PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Knowing how to identify the different types of supporting evidence not only allows students to analyze speeches, but also aides them in their own writing. The activities in this resource were designed to help middle school students (including ESL Newcomers) differentiate between quotes, facts, statistics, and examples. This resource includes: Lesson Guide: use this PowerPoint to walk your students through each step of the lesson. Notes Page Connections page: an activity that allows your students to connect the examples from the notes page with the definitions of each type of evidence. Give One/Get One activity: Students pair up with several different classmates throughout the activity to identify different types of evidence. Talking Head: Assess student knowledge with this activity that requires them to create their own examples of each type of evidence for a central argument of their choice. Service Dogs Informational Text and Comprehension Questions: Two levels of the same policy speech are included, along with comprehension questions, to be used as a post-assessment. ****** Check out my store for more ELA products including: 100TH Day of School with Benjamin Franklin: Informational Text and No-Prep Activities Myths and Superstitions: Informative Text, Reader's Theater, and Writing Activities Fact, Opinion, and Commonplace Assertions: Informational Text and Activities

This Benjamin Franklin - inspired twist on the more traditional observation of the 100th day of school, gives your middle school students a little education with their fun. (Or, maybe, a little fun with their education!). The no-prep activities in this packet all have to do with the $100 bill and Benjamin Franklin, and differentiated levels make them are suitable for 5th -8th graders. There is also a self-reflection journal that allows students to analyze their performance in the first 100 days. This 100th day, make it all about the Benjamin Franklins! Activities included are: Math word problems with answer keys. (Two sets: one with one-step problems and one with two-step problems) Informational Text: Text about Franklin’s accomplishments. Two different reading levels (app. 600 and 900) with comprehension questions. $100 Words: Find out how much your name is worth, and try to discover some $100 words. Franklin Quote Completion Challenge: Let your students step into Benjamin Franklin’s shoes and dispense words of wisdom based on his well-known quotes. Quote match: After coming up with their own endings to the quotes, students can try to match the actual beginnings and endings. Quote- Libs: Like the popular story fill-in game, but with Franklin-inspired quotations Creative Writing Prompt: What would you do if you found $100? Find the Difference: Examine twelve $100 bills and find the one that is not like the rest Find the Match: Examine twelve $100 bills and find the two that are identical. Reflection on the First 100 Days: Students think about what they’ve accomplished in the first 100 days, and what they would like to accomplish before the end of school.

Are you trying to get your students to connect with what they read? This product contains an informational text about Friday the 13th and a literary non-fiction piece thatwill capture student attention and engage critical thinking. High-level comprehension questions at the end of the readings will help you assess student understanding. The informational text also has a pre-teach vocabulary worksheet that will help make content comprehensible for language learners, while the literary non-fiction has a character trait follow-up. It's everything you need for a no-prep, print-and-teach lesson that you and your students will all enjoy. CONTENTS Reading passage (single page) Comprehension questions "Think About It" questions/Exit Ticket Coloring page with make-a-word activity Vocabulary pre-teaching sheet Second reading passage (double-sided) Interactive notebook root word activity Character analysis activity Answer keys for all activities

UPDATED ON JANUARY 21, 2017. Update includes a second informational text that focuses specifically on President Trump's Inauguration day. This resource contains informational texts, , critical thinking activities, word puzzles and other fun activities for January 20 or any unit involving the election process in the US. Teach your students about the peaceful transfer of power in the US every four years with these fun and educational no-prep activities. Included in this resource: Inauguration Day Informational text (2 levels)-- Unexpected at the Inauguration -- odd things that have ahppened over the years Inauguration Day 2017-- informational text about Donald Trump's Inauguration Day and address Comprehension questions for all informational texts Presidential Word Search Oath of Office Word Cross Presidential Birthplace Hunt Presidential Birthplace Mapping Activity Inauguration Alphabet Challenge Inauguration Acrostic and coloring page Create-Your-Own Oath of Office and coloring page Answer keys

