Teaching from Scratch

I love teaching "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, but the complexity of its language left some of my struggling readers (particularly my exceptional learners and my ESOL students) unable to fully access the story. So I rewrote the story for them! It's a full 2 pages (still a respectable reading length for a middle schooler.) It still hits all the same plot points as the original so students who use the simplified can still answer questions about the story just like their classmates. My vers

I love teaching "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, but the complexity of its language left some of my struggling readers (particularly my exceptional learners and my ESOL students) unable to fully access the story. So I rewrote the story for them! It's a full 2 pages (still a respectable reading length for a middle schooler.) It still hits all the same plot points as the original so students who use the simplified can still answer questions about the story just like their classmates. I *t

This graphic organizer makes characterization a lot less abstract for your struggling students. It requires students to return to the text for evidence. This graphic organizer is totally adaptable to any short story, novel, or even some nonfiction selections you teach. Also, this is great for your sub folder!

Both tests are the same 20 questions. The first 16 questions are multiple choice questions. The last four questions are short answer, requiring 1-3 sentences each to answer. Both tests are two pages long and look similar to students who sit nearby, for privacy purposes. The difference between them is that the standard version has 4 answer choices for multiple choice questions and the modified version has only 3 answer choices. Each omitted answer was selected individually (I didn't just chop

This is a twenty question test. The first 17 questions are multiple choice questions. The last three questions are short answer. The test is two pages long. The third and fourth pages of the document are the answer key. Literary Terms Used on This Test: first, second, and third person, point of view, theme, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, and personification. My literature tests don't contain a vocabulary section. I do that as a separate assessment in my classroom and that seemed th

This is a set of two differentiated versions of one vocabulary practice page. They contain the same content but the modified version has the content chunked into sections. Each version has its own key. This vocabulary practice will have your students using context clues to fill in the blanks of sentences with the following words from the teleplay The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street by Rod Serling: flustered, incriminate, persistent, optimistic, idiosyncrasy, antagonism, contorted, defiant,

Students will use this character chart to organize information about the characters in the novel. This helps my students keep the characters straight every year. It sends them repeatedly digging through the chapters to complete it. Some answers are directly found. Other items (such as the characters' ages) will have them digging for clues to help them estimate or infer. They will also understand how each of the characters contributes to the garden in a different way and how the garden is si

These ten questions cover all six scenes in this dramatized version of A Christmas Carol. The questions are in the order in which they occur in the story with scene numbers clearly indicated to help students locate answers. Second page is a detailed key. Literary Terms Used: scene, monologue

This set of 20 comprehension questions is listed in the order in which the events occur in the short story "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry. One version of the questions has them all appearing on one page with no space for student responses. Another version of the questions is spaced out over two pages with ample space for student responses. There is also a detailed two page answer key. Literary Terms Used: theme, internal conflict, first person, second person, third person, point of vi

This test is designed to be open-book to evaluate students' understanding of the novel. It's 20 questions: 19 multiple choice and one short answer. An answer key is included. Most questions also provide the chapter number to help students in their search. Literary Terms Used: author, fiction, protagonist, antagonist, alliteration, hyperbole, allusion, personification

This is a Tic-Tac-Toe-style choice board of projects for the short story "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry. All of these activities are specific to this story -- no generics! My students have really enjoyed these projects when I teach this story and I know yours will too! Plenty of great opportunities for student writing and creative expression! If doing three tasks would be too much for your students, the second page of this document is the same choice board but the directions say to onl

I created this project for my seventh grade ELA class, but it could very easily be adapted for 6th or 8th grade. The project will take about 2-3 weeks depending on the length/difficulty of the biographies your students use. There are several grading opportunities throughout the project, including three rubrics (one for the essay, one for the multimedia slideshow, and one for their actual presentation.) This covers a LOT of goals: reading, writing, speaking/listening, and language. Each line o

These 10 comprehension questions are in the order in which they occur in the short story "Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez. There is ample space on the page for your students' answers. The second page is a detailed answer key.

These ten questions are listed in the same order in which the events occur in the short story "The Dinner Party" by Mona Gardner. The second pages is a detailed answer key. ELA Vocabulary Used: setting, paraphrase, conflict

Act One words: dejectedly, fanfare, ignorance, destination, acknowledge, leisurely Act Two words: admonishing, petty, deliberately, ascend, perish, vigorously, quest, pantomime, mourn For each act, there is a context clue activity that has students use the words (which are defined in the word bank) to complete the sentences. Each of six words in Act One will be used twice, and each of the nine words in Act Two will be used once. There is also an answer key for each of the two practice pages.

Scene One words: solitude, destitute, abundance, surplus, transform, provision, endeavor, anonymous, emerge Scenes 2-6 words: mortal, incoherent, macabre, pledge, charitable, reassurance, welfare, finale, currency, odious, summon Each of these is a context clue activity that has students use the vocabulary words (which are defined in the word bank) to complete the sentences. Each of nine words in Scene One will be used once on the first practice page. Each of the eleven words in Scenes 2-6 wi

My 6th grade Social Studies students kept confusing the three kinds of Human-Environmental Interaction so I made this practice sheet to help clarify the difference. The top of the page has notes which explain the differences among the three. Then students have ten sentence-long scenarios that they have to read and determine if each is an example of modify, adapt, or depend. A key is included on the second page of the document. This really helped to clarify this topic for my students!

Directions: Below are seven quotes from the play. Each quote is written in a style that isn’t how we speak today. Your job is to paraphrase each quote. Paraphrase means to put it into your own words. Scene numbers are listed after each quote so that you can seek out context to make better sense of the quote. Page two is an answer key.

This is a set of two differentiated versions of one vocabulary practice page. They contain the same content but the modified version has the content chunked into sections. Each version has its own key. This vocabulary practice will have your students using context clues to fill in the blanks of sentences with the following words from the short story "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto: portly, trudge, bluff, conviction, linger, scowl, quiver, sheepishly, ferocity, and elective. Definitions are included

This is a set of two differentiated versions of one vocabulary practice page. They contain the same content but the modified version has the content chunked into sections. Each version has its own key. Word Bank contains the definitions for: clutch, prodigy, sidekick, relay, and periscope from the story "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara. There are ten fill-in-the-blank sentences. Each word will be used twice.