LitDocs

This anticipation guide is designed to introduce students to the major themes and ethical dilemmas explored in The Giver before reading. Students will respond to a series of 10 thought-provoking statements by agreeing or disagreeing and then explaining their reasoning in writing. This activity encourages discussion, activates prior knowledge, and helps students begin making personal connections to ideas such as freedom, individuality, memory, rules, and choice that will appear throughout the nov

This is a complete, student-facing packet ready to print for a fishbowl-style discussion on the beginning of Part II of Tangerine by Edward Bloor. It includes three categories of questions: Character, Plot, and Theme. There are three discussion-based questions in each category. I typically run three rounds of discussion, selecting one question from each category for each group to discuss. The packet also includes a discussion rubric and a note-taking page for students to use during the discuss

This slide deck includes 20 days of sentence-editing practice focused on parts of speech. The opening slides provide instruction on basic editing marks and a review of each part of speech. Each practice slide includes a student-friendly editing checklist, with the corrected sentence shown on the following slide for review.

This slide deck is designed for use with middle or high school GSAs to spark meaningful conversation during Transgender Awareness Week. It explores five common myths about transgender identities, with each slide clearly debunking a misconception and providing thought-provoking discussion questions to encourage student reflection, understanding, and respectful dialogue.

This slide deck is designed for use with middle or high school GSAs to spark meaningful conversation on Bi Visibility Day. It explores six common myths surrounding bisexuality, with each slide clearly debunking a misconception and offering thought-provoking discussion questions to engage students in reflection and dialogue.

This Slide Deck is designed to complement a student facing worksheet (included in the bundle) and helps teach students the key skills of writing in a formal style. The activity is inquiry-based: students first brainstorm, individually or in groups, what formal writing does and does not look like. Next, they review sample sentences from a student essay comparing two familiar texts ( The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Tortoise and the Hare). The sentences feature common style errors such as vague wor

This student-facing packet prepares students to participate in a fishbowl-style discussion after reading both "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and The Giver by Lois Lowry. The packet includes instructions and a rubric, nine discussion questions formatted in a graphic organizer which requires students to provide text evidence, and space for note taking during the discussion. Discussion questions are divided into three categories: Theme, Character/Setting, and Personal Reflection. I typically div

This mini-unit is for the graphic novel version of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle and Hope Larson. Materials are designed to be used with student-led literature circles. Each Lit Circle Guide focuses on one or two chapters in the novel and follows a Before/During/After Reading approach. Students begin each day with a Turn & Talk that will help students connect their own lives and the real world to issues in that particular chapter. Then, students will read the chapter and complete com

I use this reading activity during Jewish Heritage Month, but it works well any time of year. It includes pre-, during-, and post-reading activities that accompany a class read-aloud of The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco. In the prereading stage, students research and sketch key terms related to Jewish traditions that appear in the story. During reading, comprehension questions guide them through the text. As a culminating activity, students design their own ‘keeping quilts’ that highlight t

This debate packet is student facing and ready to print. It can be changed as needed for your students' needs, as it is in a Google Doc. It includes a prompt, a graphic organizer for students to prepare for the debate, a note sheet for during the debate, and questions for a written reflection following the debate. After reading Chapter 2 of Nimona (excerpts work fine, too!), students will be assigned to Team Nimona or Team Blackheart. Following the prompt, students will argue which plan for batt

This is a student-facing guide to a fishbowl discussion for after the reading of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Discussion questions focus on characters, plot, and theme. The packet includes a rubric, graphic organizers for preparation, and a note taking page for during the discussion. Feel free to modify anything to fit your students' needs!