ELA Antics

Unit test that includes 15 vocabulary questions, 15 multiple choice questions, and 4 short response questions.

This test asks students questions about ethos, logos, and pathos in ads, PSAs, and advertising techniques used such as celebrity, deals, and emotion. Check out my free study guide for this test in my store!

Guided Reading questions for the novel Messenger by Lois Lowry. Check out my free vocab word handouts in my store that go along with the guided reading questions.

Vocabulary words (with KEY) to study throughout the reading of the novel. These words are including on my The Outsiders Unit Test.

In this assignment, students show what they know about natural disasters and non-fiction text features. I read several non-fiction articles with students and showed them youtube clips about 5 different natural disasters while focusing on non-fiction text features. In this culminating assignment for the unit, students analyze information from non-fiction articles and information on the internet to create a one pager assignment about one disaster they choose.

I usually use this children's book as a read aloud at the beginning of my persuasive writing unit that I do with my middle schoolers. After reading the book to students, I let them choose one of these 3 mini-projects to evaluate the effectiveness of the pigeon's persuasiveness in the text. Included in the resource are the directions for the three project choices. This resource aligns nicely with teaching ethos/logos/pathos also and asking students which of the pigeon's arguments fall into those

This packet of poems asks students to identify different literary devices in each poem. For example, questions after reading include "What is the tone?" "Where do you see alliteration in the poem" "Which verse has simile?"

This PowerPoint reviews vocabulary, thematic ideas, and facts about the plot for Messenger. It is geared specifically towards the Messenger Unit Test in my store.

Students create a brochure/article about a topic of their choice. In it, they must include certain text features. Be sure to check out my free model of what the project should look like (Nonfiction Text Features Project Model). I usually print this and give it to students as an example.

Use these comprehensions questions for each chapter of The Giver.

These notes include the definition of onomatopoeia and a short poem. Students should read the poem out loud as a class (I usually do it twice) and then underline or circle the onomatopoeia they see in the poem.

This unit test includes 15 vocabulary questions, 15 multiple choice questions about the plot, and 4 short response questions.

In this activity, students practice characterization by writing a theme song for one of the characters in the novel. A model of what a theme song looks like is included in this activity.

Guided Reading Questions to use with each chapter of the novel

This activity asks students to create a comic strip about one natural disaster (we had learned about 5 different ones in the unit we did). They must describe the causes, effects, and what it looks like when it is occurring. Check out my free Natural Disasters Comic Strip Model in my store to show students what is expected. I also have have a blank comic strip template in my store that I used for the activity (found it on Pinterest).

Show students the first minute or so of "What Does the Fox Say" on Youtube. I always stop right after the chorus because the video gets kind of weird! I play the clip for them twice, and ask students to listen for onomatopoeia they hear in the song (animal sounds). They record the sounds on this sheet as they listen to the clip.

I used this as an intro to the novel. It shows a picture of the cover and students analyze the choices the author made about the lettering, color scheme, elements depicted, etc.

Use this as a review game before giving my "The Giver Unit Test"

Vocabulary words to focus on while reading the novel

This is a model of my Nonfiction Text Features Project to give students a visual of what you expect.