MIDDLE SCHOOL ELA ENGLISH HALLOWEEN CROSSWORD PUZZLE: Save yourself some time (and sanity!) with this quick “time-filler” for the crazy week around Halloween! 20 Spooky Clues! For 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Grades Answer Key provided

**Thanksgiving Activity: Word Story Similar to “Mad Libs” ** This Parts of Speech Thanksgiving Writing Activity is similar to and based on the popular and fun game of “Mad Libs!” In this Thanksgiving version, students will rewrite the story of the first Thanksgiving (respectfully) by using different parts of speech: ADJECTIVES NOUNS VERBS IDIOMS

THE OUTSIDERS 10-QUESTION CHAPTER QUIZZES: I am not a huge proponent for multiple choice assessment, but sometimes with novel units, you do need a quick way to hold them accountable and to asses their comprehension. These are BASIC QUESTIONS* about the chapters, so if they are actually reading, they will get these correct. (*I note this because they are very basic plot and character elements used just as an assessment to make sure they are following along. The EXAM I offer in my store is much more detailed and thorough). There are three comprehension quizzes that cover Chapters 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12. There are ten multiple choice questions per quiz and an Answer Key is included. *****************************************************************************

******** A LETTER TO OUR PLANET EARTH: Earth Day can come and go with some of our students never truly having the opportunity to reflect on the impact they can have with the environment. This letter-writing activity allows them to do so. They are asked to describe some of Earth's greatest natural wonders, how the planet affects our survival as a human race, man's impact (negative and positive) on the environment, and how they can change their daily routines in order to help preserve planet Earth. There are instructions, suggestions/prompts for each paragraph, a letter-formatting template, and a final draft template included. Easy, thoughtful activity with NO PREP for you! Recommended Grades: 5th-10th

******** LETTER TO MY FAVORITE TEACHER: This is an end-of-the-year activity that allows students to reflect on that one, special teacher who positively impacted their lives. Not only will this help students realize how much their teachers should be appreciated, it will your brighten your colleagues' days! There is a template to help structure the letter, as well as prompts to help them brainstorm what they want to express to their teacher. Easy, thoughtful activity with NO PREP for you!

******** THE OUTSIDERS TIMELINE PROJECT: This is a unit project for The Outsiders that is introduced prior to reading and worked on as you progress through the reading. (The project could also be done post-reading if preferred; students will just have to go back through the novel a second or third time to find his or her information). It includes a guideline with instructions for the students, a graphic organizer for note-taking, and an easy-to-grade rubric for you. This project encourages student engagement throughout the entire progression of the novel. I have found this to be an extremely helpful tool in my classroom with ensuring that students are engaged and comprehending. This Timeline can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups. With the timeline project, you are able to assess formative student engagement and comprehension throughout the unit, as opposed to a summative assessment at the end of the unit. *****************************************************************************

VERBALS UNIT ACTIVITY: CLOZE TEST: ☑ Common Core Standard: (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.A) ☑ This is an activity to help introduce gerunds, infinitives, and participles. ☑ A Cloze Test is a way to measure a student’s prior knowledge on a subject by asking the student to fill in the missing words that have been removed from a passage. This Cloze Test will measure how much the student knows (or is able to predict) about GERUNDS, INFINITIVES, and PARTICIPLES. ☑ After completing the test, you will give the students the correct terminology (TIP: always fun to make it a COMPETITION! Whoever gets the most correct gets candy, 5 points on exam, etc). ☑ Once they have all of the answers, they will be able to use this as a guide for review before assignments and quiz or exam. ☑ Easy-to-read Answer Keys always included in my products

This is a pre-unit activity that asks the students to make inferences about each God and Goddess based on the accompanying images. This activity will get them activating prior background knowledge and making inferences about the powers, actions, etc. of each God or Goddess. After filling out their worksheet, you can go over the actual powers and titles of each God or Goddess. (I also like to show the Mount Olympus cartoon on the History.com website--it is a quick and entertaining look at the Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology). Answers included **Can also be used as a study guide once answers have been corrected**

ESSAY RUBRIC AND STUDENT CHECKLIST: This Rubric and Checklist can be used for the Narrative Essay. The Rubric is comprehensive with the intent to cover the primary aspects of the narrative essay. Easy-to-grade with numerical choices per each Essay element and additional feedback box. The Student Checklist allows your students to review the following aspects of the essay: Brainstorming/Prewriting Rough Draft (Optional Secondary Drafts) Introduction/Conclusion Paragraphs Body Paragraphs/Support of Thesis Organization/Structure Grammar, Spelling, Usage *****************************************************************************

Middle School Christmas Activity: Letter Writing (Exploring Cultural Traditions) This is a thoughtful and engaging activity with the Christmas and other Holiday Seasons in mind. In the month of December, Christmas is the holiday that tends to take precedence as we count down the final weeks to the holiday break. While many students celebrate Christmas, I think it is important to recognize our students who may celebrate a different holiday. This activity was created in order to give students the opportunity to explore and appreciate other cultures and their traditions. HANUKKAH KWANZAA CHRISTMAS BODHI DAY Activity Includes: Prompts to help students brainstorm how to express their gratitude Letter Templates to help structure the letter Facts Sheet with information for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Bodhi Day Easy, thoughtful activity with NO PREP for you! Have a Happy Holiday!

**MIDDLE SCHOOL CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY ACTIVITY: CROSSWORD AND WORD SEARCH (6th, 7th, 8th Grades) ** Three fun and easy activities for your students to do before the Holiday Break. The Crossword and Word Search Puzzles include Holiday Vocabulary. This packet now includes a Multicultural Word Search. Not all students celebrate Christmas, so it is important to be inclusive of all during the Holiday season! I hope you enjoy the updated packet! CHRISTMAS HANUKKAH KWANZAA BODHI DAY Happy Holidays!

Get ready for a laugh… This Parts of Speech Christmas Writing Activity is based on the popular and fun game of “Mad Libs!” Students LOVE this silly game, and you will too! In this Christmas version, students will rewrite the story of The Night Before Christmas by using different parts of speech: ADJECTIVES NOUNS VERBS IDIOMS This activity is one of the most popular products from my store–a student and teacher favorite! If you enjoy this one, be sure to purchase the Valentine’s Day version! :) Happy Holidays!

THE GIVER CHAPTER VOCABULARY AND QUIZZES: This is a comprehensive unit packet of Vocabulary with over 50 Vocabulary terms used in the novel. Providing students with this packet allows for closer reading and engagement with the novel. The Vocabulary Graphic Organizer is a column chart that instructs the students to write how the word is used in context with the book (page numbers included), provide a definition, and create a new sentence.

Christmas Activities Word Search Puzzles NOUNS ADJECTIVES VERBS for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Grades (ENGLISH ELA) Three Christmas Theme Word Search Puzzles for students to practice NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, and VERBS. WORDS INCLUDED: NOUNS: ELF SANTA WREATH GIFT REINDEER TREE CANDY MAGIC TINSEL SLEIGH ADJECTIVES: SNOWY COLD MERRY JOLLY MAGICAL COZY ICY FESTIVE YUMMY JOYFUL VERBS: SING WRAP DECORATE GIVE TWINKLE BAKE CELEBRATE EAT REJOICE JINGLE

MIDDLE SCHOOL THANKSGIVING ACTIVITIES: CROSSWORD AND WORD SEARCH (6th, 7th, 8th Grades) Two fun and easy activities for your students to do before the Thanksgiving Break. The Crossword and Word Search Puzzles include 15 Thanksgiving-related vocabulary words: **MAYFLOWER APPLE CIDER NATIVE AMERICANS TURKEY GIVING THANKS PILGRIMS NOVEMBER CORNUCOPIA STUFFING CRANBERRIES MASHED POTATOES PUMPKIN PIE THANKSGIVING AUTUMN FEAST** Answer keys always included in my products! Happy Thanksgiving!

