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In The Middle Curriculum -Julie and Mark Donnelly

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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.
Getting Started with Book Clubs-FREE RESOURCE
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Getting Started with Book Clubs-FREE RESOURCE

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Book clubs are a great way to differentiate and offer students choices in what they read. We’ve been teaching them for years and there’s no better way to establish a respectful community of readers. We are offering this freebie to help other teachers get started with book clubs. Included in this FREEBIE… Our book club (or literature circle) record sheet will help you manage and organize several groups across several classes. Our clear and detailed rubric will help you set clear student expectations. Our example of a completed record sheet will give you an idea of how this tool can help you assess student comprehension.
Practice Punctuating Dialog-Free
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Practice Punctuating Dialog-Free

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This FREE resource includes: Punctuation rules reference sheet Dialog tag reference sheet Three activity sheets (print and digital format) This is great for substitute plans and can also be used as part of a narrative writing unit.
Book Review Activity -FREE
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Book Review Activity -FREE

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Build a community of readers by getting your students to talk about the books they read! This book review activity is a fun and relaxed way for students to create a book review slide (poster) to share with their classmates. It also helps teachers create a student-driven book list that helps when students are struggling to find their next book to read. Included in this FREE Resource… A Book Review Lesson An Example of a Book Review A Google Slides Assignment Template to be Shared with Students A Printable Book Review Activity Page
City Spies by James Ponti Novel Study Unit
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City Spies by James Ponti Novel Study Unit

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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
Point of View and Perspective Lessons
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Point of View and Perspective Lessons

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Point of View and Perspective can be challenging to teach because each term is often used interchangeably. To make teaching easier and a little less stressful, we’ve created this 48-page, low-prep resource. Inside, you’ll find a slide show that has clear definitions and simplified examples to help you introduce students to the concepts of point-of-view and perspective. Here’s what you get… A day-by-day week-long lesson plan An editable Google slide presentation providing an overview of the five types of point-of-view as well as an overview of perspective and its influencing factors A note-taking sheet to keep students engaged during the presentation A point-of-view practice sheet A quiz to help students understand the factors that influence perspective A comprehension practice sheet that prompts students to identify and analyze a character’s perspective A fifteen-question multiple-choice assessment in both print and self-correcting Google form formats
The Last Cuentista  Novel Study Unit
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The Last Cuentista Novel Study Unit

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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
December Holidays Activities
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December Holidays Activities

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December is full of holidays and this unit will help you explore them with your students in fun and engaging ways while meeting the standards. Start each class with a bell ringer then follow that up with a group writing activity centered around a holiday-themed prompt. Your students can spend a class designing a toy and telling a story from that toy’s point of view. They’ll also have the opportunity to work on nonfiction reading comprehension with five original informational articles about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Christmas in America, and Christmas in Australia. Each non-fiction article comes with a corresponding assessment featuring multiple-choice and constructed response questions. These activities are designed to give teachers choices. Activities last anywhere from 10 minutes to multiple classes. Each activity stands on its own or works as part of the mini-unit. If you teach one grade level or multiple grade levels across many sections, we’ve got you covered! Inside this Resource… Story Starter Activity Write-Around Activity The Secret Life of a Toy Writing Activity 5 Informational Articles Featuring: Hanukkah Christmas in the U.S. Kwanzaa Las Posadas Christmas in Australia Assessments: Multiple-choice/Constructed response (print & digital) Five Fun Bell Ringer Writing Prompts Story Writing Rubric Prompt Response Sheets Links to Digital Files Answer Keys and More! Another resource you might be interested in: End of (School) Year Activities
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander Novel Study Unit
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The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander Novel Study Unit

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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
Literary Devices Bundle
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Literary Devices Bundle

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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
Tone and Mood Lessons
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Tone and Mood Lessons

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Our Tone and Mood resource contains informative slide shows, writing activities, practice sheets, and assessments that help teachers save time as they teach students to understand the similarities and differences between these concepts. What’s inside… An editable Google Slides lesson presentation that clearly explains mood and tone Pacing guide 4 Student practice sheets Identifying the Mood graphic organizer (can be used with choice reading book) A visual writing prompt to practice Creating a Mood Identifying the Tone of a passage Adding Tone writing activity A student information page 3 Assessments on mood Answer keys
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds Novel Study Unit
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Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds Novel Study Unit

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This novel study unit for Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds has everything you need to support your students as they read Reynolds’ award winning novel. In this Look Both Ways novel study, you will find: Chapter Summaries formatted for teacher use & distribution to students. Discussion Questions Comprehension Activities Vocabulary Quizzes Three Multiple-Choice Assessments (one every 3-4 chapters) and a comprehensive end-of-the-unit multiple-choice assessment. Student Discussion Question Worksheets End of the novel essay question Answer Keys Teacher Information pages Each chapter contains multiple leveled questions allowing the teacher to differentiate for all students. Another resource you might be interested in: Ghost by Jason Reynolds Novel Study Unit
Pronouns Grammar Unit
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Pronouns Grammar Unit