Are you looking for a resource that can keep your students focused on those days before holidays or after testing? These 3D agamographs are an engaging way to capture student attention, while contining to review vocaubulary. Learning Latin roots is important for many reasons. Not only can it help students understand unfamiliar words in the English language, it can help in learning a second Latin-based language like Spanish or French. This resource gives students a chance to link root word with meaning through art. Students can pair up to make agamographs -- three-dimensional pieces of art that change depending on the angle from which they’re viewed. Looking from the left shows the root, while looking from the right shows the English meaning and a related picture. Have students color the pictures individually then partner up by finding the matching picture. (“aqua” with “water”, for example). Working together to assemble the agamograph makes a great cooperative activity. After the agamographs are completed, they can be displayed and students can use the graphic organizer to do a gallery walk and copy the information

Introduce your students to Langston Hughes, one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. There are activities to guide your students through analysis of two of Hughes's poems, as well as an informational text that highlights some of the experiences that shaped him as a champion of equality and black rights. This resource, originally designed as a poetry unit for ESL students, is great for both Black History Month and National Poetry Month, but also works well for cross-curricular units involving the Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights. Activities and suggested timeline: DAY 1: “Hold Fast to Dreams”: Two activity pages that help students analyze meaning and figurative language in “Hold Fast to Dreams” by Langston Hughes “Hold Fast to Dreams: Comprehension Questions DAY 2: Self-Reflection: Two writing prompts to get students thinking about the themes in the lesson Pre-Reading Vocabulary: Use context clues and matching to introduce students (especially English language learners) to words from the informative text. Informative Text: A text about Langston Hughes and some of the events that shaped his decision to speak out for equal rights. Comprehension questions for the Informative Text DAY 3: Pre-reading Vocabulary: A cut-match-paste activity that introduces students to some of the vocabulary in the poem “Harlem”. (Designed with beginning-intermediate English language learners in mind. Some words will seem simple to more fluent students.) “Harlem”: Students fill in missing words in the poem and answer analysis questions. “Harlem”/Figurative Language: Students examine the similes in the poem and note their reactions “Harlem” Guided Analysis: Question (loosely based on the TPCAST method of poetry analysis) guide students through a deeper examination of the poem. “Harlem” Comprehension Questions Figurative Language Wrap-Up: Students identify types of figurative language as they work to get from START to FINISH in the maze.

This resource includes an assortment of math, reading, writing and critical thinking activities, all involving different aspects of the 52st Super Bowl on February 4, 2018. It's perfect for upper elementary and middle school students who need activities that allow them to review concepts while engaging them with the excitement of the big game. Activities include: Logic Puzzle: use the clues to figure out the team mascot and average points per game for four new teams that entered the NFL in 2034. Informational Text: The Pope of Football. The Super Bowl trophy is named after coach Vince Lombardi. This informational text details events from Lombardi’s life. Comprehension questions for “The Pope of Football”. Two Word Searches with Hidden Messages featuring the Eagles and Patriots starting players Make the Score: Students must figure out what combination of touchdowns, field goals, and point after touchdowns resulted in a given score. Did They Make the First Down? Students read a scenario and must determine if the team was able to move the ball at least ten yards in four plays. Great practice for integer addition! Scrambled Mascots and Cities: Students unscramble place names and mascots and match them together in this fun word puzzle. Predictions: Students use statistics from this year’s Super Bowl teams to predict the winner and final score of the big game. Students are also given sentence starters to justify their predictions. Create Your Own Team: Students can take a break from calculations and reading and exercise their creativity by creating a team name, choosing team colors, and creating a logo to put on their team helmet. Expository Prompt: Students write an expository prompt in response to one of Vince Lombardi’s quotes. A prompt analysis, pre-writing activity, rough draft, editing and final draft sheet are included. Answer keys for all activities ********** Looking for Informational Texts with comprehension questions and no-prep activities with the same theme? Need a last-minute lesson for your sub> Looking for a way to perk up your students on Friday afternoon with some engaging and educational activities? Check out some of these products: Myth and Superstition : Informational Text, Readers Theater, and More Benjamin Franklin: Informational Text and No-Prep Activities

