**MIDDLE SCHOOL THANKSGIVING ACTIVITIES PACKET! Fun for students! Time-saver for YOU! This Packet Includes:** Letter of Gratitude: I am thankful for… This meaningful and engaging activity includes writing prompts and a template for students to pen a letter of reflection and gratitude Crossword Puzzle Word Search And a Parts of Speech Fill-in-the-blank Word Story (based off of the popular word game! (Always a class favorite!) Save yourself some time (and sanity!) when the Thanksgiving Break week approaches with this packet of five “time-filler” activities:** Answer Keys always provided! Happy Thanksgiving!

5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Middle School English ELA Halloween Activities! Bundle of FIVE FUN Activities! This Packet Includes: Creating a Halloween Short Story Crossword Puzzle Word Search Acrostic Poem And a Parts of Speech Fill-in-the-blank Word Story (based off of the popular word game! (Always a class favorite! Save yourself some time (and sanity!) when the Halloween Holiday week approaches with this packet of four “time-filler” worksheets: Answer Keys always provided! Happy Haunting!

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES PACKET! Fun for students! Time-saver for YOU! Now includes inclusive activities for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Bodhi Day UPDATE!! I have added a new, meaningful activity that allows students to explore other cultural traditions: “Letter Writing” Now, along with the other fun activities, your kids can pen an impactful letter of cultural exploration during this holiday season. This Packet Includes: Letter Writing: Exploring other Cultural Traditions This meaningful and engaging activity includes writing prompts; facts for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Bodhi Day; as well as a letter template. Students will explore (fact sheets provided!) a holiday different from their own, and a pen a letter to a figure or person representing that holiday. A Parts of Speech Fill-in-the-blank Word Story (based off of the popular word game “Mad Libs”! Always a class favorite! Students will rewrite “The Night Before Christmas” Crossword Puzzle ( 15 Christmas Clues) Word Searches (2 Puzzles: Christmas and December Holidays) Acrostic Poem (with brainstorming word web and template for all four holidays) Save yourself some time (and sanity!) when the Holiday Break approaches with this packet of five activities. Great for time-fillers, subs, or just a quick activity with no prep for you! Answer Keys always provided! Happy Holidays!

8th GRADE GRAMMAR COMMON CORE: VERBALS UNIT: ☑ A 50-page packet that helps you introduce the Verbals unit, provide practice, and assess student knowledge upon completion of the unit. ☑ Common Core Standard: (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.A) INCLUDED IN THE PACKET: ☑ 1) CLOZE TEST: This is an activity to help introduce gerunds, infinitives, and participles. A Cloze Test measures a student’s prior knowledge by asking the student to fill in the missing words that have been removed from a passage. Once they have taken the cloze test, you will give the students the correct terminology so they may use the handout as a guide for review (TIP: always fun to make it a COMPETITION! Whoever gets the most correct gets candy, 5 points on exam, etc). ☑ 2) DEFINITION AND PRACTICE WORKSHEETS: Handouts with the definition and examples of Gerunds and Participles. (A definition for Infinitives is included in the first page of practice worksheets) All are color-coded to help with visual learning. 4-5 Practice Worksheets for each Verbal. The worksheets offer practice by determining the specific usage of the verbal through context, creating sentences, identifying phrases, and using the verbal for certain parts of speech. ☑ 3) UNIT EXAM: 30-Question Unit exam for student comprehension with Verbals (Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles). The first portion of the exam asks students to identify the verbals within the given sentences through tasks such as indicating where the verbal is within the sentence, and how the verbal is functioning (as an adjective, verb, etc.). The last section of the exam asks students to identify the verbals within a paragraph (in context) and indicate if the verbal is a gerund, infinitive, or participle. The writing portion requires the same, but they are to create their own paragraph. This last section can be optional depending on your preference. ☑ Easy-to-grade answer keys for all products are always included.

******** THE OUTSIDERS UNIT PACKET: This is a UNIT PACKET for The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The packet includes the following: 1) TIMELINE UNIT PROJECT This project encourages student engagement throughout the entire progression of the novel. It includes a guideline with instructions for the students, a graphic organizer for note-taking, and an easy-to-grade rubric for you.This can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups. 2) JOHNNY ON TRIAL: A MOCK TRIAL The most fun you’ll have all year… The activity is a Mock Trial for Johnny Cade and his role in the murder of Bob Sheldon. It is the students’ job to decide if Johnny acted in self defense or if he is guilty of second degree murder. The packet guides the students through the process of the trial with easy-to-follow instructions which means no prep for you! This activity challenges them to engage their close reading, writing, group collaboration, and public speaking skills. A grading rubric is also included. 4) COMPREHENSION QUIZZES These are three very BASIC* comprehension quizzes that cover Chapters 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12. These quizzes are just a quick assessment to ensure they are following along. There are ten multiple choice questions per quiz and an Answer Key is included. *The EXAM included in this packet delves more into details and close reading. 5) CHARACTER AND TERMINOLOGY CROSSWORD REVIEW This is a 20-question Crossword Puzzle with terms, characters, and plot points from the play. Good for summary and review before exam, or just for days when students are silent reading and you get some early finishers. 6) 40 QUESTION UNIT EXAM (PLUS ESSAY PROMPT) 40 question unit exam that includes 15 multiple choice comprehension/critical thinking questions, 15 character and terminology matching questions, 5 true/false, and 5 plot diagram (optional). Answer key provided. Also included is an Essay prompt that may be used as part of the exam (based on how much time your class periods allow for assessment) or assigned as an individual take-home or in-class essay. A Rubric, a Brainstorming Sheet, an Outline Sheet, and a Final Draft Sheet are provided. (The latter three are optional based on your preference.)

