Are you looking for some free activities you can use in your classroom right now to reinforce common core standards for ELA? You’re in the right place. Browse all our free plans here. If you need more, visit our shop and purchase a full version. We hope you enjoy these free resources!

Lesson Plans for Holes by Louis Sachar

/in , , /by

If you’re looking for activities, tests, and lesson plans for Holes by Louis Sachar, you’re in the right spot!  I’ll never forget the first time I read Holes aloud to my seventh grade students.  We all fell in love with the two plots and they mystery of how the two intertwined.   They will never forget Camp Green Lake, Stanley, and all of Sachar’s wonderful characters.  I knew after the first time I read it aloud to a class that this novel was a perfect book for middle schoolers!

Now we use this novel as a choice for book clubs, but it’s also perfect for an independent novel study. We created a teaching unit for Holes, and the handouts included require students to analyze the author’s craft and literary elements such as point of view, symbolism, and characterization. We also developed five tests as well as writing assignments and post reading activities. Take a look at the table of contents in the free preview to see the focus of our lesson plans for  each chapter.  You’ll also download some free activity pages as well.

Print these free handouts and a portion of a test by clicking here for our sample packet for Holes.  Here you can print a portion of a test, a printable for point of view and a printable for examining the author’s use of flashbacks.

 

If you enjoy this free sample, consider purchasing our entire teaching unit for Holes by Louis Sachar.  With this teaching unit, all of your planning will be complete, and you can rest assure that you will cover plenty of standards as you read this awesome book.  The best part is once you purchase the unit, you can use it year after year!  We hope you enjoy the free printables!

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key lesson plans

/in , , /by

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos is a lighthearted novel suitable for middle school kids.  Your students will laugh at Joey’s antics yet sympathize with his needs.   If you’re looking for Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key lesson plans, activities, handouts, or tests, check out our free printables in the link below!

Print these handouts and a portion of a test by clicking here for our sample packet for Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos.

We end our seventh grade year with this book. It is short and humorous, so we usually read it aloud to our students.  It is perfect for the last few weeks of school. Our Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key lesson plans include taking a look at the humor and style that the author uses along with the literary techniques that are used throughout the book.

While we use this novel as a whole class read, it could easily be used in literature circles or as an independent read.   We have created some fun, standards-based lesson plans and handouts that we would like to share with you.

Print these handouts and a portion of a test by clicking here for our sample packet for Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos.

 

If you like these free printables, consider purchasing all of our lesson plans for Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key.  All of your plans will be done, and you will simply print and teach!  Plus, the best part is that you will have them for years to come!

 

If you enjoy this free sample, consider purchasing our entire teaching unit for Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key.

Number the Stars lesson plans

/in , , /by

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, is a Newberry Medal award winning novel about the Holocaust.  This compelling story will hook your reluctant readers and pull them into an unforgettable story of friendship, courage, and hardships.  

Our lesson plans for Number the Stars will work perfectly for a whole class read, an independent novel study, or even an individual novel study.    We use this novel as a book club choice in our seventh grade classrooms.  

Print these handouts and a portion of a test by clicking here for our sample packet for Number the Stars.

 

If you enjoy this free sample, consider purchasing our entire teaching unit for Number the Stars.

Lesson Plans for Rules by Cynthia Lord

/in , , /by

Rules by Cynthia Lord will keep your middle school students interested as they read about twelve-year-old Catherine and her autistic brother David.  Catherine just wants a normal life, but there is more than her younger brother that complicates that.   If you’re looking to print some lesson plans for Rules by Cynthia Lord, you’re in the right place!

We use this novel as a choice for book clubs, or as some call them – literature circles.  It’s the perfect read for a small group.  Of course, this novel would work well as a whole class novel or an independent novel study too.  When we developed our lesson plans for Rules by Cynthia Lord, we wanted to make sure we included activities that would allow students to analyze literary elements as well as the author’s craft.  We want to share some of these lessons with you!  The free handouts below take a look at the imagery and similes that the author uses in this novel.  There is also a portion of the final test for you to print!

Print these handouts and a portion of a test by clicking here for our sample packet for Rules by Cynthia Lord.

 

If you enjoy this free sample, consider purchasing our entire teaching unit for Rules.  All of your plans will be complete, and you will have this unit for years to come!

Lesson Plans for the Novel Small Steps

/in , , /by

Small Steps by Louis Sachar is a story of loyalty and friendship.  Your students will not want to stop reading this awesome story! They will learn that doing the right thing is never a wrong choice; doing the right thing is a small step in the right direction. Scroll down to print free lesson plans for the novel Small Steps.

In our classrooms, we use this novel as a choice for book clubs, or as some call them, literature circles.  We would like to share a couple of our activities or lesson plans for the novel Small Steps.  After reading chapter three of Small Steps, we have students analyze Ginny and Armpit by taking a close look at this passage:

…A few neighborhood kids called her spaz, and retard, but most treated her with respect because she was a friend of Armpit’s and because she was willing to answer their questions.

Once this analysis is complete, students read an informational passage on cerebral palsy.  This allows students to gain a little understanding of Ginny’s disability.