This Women's History Month resource contains activities related to Amelia Earhart and her last attempt to circumnavigate the globe. It also addresses the mystery surrounding her disappearance. The activities can be used individually, or as part of a themed unit. The comprehension questions use question stems from the 7th grade STAAR test, making the readings ideal for state testing practice. The pre-reading and idiom activities are especially helpful for English language Learners. Activities included are: Pre-Reading/Amelia Earhart’s Final Flight: Students predict the topic of the reading, and complete the first two columns of a K-W-L chart, as well as an agree-disagree anticipatory set. Pre-teach Vocabulary: Amelia Earhart’s Final Flight: Students use context clues to predict meanings of unfamiliar words, then match the words with the actual meanings. “Amelia Earhart’s Final Flight” Informational Text: A three-page reading about Earhart’s final flight with focused annotation questions in the margins. Final Flight Comprehension Questions: Based on STAAR sentence stems to help students prepare for standardized testing. “What Happened to Amelia Earhart?” In formational Text: Two page informational text with focused annotation questions in the margins. The article describes some of the most popular theories about the disappearance. “What Happened?” Comprehension Questions: Based on STAAR sentence stems to help students prepare for standardized testing. Figurative Language/Flying Idioms: Students use context clues to predict the meanings of idioms using the word “fly”, then match the idiom with the actual meaning. Idiom Task Cards: These eight task cards can be used at a literacy center, or posted around the room for a classroom activity. Two types of answer sheets are provided, one with four individual answer sheets and another complete sheet which requires the student to choose an idiom to use in a sentence and to illustrate the literal and figurative meanings of one of the idioms. Amelia Earhart’s Flight Plan: Students can use Google Earth to explore the path that Earhart took and record the distance between stops. A second sheet is included so they can mark out the path on a map. Amelia’s Accomplishments: Students read a list of Earhart’s accomplishments and write responses based on their own feelings and opinions. Final Flight Word Search: Not only are word searches fun for students, they also help develop cognitive skills, like pattern recognition. In this word search, students hunt for the cities on Amelia Earhart’s final flight plan.

Are your students ready for the STAAR test? Help them review graphical elements, poetic technique, and more with the aid of this resource. A PowerPoint is included to guide them through note-taking, a practice poem, and independent review. This resource includes: A 25-slide PowerPoint to lead students through visual note-taking and the guided practice poem. It details how to create the visual notes, what to look for in the poem, shows possible answers for the analysis sheet, and explains answers for the comprehension questions. Two different templates for visual note-taking (great for students who were absent or who need differentiation) STARS: A poem for guided practice which includes graphical elements and poetic techniques. An analysis page for “STARS” Comprehension questions for “STARS”, using question stems from the 7th grade STAAR Reading test. WHY NOT ME?: A poem for independent practice which includes graphical elements and poetic techniques. Pre-reading Vocabulary: An activity for “Why Not Me?” which allows students practice with context clues, matching definitions, and visualizing vocabulary. An analysis page for “WHY NOT ME? ” Comprehension questions for “WHY NOT ME?”, using question stems from the 7th grade STAAR Reading test. **Teaching times will vary with the fluency and academic levels of your class. My ESL Newcomers (mainly beginning-low intermediate level) took one day to complete the visual notes; one day to read through “STARS” , discuss unfamiliar vocabulary, and identify the graphical and poetic elements; then a third day to complete the analysis sheet as a group (they did the summary square alone with sentence stems) and comprehension questions. It took them an additional two 50-minute periods to complete the independent practice activities.

This resource guides students through the process of gathering information for a basic, five-paragraph research report which can then be used to create a visual presentation, such as a PowerPoint, Prezi, tri-fold document, or video. The suggested timeframe is five days, making it a perfect wrap-up at the end of the year. Contents: 16-slide PowerPoint, which guides students through brainstorming a topic, writing a research question, and gathering information. The PowerPoint models each step in the process with sample brainstorming questions, Google searches, source notes, and an example of a rough draft and Prezi based on the information gathered. 4-page packet, includes pages for notes from the PowerPoint, question-writing practice, notes from sources, and a rough draft Suggested timeline: Day 1: PowerPoint notes and brainstorming Day 2: Refine the research question and begin research Day 3: Complete research Day 4: Write the rough draft and begin the product Day 5: Complete the product

If you live in Texas, all roads lead to the STAAR test. This resource, which contains two original reading passages, will engage your students and help them review literary non-fiction as we head into our end-of-the-year testing season. It's also great as an introductory unit earlier in the year. This resource focuses on Literary Non-Fiction. The TEKS reviewed are : 7.2A Latin roots and affixes 7.3 Author’s message or theme 7.7 Inferences and conclusions about organization, characterization, and specific details. Fig 19E Text summary 7.8 Sensory language and mood. Contents include: PowerPoint presentation Visual notes template Reading Passage for guided practice: Candle in the Darkness Four Square Follow-Up Reading Comprehension Questions (using STAAR stems) Reading Passage for Independent Practice: Papa Frankenstein Four Square Follow-Up Reading Comprehension Questions (using STAAR stems) NOTE: I marked this unit as lasting three days. With my Newcomer ESL students (beginning - intermediate fluency), it was actually four days just for the guided practice. The visual notes took one day, the guided annotation took two days, and the follow-up and comprehension questions took one day.

