“Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara is a short story about self-identity and confidence. The lead character Squeaky is a hard-working and smart mouthed runner who takes care of her brother Raymond who has a disability. As the story progresses readers are treated to an unexpected character change. This resource is aligned to Common Core Standards and provides opportunities for students to critically evaluate character traits, character change, character challenges, and theme using evidence from the text! One of the most amazing components is the inclusion of FIVE original graphic organizers with answer keys. These organizers can be used with other texts! This is a jam packed short story evaluation that includes: - Suggested Lesson Plan - Common Core Aligned Questions based on the text - Original Graphic Organizers - Description of how to implement Graphic Organizers - Comprehension Questions

Characters Booklet This “booklet” will assist students in keeping track of characters in the books and/or stories they are reading. This is an excellent resource if you are working on character analysis as students are required to analyze multiple characters from the text by detailing when they are introduced, key quotes, and explain their importance to the text. The book also includes a list of character traits to help students think through how to accurately describe characters. The booklet includes: *Character Comparison Graphic Organizer *Character Change Graphic Organizer *Character description Graphic Organizer *Character Review writing component Directions for how to print this booklet are included as it is intended to be copied double sided and folded in half.

These activities are prefect for engaging your entire class in a quick game of “I have…Who has…?” The game promotes listening and speaking skills. My students love doing a timed edition where I compete between classes for the class that can get to 100% without errors in the shortest amount of time. This product includes: • 24 figurative language game task cards • 24 context clues game task cards • Response keys • Guidance for playing the game

This is a myth writing supplemental resource pack taken from my larger Greek Mythology Unit. Students are guided through the process of creating a myth using this resource. DO NOT PURCHASE IF YOU HAVE BOUGHT MY GREEK MYTHOLOGY UNIT Resources included: - Suggested Scope and Sequence - Mentor Text - Brainstorming - Outlining - Mini-lesson: Quoting - Character Development - Drafting Paper - Revision & Editing Checklist - Rubric

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IF YOU HAVE BOUGHT MY BEGINNING OF YEAR ACTIVITIES RESOURCE OR BUNDLE. This is a great resource to start the year and capture lots of memories. It's a mini-book that walk students through the important things during the year. This is an awesome and interactive way for students to engage with each other and make new memories! Included: ♦Cover Page ♦Two Page Reading on Malleable Intelligence ♦ Interactive pages ♦ Important Book EDITABLE Templates ♦ Important Lists ♦ Important Things about Classmates

This craftivity is perfect for the beginning of the year to get students writing about their summer, but also has the flexible to be used in conjunction with other units. Camera template and interactive accordion book templates are EDITABLE using textboxes in PowerPoint. This resource includes: • Teacher Guide • Step by Step Instructions with Pictures • Camera Template • Camera lens and flash template • Accordion Book templates • 3 Planning Templates • 3 Writing Templates

This resource is aligned to Speaking and Listening standards from the Common Core standards. I use this with my 5th graders, but it is broad enough to apply to grades 3-6. This resource is intended to assist teachers in implementing effective collaborative discussions about the text. This resource includes: - Overview and Key Components to Implementation Description - Student Responsibilities (Roles) Cards - Sentence Starters aligned to Roles - Discussion Participant Checklist - Self-Evaluation Rubric for participants - Teacher evaluation rubric (CUSTOMIZABLE) - 6 Reading Literature Preparation Guides - 7 Reading Informational Text Preparation Guides - 16 Reading Literature Conversation Starter Cards - 12 Reading Informational Text Conversation Starter Cards If you like this product or have thoughts on how to improve please leave me your feedback! Enjoy!

