We create engaging English language arts resources that help teachers save time! We are full-time teachers and have taught in a middle school for over 20 years. Our goal is to create high-quality resources focused on grades 5-9.
We create engaging English language arts resources that help teachers save time! We are full-time teachers and have taught in a middle school for over 20 years. Our goal is to create high-quality resources focused on grades 5-9.
This novel study unit for The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani has everything you need to support your students as they read Hiranandani’s historical fiction novel.
In this The Night Diary novel study, you will find:
*** Chapter summaries** presented in two ways-one for teacher use and one for student use
Supplemental Information presentation (created in Google Slides)
Informational page about the politics behind the story
Student discussion question pages
Comprehension activities
Vocabulary lists
Vocabulary quizzes
Differentiated extension question writing activity
End of Novel, Multiple Choice Assessment (in print and Google form version)
Answer Keys
This resource makes it easy for you to differentiate and support ALL of your students!
This Novel Study for The Many Assassinations of Samir, The Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri will help you support your students as they read Nayeri’s engaging and important novel.
This 114-page, low-prep “The Many Assassinations of Samir…” novel study unit contains:
Chapter Summaries formatted for teacher use & distribution to students.
Discussion Questions
Comprehension Activities
Vocabulary Quizzes
Character List
Vocabulary Lists and 4 Quizzes
Student Discussion Question Worksheets
End-of-the-Novel, Multiple-Choice Assessment (Print and Google Form Version)
Supplemental Information Google Slides Presentation
Answer Keys
Other resources you might like:
The Last Cuentista Novel Study
Understanding Theme, Motif and Symbolism
This novel study unit for Two Degrees by Alan Gratz has everything you need, including chapter summaries, to support your students as they read Gratz’s thrilling novel.
In this Two Degrees novel study, you will find:
Chapter summaries formatted for teacher use & distribution to students.
Supplemental Information SLIDES presentation
Student discussion question pages
Comprehension activities
Vocabulary lists
Vocabulary quizzes
End of Novel, Multiple Choice Assessment (in Google form version too)
Answer Keys
This 120 page/slide unit is offered in both PRINT and DIGITAL formats.
The structure of the unit allows for easy differentiation to help you support your students in class or in a distance learning environment.
Another resource you might be interested in:
Refugee by Alan Gratz Novel Study Unit
This Middle School Creative Writing Activity collection is a fun way to get your middle school students writing! This resource guides students through 9 creative writing activities (in both print and digital formats.)
Students are prompted to independently compose an exciting and interesting short story. Each creative writing activity contains a writing prompt that provides the important characters, the setting, and the problem. The students then take the story in whatever direction their imagination leads them!
In this 100-page/slide resource, you get 9 creative writing activities that each contain a graphic organizer focusing on one of the following aspects of narrative writing:
Story Elements
Character Traits
Revealing Characters
Using Dialog
Using Sensory Words
Using Transitions
Elements of a Mystery
Peer Review Opportunities! (Digital Version)
In addition to guiding students through writing a narrative, each activity provides the opportunity to SHARE stories with classmates. This encourages the student writers to communicate with each other and improve their writing.
Other resources you may be interested in:
Graphic Novel Reading and Writing Project
Narrative Writing Unit for Middle School
Argumentative Writing Unit for Middle School
Take the stress out of teaching pronouns with this engaging, student-centered, standards-aligned unit. This resource is a result of the many years we’ve spent refining the way we teach pronouns in our middle school classrooms. We’ve learned teaching grammar is a balance between introducing new concepts at a level most middle school students can grasp (without overwhelming them) while reinforcing their understanding of the fundamentals. Through the years, we have learned that when we get this balance right, grammar study really helps our students become knowledgeable, confident, and successful writers. (It can also be fun!) This resource helps students understand pronoun case, indefinite singular pronouns, relative pronouns, as well as reflexive and intensive pronouns.
