BrainyCats Learning

Be ready for Friday the Thirteenth or any day with this bundle of thirteen reading, math, science and history activities. This package contains thirteen different activities from all four core classes for you to use for centers, early finishers, brain breaks, or just a fun Friday activity. Each activity has the number 13 as a focus, making them especially ideal for Friday the 13, but suitable for any day. The activities included in this set are: The First Thirteen Elements: Students answ

Just in time for cold and flu season, with its accompanying need for emergency sub plans, it's a bundle of my most popular informational texts. Each of these eight texts comes with a set of comprehension questions, along with a no-prep activity. Just print and copy to keep your students engaged and learning while you rest. This resource includes: “It’s All About the Benjamins”: 2 reading levels of an informational text and comprehension questions about Benjamin Franklin, along with a “Mad

Challenge your students with this 1000 L informational text about superstitions, then keep them engaged with vocabulary building activities. The packet also includes an expository writing prompt styled after those on the STAAR test for grade 7. CONTENTS: -- Frayer model bellringer (3 versions for ESL, general ed, or custom use) -- a one-page reading passage on superstitions (bonus two-page note-taking version) -- comprehension questions, including questions about text structure, fact vs opi

This Benjamin Franklin - inspired twist on the more traditional observation of the 100th day of school, gives your middle school students a little education with their fun. (Or, maybe, a little fun with their education!). The no-prep activities in this packet all have to do with the $100 bill and Benjamin Franklin, and differentiated levels make them are suitable for 5th -8th graders. There is also a self-reflection journal that allows students to analyze their performance in the first 100 da

Are you trying to get your students to connect with what they read? This informational text about Friday the 13th will capture student attention and engage critical thinking. High-level comprehension questions at the end of the reading will help you assess student understanding, and a pre-teach vocabulary worksheet will help make content comprehensible for language learners. It's everything you need for a no-prep, print-and-teach lesson that you and your students will all enjoy. UPDATE: T

UPDATED FOR 2026! This resource includes an assortment of math, reading, writing and critical thinking activities, all involving different aspects of the 60th Super Bowl on February 8. It's perfect for upper elementary and middle school students who need activities that allow them to review concepts while engaging them with the excitement of the big game. This is the same product as previous years, but the activities that are directly related to the current Super Bowl have been updated to refle

Students need to understand the difference between fact, opinion and commonplace assertion, so they don't fall into the trap of believing everything they read on the Internet, or hear on television or radio or podcasts. This product was designed to help students differentiate between fact and opinion, and introduce them to the idea of commonplace assertions -- those things that many people believe to be true, but really aren't. With a PowerPoint that guides both teach and students through the

Teachers of Beginning and Intermediate level language learners will be able to help their students make connections between words in math problems and the arithmetic operations needed to solve those problems. The activities in this packet also encourage students to think "reasonably". Does the answer make sense? After teaching my eighth grade Newcomer ELLs these reasoning strategies, I've been able to extend their thinking to more difficult concepts, such as finding sides of right triangles.

Escape rooms harness the natural competitive nature of middle-school students to encourage them to work cooperatively and to use critical thinking and comprehension skills to complete a series of tasks which allow them to succeed. This product features four puzzles that must be solved to “escape”. One puzzle is simply an informational text about Veterans Day, along with comprehension questions. There is also another brief reading passage that contains clues for a second lock. The third lock

Escape rooms make a fun change of pace for middle school learners and can reinforce critical thinking skills and teach how to work cooperatively, as well as reviewing academic information. This Thanksgiving Escape Room, which has both digital and non-digital versions, givers students a chance to read and make inferences about the poem "Thanksgiving" by Edgar A Guest. In addition, students can practice research skills by finding facts related to Pilgrims on the Internet, they can hone spatial sk

UPDATED ON JANUARY 4, 2025!! Informational text, word puzzles and other fun activities for Inauguration Day or any unit involving the election process in the US. Observe January 20 with these fun and educational activities that focus on the celebration of the peaceful transfer of power between the old and new presidents. Included in this resource: READING PASSAGES:Inauguration Day Informational text (2 reading levels)- Unexpected Inauguration Events Informational Text-- Inauguration 2017 -- P

Having a student who is both new to the United States and new to the English language can be a little daunting for teachers. This resource, which I’ve used with my 7th and 8th grade Newcomers classes, is full of ideas, activities, and word work for the first few days of school. The focus is to make the students comfortable, help them get to know some of their classmates, and teach them enough English language to have their basic needs met while at school. CONTENTS INCLUDE: Stuffed Animal

In these days of texting and Instagram, it's easy for students to make spelling mistakes on even the most basic of English words. In this respect, things have not changed much in the last fifty years, when the National Curriculum Association evaluated the writing of third-eighth graders across the country and compiled a list of the 100 most commonly misspelled words in student writing. This list includes words that have unusual spellings, as well as words that are commonly confused (like "thei

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Unless you're a teacher with one day left before vacation and you need to keep your students focused and entertained. Word searches are the perfect solution for those difficult days when clock watching and fidgeting seem to be the major activities. Word puzzles such as the ones included in this package can help increase vocabulary, improve spelling, and give your students a fun mental challenge. This download includes four different types of word sear

Knowing how to identify the different types of supporting evidence not only allows students to analyze speeches, but also aides them in their own writing. The activities in this resource were designed to help middle school students (including ESL Newcomers) differentiate between quotes, facts, statistics, and examples. This resource includes: Lesson Guide: use this PowerPoint to walk your students through each step of the lesson. Notes Page Connections page: an activity that allows your

Groundhog Day 2017 is on February 2. Treat your students to some quick and educational activities to celebrate the day. From an informational text telling about the ancient origins of Groundhog Day to a maze requiring the students to use all four arithmetic operations on two and three- digit numbers, your students will have a chance to review skills and learn some interesting facts along the way. Activities: Informational Text: The Origins of Groundhog Day Comprehension Questions Math Maze:

Use the activities in this packet for a themed reading lesson, or to celebrate Dental Health Month. Activities include: Ratón Perez, Collector of Teeth: In Spanish-Speaking countries, Ratón Perez is the equivalent of the Tooth Fairy. This informational text tells a little of his background and baby tooth customs in other countries. Text Evidence: Ratón Perez: Students use colors to highlight the text evidence that answers questions about the Ratón Perez reading. Tooth Idioms Context Cl

Choose from three different levels of informational text with this reading packet that introduces your students to the concept of the Electoral College. The leveled reading passages are designed to meet the needs of students at different reading abilities, and are all accompanied by a set of comprehension questions. The estimated Lexile levels are: Winning the Election – about 400L (Written with the beginning/low intermediate level ESL student in mind) Winning the Big Game—about 750 L The

Younger students can develop algebraic skills by working on these problems, while older students who already take algebra can use the problems to review systems of equations. This resource contains: *four 8.5” x 11” posters with one problem each, to be used in math centers or for a get-up-and-move classroom activity. The posters are available in black and white or color. * a sheet with all four problems on it which can be used for individual work. * a recording sheet for answer

make these writing, math, science and informational text activities part of your Valentine's Day celebration this year. With this resource, you can let your students enjoy the fun of Valentine's Day while completing a variety of activities that keep them learning and engaged Activities in this resource include: Love Among the Robots: Students use logic to determine which members of the Robotics Club exchanged cards and what type of candy they shared on Valentine's Day. Famous Couple Match-Up: