English Language Arts Grades 7-9

Consider adding these titles to your next classroom library order. Anthologies are a great way to affordably add diverse voices to your classroom collection and are also helpful for keeping things fresh for reluctant readers.

A a list of educational short stories perfect for the middle school age range that includes mysteries, scary stories, cultural conflicts and riveting tales of adventure.

Each week, a kid interviews two experts in a particular topic, one of whom is a genuine, credentialed expert, the other a liar. Hilarious and fast-paced, the show teaches kids to ask insightful questions, weigh the evidence before them, and trust their gut.

Access thousands of reading lessons with leveled text passages. Tailor instruction to students’ needs with text-to-speech, translation, and digital note-taking.

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on literature circles. If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

This educator explains how podcasts and TED Talks are used in the classroom and offers recommendations for resources and activities by month. While there are many links to her TpT, the ideas alone are clear enough to inspire your next class discussion or lesson plan.

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on folklore. If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Obooko provides free and copyright cleared access to free books including teen and YA non-fiction, sci-fi, short stories and more!

Audiobooks and eBooks to supplement your classroom library. Students can create reading lists and borrow books online with a free account.

Teach critical thinking and quote analysis with a list of 65 quotes and corresponding critical thinking questions.

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on social justice. If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Explore ways to include structured discussion, metacognitive learning, and visual comprehension in your ELA classroom through cooperative learning.

As easy as making a PB&J, this 8 minute video helps students to think about a text in two different ways while close-reading: analyzing author's style and craft, and connecting to narrative elements.

Learn from the experts and reach every reader in your class. Fisher & Frey (2014) explain close reading strategies as implemented in a afterschool reading intervention program.

Show your students how to enter into a conversation with texts; learn the process and purpose of annotation.

Simple tips to help students figure out what to put down when they annotate a text.

Explore how annotation is used in a middle school classroom with physical article of the week text mark-ups, digital tools, and ideas for lesson progression.

Consider adding these titles to your next classroom library order. Anthologies are a great way to affordably add diverse voices to your classroom collection and are also helpful for keeping things fresh for reluctant readers.

A a list of educational short stories perfect for the middle school age range that includes mysteries, scary stories, cultural conflicts and riveting tales of adventure.

To encourage the love of literature in classrooms all over the world, we recommend these short stories for middle school students, chosen to encourage a passion for reading, thinking about, and discussing great literature.

Here are encore short stories to follow our first collection, Short Stories for Middle School. They offer wonderful variety of the short story genre, and a great starting point for classroom discussions.

If you are looking to modernize your short story unit, or find ways to incorporate movement or technology, FM player curates exciting podcast recommendations by genre, subject, and interest. Explore this short story list to get you started.

Explore options for scaffolding your nonfiction unit. This post offers specific nonfiction reading response activities to use with junior high or high school classes.

This post begins with a review of terms, and offers suggestions to help you embed reading and writing in a nonfiction unit. It also offers a list of engaging nonfiction texts (which aren't essays) to explore in class and switch things up.

A teacher shares strategies to make nonfiction lessons/units engaging and meaningful for students with modern examples.

Students may take on the role of a travel agent, zoologist, or behavior expert to view the text through fresh eyes in these simple journal response or assignment prompt suggestions.

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on a novel study of "The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas". If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on a novel study on "Fatty Legs". If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on dystopias as a genre and the Hunger Games specifically. If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on helping students complete an independent novel study. If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on a novel study of "Skellig". If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on a novel study on "A Monster Calls". If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Go beyond a traditional book report with these fresh ideas that leverage technology in the classroom.

Resources and lesson plans from Blackgold school district that are focused on a novel study of "Swallowing Stones". If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image