Johnson's Jems

Included is a group of ten plot blocks with important information from "Raymond's Run". Blocks should be copied and cut out for student use. Students will sort the plot blocks trying to create the correct plot for the story. Can be done in groups of 1,2, or 4 students. Vertical and horizontal plot diagram option included for students to place blocks on. Answers included to go over with students. Also, if you have a smartboard that uses ActivInspire software, I have a movable plot map that

This is my unit for the short story "Raymond's Run". It includes work on plot, characterization, conflict, theme, figurative language, and other useful concepts. I teach this unit every year in my classroom and it is always a hit. My goal is to always simplify work in such a way that students know exactly what to do without sacrificing the rigor that we all want. Please check the individual uploaded activities if you have any questions on how the activity works. This is my first uploaded un

Theme is a difficult concept for students to grasp. This worksheet helps guide students through finding evidence from the text that supports how the theme is developed through the story. The last example gives the evidence, and the students must create the theme. *This is also available as part of my "Raymond's Run" unit bundle.

This booklet is to differentiate for GATE students with "The Monkey's Paw". It uses the depth and complexity icons to help GATE students make connections that they probably wouldn't have made otherwise. I have a booklet that I give my non-GATE students and I give this one only to my GATE students. It provides an easy way to differentiate.

This booklet is meant to be used at the end of "The Monkey's Paw". It includes activities on plot, characterization, conflict, theme, mood, imagery, figurative language, and more. This is always a great way to check students' continuing understanding of these concepts with new stories. I have had a lot of success in my classroom with these booklets and students seem to enjoy them. Also, the line numbers that are included correspond to the Interactive Reader from the 8th grade McDougal Littell

"Raymond's Run" is a story filled with great figurative language. The following activity will guide kids through the process of analyzing the figurative language using context clues. In my classroom, this has been a challenging activity that causes students to have to think. I usually have them work in partners on this. The line numbers on the worksheet come from the McDougal Littell Interactive Reader. You may need to change them to match your resource. *This is also available as part of

This is a booklet to use after finishing "Raymond's Run". It focuses on multiple literary concepts such as plot, conflict, characterization, theme, figurative language, and a few others. You have to print out the booklet and then copy it front to back. Makes a really nice culminating activity for this great story. Please note that the line numbers used in the booklet correspond to the McDougal Littell Interactive Reader. You may have to change them depending on your resource. Note: If you

This is a good culminating activity for the story "Raymond's Run". I usually photocopy this on two sides of a paper. One side is about Squeaky. The other side can be about someone else who has had to overcome obstacles in their life. We read a connecting non-fiction in class about Jackie Joyner Kersee. We also watched "Akeelah and the Bee" in class. The students were allowed to choose either Jackie or Akeelah for the other side of their poster. My students really enjoyed this activity as

This is a differentiation GATE booklet that uses the depth and complexity icons for "Raymond's Run". I have a booklet that covers standard literary concepts such as plot, characterization, etc. This one highlights icons such as big idea, change over time, patters, and many others. It challenges the GATE student to connect with the story in a deeper way. Please note that the line numbers in the booklet correspond to the McDougal Littell Interactive Reader. You may have to change them dependi

This is a decision chart that I use when teaching "Monkey's Paw". It is my attempt to teach common core standard RL 8.3. The standard mentions evaluating character's decisions. The characters in this story, specifically Mr. White, make some pretty radical decisions which warrant some analyzing. Also, after the students fill in the chart I have them write about a decision that Mr. White made. I have included an example piece of writing for that. This makes for a good discussion piece in cla

This worksheet is helpful for students to understand how to figure out character traits. They have to find quotes as evidence to support various character traits in the story. There are both physical and personality traits given. *This is also available as part of my "Raymond's Run" unit bundle.

In this lesson, the students will be comparing the reactions of Mr. and Mrs. White in "The Monkey's Paw". They will use a chart to describe the reactions and pick from a character trait list to ascribe character traits that correspond to the reactions. Finally, they will write a paragraph about the mother's defining character trait. They will use a paragraph about the father's defining trait as a guide. This lesson works well in connection with my lesson on character's decisions. I use this

In this lesson, students will evaluate the different conflicts present in "Raymond's Run". They will have to explain the type of conflict (i.e. character vs. character). They will also have to explain whether it is internal or external and whether the conflict was resolved. Also, there are some deep questions associated with the conflict and other elements of the story. *This is also available as part of my "Raymond's Run" unit.

This is a game that can be used with any set of vocabulary words. I've included the vocabulary words from my class as an example. This game is played best when the students are broken up into groups of 2-4 players. The goal of the game can be for points or for a certain length of time. I had the students play for about 20 min per game and that seemed about the right length of time. Overall, I was surprised and pleased by the student's enjoyment of the game and their retention of the vocabul

This booklet is used to reinforce concepts such as plot, theme, imagery, figurative language, and more in regards to "The Tell Tale Heart". It is best used after reading the story. It is a way to keep these concepts in the minds of a students year round. I have had much success in my classroom with these booklets.

This is some extra practice for appositives. I use this as a reteach page if I feel like students are getting it during the warm ups. It is very easy to see whether the student understands the concept after doing this page.

This is a way to assess or reteach active and passive voice. My students have a difficult time with this and this helps me to see whether they are getting it or not.

These plot blocks are used to show students how to summarize a story. Divide the class into groups of 10-12 students. Each group would receive a set of plot blocks. It works best if each set is printed on different colored paper. You can then refer to each group by the colored paper (i.e. the blue group, orange group, etc.). Each group is then responsible to use the plot blocks to create a human plot map. The students should position themselves in order to show the typical "plot mountain"