INSIDE THIS RESOURCE, YOU WILL FIND…
A List of Standards/Learning Objectives
Teacher Background Information Pages for all Concepts
A Noun Review Lesson Presentation
An Engaging, Editable, 27-slide Lesson Presentation Covering:
possessive, subjective, and objective cases
indefinite singular pronouns
reflexive and intensive pronouns
relative pronouns
Fifteen (15) Printable Student Practice Pages
Five (5) Printable Quizzes
End- of-Unit Assessment in Print and Google™ Form Versions
Answer Keys
Links to Presentations and Digital Assessments
Other resources you might like:
Understanding Phrases and Clauses
This engaging grammar resource is the product of many years refining the teaching of phrases and clauses in a middle school classroom. These activities get students to the point where they are able to identify phrases and clauses, use phrases and clauses effectively in writing, and punctuate correctly. It really helps our students become knowledgeable, confident, successful writers too!
INSIDE THIS RESOURCE, YOU WILL FIND…
A List of Standards/Learning Objectives
Teacher Information Pages
5 Editable, Review Lesson Presentations:
Nouns
Verbs
Prepositions
Conjunctions
Subject/Predicate
Printable Student Practice Pages Connected to all Presentations
PRE and POST Assessments in Print and Google™ form Versions
Review Quiz
Editable, Step-by-Step Phrases and Clauses Slide Presentation
More Printable Student Practice Sheets
Punctuation Guidelines Page
Answer Keys
Links to Presentations and Digital Assessments**
Teach verbals, voice, and mood with this engaging, student-centered, standards-aligned unit. We’ve spent years refining the way we teach these grammar topics in our middle school classrooms and learned teaching grammar is a balance between introducing new concepts at a level most middle school students can grasp (without overwhelming them) while reinforcing their understanding of the fundamentals. Through the years, we have learned that when we get this balance right, grammar study really helps our students become knowledgeable, confident, and successful writers. (It can also be enjoyable!) This resource helps students understand gerunds, infinitives and participles, passive and active voice as well as the various verb moods.
INSIDE THIS RESOURCE, YOU WILL FIND…
A List of Standards/Learning Objectives
Teacher Background Information Pages for all Concepts
Student Reference Sheet
A 15-Slide Review Lesson Presentation on Verbs, Subjects, and Predicates
An Engaging, Editable, 20-Slide Presentation Covering:
gerunds, adjectival participles, and infinitives
passive and active voice
five verb moods
15 Printable Student Practice Pages
5 Review quizzes
End-of-Unit Assessment in Print and Google™ form Versions
Answer Keys
Links to Presentations and Digital Assessments
Other resources you might like:
Understanding Phrases and Clauses
Understanding Pronouns
This novel study unit for City Spies by James Ponti has everything you need to support your students as they read Ponti’s mystery/thriller novel.
in this novel study for City Spies, you will find:
Chapter summaries presented in two ways-one for teacher use and another one for student use.
Supplemental information presentation (created in Google Slides).
Student discussion question pages (print and digital formats)
Comprehension activities (print and digital formats)
Vocabulary lists
Vocabulary quizzes
2 Extension question writing activities
End-of-Book, multiple-choice assessment (in print and Google form version).
Answer keys
Learning targets
Character list
Another resource you might be interested in:
Mystery Genre Study Unit
This novel study unit for THE LAST CUENTISTA by Donna Barba Higuera has everything you need to support your students as they read Barba Higuera’s science fiction novel.
In this The Last Cuentista novel study, you will find:
**Chapter summaries **formatted for teacher use & distribution to students.
Supplemental Information SLIDES presentation
Student discussion question pages
Comprehension activities
Vocabulary lists
Vocabulary quizzes
End of Novel, Multiple Choice Assessment (in Google form version too)
Answer Keys
This is unit is offered in a print and digital format so you can upload digital student sheets to a learning management system.
The structure of this resource allows for easy differentiation to help you support your students in class.
Other resources you might be interested in:
Science Fiction Genre Study
Unwind by Neal Shusterman Novel Study Unit
This novel study unit for “The Door of No Return” by Kwame Alexander has everything you need to support your students as they read Alexander’s important new novel.
In the The Door of No Return novel study, you will find:
Chapter summaries formatted for both teacher use & distribution to students
Supplemental information presentation
Student discussion question pages
Comprehension activities
Vocabulary lists
Vocabulary quizzes
Extension essay question
End of Novel, Multiple Choice Assessment (also in Google form version)
Answer Keys
This novel study unit for Show Me A Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte has everything you need to support your students as they read LeZotte’s historical fiction novel.