Escape rooms harness the natural competitive nature of middle-school students to encourage them to work cooperatively and to use critical thinking and comprehension skills to complete a series of tasks which allow them to succeed. This product features an informational text about Día de los Muertos, along with comprehension questions and vocabulary matching. The vocabulary matching allows bilingual and English language learners a chance to take the lead in the problem solving. There are also two additional puzzles that students must solve in order to escape the room. The product gives both digital and non-digital options, or a combination of both. To use the digital version, students (or each group of students) need access to a device that has Internet capabilities. The teacher gives students a link to a private website that requires them to read and search for clues to unlock four different types of locks. The non-digital option allows the teacher to print out the reading passage and puzzles and give one set to each student, or each group of students. The students can then go to the website to enter their answers, or simply write the lock codes down on their response sheet for easy checking . The packet also includes an optional certificate that can be given to successful students.

Everyone adores Valentine's Day. With candy, fun, and a chance to take a break from the books , it has everything your students love. With this resource, you can let your students enjoy the Valentine's Day while completing a variety of activities that keep them learning and engaged Activities in this resource include: Love Among the Robots: Students use logic to determine which members of the Robotics Club exchanged cards and what type of candy they shared on Valentine's Day. Famous Couple Match-Up: Build student background knowledge with this activity that requires students to match up famous couples in history and literature. While the students are cutting and matching, you can lead a discussion about each pair. Equivalent Fraction Match-Up:: Students “repair” the broken hearts by matching equivalent fractions to bring the left and right pieces together. Valentine’s Day Make-a-Word: Challenge your students to use the letters in Valentine's Day to make as many words as possible. Informational Text: Valentine’s Day celebrations around the world. Comprehension Questions The Language of Love: Students match different ways to say “I Love You” with the correct language. It’s Not Valentine’s Day: Students can stretch their creative muscles and enjoy a break from “mushy love stuff” by creating new celebrations for February 14. Circulation Station: Students read a paragraph about the process of circulation in the body and use the information given to label a diagram of the heart. Heart and Blood Word Search: Students search the grid for words related to the heart and blood

Escape rooms harness the natural competitive nature of middle-school students to encourage them to work cooperatively and to use critical thinking and comprehension skills to complete a series of tasks which allow them to succeed. This product features four puzzles that must be solved to “escape”. One puzzle is simply an informational text about Veterans Day, along with comprehension questions. There is also another brief reading passage that contains clues for a second lock. The third lock requires students to unscramble letters to make three words that have to do with Veterans Day. The fourth puzzle requires students to do a little research and reasoning to correctly order seven American wars. The product gives both digital and non-digital options, or a combination of both. To use the digital version, students (or each group of students) need access to a device that has Internet capabilities. The teacher gives students a link to a private website that requires them to read and search for clues to unlock four different types of locks. The non-digital option allows the teacher to print out the reading passage and puzzles and give one set to each student, or each group of students. The students can then go to the website to enter their answers, or simply write the lock codes down on their response sheet for easy checking. The packet also includes an optional certificate that can be given to successful students.

Halloween is an exciting holiday for many middle-schoolers. Help your students improve their reading comprehension, poetry analysis, and vocabulary skills by using their love of the holiday to engage them with this packet of entertaining literary activities. This product includes three pieces that focus on the Halloween season, along with comprehension, idiom, context clue and other activities Contents: Mischief Night: a literary non-fiction piece with the theme “Sometimes you have to stand up to bullies.” Related Activities: Context clues to pre-teach vocabulary Story Analysis, including a character trait organizer Comprehension questions Feline Bullied: A light-hearted poem about a kitten and a pumpkin and their “fiery” relationship. The theme is similar to that of Mischief Night, allowing the teacher to use the two as paired readings. Related Activities: TP-CASTT analysis sheet Comprehension questions The Story of Stingy Jack: an original retelling of the myth behind Jack-O’-Lanterns. Related Activities: Comprehension questions Three additional activities to use in centers, as homework, or extension activities: Context Clues/Halloween Idioms Halloween Word Search Fact/Opinion/Common Assertion ****** Check out these other themed products: Amelia Earhart's Final Flight: Informational Texts and No-Prep Activities for Women's History Month Super Bowl: Informational Text and No-Prep Activities Myths and Superstitions: Informative Text, Reader's Theater, and Writing Activities

