Flannery O’Connor said, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” The importance of journal writing is endless: it will help mental clarity, stimulate creative thinking, problem-solving, self-reflection, increase self-awareness and identity, and many other benefits. It is a great warm-up activity to pair with silent reading. Students’ writing can be taken for a grade or participation grade. The quote prompts here were all taken from my book, The Little Book of Big Quotes Vol. I. This list contains over 180 prompts and is editable so you can delete any that do not suit your audience and add some of your own! More journal prompts will be added periodically. Follow me so you can be notified ASAP and can download the most current version of this lesson. If you found this lesson helpful please leave a positive review at my store, thank you!

A 1-page reading quiz with lines and directions to include details about the plot, setting, and characterization of the story. This lesson is student-centered meaning: --it allows you to become a facilitator --happier teachers --happier students --happier administrators

This handy tool has been proven time and time again in studies to help students activate prior knowledge, help monitor their progress, and reinforce new learning. Here's a free downloadable PDF KWL chart and graphic organizer. This lesson is student-centered meaning: --it allows you to become a facilitator --happier teachers --happier students --happier administrators

A must-have for any teacher! A free worksheet for group work where a student shares their writing and the others listen and write down something they enjoyed and something they want to know more about in the person’s writing. Made for groups of 5, but can be altered. Great for students to improve their writing and to sharpen their critical thinking skills!

These stories were written to inspire at a time when the world seems to need it most. The characters in these stories range from naïve, innocent, and kind to bold, strange, and detached from reality. We meet two young people in love in “What These Old Eyes Saw” and a curious man in “A Case of Delusion”. We have philosophical discussions in fables and conversations on love, wisdom, and giving with “The Student and the Master” stories. These stories are great for anyone of any age!

How far would you go to make your dream come true? Troy Jones is a 16-yr-old high school student with the dream of becoming a successful rapper. He doesn’t want fame; he wants to help his mother who works three jobs to support her family after Troy’s father was killed as a bystander in a tragic drive-by. Having problems in school, Troy tries to get I.S.S. as often as he can so he can work on his rap lyrics. Mrs. Hass, his science teacher hates rap & hip-hop music and constantly gives Troy a hard time. On the other hand Troy’s English teacher, Mr. Salas, is a beacon of hope and inspiration to the young, aspiring rapper. Mr. Salas provides him with the tools to improve his craft of writing hip-hop lyrics. When Troy’s best friend Jimmy moves to another school, Troy’s opportunity to perform in rap battles arrives. Being a nobody, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. He dubs himself a mix “between a G and a nerd”. Along the way, he meets a love interest, suffers a big loss, meets his idol rapper and an ex-con, gets his music equipment stolen, and has doubts about his rapping ability. He knows that he does not only want to succeed; he needs to succeed.

A fun class activity that allows students to nominate a peer for a honorable title such as most talented, most style, funniest, most intelligent etc. You can change the categories and each sheet has 4 voting cards.

A graphic organizer to help students brainstorm, pre-write, outline, organize, and create their ideas prior to writing. Suitable for any grade, ideal for 4-12 grade. Editable MS Word document. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

A collection of 5 proverbs that are to be cut out (each set has 5 proverbs separates by double spaced spaces). I print them, make copies, cut each proverb in half and then place them in a plastic bag for students to work in partners to put them together. I then display the correct order on a transparency, ELMO projector, or write them on the board. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

A teacher-made thesaurus for common, overused words (like “good”, “bad”, “sad”, etc.) to keep in their notes and to use when writing to extend their vocabulary. Perfect for language arts teachers! Includes sections for words belonging to each of the five senses (with a picture of each sense) to help students create sensory writing. 2 pages total. Editable Word document. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

A 1-page reading writing assessment with lined area for students’ response to literature while including details about the plot, setting, and characterization of the story. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

There are tons of books on writing out there and it is difficult to know where to start... A writer doesn’t usually have a lot of time, especially if they have 10 stories plotting out in their head (along with dialogue, symbolism, sub-plots, and characterization!). In my quest for becoming a better writer, I’ve found some good books...and then I’ve found some great ones. This list includes only those books! I’ve also included links to find them on Amazon.

This 15-question multiple-choice reading analysis/comprehension test/quiz on “The Lion and the Bulls” Fable by Aesop has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection, plot development, characterization, author’s purpose, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, and figurative language. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Includes link to free file of the text so each student can get their own copy to annotate (recommended to use this version as others will not match the test questions). Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED) (From Corestandards.com): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

A 12-question multiple-choice reading comprehension quiz for “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving. Key included. This lesson is student-centered meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator –happier teachers –happier students –happier administrators

This 16-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on the poem “A Voice” by Pat Mora (from the textbook HOLT McDOUGAL LITERATURE, GRADE 9 ISBN-10: 0547115784) has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: author’s purpose, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary (including words from SAT/ACT exams), literary devices, figurative language, summarization, analogies, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! **PLEASE NOTE: Due to copyright restrictions, this product does not contain the reading selection(s). Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). This product is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 11-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on the poem “Today” by Billy Collins (from the textbook HOLT McDOUGAL LITERATURE, GRADE 9 ISBN-10: 0547115784) has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: author’s purpose, point of view, literary devices, figurative language, summarization, analogies, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! **PLEASE NOTE: Due to copyright restrictions, this product does not contain the reading selection(s). Objectives/US Standards (SUGGESTED): Students are expected to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

This 14-question multiple-choice reading comprehension and analysis test on the poem “Caged Bird” Poem by Maya Angelou (from the textbook HOLT McDOUGAL LITERATURE, GRADE 9 ISBN-10: 0547115784) has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the selection including: author’s purpose, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary (including words from SAT/ACT exams), literary devices, figurative language, summarization, analogies, and other elements of literature. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests) to familiarize students with the structure and vocabulary of standardized test questions. Questions are spaced 1.5 lines apart for comfortable reading. The questions also encourage students to go back and re-read key parts of the selection, a crucial skill for comprehension and improving reading stamina. Teachers are encouraged to remove/add questions as they see fit for their students. Includes link to free file of the text so each student can get their own copy to annotate. Answer key included. Editable MS Word Doc. You can use this product for years and years! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! *Teacher’s note: It is recommended that the reading selection’s lines be numbered before copies are given to students. This helps students locate answers to questions with references to specific lines of the text. This particular reading selection has 53 lines total. **PLEASE NOTE: Due to copyright restrictions, this product does not contain the reading selection(s).

A short 1-page quiz on figurative language (metaphor, simile, dialogue, and hyperbole) with a short dialogue to test students’ grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation skills. 10 questions total (3 multiple-choice, 3 open-ended, 4 correct-the-sentence), about 30-45 min completion time. Includes answer key. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 18-question multiple-choice reading test/quiz on “The Wounded Wolf” by Jean Craighead George has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised). It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the story, characterization, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, and figurative language. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests). Includes link to the text. Answer key included. Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Editable MS Word Doc. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!

This 14-question multiple-choice reading test/quiz is on James Herriot’s short story “The Market Square Dog” and has questions from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised) along with one optional essay question with lined paper to familiarize students with the format of standardized testing. It will test students’ literal and interpretive understanding of the story, characterization, point of view, making inferences, vocabulary, and literary devices. Questions are modeled after standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and state tests). Answer key included. Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Editable MS Word Doc. This lesson is student-centered, meaning: –it allows you to become a facilitator! –happier teachers! –happier students! –happier administrators!