What’s New:
Check out the awesomeness that was just added this week!
Use as a choice board or download for individual activities.
Download Includes:
Link to a Google Slides Choice Board
Digital versions of the activities
Formatted PDF versions of the activities
Answer Keys
Teacher Instructions
Story Elements Choice Board
Differentiate and increase interest for your students with this leveled choice board for story elements. The engaging and creative activities range from building foundational skills to applying the concepts.
Activity Levels:
Level One: Building a foundation.
Students will work with understanding vocabulary; identify the story elements in the Pixar short, Wind; and use the templates provided to create an Instagram page that teaches the meaning of the story elements.
Level Two: Understanding the concepts.
Students will read Hou Yi and the Ten Suns and complete graphic organizers based on the story elements; read an excerpt from Piecing Me Together and use the templates provided to create a set of Instagram stories for the main character; read an excerpt from Refugee and compare the story elements between the different chapters.
Level Three: Applying the concepts.
Students will analyze what will change in their favorite movie or story if one of the story elements was different; create an original story that follows the plot diagram and turn it into a picture book; write a one-act play based on someone or an event in history.
Inference and Text Evidence Choice Board
Differentiate and increase interest for your students with this leveled choice board for inference and text evidence. The engaging and creative activities range from building foundational skills to applying the concepts.
Activity Levels:
Level One: Building a foundation. Students will work with understanding vocabulary; developing inner dialogue for characters in the short movie, Soar; and complete inference station activities.
Level Two: Understanding the concepts. Students will read excerpts from Where the Red Fern Grows, The Landlady, and The Adventure of the Blue Jewel. After reading, students complete creative activities that help them build an understanding of the concepts.
Level Three: Applying the concepts. Students will create a short story, mystery game, and/or a Mike Rowe The Way I Heard It style podcast.
Use as a choice board or download for individual activities.
Download Includes:
Link to a Google Slides Choice Board
Digital versions of the activities
Formatted PDF versions of the activities
Answer Keys
Teacher Instructions
Download Includes:
Link to a Google Slides Choice Board
Formatted PDF versions of the activities
Answer Keys
Teacher Instructions
Main Idea, Objective Summary, and Theme Choice Board
Differentiate and increase interest for your students with this leveled choice board for main idea, objective summary, and theme. The engaging and creative activities range from building foundational skills to applying the concepts.
Activity Levels:
Level One: Building a foundation. Students will work with understanding vocabulary; identifying examples of main idea, details, topics, and theme; and identifying errors in sample student responses.
Level Two: Understanding the concepts. Students will read excerpts and complete creative activities that help them build an understanding of the concepts.
Level Three: Applying the concepts. Students will create a blog post, storyboard, poster, personal story, and/or test based on main idea, objective summary, and theme.
Standards Vocabulary Posters
3 colorful posters that teach and reinforce main idea, objective summary, and theme.
Download Includes:
3- 8.5 X11 Posters
Link to the Google Slides for the digital version
Standards Bell Ringer Series: Main Idea, Objective Summary, Theme
*ELA Unlimited Exclusive*
Provide your students with focused practice on main idea, objective summary, and theme with these engaging and rigorous bell ringer activities. They are perfect for providing targeted practice and review in small chunks.
Bell Ringer Activities:
Practice #1: Students determine if statements are examples of main idea or theme.
Practice #2: Students read a short passage and complete an objective summary graphic organizer.
Practice #3: Students read a short fable and answer 4 multiple choice questions about the main idea, objective summary, and theme.
Practice #4: Students write their own short story that includes a clear theme and write 4 multiple choice questions based on their short story.
Check In: 10 question assessment that covers vocabulary, understanding the concepts with 2 short passages, and applying the concepts to an excerpt from Growing Up by Gary Soto.
Download Includes:
Link to a Google Slides version
Link to the Google Form check in
Formatted PDF versions of the activities and check in
Answer Key
Teacher Instructions
Main Idea and Theme Assessment
Test your student’s understanding of main idea and theme with this thorough 20-question assessment that covers vocabulary, understanding the concept, and applying the concept.
Assessment Components:
Vocabulary: 5 questions covering main idea, theme, detail, topic, and the difference between main idea and theme.
Understanding: 6 questions where students are given an example and they have to determine if it is most likely the theme, main idea, or topic.
Applying: Students are given 3 passages where they have to determine the main idea, theme, and supporting details.
Format: Google Docs, Google Forms, PDF
Download Includes:
Link to a Google Forms Version
Link to Google Docs Version
PDF of the assessment
PDF of the passages
Answer Key
Teacher Instructions
Main Idea: The Quests
You have done a great job teaching main idea and your students have completed the mini lesson and activities. Now it’s time for students to practice their main idea skills.
The Quests:
Quest 1: Students will sort characteristics and examples of main idea, theme, and topic into a chart. This is a drag and drop activity.
Quest 2: Students will read a short passage and determine the main idea and theme. They will analyze the differences between the two.
Quest 3: Students will analyze the lyrics of a song and complete a main idea graphic organizer.
Quest 4: Students will read an excerpt from Elijah of Buxton and complete a main idea graphic organizer.
Quest 5: Students will read an excerpt from The Unteachables and write their own main idea multiple choice questions.
