Middle School Success

Before students begin Mildred D. Taylor’s classic novel, it’s essential that they understand the historical context shaping the story. Concepts such as sharecropping, life in the South after Reconstruction, the Great Migration, and the rarity of Black land ownership are central to students’ comprehension of the characters’ choices and experiences. This two-day stations activity introduces students to the key historical knowledge they need in order to fully appreciate the text and its themes.

Before diving into Christopher Paul Curtis’s powerful novel, it’s essential that students understand the historical events and context that shape the story. This two-day stations activity introduces students to key moments in U.S. history—from segregation and Jim Crow laws to the Birmingham Campaign and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing—helping them connect more deeply with the book’s characters and themes. Why This Resource?Sure, you could find this information online—but collecting it all

This resource is a deep, text-specific background knowledge unit designed to prepare students to read Of Mice and Men with historical, social, and conceptual understanding. Rather than offering general Great Depression facts, these stations focus on the exact systems and conditions that shape the novel’s characters and conflicts, including migrant labor, racism in California, gendered power, disability and mental health, and the changing meaning of the American Dream in the 1930s. This is not

This resource provides 4 high-impact, low-prep team-building activities that help staff and school teams connect and learn together. Designed specifically for adult learners, these activities create conversation, laughter, and deeper cultural understanding without awkward icebreakers or long presentations. Perfect for: Staff meetings Professional development (PD) days School leadership teams No extensive prep required. Just open, choose your activities, and facilitate. You can access materials

Relationships are messy and complicated, and this activity is designed to reflect that. Unlike traditional "good vs. bad" lessons, this game challenges students to think critically about nuance, intent, and impact. Whether you're a teacher, counselor, or facilitator, this deck provides the perfect framework to discuss boundaries, consent, and the vital skill of repair. How This Game is Different:Gender Neutral: All 75 scenarios use inclusive names (like Ezra, Micah, and Dallas) and "they/them" p

Looking for easy, high-engagement activities you can use all year long in staff meetings and professional development? This Guess the Song Bundle includes six themed playlists, each designed to work as a community builder, icebreaker, or energizer for adult groups. These games are simple to run, require minimal prep, and consistently bring energy, laughter, and connection into the room. What’s Included Six complete themed versions: SummerWinterBlack History MonthLatinx Heritage MonthWomen’s Hi

The Ultimate "Instant Gallery" for Women's History MonthTransform your space in minutes! This bundle features 40 professional 1-pager biography posters designed for high-impact visual learning. Whether you are decorating a school hallway, a corporate office, or a community center, these posters provide a cohesive and inspiring "Gallery of Legends." What’s Included:-40 Unique Biography 1-Pagers: Featuring a massive range of icons including Shirley Chisholm, Tarana Burke, Lucille Ball, and Madam C

The Ultimate "Instant Gallery" for Black History MonthTransform your space in minutes! This bundle features 40 professional 1-pager biography posters designed for high-impact visual learning. Whether you are decorating a school hallway, a corporate office, or a community center, these posters provide a cohesive and inspiring "Gallery of Legends." What’s Included:-40 Unique Biography 1-Pagers: Featuring a massive range of icons including Shirley Chisholm, Thurgood Marshall, and Madam C.J. Walker.

Modeled on the NYT Connections game, these puzzles are made for school faculty and staff to use during PD or team meetings! Looking for a meaningful, low-pressure way to build community during staff meetings or professional development? This resource includes 7 complete rounds of a Black History Month–themed version of the popular Connections game, designed specifically for adult learning spaces. It works as a community builder, icebreaker, or warm-up that gets people thinking, moving, and talk

Are you providing phonics instruction to tween and/or teen-aged students? These materials were created with the middle-grades student in mind. This purchase includes 6 activities for solo or partner completion. The focus is for 5-9 grade students who are being instructed through a phonics program such as Orton-Gillingham (OG) to practice their identification of : accented and unaccented syllablesschwa / lazy vowel soundsThese activities are targeted towards the middle grades student who is enrol

