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 ***Opinion 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 ***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

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 literacy unit is an introduction and exploration of ‘Fake News’ and other key digital media literacy themes and concepts. Students explore the world of online news and information by reading five newspapers, then reflecting and responding, and conducting their own projects and investigations. This pack contains: A kick-off Opinionaire (Google Drive link provided) A list of keywords (Google Drive link provided) Five, two-page newspapers: The Fake News Gazette - about fake news The Echo Chamber - about political bias The Keyboard Warrior - about netiquette The Data Miner - about personal data protection The Memory Hole - about freedom of expression Five, one-page sets of questions (3 levels) for each newspaper (Google Drive link provided) A set of student research resources for each paper/ theme (Google Drive link provided) Teachers Guide & Answer Key

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!

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.

20 Close Reading Passages and Worksheets - Extracts from classic literature and famous folktales - 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 literally devices, author's purpose, and evaluation and personal-connection - Vocabulary rich - Literary devices covered include: simile and metaphor, onomatopoeia, rhetoric, mood/tone, anthropomorphism, hyperbole and more - Includes questions on text structure and point of view - Common Core Aligned - Answer key included -Recommended reading levels included Titles Included: Urashima Taro Rikki-tikki-tavi Oliver Twist Alice in Wonderland Sherlock Holmes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz A Little Princess Treasure Island Robin Hood The Monkey’s Paw Beowulf Dracula Frankenstein Peter Pan Around the World in Eighty Days The Time Machine & MORE!

- 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

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

20 *SCIENCE* Close Reading Passages and Worksheets - Diverse range of high-interest extracts from authentic texts including fiction (short story) - 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 multi-modal 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 Topics Included: ♦Robotics ♦Camouflage ♦The Life Cycle ♦Hibernation ♦Biography - Charles Darwin, Galileo, Copernicus, Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday ♦Adaptation ♦Eclipses ♦Geology ♦Alchemy and Chemistry - History of Science ♦ Number and Mathematics

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 ***Compare and Contrast Writing*** focuses on: • Transition words for comparing and contrasting 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

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 ***Procedural Writing*** focuses on: • Sequence words • Passive voice 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

Essential, chapter-by-chapter vocabulary for the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Useful for students (particularly ESL students) to look up before reading, or for the teacher to base quizzes and worksheets from. Helps students to decode meaning and facilitate fluent reading. Word-count ranges from roughly 10 - 50 words per chapter, depending on chapter length.

Chapter by chapter comprehension questions (5 - 10 each chapter) for A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. This resource contains literal, inferential, and opinion questions. "After-reading" exercises also included. Ideal for use in reading logs; journals; for homework; and classroom discussions, etc. *** Teacher answer key included ***

Essential, chapter-by-chapter, vocabulary for the novel A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. Useful for students to look up before reading, or for the teacher to base quizzes and worksheets from. Pre-teaching vocabulary helps students decode meaning and increases fluency and engagement. - 30 ~ 50 words per chapter - includes author's notes - words listed as parts of speech

20 quizzes or worksheets (could be used as either, although some chapters lean towards activity, e.g. drawing/ word search) for every chapter in the novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. > Vocabulary lists included (chapter-by-chapter) > Usually 20 - 30 words per chapter > 1 - 2 pages of activities per chapter > Multimodal: Fill in the blanks, matching, labelling, crosswords, word searches, multi-choice, correction, scrambles > Answer key included