Everything you need for a two week reading and writing unit that includes fiction, drama, and informative text. Introduce your students to Baldur and Loki as they really were in myth, before they became Marvel characters. This product contains the following items: Suggested sequence: Two weeks worth of exit tickets Five interactive notebook pages for root words List of optional definitions for the root word sheets Root Word Fill-In worksheet Myth: Loki’s Betrayal Reader’s Theater: Loki’s Betrayal Story summary graphic organizer Comprehension questions: Loki’s Betrayal Pre-teach vocabulary: Magical Mistletoe Informational text: Magical Mistletoe Comprehension questions: Magical Mistletoe Creative Writing Prompt Expository Writing Prompt (written in the fashion of the STAAR 7th grade prompts) Guided expository pre-writing Peer and self-edit checklists Pages for rough draft and final copy

Just in time for cold and flu season, with its accompanying need for emergency sub plans, it's a bundle of my most popular informational texts. Each of these eight texts comes with a set of comprehension questions, along with a no-prep activity. Just print and copy to keep your students engaged and learning while you rest. This resource includes: “It’s All About the Benjamins”: 2 reading levels of an informational text and comprehension questions about Benjamin Franklin, along with a “Mad Lib”-type activity that allows students to put their own twist on quotes by Benjamin Franklin. “The Story of Groundhog Day”: This text traces the origins o Groundhog Day. The accompanying activity challenges students to use the letters from GROUNDHOG DAY to make as many words as possible. “Inauguration Day 2017”: Informational text about Trump’s Inauguration Day , along with a word search using the last names of all the presidents. “Inauguration Day”: This informational text reveals some of the unusual events of inaugurations past. The text comes in two-levels for differentiation. The accompanying activity is an Oath of Office Word Cross. “Service Dogs”: This policy speech about allowing service dogs in businesses is offered in two different levels to fit the needs of your class. The activity requires students to research their own facts, statistics, quotes and examples to support a central argument of their choosing. “The Pope of Football”: This text introduces students to Vince Lombardi, the man for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named. The accompanying activity uses a quote of Lombardi’s to create an expository writing prompt. Pre-writing activities, editing checklists and a page for the final draft are also included. “Friday the 13th”: This text explains many of the negative associations that Friday the 13th has in our culture, Use the accompanying activity to preview vocabulary before reading. “Superstitions”: This one-page informational text describes superstitions, both in the United States and around the world. An acrostic puzzle is included as a follow-up to the reading. PLEASE NOTE: Each of these texts are available as part of an individual resource that includes more themed activities.

In these days of texting and Instagram, it's easy for students to make spelling mistakes on even the most basic of English words. In this respect, things have not changed much in the last fifty years, when the National Curriculum Association evaluated the writing of third-eighth graders across the country and compiled a list of the 100 most commonly misspelled words in student writing. This list includes words that have unusual spellings, as well as words that are commonly confused (like "their" and "there"). After my students have learned basic English verbs and nouns, I give my ESL Newcomers twelve or thirteen of these most commonly misspelled words in the English language each week for eight weeks. I ask them to translate the words into their home language, copy each word three times, create a sentence, illustrate three of the words, complete a word search and do a fill-in-the –blank activity. These activities can be assigned as classwork or homework throughout the week. We also do a quick review of the words each day before going on to our lesson, and, at the end of the week, we take a spelling test using the words. By the time we are finished, my students have been exposed to, and tested over, 100 words that are often misspelled by beginning writers. This product contains eight weeks' worth of vocabulary lists, activities, and daily reviews/ bellwork, along with a reproducible for the weekly quiz. Although it was orginally created for use in an ESL classroom, it gives students at all fluency and ability levels a chance to review tricky words and spellings. ******************** Do you want the homework and and center activities without the daily review activities? Check out ESL NEW BEGINNINGS: Spelling BUNDLE