They have been designed to alert and orient students to pertinent plot information, themes, and concepts in the story; therefore, allowing them to engage more deeply with the novel. They can form the basis of class discussions or reading journals. The number of questions ranges from 2 to 12 per chapter, depending on the breadth and depth of the content of the chapter.
3) The Story Tracking Worksheet.
A story tracking worksheet is provided for the characters in the novel.
1. The Pre-reading Survey:
This is a fun way to orient and introduce students to some of the themes and topics in the novel. Have students complete it individually, or by interviewing a friend.
2. Comprehension Questions:
These literal, inferential, and analytical comprehension questions are perfect for homework or classwork. They can form the basis of class discussions or reading journals. The number of questions ranges from 3 to 12 per chapter, depending on the breadth and depth of the content of the chapter.
3. The Story Tracking Worksheets:
Three story tracking worksheets are provided (characters, places, and customs). They help students keep track of important concepts and information in the story. Have them write brief notes about the characters, places, and customs mentioned in the story as they come across them.
4. The Post-reading Questions.
* A thorough answer key is provided.*
The Pre-reading Survey:
This is a fun way to orient and introduce students to some of themes and topics in the novel. Have students complete it individually, or by interviewing a friend.
Chapter-by-chapter Comprehension Questions:
These literal, inferential, and analytical comprehension questions are perfect for homework or classwork. They can form the basis of class discussions or reading journals. The number of questions ranges from 10 to 20 per chapter, depending on the breadth and depth of the content of the chapter.
* A thorough answer key is provided.*
The Story Tracking Worksheets:
Four story tracking worksheets are provided (characters, places, sayings, and revisions). They help students keep track of important concepts and information in the story. Have them write brief notes about the characters, places, and customs mentioned in the story as they come across them.
*Sample answers provided*
Chapter by chapter literal, inferential, and literary comprehension questions for journals, homework, literature circles and close reading for the novel 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green.
1. p.2 - 8 Student questions (3 - 15 questions per chapter, depending on chapter length).
2. p.9 - 21 Sample answer key for comprehension questions.
3. p. 22 - 24 Story Tracker Worksheets for characters, symbols, and conflict.
4. p. 25 - 27 Sample responses to Story Tracker Worksheets.
1. The Pre-reading Survey:
This is a fun way to orient and introduce students to some of the themes and topics in the novel. Have students complete it individually, or by interviewing a friend. Some vocabulary and concepts may need to be explained.
2. Chapter-by-chapter Comprehension Questions:
These literal, inferential, and analytical comprehension questions are perfect for homework or classwork. They can form the basis of class discussions or reading journals. The number of questions ranges from 10 to 30 per chapter, depending on the breadth and depth of the content of the chapter.
3. The Comprehension Tracking Worksheets:
FOUR comprehension tracking worksheets are provided (characters, places, concepts & things; Newspeak). They help students keep track of important concepts and information in the story. They are cloze exercises with the answers provided in a textbox.
4. The Teacher Answer Key:
A thorough teacher answer key is provided.
This short, simple workshop is designed to introduce or refresh students’ knowledge of sentence and paragraph structure with the aim of improving their writing skills. Students will continue to use their knowledge (and refer to their notes) during self and peer editing throughout their writing careers.
Contents:
1. Teachers’ guide with detailed lesson procedures
2. Students’ guide (10 pages; PowerPoint presentation transcripts: explanations and examples)
3. Presentations for sentence fragments, run-on sentences, transition words, and paragraphs in .ppt, .pptx and .pdf format.
4. 16 items in total
This resource is comprised of three parts:
1. Middle School Writing Prompt Task Cards for Argument, Narrative & Informative Writing + Research and Writing Skills
2. Self-Peer-Teacher Editing Checklists for Argument, Narrative & Informative Writing (CCSS Aligned)
3. Task Card List and Teacher Checklist (CCSS Aligned)
ABOUT THE TASK CARDS:
- Suitable for grades 6 - 8
- Literal, inferential, real-world and personal connection, language, collaborative, and creative questions
- Common core aligned
- Fun, playing card theme
- 4 categories: argument writing, informative writing; narrative writing; character; research & skills
- 14 cards per category (56 questions in total)
- JOKER card for each topic offers a creative task
- Task-recording document included
- Self-Peer-Teacher Editing Checklists included for each writing genre
- Card backs and divider cards included
Brave New World Vocabulary Quizzes! Great for quizzes, homework, or self-directed study!
Words were carefully selected to remove obstacles to reading and improve comprehension.
- Chapter-by-chapter essential vocabulary
-14 - 15 words per chapter
- Word bank provided
- Vocabulary lists provided, but available as a separate download from my shop
- Answer key provided
- Suitable for grades 6 – 8
- Common core aligned
- Fun, playing card theme
- Multiple question types: circling & underlining, correcting, re-writing, prompts, and more!
- 4 categories covering essential middle school language knowledge specified in the Common Core: pronouns, verbals & verb moods, active & passive voice, and common mistakes
- Great general grammar practice and review for any class
- Cards also make great bell-ringers/ exit slips when printed on paper
- 14 cards per category (56 tasks in total)
- Task card recording document included
- Teachers’ Answer Key Included
- Card backs & divider cards included
Now with Google Drive Links
Close Reading Stories and Comprehension Worksheets + Vocabulary Work!
A modern, plain-language retelling of three of Geoffrey Chaucer’s classic stories!
High-interest extracts from authentic texts
Designed for close reading
Each excerpt stands alone as a close reading text suitable for scrutiny, critique, reflection, and evaluation.
Texts may be used as bell-ringers, as homework or vacation
assignments, one-to-one tutoring, no-prep substitute plans, or any
other use
Includes 3 levels of questions: main ideas and detail, language and literary devices, author’s purpose, and evaluation and personal-connection
Vocabulary rich
Includes questions on text structure, word-choice, and author’s bias
Common Core Aligned
Answer key included
Sample Difficulty Levels included
Stories Included:
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
The Pardoner’s Tale
The Clerk’s Tale
If you are interested in literature passages, please check out my best-selling and top-rated fiction passages by clicking here!
Or, how about a great value bundle of both? Click here!
What about some Science Close Reading Passages?
For reading comprehension passages for younger learners, please click here!