Hero image

Raising Rigor and Readers

Average Rating4.23
(based on 49 reviews)

I am a middle grades ELA teacher who loves teaching! One of my favorite topics to blog about is providing access to a quality education to ALL students. Thanks for stopping by!

61Uploads

50k+Views

24k+Downloads

I am a middle grades ELA teacher who loves teaching! One of my favorite topics to blog about is providing access to a quality education to ALL students. Thanks for stopping by!
Poetry Analysis Resource
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

Poetry Analysis Resource

(0)
This resource is included in the Locomotion Novel Unit so if you have purchased that Unit please do not purchase this one. It includes Common Core Analysis of 10 poems. • “Ode to family photographs” by Gary Soto • “A Bird Came Down the Walk” by Emily Dickinson • “A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long.” by Nikki Giovanni • “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost • “Humanity” by Elma Stuckey • “Something Told the Wild Geese” by Rachel Field • “Words as Free as Confetti” by Pat Mora • “In the Time of Silver Rain” by Langston Hughes • “The Sea” by James Reeves • “Wind” by James Reeves There is a bonus lesson included that gets to students to use the biography of Nikki Giovanni in order to analysis the poem through the lens of the author.
Informational Text Graphic Organizers
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

Informational Text Graphic Organizers

(1)
The use of graphic organizers is a research based strategy for building comprehension and engagement with complex text. This resource is for all “graphic-FANantics” and those interested in using graphic organizers with their class. This a rich collection of 50 original organizers aligned to Common Core Informational Text standards. They are perfect for any informational text and focus on students digging into the text to find specific details and deeper meaning. There are 50 original organizers that can be used with students in grades 4-6 and Common Core alignment is discretely noted on each organizer. These organizers can be used in whole group lessons, homework assignments, during skill lesson, and/or small groups. My personal favorite includes using these organizers to hold students accountable for independent reading.
Main Idea Task Cards
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

Main Idea Task Cards

(1)
This is a set of 24 high interest task cards for finding the main idea. This activity is perfect for centers or small groups! The paragraphs are thought provoking and include rich vocabulary. Student response cards and teacher answer key is included.
Character Study Book
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

Character Study Book

(1)
Characters Booklet This “booklet” will assist students in keeping track of characters in the books and/or stories they are reading. This is an excellent resource if you are working on character analysis as students are required to analyze multiple characters from the text by detailing when they are introduced, key quotes, and explain their importance to the text. The book also includes a list of character traits to help students think through how to accurately describe characters. The booklet includes: *Character Comparison Graphic Organizer *Character Change Graphic Organizer *Character description Graphic Organizer *Character Review writing component Directions for how to print this booklet are included as it is intended to be copied double sided and folded in half.
Rigorous Common Core Aligned Poetry Bundle
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

Rigorous Common Core Aligned Poetry Bundle

(1)
This resource is a combination of all of my poetry resources which include: • Locomotion Novel Unit • Poetry Resource Unit • Poetry Analysis Resource • Poetry Resource Pack: Mini-books, Templates, Graphic Organizers
Create a Writing Unit: BUNDLE
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

Create a Writing Unit: BUNDLE

(0)
This unit gives teachers the flexibility to create their own writing units using different writing formats. There are editable templates, writing mini-lessons, and graphic organizers, and more! There are more than 135 pages which include: Writing Topics (60+) Printables: ★ Making Strong Claims ★ Concluding Statement ★ Argumentative Leads ★ Counterarguments ★ Bias ★ Writing a Thesis ★ Writing Hooks ★ Flashbacks ★ Foreshadowing ★ Dialogue and Quotations ★ Descriptive Language ★ Point of View ★ Perspective ★ Mood and Tone ★ Character Development ★ Character Traits & Consistency ★ Developing a Protagonist ★ Developing an Antagonist ★ Character Response to Situations ★ Myth Writing ★ Fable Writing ★ Uncovering the Theme ★ Cornell Notes Writing Activities (10+)
FREEBIE - Emmett Till and the 16th Street Bombing
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

FREEBIE - Emmett Till and the 16th Street Bombing

(0)
This is an activity that can either be used as a homework activity, in class independent activity, or used with a small group of students. The passages are taken from npr.org and biography.com and are both easily accessible. Links to the article are included in the packet. The entire file is in Word so that it can be edited to your needs and the answers are included in the file as text boxes that can be easily deleted when sharing with your students. I am in the process of completely revamping my store to include more Common Core aligned resources that focus on the strategies of close reading and using evidence from the text.
FREEBIE - Something Told the Wild Geese
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

FREEBIE - Something Told the Wild Geese

(1)
This lesson focuses on Common Core Standards RL.5.1 and RL.5.2. The file uses the poem "Something Told the Wild Geese" by Rachel Field (obtained on a free public domain) to help students make inferences about the meaning of the poem and analyze how the speaker feels about a topic. This resource can be used as review, homework, or a supplemental component for the aligned standard.
FREEBIE - Halloween Story Starters
RaisingRigorRaisingRigor

FREEBIE - Halloween Story Starters

(3)
This is a fun freebie to get writing juices flowing with students. There are 24 different story starters and a few bonus goodies to assist students with Halloween themed writing. Enjoy!