In this Show Me A Sign novel study, you will find:
Chapter summaries presented in two ways-(for teacher use and student use)
Supplemental Information presentation (created in Google Slides)
Historical Background Information
Student discussion question pages
Comprehension activities
Vocabulary lists
Vocabulary quizzes
End of Novel, Multiple Choice Assessment (in print and Google form version)
Answer Keys
This unit makes it easy for you to differentiate and support your students!
It’s offered in bot PRINT and DIGITAL formats!
This novel study unit for Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston has everything you need to support your students as they read Alston’s engaging fantasy novel.
In this Amari and the Night Brothers novel study, you will find:
Chapter Summaries formatted for teacher use & distribution to students.
Discussion Questions
Comprehension Activities
Vocabulary Quizzes
Whole Book Multiple-Choice Assessment in print and self-correcting Google form version.
Student Discussion Question Worksheets
End-of-book essay question
Answer Keys
Comprehensive teacher Information pages
Each chapter contains multiple leveled questions allowing the teacher to differentiate for all students.
Another resource you might like:
Fantasy Genre Study Unit
Make the start of the year and the end of the year fun and stress-free for you and your students with this no-prep discounted bundle!
Start the new school smoothly with the “Getting to Know You” activities. These activities help you get to know your students while your students are getting to know each other. Then, when it’s time to wrap things up at the end of the year, you’ll be able to use the “End of the Year Activities’’ unit to help the students reflect on a great year of learning.
This 80+ page bundle includes 15 activities, four surveys, a digital planner, an editable syllabus, and a start-of-the-year presentation making it easier to adapt to meet the challenges of the beginning and the end of the year schedule.
Included in our Back to School Resource:
3 different versions of a Getting to Know You sheet
Reading Interest Inventory Sheet
Writing interest Inventory Sheet
Letter to Myself Activity
Wanted Poster Activity
Heart Map Activity
2 Truths and a Lie Activity
Digital Student Planner
Parent/Guardian Survey (created using Google Forms)
Student Interests Survey (created using Google Forms)
Class Syllabus Template
“Welcome to my class” Presentation
Included in “End of the Year Activities” Resource
Snapshot of Favorite Memory
Letter to My Future Self
Summer Bucket List
A Year in Review-Books
In The News
Meme of the Year
My Favorite Things
My Year in Review
Letter of Advice
Reflection and Feedback survey (Google form)
Top 10 Memorable Moments Memory Book Activity
Student Examples
This 4 week long mystery genre study unit provides students with an understanding of the mystery genre through engaging slide presentations, original mystery short stories, creative writing story starters and comprehension sheets.
This 97 page/slide unit also includes:
A list of the mystery terms suitable for posting.
Differentiated note-taking sheets to help students record mystery terms and definitions.
Formative and summative assessments with answer keys.
Mystery story graphic organizers.
Mystery “story starter” peer feedback forms (in the digital format only.)
Rubric
Other resources you might be interested in:
Trash by Andy Mulligan Novel Study
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone Novel Study Unit
Science Fiction Genre Study
The fantasy genre, a favorite among many students, is the perfect avenue to keep students engaged while learning important reading and writing standards.
This 115-page/slide, unit includes:
2 colorful lesson presentations
An Introduction to the Fantasy Elements
Identifying Fantasy Elements in a Text
Differentiated note-taking sheets
Assessments
A quiz of the fantasy elements
2 multiple choice assessments (also in self-correcting Google form versions)
Answer Keys
Two original fantasy short stories
Comprehension activities to support independent reading of a fantasy novel
A FUN interactive writing activity that helps students as they write their own fantasy story
Graphic organizers
Peer feedback form
Rubric
Other resources you might be interested in:
Science Fiction Genre Study Unit
Mystery Genre Study Unit
Amari and the Night Brothers By B.B. Alston Novel Study Unit
This argumentative writing unit contains colorful lesson presentations that guide students through an understanding of each aspect of writing an argumentative/persuasive essay. It is also presented in both print and digital formats to provide maximum teaching flexibility.