******** THE GIVER UNIT PACKET: This is a UNIT PACKET for The Giver by Lois Lowry. The packet includes the following: 1) TIMELINE UNIT PROJECT This project encourages student engagement throughout the entire progression of the novel. It includes a guideline with instructions for the students, a graphic organizer for note-taking, and an easy-to-grade rubric for you.This can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups. 2) MOCK CEREMONY OF TWELVE The most fun you'll have all year... This is a fun and engaging activity to do with your students as you read. This Mock Ceremony allows your students to actively engage with the novel as they play the roles as citizens of the community. There is a writing portion of the activity that encourages persuasive writing, as well as a public speaking aspect. The packet includes instructions and a "script" for you, guidelines and worksheets for the students, and job assignments. 3) CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS This is a packet of over 50 chapter questions that can be used as a tool for you to facilitate class discussion and/or given to your students for individual reflection. The questions are reflective of main points or themes that require critical thinking skills. Many of the questions challenge students to think outside of the novel and reflect on our own society and encourage growth as individuals. 4) CHAPTER VOCABULARY GRAPHIC ORGANIZER This is a comprehensive unit packet of Vocabulary with over 50 Vocabulary terms used in the novel. Providing students with this packet allows for closer reading and engagement with the novel. The Vocabulary Graphic Organizer is a column chart that instructs the students to write how the word is used in context with the book (page numbers included), provide a definition, and create a new sentence. 5) 45 QUESTION UNIT EXAM (PLUS ESSAY PROMPT) 45-Question Unit Exam that includes 25 multiple choice comprehension/critical thinking questions, 15 character and terminology matching questions, and 5 plot diagram questions. Easy-to-read Answer Key. Also included is an Essay prompt that may be used as part of the exam (based on how much time your class periods allow for assessment) or assigned as an individual take-home or in-class essay. A Rubric, a Brainstorming Sheet, an Outline Sheet, and a Final Draft Sheet are provided. (The latter three are optional based on your preference.) 6) STUDENT UTOPIA PROJECT Get your students excited about reading this novel by starting off the unit with The Utopia Project. . .While this is a project designed to introduce students to the novel, it may be done during any portion of the unit. The purpose of this project is to not only introduce the novel, but to get your students actively thinking about the setting and theme of a Utopian vs. Dystopian world. Included in this product are guidelines to help your students create an advertisement or visual depiction of their perfect, Utopian society. Also included is a Rubric for quick and easy grading. *****************************************************************************

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL for NOVEL STUDY: TEN Activities/Assessments ✮ EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO TEACH THIS NOVEL from START TO FINISH! ✮ This bundle was created with lessons and assessments designed to ignite student engagement without the teacher’s burden of doing all the prep work. Each lesson is print-ready-to-go with detailed instructions for students to allow you to do less work while teaching the novel. The following activities and assessments are listed in order from pre-reading, to during-reading, and post-reading. PRE-READING: INTRODUCE THE NOVEL (VIDEO & ACTIVITY): This introductory activity is a great way to spark student background knowledge and interest in reading the novel. Students will be shown a short video of images related to the novel’s setting, theme(s), and plot. They will do a quick write as they view the film, and then use their quick write to create a pre-reading creative reflection. DURING READING: UNIT TIMELINE PROJECT: This project encourages student engagement throughout the entire progression of the novel. It includes a guideline with instructions for the students, a graphic organizer for note-taking, and an easy-to-grade rubric for you. This can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups. VOCABULARY PACKET AND PRESENTATION: This packet provides a great way to integrate vocabulary and reading comprehension as students are asked to find, define, illustrate, and present their own vocabulary words throughout the novel. This packet also provides you with two easy-to-grade rubrics. PLOT ENGAGEMENT: READING AND MAKING INFERENCES WORKSHEETS: Your students will make inferences about the plot based on a short section of the novel they are given. Through reading deeply and thinking critically, students will make inferences by answering the questions about his or her section. (Best done early on within the novel). INTEGRATING GRAMMAR: Students will use the novel to review the 8 parts of speech. This is a great way to give a grammar lesson while teaching the novel (vs. teaching grammar through isolation). Included in this lesson is a graphic organizer for students to keep in their binders throughout the year (no matter what you are teaching!) POST-READING: (Some of these may be assigned during reading if you prefer) CHARACTER ANALYSIS/CHARACTERIZATION ACTIVITY: INCLUDES POWERPOINT This is a deeply engaging activity for your students to not only learn how to analyze/characterize literature but learn how to reflect and grow as individuals through reading. CREATIVE WRITING: Reinventing a Chapter: This activity not only helps them to further engage in the novel but also allows them to work on Creative Writing. This lesson was designed to help each student brainstorm how to Reinvent a chapter from the novel. Includes detailed instruction and prompts for students. Easy-to-grade Rubric is also provided! LETTER WRITING: Letter to a Character: This lesson will help students think critically about how characters are driven by plot. In addition, this lesson will hold your students accountable for their reading engagement. This lesson is also print-ready-to-go to allow little effort on your part! WORD SEARCH ACTIVITY: This is a great worksheet to have on hand for your early finishers or if you have a substitute while teaching the unit. Includes 15 character names/words associated with the novel. Solution is provided. FINAL ESSAY ASSESSMENT: This bundle also includes an Essay assignment that may be used as an in-class “exam” (based on how much time your class periods allow for assessment) or assigned as an individual take-home or in-class essay. The Essay assignment also includes an easy-to-grade Rubric, a Brainstorming Sheet, an Outline Sheet, and a Final Draft Sheet.