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Bring Read-to-Learn Activities into Your Classroom
Shift your instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered, which requires learners to do the heavy lifting.
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Focus on Figurative Language in Prose and Poetry
Young scholars place emphasis on the use of figurative language when analyzing prose and poetry. In this figurative language lesson, students explore the tone of a story and its imagery. Young scholars read and discuss how the author...
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In the Middle - Middle School Poetry
Learners analyze and interpret poems. In this poetry lesson, students are read poems aloud, discuss the meanings in groups, and complete two worksheets after listening to the poems. Links to the worksheets and discussion questions are...
Shoop English
Literature Terms Activity
Designed to be used with an independent reading book, this activity provides practice with identifying and explaining literary terms. While they read, individuals find instances of literary devices and elements in use in their books....
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Problematic Situation
Present your pupils with some moral dilemmas to examine. The scenarios, which learners rank by seriousness individually and then in groups, require learners to think about right and wrong.
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA "I Can" Statement Posters
Eighth grades can master the ELA Common Core standards! Show your learners the connection between classroom activities and assignments and the standards with this set of "I Can" statement posters. Each standard has been rewritten as an...
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Discovering Language Arts-Intermediate Fiction
Explore the elements of science fiction. Students investigate the literary elements present in science fiction and write their own science fiction stories.
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA Common Core Checklists
How close are your eighth graders to mastering the ELA Common Core standards? Keep an eye on progress with these charts, which include every eighth grade identifier and full standard text. As you move through the year and teach, reteach,...
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Mississippi Trial, 1955: Concept Analysis
Considering Christopher Crowe's Mississippi Trial, 1955 with reading groups or as a whole-class text? Check out the background information and instructional ideas in this seven-page resource packet.
Novelinks
Wuthering Heights: Unsent Letters
To demonstrate their understand of the characters in Wuthering Heights and their motivations, readers assume the identity of one of the characters and write a letter to another character in the Bronte's novel.
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Whodunit?
Students bring in a variety of books to be approved for reading outside of class and then complete a book review on each one approved. They remember to include a description of the setting and characters, plot summary and a conclusion in...
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Understanding the Elements of Fiction
Inform your class on the elements of fiction: themes, settings, characters, plots, dialogue, narration, flashback, clues, climax, resolution. They write the definitions of the terms on the worksheet provided.l Tip: Have them write a...
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Examining Persuasive Literature
Examine persuasive literature and writing. In this persuasive literature lesson, pupils work through a variety of activities over the course of three weeks (each week is planned by day). The unit's purpose is to examine examples of...
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Library Treasure Hunt
Students conduct a scavenger hunt activity in their library. In this library research lesson, students use treasure hunt worksheets to locate various items on the library computers and in the library shelves.
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Fort Wayne's Industrial Girls
Eighth graders explore what life was like for Fort Wayne's "industrial girls." In this industrialization lesson, 8th graders discuss the conditions that the Indiana factory girls worked in as well as their backgrounds. Students also...
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Personalized Poetry Portfolio
Eighth graders create their own poetry portfolio containing poems that relate to Students' lives and families. The portfolio consist of the following types of poems: acrostic, diamante`, haiku, cinquain, and free verse.
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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
In this online interactive reading comprehension activity, learners respond to an essay question based on Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Students may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the bottom of the page.
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Understanding Tiananmen Square
William Bell's Forbidden City is used as the basis of a study of China, Chinese culture and government, and especially of the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Class members select a topic for Internet research and then prepare a...
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Gangs and Clicks... Are They One In the Same?
Students compare gangs and cliques. In this comparison lesson, students prepare to read the book, The Outsiders, by making a Venn diagram comparing gangs and cliques. They brainstorm ideas about the two groups which they add to the...
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Honey Bee Language Arts And Literature
Young scholars see how nature and honey bees are presented in literature. They find and read poetry that include references to bees. Have them write their own poetry or Haiku.
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Study Guide for Saki's "The Interlopers"
For this comprehension check worksheet, students define 6 vocabulary words, define 9 literary terms, respond to 8 short answer questions, and complete a graphic organizer pertaining to "The Interlopers" by Saki in order to help them...
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Study Guide: The Interlopers
In this study guide activity, students define vocabulary and literary terms used in "The Interlopers". Students answer comprehension questions based on the reading and fill in a chart with characters and their traits.
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After Hamelin
Middle schoolers discuss the story The Pied Piper. In this reading comprehension lesson plan, young scholars participate in a variety of activities designed to enhance and further their understanding of the story. Middle schoolers...
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Life's Lessons: Survival of the Fittest
Students analyze Jack London's use of anthropomorphism to identify the importance of adaptability in life. In this literature lesson, students use the novel The Call of the Wild to identify key elements in survival. Students complete...