Dr. Maya Angelou was an author, actress, singer, and most notably a poet. Known for her command of language, the poem “Still I Rise” is one of her most acclaimed works that speaks to overcoming oppression. This resource contains an in-depth analysis of the poem for teachers and aligned graphic organizers and text dependent questions for students. This is a NO PREP resource for teachers. Teacher Resources: - Detailed Lesson Plan - Text Analysis (3 pages) - Teacher Response Guide The Texts: - Dr. Angelou biography - “Still I Rise” student copy with wide margins for literal and analytical annotations Graphic Organizers: - Finding the Theme - Vocabulary

This is a set of 26 half page task cards about famous African Americans. There are 3 questions for each card, an answer key, and student response form. This activity is perfect for centers or small groups! An intentional focus was place on introducing students to a variety of celebrated African Americans. Marian Anderson Mary McLeod Bethune Cab Calloway Dr. Charles R. Drew Duke Ellington Ella Fitzgerald Althea Gibson Matthew Henson Rex Ingram Mae Jemison Ulysses Kay Alaine Locke Constance Baker Motley Kwame Nkrumah Jessie Owens Colin Luther Powell Benjamin Quarles Wilma Rudolph Betty Shabazz Sojourner Truth Leslie Uggams Denmark Vesey Ida B. Wells Malcolm X Whitney Young Jr. Shaka Zulu

Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl is a classic short story about a pregnant housewife who completes and covers for an unthinkable crime. All materials provided offer multiple opportunities to critically evaluate character motivation, plot elements, cite evidence and evaluate irony! The lesson also includes engaging extension activities. ★ Common Core Aligned Questions from the text w/Answer Key ★ Discussion Questions ★ Graphic Organizers ★ Writing Extension Activity (4) This resource is perfect for introducing a short story unit and reinforcing ideas from fiction reading. It is also simple enough to be used as an emergency substitute lesson plan!

This resource is included in the Locomotion Novel Unit so if you have purchased that Unit please do not purchase this one. It includes Common Core Analysis of 10 poems. • “Ode to family photographs” by Gary Soto • “A Bird Came Down the Walk” by Emily Dickinson • “A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long.” by Nikki Giovanni • “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost • “Humanity” by Elma Stuckey • “Something Told the Wild Geese” by Rachel Field • “Words as Free as Confetti” by Pat Mora • “In the Time of Silver Rain” by Langston Hughes • “The Sea” by James Reeves • “Wind” by James Reeves There is a bonus lesson included that gets to students to use the biography of Nikki Giovanni in order to analysis the poem through the lens of the author.

This unit focuses on remediation and/or enriching skills associated with main idea and supporting details using informational and fictional text. There are multiple examples, sample questions, and aligned assessments. It is compiled in four sections that gradually develop student independence: 1. Modeled Instruction 2. Guided Instruction 3. Independent Practice 4. Assessment There are also graphic organizers, and an “I Have, Who Has?” activity for students to practice main idea as a class! Answer keys are included for all resources and this is aligned to Common Core States Standard. All teachers have to do it print and copy!

This poetry resource includes 35 pages that are sure to supplement any poetry unity. There are templates for students to create poetry mini books, planning posters, publishing papers, and poem posters for each poem. Two versions of mini-book covers Full Page Graphic Organizer for Publishing Posters with poem definitions Common Core analysis for Haiku, Limerick, and Free Verse Editable template for you to add additional pages Poems in this Unit: • Haiku • Limerick • Cinquain • Free Verse • Acrostic • Couplet • Diamante Each type of poem includes: • Mini-book student copy of the definition and example of poem • Mini-book activity using the poem • Mini-book space for students to create a poem

This is a great resource to get students to reflect on their year and capture lots of memories. There are two different options for creating minibooks with students. Either provides an awesome and interactive way for students to engage with each other and make new memories! Included: ✰ School Information page ✰ All About Me ✰ Personal Reflections on the Year ✰ Comparing the Year ✰ Major Accomplishments ✰ Then vs. Now ✰ Class Awards ✰ Flashback and Forward ✰ My Favorite Class ✰ Best Moments and Funny Memories ✰ The Soundtrack of My Year ✰ Current Events ✰ Autograph Pages (2) ✰ Summer Plans ✰ Cover Page This resource is also included in my End of Year A to Z Activities: 34 Activities and Memory Book PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IF YOU HAVE BOUGHT THE END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES RESOURCE.

