5th, 6th, 7th, 8th MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH ELA HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY! ACROSTIC POEM: Save yourself some time (and sanity!) with this quick “time-filler” for the crazy week around Halloween. This worksheet provides: *Definition of an Acrostic Poem *Example of an Acrostic Poem *Brainstorming Word Web *Acrostic Template with the word “Halloween”

FREE Grammar Resource: Parts of Speech Graphic Organizer FREE Resource! This is a Graphic Organizer for your students to keep in a binder. Included in this organizer is a Definition, Example words, and a blank space for a student example for each of the 8 Parts of Speech.

THE GIVER NOVEL STUDY INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY “TIMELINE PROJECT”: This is a comprehensive unit project for The Giver. This fun project is a favorite of the students that encourages student engagement with the entire progression of the novel. This project can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups. With the timeline project, you are able to assess formative student engagement and comprehension throughout the unit, as opposed to just a summative assessment at the end of the unit. In this packet, you will find the Timeline Instructions and Checklist for students. This project can be given after reading the novel, but it works best if given at the beginning. This activity asks the students to document important moments, events, and/or dialogue as they read. Included is a graphic organizer that will help them compile their notes for their Timeline. You will find an easy-to-grade Rubric that should allow you to grade their projects quickly, yet efficiently.

**MIDDLE SCHOOL THANKSGIVING ACTIVITIES: ACROSTIC POEM (6th, 7th, 8th Grades) ** Have your students create a “thankful” acrostic poem with the words “GIVE THANKS.” Easy-to-read instructions on how to craft an acrostic poem, as well as a short acrostic example provided. Easy, thoughtful activity with NO PREP for you! Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

MIDDLE SCHOOL ELA ENGLISH HALLOWEEN CROSSWORD PUZZLE: Save yourself some time (and sanity!) with this quick “time-filler” for the crazy week around Halloween! 20 Spooky Clues! For 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Grades Answer Key provided

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY Engaging Unit Activity: Introduce the Novel (Video & Activity): Pre-Reading Activity to Spark Interest in the Novel *** GET THEM EXCITED TO READ!!! *** This is an activity that can be used to introduce the novel prior to reading. Detailed instructions for your students are provided on the handouts, so all you have to do is print and press play! Included in this activity is a VIDEO composed of IMAGES related to the setting, theme(s), and plot of the novel. Each image will be displayed on the screen for about twenty seconds. Students will be asked to do a QUICK WRITE by jotting down their immediate thoughts and reactions as they view the images within the video. This allows students to spark any BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, as well as spark an interest in the novel before even starting to read! After the video has been viewed, the students will then use their quick write as a reference to create a poem, paragraph, drawing, etc. that reflects their initial reaction to what they believe the novel will be about. You may wish to have each student present their creative projects in front of the class prior to reading and turning them in. I hope you and your students find this source a great way to introduce the novel. Your Students will love this activity!

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY UNIT READING ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY: Making Inferences Worksheets This activity can be done early on as students begin the novel. This lesson allows students to dive deep into the text to ignite critical thinking about plot and character. Detailed instructions are included for students making this an easy-to-assign and easy-to-grade activity! COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITY: The worksheets for this activity can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups! After students complete their worksheets, they will come together as a class to discuss their piece of the novel. MAKING INFERENCES: Students are provided a definition of an “inference,” and then they are asked to make inferences about the plot throughout the activity. GUIDED PROMPTS: NO PREP! All of the worksheets in this activity provide the students with engaging prompts to allow them to work through the activity on their own. The only preparation needed is to choose how to divide the chapter or section up among your students. (Easy tip: Write numbers for each page/section, and have the students draw from a hat!)