Download Includes:
Link to a Google Slides Download
Link to excerpts
PDF Versions
Teacher Instructions
Main Idea - Mini Lesson and Activities
Determining the main idea is a foundational skill for all students. This lesson will help students learn how to write a main idea statement and how to differentiate the main idea from topic, a detail from the text, and theme. The scaffolded activities will guide your students in the understanding of main idea and how to write their own main idea statement based on a passage.
This Product Includes:
Google Slides Mini Lesson: 14 slides that explain the main idea, how to write a main idea statement, and how to differentiate the main idea from topic, details, and the theme.
Student Notes Sheet: Students use the Frayer Model to take notes on the information in the slides.
3 Activities: 3 Interactive practice activities that will guide students in their understanding of the main idea.
Instructional Video: Video where I walk students through the slides and help them gain an understanding of how to find the main idea.
Download Includes:
Link to a Google Slides Download (Notes and Student Notes Sheet)
Link to a YouTube Instructional Video
PDF Versions
Teacher Instructions
The Grammar Series - Common Grammar Mistakes
Are you tired of seeing your students make the same mistakes in their paper? Do they need a grammar refresher course?
This grammar lesson will walk students through the five main mistakes they make when writing and provide examples. Students can practice identifying and correcting these mistakes with 3 practice sets and a 10 question check-in.
This download includes:
Google Slides Mini Lesson (with video link to the instruction, if needed)
3 Digital Practice Activities
10 Question Google Forms Check-In
Answer Key
PDF versions of the practice activities and check-in
Daily Agenda Slides
Stay organized with these colorful, engaging, and fun slides.
This Download Includes:
180 unique slides with a daily topic
Day one: Would You Rather
Day Two: Fun Facts
Day Three: Dad Jokes
Day Four: Inspirational Quote
Day Five: Fun GIF to celebrate the end of the week.
Download is a PDF with links to each month and suggestions on how to use the slides.
New Year New Goals
Let’s get 2021 off to a great start with this engaging, creative, and meaningful digital activity! With this goal setting activity, students reflect on where they have been, where they want to go, and how to get there.
This is a perfect activity to complete on your first day back from winter break! It will get your students motivated and thinking about what they want to accomplish in school and their personal life.
Product Includes:
4 reflection prompts that encourage students to think and write about what went well last year, their challenges, time wasting habits, and their future best self.
1 writing prompt that guides students in thinking about how they want their best life to look like one year from now.
3 goal setting templates that focus on the GROW goal setting method. For each key area of their life, academics, personal, and relationships, students write a goal, explain their current reality, develop organized steps to help accomplish their goal, and explain how it will feel when they win and reach their goal.
1 vision board template where students create a vision board based on their new goals. Students find images and quotes that relate to their goals and insert them into a Google Slide.
Student instructions in the speaker’s notes.
Download Includes:
PDF link for 10 colorful and editable Google Slides
Teacher Instructions
Story Elements Assessment
This 20-question editable multiple choice test will help you determine if your middle school students understand story elements and how to apply them when reading fictional stories. The short story questions resemble a Common Core ELA state assessment.
The Assessment is split into three sections.
Section one covers vocabulary for the 5 story element terms: Character, Conflict, Setting, Theme, and Plot
Section two covers the stages of the plot diagram: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
Section three has students apply the elements within three short stories: “The Legend of the Dipper”, an excerpt from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and “The Cabin”
Download Includes:
Google Docs Version
Google Forms Version
PDF Version
Answer Key
Story Elements Poster Set
This colorful, engaging, and fun poster set will easily help you teach and reinforce the story element vocabulary. This set is perfect for a bulletin board, anchor chart, or as reference material on your digital learning platform.
Download includes Posters for:
Protagonist
Antagonist
Plot
Setting
Conflict
Theme
Frozen Figurative Language Review
Bring some excitement to your figurative language unit with this fun and engaging activity. Students read and analyze the lyrics from the songs in Frozen and then answer multiple choice questions. You can listen to the song or watch the clips to increase engagement!
Download Includes:
9 songs with figurative language multiple choice questions.
Answer Key
Google Docs or PDF format
Standards Bellringer Series: Story Elements
*ELA Unlimited Exclusive*
Download includes:
Google Slides Format: 12 colorful and engaging slides where your students can highlight and type their answers.
4 Practice Activities:
Practice 1: Read a passage and answer questions about theme and character traits.
Practice 2: Read a passage and answer 3 multiple choice questions about characters and conflict
Practice 3: Read a passage and write your own questions about story elements.
Practice 4: Change one element from one of the stories and analyze how it would affect the plot.
Check in: 10 question check in to assess your student’s understanding of story elements.
Vocabulary Section: Students select the correct definition for the story elements vocabulary.
Theme application: Students read a short passage and answer a theme related question.
Character and Conflict: Students read a short passage and answer questions related to character and conflict.
Purpose of Dialogue Mini Lesson
*ELA Unlimited Exclusive*
Help your students understand the purpose of dialogue with this quick mini lesson.
Download Includes:
10 Google Slides: Notes that explain internal dialogue, outer dialogue, and the three purposes of dialogue (to provoke a decision, propel action, or reveal aspects of a character).
Engaging Examples and Practice: Help students understand the purpose of dialogue with three engaging examples. Students watch Script to Screen clips from popular Pixar films and analyze the dialogue to determine the purpose.