Looking for creative ways to integrate Thanksgiving activities into your middle school ELA curriculum this year? Look no further! I’ve put together a list of 5 of my favorite engaging Thanksgiving reading and writing activities that will get your students feeling thankful while developing their ELA skills at the same time! 1. Thanksgiving Figurative Language The first […]

If you are teaching “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury, you may be looking for tips and strategies for getting your students to dive deeper into the story. I am excited to share my best tips for helping you navigate all elements of this science fiction tale with your students. Bradbury’s “All Summer […]

S.E. Hinton was only 15 when she started writing her classic novel, The Outsiders. Now, over 50 years after its publication, Hinton’s coming of age novel continues to provide an impactful commentary on society. Year after year, many English teachers return to this story, each time glimpsing something new through the eyes of its memorable protagonist, […]

A zombie escape room is my favorite Halloween activity for the middle and high school ELA classroom. Not only is it an extremely entertaining way to bring the spirit of Halloween into ELA class, but it also helps students develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and other ELA skills that will benefit them going forward. I love using […]

The crumpled pumpkin is the perfect middle school Halloween writing activity. For one thing, it is an exercise in collaborative writing which is a guaranteed way to get even the most reluctant writers to put pencil to paper. It is also great for helping you integrate the spirit of Halloween into your ELA curriculum with […]

If you are teaching “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, you might be looking for strategies and tips for analyzing this thought-provoking story. I wanted to share my best tips for helping you guide your students through all elements of this classic tale! In “The Lottery,” the villagers of a small town gather in the town […]

If you are teaching “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, you may be looking for strategies and tips for analyzing this challenging plot. Not to worry as I’m sharing my best tips for helping you navigate all elements of this classic story with your students. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” we enter the mind of […]