PRESTO PLANS BLOG

One of my favorite middle school ELA writing activities for the beginning of the school year is a personal narrative essay. I find this assignment is a great way for us to learn a lot about who our students are – as writers, and as people! It’s a great way to build foundational relationships with […]

Is there anything better than free resources for middle and high school ELA teachers? When feeling tight on time to plan, or curious about trying something new in the classroom, I love to lean on my bank of freebies, tricks, and tips. These include free reading and writing activities, as well as ready-to-print resources for […]

Are your middle school ELA students obsessed with video games? I know that lately, gaming is all that some students want to talk about!  I also know that leaning into students’ interests creates instant buy-in. With this in mind, I came up with a multi-stage assignment that brings elements of video games into the middle school  […]

To me, there’s nothing more enjoyable as a middle school teacher than blending films into English language arts classes. I’m a real movie lover, and I find that a good film-based activity is the perfect way to engage students in work on essential ELA skills in the last few weeks of school. Thanks to Netflix, […]

Have you ever found yourself lost in a great song? I love bringing music into my ELA class. Music adds depth and color to the human experience and is one of the most powerful learning tools at our disposal. Music has the power to inspire, heal, bring people together, and create powerful change. As a […]

As the school year winds down, it can be tough to keep engagement high in your classroom. With summer just around the corner, I know my students are ready for a break (and to be honest, so am I!).  In those last few weeks of school, I find that competition-based activities and ELA games are […]

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a masterclass in the mythology of Ancient Greece. I love teaching Percy Jackson for a variety of reasons: the well-rounded and relatable characters, the seamless connections to the complex world of Greek mythology, and the adventure-packed plot! Immersive activities that allow students to […]