THE GIVER UTOPIA PROJECT: Activity for introducing the novel 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. THIS IS A *PDF FILE

5th, 6th, 7th, 8th English ELA Fun Middle School Halloween Activity: "Mad Libs!"This Parts of Speech Halloween Writing Activity is based on the popular and fun game of “Mad Libs!” In this Halloween version, students will rewrite a Halloween story by using different parts of speech: ADJECTIVES NOUNS VERBS and more! REVIEWS: “My students enjoyed this resource, and while they were shy to share their stories with the whole group, they happily shared their responses in smaller peer groups. I will happily use this resource next Halloween!” “This was such a great ELA activity to do with my students before Halloween weekend!” Easy, thoughtful activity with NO PREP for you!

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY UNIT ACTIVITY! WORD SEARCH This is a handy worksheet to have on hand for your early finishers. It also is good to have to use as a quick review of characters and terms. There are 15 words included: ORWELL OCEANIA PROLES WINSTON BIG BROTHER THE PARTY JULIA TELESCREENS ST. CLEMENTS O’BRIEN MANIFESTO PAPERWEIGHT CHARRINGTON GOLDSTEIN VICTORY

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY ACTIVITY | TIMELINE PROJECT | This is a comprehensive unit project for the novel that is both fun for the students and a great way for you to assess their engagement. This fun project is a favorite of the students that encourages student engagement with the entire progression of the novel. This project can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups. With the timeline project, you are able to assess formative student engagement and comprehension throughout the unit, as opposed to just a summative assessment at the end of the unit. In this packet, you will find the: Timeline Instructions and Checklist for students. This project can be given after reading the novel, but it works best if given at the beginning. This activity asks the students to document important moments, events, and/or dialogue as they read. Included is a graphic organizer that will help them compile their notes for their Timeline. An example (partial) Timeline and Student notes are also provided: This will help them get started. After they have compiled the required number of moments in their notes (this required number will be decided by you–there is a blank space provided on the Instructions), they will put together an organized and creative Timeline for the novel. (The example Timeline is from the novel "The Giver.’) How they create their Timeline is up to you (and them!) My students have done PowerPoints, print-outs, dioramas, videos, and just good ol’ Posterboard. Finally, you will find an easy-to-grade Rubric that should allow you to grade their projects quickly, yet efficiently.

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY UNIT Activity: Creative Writing: Reinventing a Chapter One of the most memorable activities I did when I was in middle school was re-creating a chapter from a novel we were reading in English. I loved being able to create my own version of the chapter! Little did I know, this was actually helping me to understand plot, conflict, and character development, as well! So, I decided to create a similar activity to the one I loved back in middle school! Not only will this packet allow for students to dive deeper into their reading, but this packet will also allow YOU to spend less time grading and more time focused on class discussion of the novel! This creative writing unit includes: Easy-to-Grade Rubric Guided and Detailed Instructions for each “section” of their chapter. Each template provides thorough questions to ask themselves in order to help them understand what to write: Brainstorming (Free Writing) Brainstorming (Word Web) Organizing Your Thoughts (Character, Setting, Conflict) Organizing Your Thoughts (How to Start Writing the Chapter) Inventing the Moments (Creating Moments for the Chapter) Wrapping It Up (Using a “Cliffhanger” / Building Tension) Clear, Lined Drafting Paper

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY Final Unit Assessment: Essay Writing (ESSAY QUESTION(S), TEMPLATES, EASY-TO-GRADE RUBRIC) This essay packet could be used as an in-class assessment or as a take-home assignment. There are three essay questions that promote higher-level thinking skills and deep engagement with the novel and theme. You may decide to have the students do one or all three questions. What is included in this packet: THREE ESSAY PROMPTS (with clear instructions for students) EASY-TO-GRADE RUBRIC (save time with ready-to-grade or blank to create your own grading scale) BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET (student brainstorming sheet) OUTLINE TEMPLATE (outline example and template for pre-drafting) FINAL DRAFT SHEET (lined sheet for final draft if handwritten)

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL Novel Study Activity: Integrating Grammar (Parts of Speech) A few years ago, I changed the way I teach grammar, and it has made a huge difference in not only student recall, but I’ve also noticed a difference in student writing. Instead of teaching grammar in isolated lessons (although sometimes this is still necessary!), I integrate mini grammar lessons into whatever unit we are learning. This lesson does just that. Not only will this grammar-integrated lesson allow for students to dive deeper into their reading, but this packet will also allow YOU to spend less time grading and more time focused on class discussion of the novel! This unit includes the following: 8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples Graphic Organizer (to use all year!) Worksheet: Finding the 8 parts of speech within the novel Assignment: Using the text as a prompt, students will create a paragraph that uses the 8 parts of speech. An Example for your students to use as a guide An easy lesson to help students improve their reading and writing!

