Crazy for Comprehension

If you are looking for a class novel, Eleven by Tom Rogers is worth considering. I have dissected Eleven and generated close reading comprehension questions for each chapter. These can be used in multiple ways: as journal responses, homework, comprehension assessments, and partner activites. Some of the chapters in this book are short, but I provide at least one question for each chapter as well as two total novel reflection questions and several extension writing prompts. Answer key is provid

Nine, ten is another great resource for teaching September 11. Underlying the narrative of that horrific day are the lives of four kids who are dealing with their own stories. This book radiates tolerance, understanding, and what it takes to get along with others. The book is divided into 4 sections and there are close reading questions for each section. Questions address vocabulary, inferences, figurative language and predictions. This resource is editable, so you can pick and choose which que

A founder is someone who starts or helps others start something new. There were many founding fathers and mothers who helped establish the United States. How many of these people do your students recognize? In this activity, your students match the founding father or founding mother to the role they played in bringing about the United States of America. Fifteen founders are given. Answer key is included. This editable activity can be used in many ways: as an assessment, homework, individual or g

Here's a fun way to teach your students about the cast of characters who played a role in the American Civil War. The names of 15 important people are provided along with the roles each played in the war. Students simply match the name to the role. The document is editable, so you can pick and choose which names you would like your students to match. This activity can be used as an assessment, homework, an independent or group activity, or a Web search. Answer key is provided. Please check out m

Here's a fun way to teach your students about the important people who were involved in World War I. The names of 20 important people are provided along with the roles each played in the war. Students simply match the name to the role. The document is editable, so you can pick and choose which names you would like your students to match. This activity can be used as an assessment, homework, an independent or group activity, or a Web search. Answer key is provided. Please check out my other "Who

Here's a fun way to teach your students about the important people who were involved in the American Revolution. The names of 21 generals and other important people are provided along with the roles each played in the war. Students simply match the name to the role. The document is editable, so you can pick and choose which names you would like your students to match. This activity can be used as an assessment, homework, an independent or group activity, or a Web search. Answer key is provided.

Wildfire is a fictional story that I have used to encourage middle grade readers, especially reluctant readers. It is fast-paced, interesting and narrated by a character who is believable and reliable. The chapters are short, another advantage if you would like to use this novel with reluctant readers. In this Chapter by Chapter study guide, you will find close reading questions for every chapter. Four extension activities are included that encompass the entire book. Answer key is provided. My C

Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan is a classic gothic novel used by many middle school educators as a class novel or for individual reading. In addition to stressing comprehension, this editable close reading activity focuses on the plot's many inferences, references to figurative language, and vocabulary words. It can be used in many ways, including independent work, group work, or as an assessment tool. Pick and choose the questions you wish to emphasize. An answer key is provided. Please take

The several themes addressed in Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes lend themselves to a interesting and informative class novel. Using a first person narrator (10-year-old Sugar), Rhodes addresses post Civil War issues, including what it means to be "free," and how people of different social standings, classes and cultures can come together to help each other as well as themselves. I've dissected this novel by chapters (the chapters are not numbered) in order to dive deeply into the content and help

Betty Before X, written by Betty Shabazz’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz (with Renée Watson) is an intriguing look at the early life of Dr. Betty Shabazz. Written in the first person point of view, the book dives deep into many historic events of post-World War II Detroit and portrays them from young Betty’s perspective. Sub plots illustrate the personal emotions Betty grappled with while dealing with her biological mother, her adopted parents, her friends, church and community. These close reading

Analytical writing is an important Language Arts skill to learn in high school and college. This 10-page resource includes explanation of what an analysis is and how to write one. Three analytical writing assignments are included: Analyzing a television ad, a motion picture, and an argumentative article. Each assignment has a 4-step approach to writing the analysis. Read or view, pre-write, draft and review. Questions and guidelines for pre-writing are included, as are instructions for formattin

Chapter-by-Chapter, this activity provides a close reading of Elie Wiesel's, Night. All chapters have at least 2 questions, and each question involves a close reading of the chapter. This close reading guide can be used as a companion to reading assignments or as a comprehension assessment or discussion-starter. Every question is correlated to a Common Core State Standard, indicated at the end of the question. Many standards are interchangeable between Grades 6-9. Answer key is included.

The President of the United States is the most important job in the world! It is a serious position and it is important that we recognize all of the responsibilities that come with being president. But It is also fun to learn a little bit about the things that made these men the presidents they were. This Presidential Trivia handout can be used in a multitude of ways: as a web-search activity (which can lead to a short research project or Power Point Presentation), a partner activity, extra cr

Help your students become proficient in science writing with these two assignments. The first one instructs the student on how to write a news brief from a previously published scientific or medical article. This assignment takes summarizing a step further. A graphic organizer that dissects the components of a published article is included; students simply have to follow along to see how to dissect their own article in anticipation of writing the news brief. The second assignment asks a student

If you are teaching The Outsiders your students will enjoy learning about the author, S.E. Hinton and how the book came to be written. This short reading contains vocabulary and close reading activities, as well as writing prompts. All activities contain Common Core Standard References. This reading is targeted towards middle grade readers. Answer key is provided.

Chapter-by-Chapter, this activity provides a close reading of Melba Pattillo Beals's Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High School. Some chapters have multiple questions. Each question involves a close reading of the book. This close reading guide can be used as a companion to reading assignments or as a comprehension assessment or discussion-starter. Every question is correlated to a Common Core State Standard, indicated at the end of the q

This activity contains 15 statements which fall into the category of Executive, Legislative or Judicial branch of the United States government. It can be used as an assessment tool, handout, partner activity or homework. An answer key is provided. Designed for grades 4-7.

Peer reviews are a great way to call attention to problems in a piece of wriitng, but self-reviews help students build the confidence needed to identify and revise essays and other writing assignments on their own. This checklist has been used successfully by high school and college students. All points are correlated to MLA standards. I have my students attach a copy of this checklist for each revision that is completed and turned in. The checklist addresses format and content and leaves no dou

While the exact number who made it to freedom through the Underground Railroad is not definitively known, historians believe that about 100.000 enslaved people traveled this route in the years before the Civil War. This True/False and Short Answer Quiz (two quizzes are provided) also touch on other events that are linked to the Underground Railroad. The topic of the Underground Railroad is sensitively presented within a historical framework. These quizzes can be used as assessments, in-class act

The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington can be used to teach about the Holocaust. The book is an informative, yet sensitive work of fiction that has recently become an addition to Holocaust Literature for Young Adults. These close reading handouts consist of questions that will sharpen your student's close reading skills. The close reading questions can be used for assessment, group work, or homework. Some questions give students an opportunity to identify inference and figurative language. Graphic o