VERBALS GERUNDS PRACTICE WORKSHEETS: ☑ Common Core Standard: (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.A) ☑ 2-page handout that breaks down the definition of a Gerund and how it plays a part in certain parts of speech. I have tried to make understanding the Gerund as clearly as possible with this handout by using color-coding and providing easy-to-follow examples. (My students really struggled with the Gerund before creating this packet). Included in the handout is a "trick" that helps them decide if the -ing word in the sentence is a gerund or a participle. ☑ Five worksheets that offer practice by determining Gerund use through context, creating sentences, identifying Gerund phrases, and using Gerunds as an object of a preposition. ☑ Easy-to-read Answer Keys always included in my products

PERSUASIVE ESSAY RUBRIC AND STUDENT CHECKLIST: Your grading life just got a lot easier. Of course we always want to give our student's individual feedback, but that does not mean you should sacrifice all of your free time. This rubric allows you to quickly and efficiently grade your students' persuasive essays while also providing brief feedback. Included is a student checklist that will help ensure your students' papers are grade-ready. **This Rubric and Checklist can also be used for the two other thesis-based essays: Expository/Explanatory, and Definition/Exemplification.** The Rubric is comprehensive with the intent to cover the primary aspects of thesis formed essay. The structure makes it easy-to-grade with numerical checkboxes. Just add them up and go! Your students will be graded based on the following: Brainstorming/Prewriting/First Draft(s) Thesis Statement Introduction/Conclusion Paragraphs Body Paragraphs/Support of Thesis Organization/Structure Grammar, Spelling, Usage

VERBALS PARTICIPLES PRACTICE WORKSHEETS: ☑ Common Core Standard: (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.A) ☑ 2-page handout that breaks down the definition of a Participle and how it functions as a multi-part verb and an adjective. I have created this handout with color-coding to help students visualize the varying parts of speech in order to understand the Participle. ☑ Five worksheets that offer practice by determining Participle usage through context, creating sentences, identifying Participles phrases, and using Participles as multi-part verbs and adjectives. ☑ Easy-to-read Answer Keys always included in my products

1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL NOVEL STUDY UNIT READING ACTIVITY: CHARACTERIZATION / CHARACTER ANALYSIS NO PREP! Ready to Print and Go! Includes PowerPoint! This is a deeply engaging activity for your students to not only learn how to analyze/characterize literature but learn how to reflect and grow as individuals through reading. WHAT IS INCLUDED: POWERPOINT PRESENTATION: with definition and examples of Dynamic, Static, Round, and Flat Characters; Characterization (Indirect and Direct) STUDENT GUIDED NOTES: Two options for notes that correspond with the PowerPoint (fill-in notes or ready-to-use) CHARACTER ANALYSIS SHEETS: Students will be given an acronym (T.R.A.I.T.S.) to help them remember what to consider when analyzing characters. Upon filling out the brainstorming work, there is an option for a paragraph or essay portion to further their analysis of each character. CHARACTERS INCLUDED: WINSTON JULIA O’BRIEN MR. CHARRINGTON ALSO INCLUDED: BLANK Template for students to choose additional characters STUDENT SELF-REFLECTION: This portion of the packet allows students to complete the same process of characterizing they did with the characters, but for themselves. With this activity, students are given some insight as to why reading is so important.

VERBALS UNIT EXAM: 30-Question Unit exam for student comprehension with Verbals (Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles). ☑ Common Core Standard: (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1.A) ☑ The first portion of the exam asks students to identify the verbals within the given sentences through tasks such as indicating where the verbal is within the sentence, and how the verbal is functioning (as an adjective, verb, etc.). ☑ The last section of the exam asks students to identify the verbals within a paragraph (in context) and indicate if the verbal is a gerund, infinitive, or participle. The writing portion requires the same, but they are to create their own paragraph. This last section can be optional depending on your preference. ☑ Easy-to-read Answer Keys always included in my products