This 145 page,argumentative essay unit contains;
7 easily editable digital mini-lessons (created in Google SLIDES)
Parts of an Argument
Writing an Engaging Introduction
Writing a Thesis Statement
Writing the Middle of the Essay (reasons and evidence)
Writing a Conclusion
Citing Your Sources
Conducting Peer Reviews
A link to digital versions of student sheets
Multiple, printable graphic organizers
Student/Parent Information sheets
3-5 days of fun, pre-writing lesson activities (for in-class lessons)
Argumentative Writing Rubric
Learning Targets/Target Table
Pacing Guide
Peer Review sheet
Student Reflection and Goal Setting sheet
Other resources you might be interested in:
Graphic Novel Reading and Writing Project
Narrative Writing Unit for Middle School
This Middle School Narrative Writing Unit will make guiding your students through the narrative writing process easy. It is a complete, 125-page unit that contains all of the resources necessary for you to teach your students how to write in the narrative genre. It is aligned with learning standards and can be used for first-person and third-person narratives. It also includes digital files of all student handouts!
INCLUDED IN THIS MONTH-LONG UNIT:
7 easily editable digital mini-lessons (created in Google Slides)
* Introduction to narrative characteristics (including 4 mentor texts)
* Brainstorming a topic
* Revealing Characters
* Expanding a small moment using sensory details
* Using and punctuating dialog
* Using transitions to show the passage of time
* Conducting peer reviews
LINKS to the mini-lessons and student practice sheets
Printable Student Practice Sheets
Multiple Graphic Organizers
Student Information Sheets
Creative writing story starter card activity
Rubric
Learning Targets/ Target Table
Pacing Guide
Peer Review sheets
Student reflection and goal-setting sheet
Other resources you might be interested in:
Graphic Novel Writing Unit
Argumentative Writing Unit for Middle School
Creative Writing Activities
Students love science fiction and this Science Fiction Genre Study unit makes it easy to immerse them in this interesting genre. This month long unit is always a great hit in our classrooms!
This 130 page/ slide Science Fiction genre study unit is presented in both print and digital formats and includes the following:
2 colorful lesson presentations
An Introduction to the characteristics of science fiction
Two original science fiction short stories to help teach the characteristics of science fiction.
Identifying science fiction characteristics in a text
Differentiated note-taking sheets
Assessments
A quiz of the science fiction terms
2 multiple choice assessments (also in self-correcting Google form versions)
Answer Keys
Other resources you might like:
Unwind by Neal Shusterman Novel Study Unit
The Last Cuentista Novel Study Unit
Unlock the secrets of literature with our literary devices bundle! This product contains engaging lessons on mood, tone, symbolism, theme, motif, perspective, and point of view.
Each lesson is crafted to provide clear explanations in a thought-provoking manner.
By incorporating these resources into your curriculum, you’ll help your students develop critical thinking skills, and foster a deeper appreciation for literature all while helping them to improve their overall reading comprehension.
Purchase this bundle and transform your classroom into a center of literary exploration!
Included in this Bundle:
Lesson Presentations That Teach Each Literary Device (75 Slides)
13 Student Practice Activities
3 End-of-Unit Assessments With Answer Keys
3 Pacing Guides
Student Information Pages
15-20 Total Instructional Days
Leverage students’ enthusiasm for graphic novels and meld it with research and informational writing! This resource not only helps teachers teach the elements of graphic novels such as splash pages, frames, use of color, close ups etc., It also teaches narrative elements such as characterization and dialog.
This month-long, 160 page/slide graphic novel unit will guide you through teaching your students all about graphic novels, their unique elements and how to convert traditional text into a graphic novel format. Students will learn how to read and analyze graphic novels for their literary aspects then create a research-based graphic novel biography.
Although this resource contains lessons focused on how to create a biography graphic novel, you can easily adapt the lessons to teach your students how to convert stories, personal narratives or other types of informational text into a graphic novel format!*
This resource was created using Google slides.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Pacing Guide
Standards List
4 Lesson Presentations
*Introduction to Graphic Novel Elements
*Graphic Novel vs. Novel- Literary Elements (Setting, Dialog, Mood, Traits)
*How to Create a Graphic Novel Activity
*Biography Graphic Novel Project
Reading Comprehension Activity Sheets
Assessments with answer keys
Applying Graphic Novel Elements Practice
Storyboard
Research Planning Pages
Ten Unique Graphic Novel Layout Templates
Graphic Novel Biography Project Checklist
Rubric
Links to Digital Files
Other resources you might be interested in:
Middle School Narrative Writing Unit
Character Traits Resource