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY UNIT Activity: Vocabulary Unit (Journal, Presentation, Rubric) A few years ago, I changed the way I teach vocabulary, and it has made a marked difference in my students’ engagement and reading progression. Instead of presenting the students with a list of words that I would spend hours searching for throughout literature, I switched to STUDENT-DRIVEN vocabulary assignments, and the response has been amazing! Not only will this packet allow for students to dive deeper into their reading, but this packet will also allow YOU to spend less time grading and more time focused on class discussion of the novel! This unit includes: Vocabulary Packet Instructions for Vocabulary Presentation Example Vocabulary Presentation Page Easy-to-Grade Rubric for Vocabulary Packet Easy-to-Grade Rubric for Vocabulary Presentation The guided prompts for the Vocabulary Packet ask the students to: FIND AND WRITE A WORD THAT CHALLENGES THEM AS A READER (a portion of their grade on the rubric is “Word Choice,” so they will not just choose words they already know) DRAW AN IMAGE/CUT OUT AN IMAGE (to help them remember the definition of the word) HOW THE WORD IS USED IN THE NOVEL (write the sentence(s)) THEIR OWN DEFINITION (of what they think the word means based on the context of the sentence and paragraph it is used) DICTIONARY DEFINITION

**THE OUTSIDERS 40-QUESTION UNIT EXAM PLUS ESSAY: 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 questions (optional). 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.)

**Thanksgiving Activity: Word Story Similar to “Mad Libs” ** This Parts of Speech Thanksgiving Writing Activity is similar to and based on the popular and fun game of “Mad Libs!” In this Thanksgiving version, students will rewrite the story of the first Thanksgiving (respectfully) by using different parts of speech: ADJECTIVES NOUNS VERBS IDIOMS

5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Middle School English ELA Thanksgiving Activity! “Thankful” Letter Writing LETTER OF GRATITUDE: "I AM THANKFUL FOR…" This is a thoughtful and engaging activity with the Thanksgiving holiday in mind. This activity will allow students to reflect on that one, special person who has had a positive impact on their lives. Not only will this help students realize how they should show appreciation for others, but it will also allow them to reflect on their own sense of self, as well as how to structure a letter. Activity Includes: Prompts to help students brainstorm how to express their gratitude Letter Templates to help structure the letter Easy, thoughtful activity with NO PREP for you! Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY ACTIVITY: ACROSTIC POEM (6th, 7th, 8th Grades) Have your students create a Holiday Acrostic Poem using the Holiday of their choice. (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day). Easy-to-read instructions on how to craft an acrostic poem, as well as a short acrostic example provided. Easy, thoughtful activity with NO PREP for you! Have a Happy and Blessed Holiday!

5th, 6th, 7th, 8th MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH ELA HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY: HALLOWEEN WORD SEARCH Now includes BONUS ACTIVITY!! Create Your Own Halloween Word Search! Save yourself some time (and sanity!) with this quick “time-filler” for the crazy week around Halloween. Includes 15 Halloween-related words! This activity now includes a “CREATE YOUR OWN HALLOWEEN WORD SEARCH ACTIVITY” with detailed student instructions. HOCUS POCUS GHOST HAUNTED HOUSE ZOMBIE TRICK OR TREAT WITCH HAYRIDE COSTUME SUPERSTITION BROOMSTICK PUMPKIN HALLOWEEN CANDY BLACK CAT OCTOBER Answer Key provided!