The "Narrative Nonfiction Middle School Reading Unit" is a comprehensive, rigorous, and engaging resource that teachers and students alike will love. This reading unit is designed to work with ANY narrative nonfiction text and is adaptable to a variety of instructional contexts such as whole class novel/text, small group reading instruction (literature circles, guided reading, reading strategy groups), or students independently reading a text of their choice within the genre of this unit. This is an awesome resource for an English Language Arts teacher who wants to include more nonfiction reading through a genre that is often not highlighted in schools.

What is included in each middle school reading unit?

• 20 fully scripted reading minilessons (4-5 weeks of instruction) for the teacher so that he or she can explicitly walk students through the gradual release of responsibility (minilesson statement, modeling, have-a-go, application, share) as they teach each reading skill. The minilessons are sequenced and organized into a standard-aligned unit plan.
• A student-friendly unit plan to give to students at the beginning of the reading unit to track and reflect on their learning.
• A teacher unit plan template to plan out dates minilessons will be taught and coordinate pages to read each day for the interactive read aloud.
• PowerPoint/Google Slides presentations for each minilesson. The presentation form of each minilesson is a great visual to use each day to take students through the gradual release of responsibility. The presentation helps the teacher stay on track and cues students into the different pieces of the minilesson.
• Screencastify videos for each minilesson. I’ve created 5-minute videos for each minilesson, which are perfect for distance learning, flipping your classroom, making the unit into a playlist, or as a UDL option for students who want to hear the lesson in multiple or different ways.
• Question prompts specific to each reading minilesson’s skill to use in reading conferences and/or small group reading instruction (guided reading, literature circles, reading strategy groups) each day to reinforce the concept being taught.
• Prompts/questions and stopping point ideas to use during the Interactive Read Aloud intended to frontload the specific type of thinking students will need to replicate during the reading minilesson for the day.
• Optional formative assessment to use during the “application” portion of every minilesson. Each formative assessment is uniquely designed for the daily minilesson to engage students in independent learning. A formative assessment rubric to assess students’ proficiency on the reading standard and reading skill being addressed in each minilesson is also included.
• Modeling of each formative assessment is completed to be able to show students what "Meets Proficiency" looks like. The modeling is completed based off of a variety of narrative nonfiction picture books on middle school appropriate topics.
• A summative assessment to use at the end of the unit to see how students are able to apply multiple reading standards and reading skills to their independent reading.
• A list of narrative nonfiction text recommendations.
• Each minilesson contains a reference sheet for students to keep in a reference section of a 3-ring binder, glue into a Reader’s Notebook, and/or the reference sheet can be turned into a classroom anchor chart. The information on the reference sheet is also included in the PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation and referenced in the minilesson plan as a way to introduce the minilesson concept to students in each lesson.
• Resources and teacher guides to help you along the way.
  • Interactive Read Aloud Instruction Guide
  • Reading Conference Guide
  • Anecdotal notes pages to track student learning across the unit based on observations from reading conferences, small group instruction, and/or formative assessments.
  • A data tracking sheet so teachers can track how students perform on daily formative assessments across each reading unit.
  • A “Before the Unit” planning checklist to make sure you are all set to begin teaching the reading unit.
  • “Small Group Reading Instruction Guide” with information and resources about how to use guided reading, literature circles, and reading strategy groups at the middle school level.
  • “Reading Unit Assessment Guide” for ideas on how to use the formative and summative assessments and structure of this reading unit with your grading practices.
  • Exclusive links to training videos that I’ve prepared to help middle school language arts teachers strategically use each part of this resource to teach Reading Workshop effectively.
  • Access to a private Facebook group to support the reading unit implementation in your classroom.

*All lessons, student handouts, and rubrics come in a PDF, Microsoft Word/PowerPoint, and Google Docs/Slides version so teachers can use the materials in a way that best suits their teaching style and students’ needs.

Do you have more questions about the reading units? I have answers! :) Check out the FAQ for Reading Units document for even more information.

Middle School Reading Units

-Realistic Fiction

-Historical Fiction

-Science Fiction/Fantasy

-Expository Nonfiction

-Memoir/Biography

-Narrative Nonfiction

-Myth & Fairy Tale-Inspired Fiction

*Purchase the year-long reading curriculum HERE. This bundle includes all 7 reading units at a discounted rate. If you have already purchased one or more reading units, you can purchase the bundle and request a refund from TpT to get reimbursed for the unit(s) you have already purchased.

You might also like…

• Literature Circles for Middle School
• Reading Workshop Kick-off for Grades 7-8
• Reading Workshop Teacher Binders: Plan, Talk, and Track
• Middle School Interactive Reading Log (Common Core Aligned)
• Interactive Bookmarks to Support Reading Comprehension (CCSS Aligned)

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