After chapter seventeen, we take a look at allusion. Students receive a handout that explains this literary device.  Then, they look at some passages from the chapter and identify the allusions.  Finally, students are encouraged to be on the lookout for other examples of allusions as they complete the novel.  We offer bonus points to our students if they jot the allusion down and place it in our “Novel Finds” box!

Print these two handouts for chapters three and seventeen as well as a portion of a test for chapters 1-12 by clicking here for our sample packet for Small Steps.  If you enjoy this free sample, consider downloading our entire teaching unit for Small Steps.

Common Core lesson plans for Sarah, Plain and Tall

/in , , /by

Sarah, Plain and Tall is an award-winning novel, and we’ve got the following free Common Core lesson plans from our Sarah, Plain and Tall novel unit.  Read on for the ideas, and make sure you click the link below to download FREE printables to help you teach this novel!

When we were writing our Common Core lesson plans for Sarah, Plain and Tall, my colleague and I wanted to make sure we had both activities that would help us examine the author’s craft and analyze literary elements.  We went through each chapter searching for one or the other and outlining what our activities would be like.  For example, after reading chapter one, we have students complete a chart in which they examine the characters.  For each of the characters  mentioned in chapter one, students jot down a description of who each character is.   Then students analyze the setting and the current conflict.  You can print the charts that we use in the link below.

Here’s another fun idea that we include in our Common Core lesson plans for Sarah, Plain and Tall!  After reading chapter six, we have students take a look at the original similes used in the chapter.  Then, we ask them to write some of their own original similes.  Sometimes we do this as a class, and other times we allow them to complete this activity in groups.  We have even had each student pick his/her very best simile, illustrate it, and showcase it or paste it into his/her literature interactive notebook.

Click here to download our FREE sample packet for Sarah, Plain and Tall, and you can print the handouts that we use in these two activities, plus a portion of a test!

If you enjoy these free samples, consider downloading our entire teaching unit for Sarah, Plain and Tall.  All of your plans – done!  You only buy it once, but you can use these activities for years to come!  These activities are perfect to use in literature circles, as a whole class read, or for independent novel studies.

Lesson Plans for On My Honor

/in , , /by

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer is a touching story of friendship, death, grief, loss, and honesty. Your students will not want to stop reading this awesome and powerful story!  Look at this packet to see how we use this amazing novel in our classrooms.  Read on for a few of our activities and lesson plans for On My Honor.

This novel is short and an easy page-turner.  When developing lesson plans for On My Honor, we wanted to make sure we took a look at literary devices and the author’s craft while at the same time appreciating such a powerful, moving story.  For example, after reading chapters four and five, we have students reflect  on what happened to Tony and make a prediction.  Then, students analyze the tone created with the author’s use of figurative language, symbolism, and specific words and imagery.     As the student’s analyze the author’s craft, they are provided with an unique look into Joel’s inner feelings.

After chapter nine, Students first revisit the text and spend time answering discussion questions.  Then, students analyze the dialogue.  After looking at Bauer’s craft, students write a dialogue for a hypothetical situation.  This activity allows students to grow as writers by studying this author.  We feel this is an awesome way to read and learn from a novel!  While we have used this novel as a whole class read, we currently use it as a choice for book clubs, or as some call them, literature circles.  This is the perfect book for groups to read, and it’s especially a good choice for reluctant readers.  It’s not too long, catches attention quickly, and pulls in the reader with a powerful story.  Check out some of our handouts below.

Print free handouts by clicking here for our sample packet for On My Honor.

If you enjoy this free sample, consider downloading our entire teaching unit for On My Honor.  All of your planning will be done, and you’ll have this resource to use year after year!

 

 

Lesson Plans for The Island of the Blue Dolphins

/in , , /by

Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins is an amazing story.  Read on for ideas, and print FREE lesson plans for The Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Wow!  I loved it when I read it with Mrs. McKenzie, my seventh grade ELA teacher, and I love using it in my seventh grade classroom each year with my students!  Boys and girls alike are quickly enthralled with Karana as she faces many exciting dangers on the island.  She battles fierce animal enemies, faces off with Russian hunters, and explores old, hidden cave.

Our lesson plans for The Island of the Blue Dolphins will help students appreciate the book and, at the same time, examine the literary devices and author’s craft.

The animals on the island provide many Common Core teaching moments!  For example, after reading chapter 16, students complete a mini-research project on devilfish.  Students brainstorm a list of all they have learned in the novel about devilfish, and then they make a list of questions they have about devilfish.  Finally it’s time to research. The final product – a poem!  🙂  Students don’t moan and groan as much when they see that they just have to present their findings in a poem.    Students are shown a sample poem written about komodo dragons and a rubric is used to score the projects.  It’s important to keep lessons fun yet also standards based, and that’s what we tried hard to do in our lesson plans for The Island of the Blue Dolphins.  Click below to download this activity.

A portion of the project handouts are given to you in an Island of the Blue Dolphins sample packet.

In chapter 18, specific facts about gulls, sea otters, and the cormorant are given.  Students are asked to skim back through the chapter looking for information on these animals and complete charts to emphasize what was learned.  You can use this activity for chapter 18  in your classroom today!