These organizers are included in my Argumentative, Informative, and Personal Narrative writing units. If you have those units, or purchased my writing bundle, please do not grab these. This resource includes 30 original graphic organizers that will assist your students with writing. These organizers are aligned to three types of writing noted in the Common Core State Standards, and will guide students with organizing their thoughts to the topic of your choice. Organizers included: ★ Argumentative (8) ★ Informative (15) ★ Personal Narrative (7)

In 1963, eight white clergymen wrote a letter condemning nonviolent protests happening in Alabama. From a jail cell, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote a response to each argument presented by the clergymen. This letter contains some of Dr. King’s most recognized quotes such as, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” and “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” This unit focuses on analyzing arguments presented in the two letters, responding to various text dependent questions, and participating in a Socratic seminar. This unit is a LOW PREP resource for teachers. The Texts: - Annotated and Student Copy of “Call For Unity” - Student Copy of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” Graphic Organizers: - Reviewing Arguments - Writing Counterarguments - Responding to Arguments - Tracing Claims

“The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe is a classic short story that is riveting from start to finish. This is one of Poe’s most recognized works, and it is sure to grab the attention of your students! This resource is aligned to Common Core standards and age/grade appropriate. All materials provided in this lesson will position students to make a claim about the narrator and engage in deep conversations regarding the events that unfold. This unit infuses a bit of technology with the use of QR codes, but no worries, teachers are still set up for success without the technology. This unit is designed for Grades 8-10! Mini-Lessons: - Mood and Tone - Prefixes and Suffixes - Context Clues - Irony *********************************************** Text Materials: This unit includes the text for students. There are two different options (with and without guided questions) and a teacher annotated copy to assist with analysis.

This is a complete novel study using the book Locomotion by three time Newberry Honor winner Jacqueline Woodson. Locomotion is a Coretta Scott King Book Winner that is told in 60 poems. The poems are written through the perspective of 11-year old Lonnie who uses poetry to emote. This Novel unit has 10 additional poems embedded into the lessons and its great for not only introducing students to poetry, but also in getting them to develop their own poetry. In addition to being embedded the poems are formatted to be used as standalone resources for students. This item is also in my store if you want to preview before purchasing. Poetry Analysis Resource The entire unit focuses on the Common Core Standards and shift to getting students to use evidence from the text to defend their responses. Each lesson includes a copy of student work with answer key, vocabulary word of the day, daily exit ticket, and homework.

This unit is directly aligned to Common Core Writing and Language standards, and is designed for students in grades 6-8. This unit will lead you and your students through the process of writing different types of informative pieces. Download the preview for a peak at the resources. There are more than 65 pages which include: ★ Explanatory/Informative Writing Overview ★ Mentor Texts (4) ★ Writing topics (32) ★ Student Revision Checklist ★ Student Editing Checklist ★ Common Core Aligned Rubric Graphic Organizers by Organization Structure Descriptive (5) Problem Solution (2) Compare and Contrast (2) Cause and Effect (4) Generic (4) Mini-lessons: Drafting From an Outline Recognizing Bias in Writing Compare and Contrast Formats Cause Effect Language Lessons: Infinitive and Infinitive Phrases Gerunds

The use of graphic organizers is a research based strategy for building comprehension and engagement with complex text. This resource is for all “graphic-FANantics” and those interested in using graphic organizers with their class. This a rich collection of 50 original organizers aligned to Common Core Informational Text standards. They are perfect for any informational text and focus on students digging into the text to find specific details and deeper meaning. There are 50 original organizers that can be used with students in grades 4-6 and Common Core alignment is discretely noted on each organizer. These organizers can be used in whole group lessons, homework assignments, during skill lesson, and/or small groups. My personal favorite includes using these organizers to hold students accountable for independent reading.