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Argumentative Essays are important to an ELA curriculum because they are a focus of the Common Core Standards. This resource is a generic outline that can help middle school student organize an argumentative essay on any topic. On the left side, there are prompts which match up to corresponding, color-coded blank spaces on the right side, where students can craft the bones of their essay. Below each paragraph's outline, the student is prompted to turn their outline into a paragraph. The packet

This is a post-reading project for the novel Call of the Wild. Students are asked to plan a tour with a "Call of the Wild" theme, and to create a compelling travel brochure advertising this tour. The tour must include information from nonfiction sources about the Yukon including food, lodging, transportation and activities. I had students complete this individually but it could easily act as a group project. My kids really loved this assignment and learned a lot. :)

This is an extension project for the novel "The Breadwinner" by Deborah Ellis (this will also be compatible for students reading "Parvana's Journey". This project encourages students to read informational text, research topics of their choice, and report back by writing articles for a group magazine. This allows for collaboration but maintains individual accountability. I graded this as an individual project even though the magazine was turned in as one whole. There is a good amount of flexibili

My most popular product has been my argumentative essay outline, and I have wondered if I should mess with a good thing. Well, after using these organizers this year, with great success, I have decided to include this step-by-step collection of outlines. This packet is different from my original outline. While I really liked using my original outline, I was able to make improvements based on how it worked in my real life classroom, and the final result is this collection. This download includ

This is a study guide for Jack London's "Call of the Wild". Each chapter includes a link to a full text version of the chapter (hosted online at http://london.sonoma.edu/Writings/CallOfTheWild/) as well as an audiobook version (hosted on Youtube and published by Librivox). Content created by me includes vocabulary lists and comprehension/analysis questions for each chapter, as well as a page of reflection questions about the novel as a whole (for students who have finished reading the novel).

This is a graphic organizer for Chapter 6 of Call of the Wild. It includes vocabulary as well as critical thinking questions. There is also a link to the full text embedded at the top so students can read the novel for free. This file is .rtf format. This is also available in .docx format. This document is meant to be filled out on a computer as the text boxes expand to accommodate writing. You will have to modify it to use it as a handout. The 2 day duration estimate is based on class periods

This in-depth look at the philosophies espoused in "The Prince" by Machiavelli, allows students to practice close reading, question, reflect, analyze, and evaluate complex ideas. Originally, this was designed to be part of a Renaissance unit and is a wonderful way to make modern day connections to politics, as well as questions about leadership, ethics, morality, integrity, and character. Please note that I did include a suggestion for how many sentences the length of each answer should be. That

This is a list of guidelines my students used when designing the Character Description page of their "The Westing Game" Weebly websites. Check out my free outline of the entire project (it is listed as my primary free download). This is not interactive; it is just a list of guidelines.

This is a graphic organizer worksheet for Chapter 5 of "Call of the Wild" by Jack London. It covers vocabulary and prompts students to find quotes which allow them to make inferences about Hal, Charles, and Mercedes. This is meant to be filled out on a computer but you can adapt it to use it as a printout worksheet. This is a .rtf file. This document is available in a .docx format as well.

This is a worksheet that students can use to organize their claims, counterclaims, research, and sources. It will help your students organize their thoughts before writing their essay. I use the top half for the first day and the second half on the second day.

This is a graphic organizer for Chapter 2 of Call of the Wild by Jack London. This is .docx format. It is was originally meant to be filled out on the computer but I have formatted it so that you could easily use it as a print out. Page 1: Chart for 11 vocabulary terms for the chapter. The first one is filled out as an example so there are 10 terms for the student to complete. Chart column titles are: Word (this is filled in), Part of Speech, Definition or synonym, Sentence from the novel, De

This is a graphic organizer for Chapter 3 of Call of the Wild by Jack London. This is .rtf format. It is meant to be filled out on the computer. You will have to adapt it if you would like to use it as a print out worksheet. This file is also available in .docx format.

This packet includes 32 vocabulary words and a section of Reader's Response questions for Call of the Wild Chapter 1. For the full novel study, please check my store. This assignment is meant to be completed on the computer, and you may choose to insert more spaces if you intend to print it off for the student(s) to complete by hand.

This is an outline of a project I did with my class while they read "The Westing Game" using Weebly. Each student created a website and used it to keep track of the characters, clues, settings, and chapter summaries. It was a very challenging project, but I believe the kids got a lot out of it. The doc also has the dates I used, but that is entirely up to your discretion.

This is a collection of three worksheets for Chapter 1 of "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls. These worksheets are best given as a packet, but you could use the sheets separately depending on the needs of your students. This was designed to be filled out on the computer, but you could adapt it to your needs and provide space for students to fill this out by hand. In this case, your document would be more than 3 pages. On the first page, is a graphic organizer to help students summariz

This chapter 4 study guide is 2 pages long (or a 1 pg duplex). This worksheet features 11 vocabulary terms and a "Deeper Level Questioning" activity. There are some suggestions for question topics for students who need a bit more scaffolding. This can easily be deleted for more advanced students.

This activity asks students to write from two perspectives after reading a kid friendly (it was made for ages 11-12 but there's flexibility) retelling of the Viking Raid on Lindisfarne-- an attack that shook western Europe to its core and started the Viking Age. Estimated Duration:At the 6th grade level, I expect this to take 2 (53 minute) class periods if the kids are working efficiently. There are enrichment options for kids who finish early on the last slide, and those who do not finish in

This is a table where student can take guided notes about chapters 1 and 2 in "The Breadwinner" by Deborah Ellis. It will prompt students to take notice of important information provided by the author early on in the novel. This was designed to be completed on a computer, but you can print it out as a worksheet.

This is a 2 page study guide for chapter 7 of Call of the Wild. There is a vocabulary section (14 words) and a reader's response question section. This is best completed on a computer, but you may choose to insert extra spaces and print it out to be completed by hand.

Looking for a creative way to assess your students' understand of the novel, "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt? This project is perfect for you! Students adapt the plot of the story into a board game, designing a playable version of the novel to be enjoyed by their classmates. The attachment includes directions and a rubric.