Looking for an easy, high-engagement way to bring energy and connection into your team meetings? Guess the Song: Summer Edition is a ready-to-run staff game designed for faculty meetings, professional development, and team building. It works as a community builder, icebreaker, or energizer for adult groups, and consistently sparks conversation, laughter, and meaningful connection. What’s IncludedThis resource includes one complete summer–themed version of the Guess the Song game. You’ll receive

This activity is a winter coloring worksheet for students to practice their ability to recognize the different sounds of c and g, both hard and soft. This activity is targeted towards the middle grades student who is enrolled in a Orton-Gillingham style phonics instructional program. The words are too complex for elementary-aged students and assume the student has a reservoir of sight word knowledge from which to draw. The product is not editable at this time and is only available as a PDF- my a

Looking for an easy, high-engagement way to bring energy and connection into your Hispanic Heritage Month programming? Guess the Song: Hispanic Heritage Month Edition is a ready-to-run staff game designed for faculty meetings, professional development, and team building. It works as a community builder, icebreaker, or energizer for adult groups, and consistently sparks conversation, laughter, and meaningful connection. The playlist highlights the richness and diversity of Latinx cultures through

Looking for an easy, high-engagement way to bring energy and connection into your Black History Month programming? Guess the Song: Black History Month Edition is a ready-to-run staff game designed for faculty meetings, professional development, and team building. It works as a community builder, icebreaker, or energizer for adult groups, and consistently sparks conversation, laughter, and meaningful connection. What’s IncludedThis resource includes one complete Black History Month–themed versio

Looking for an easy, high-engagement way to bring energy and connection into your team meetings? Guess the Song: Winter Edition is a ready-to-run staff game designed for faculty meetings, professional development, and team building. It works as a community builder, icebreaker, or energizer for adult groups, and consistently sparks conversation, laughter, and meaningful connection. What’s IncludedThis resource includes one complete Winter–themed version of the Guess the Song game. You’ll receive

Looking for an easy, high-engagement way to bring energy and connection into your LGBTQ Pride Month programming? Guess the Song: Pride Month Edition is a ready-to-run staff game designed for faculty meetings, professional development, and team building. It works as a community builder, icebreaker, or energizer for adult groups, and consistently sparks conversation, laughter, and meaningful connection. The playlist celebrates LGBTQ+ artists and the powerful role their music has played in culture,

Looking for an easy, high-engagement way to bring energy and connection into your Women's History Month programming? Guess the Song: Women's History Month Edition is a ready-to-run staff game designed for faculty meetings, professional development, and team building. It works as a community builder, icebreaker, or energizer for adult groups, and consistently sparks conversation, laughter, and meaningful connection. The playlist features music by women across eras, genres, and backgrounds, highli

Sweeten your February phonics practice with this Valentine's Day themed mystery picture! Students will love revealing the hidden cupcake as they master the three sounds of -ed.What's Included:1 Mystery Picture Activity (10x10 grid = 100 words)Teacher instructions pageAnswer keyStudent-friendly directionsSkills Practiced:The three sounds of -ed: /t/, /d/, and /id/Inflectional endingsPhonemic awarenessDecoding words with suffixesBase words + -edHow It Works: Students read each -ed word from the wo

Engage your students with this Valentine's Day themed Magic E mystery picture! Your students will love revealing the hidden heart with arrow as they practice identifying CVC and CVCe words.What's Included:1 Mystery Picture Activity (121 words)Answer keyStudent-friendly directions1-page teacher guideSkills Practiced:Magic E / Silent E patternsShort vowel CVC words (cap, kit, hop, cub)Long vowel CVCe words (cape, kite, hope, cube)All 5 vowel pairs: a/a_e, e/e_e, i/i_e, o/o_e, u/u_ePhonics decoding

Before diving into this classic piece of historical fiction written by Christopher Paul Curtis, it’s essential that students understand the historical events and context that shape the story. This two-day stations activity introduces students to key moments in U.S. history—from segregation and Jim Crow laws to what life was like as a child in the foster care system and why so many Black Americans had moved to the midwest during this period of time—helping them connect more deeply with the book’s