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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
Phrases and Clauses Unit
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Phrases and Clauses Unit

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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**
Verbals, Voice and Mood
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Verbals, Voice and Mood

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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
Academic Vocabulary Unit
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Academic Vocabulary Unit

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If you’re looking for a low-prep, flexible, vocabulary unit to help you teach academic vocabulary to your students, this resource is for you! You can teach in a “word a day” format or in a full-time, multi-week format. We’ve included three different pacing guides to help you decide. Academic words are traditionally used in academic dialog and texts. Because these words are not common in everyday conversation, it’s very important to teach them directly to students. This will help students better understand directions, assignments and tests and comprehend text across different subject areas. Inside This (165+ Page/Slide) Resource You Will Find: Three Pacing Guide Options Word Lists 4 Twenty-Word Lesson Presentations (80 words in total) -contains the word, definition, sentence, synonym, image Student Notes Pages Activity Sheets for Every Word List (5 words each list) -includes 4 Writing Activities in Print and Digital Formats 4 Multiple Choice Assessments in Print and Google Form Versions 4 Fill-in-the-Blank Assessments Answer Keys “Print and Cut” Display Words Links to Digital Files Other resources you might be interested in: Phrases and Clauses Unit [Pronouns Unit]https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13062700) Verbals, Voice and Mood Unit
Refugee by Alan Gratz Novel Study Unit
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Refugee by Alan Gratz Novel Study Unit

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This novel study unit for Refugee by Alan Gratz has everything you need, including chapter summaries, to support your students as they read Gratz’s acclaimed novel. In this Refugee novel study, you will find: Chapter summaries formatted for teacher use & distribution to students. Detailed background information pages Comprehension questions Vocabulary lists Vocabulary quizzes Answer keys Comprehension practice sheets Analyzing figurative language Using context clues Understanding the setting Character traits Character growth Visualization Connections Student Discussion question pages End of Novel Multiple-choice assessment in print and self-correcting Google form version. Link to digital files. Other resources you might be interested in: TWO DEGREES by Alan Gratz Novel Study Unit The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander Novel Study Unit
Symbolism, Theme, Motif  Lessons
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Symbolism, Theme, Motif Lessons

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This resource helps you teach students how themes enrich the story, how symbols can add depth, and how motifs can enhance the overall meaning of a text. These engaging activities and readings will help students sharpen their analytical skills and develop a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling. Inside this resource, you will find… A day-by-day lesson pacing guide An editable Google slide presentation providing an overview with examples of symbolism, motif, and theme 9 total practice sheets for all three concepts A fifteen-question multiple-choice assessment in both print and self-correcting Google form formats
Trash by Andy Mulligan Novel Study Unit
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Trash by Andy Mulligan Novel Study Unit

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This novel study unit for Trash by Andy Mulligan has everything you need, including chapter summaries, to support your students as they read Mulligan’s exciting novel. In this Trash novel study, you will find: Chapter summaries in two formats, one for teacher use and the other to hand out to students if needed. Discussion questions that are organized by the reading strategies that make it easy for teachers to conduct book club meetings. Student Discussion Question Pages Comprehension Activity Sheets Vocabulary Quizzes Multiple Choice Quizzes for Each Section of the Book End of Unit Assessment Print and Digital versions of all quizzes, student discussion sheets, and comprehension activity pages! Answer Keys
Character Traits for Middle School
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Character Traits for Middle School

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Character traits and character analysis can be fun to teach in middle school with this low prep easy to use unit! This unit will help you engage your students as they examine character traits and perform character analysis using examples from interesting YA novels. Lesson Presentations Focus How Authors Reveal Characters Identifying Character Traits (Using Evidence to Support Inferences) Character Types Character Changes Included in the Resource **What’s inside this 110 page/slide resource: ** Teacher pacing guide and explanation Learning targets Links to 4 editable Google SLIDES lesson presentations 15 Student activity sheets (with links to digital versions) A word list of over 100 character traits Character Archetype Information Page (used for enrichment) Assessments Identifying and supporting character traits End of Unit multiple-choice assessment in print and self-correcting Google form version. Answer Keys Other resources you might be interested in: Tone and Mood Literary Device Resource Symbolism, Motif, Theme Literary Device Resource Point of View and Perspective Literary Device Resource Literary Devices Bundle
Ghost by Jason Reynolds Novel Study Unit
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Ghost by Jason Reynolds Novel Study Unit

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This novel study unit for Ghost by Jason Reynolds has everything you need, including chapter summaries, to support your readers as they read Reynolds’ award winning novel. In the Ghost novel study, you will find: *** Chapter Summaries** formatted for teacher use & distribution to students. Discussion Questions Comprehension Activities Vocabulary Quizzes 5 Multiple Choice Assessments presented in both print and self-correcting Google form versions Student Discussion Question Worksheets End of the novel questions/activities Answer Keys Teacher Information pages Another resource you might be interested in: Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds Novel Study Unit