Back-to-school season is here, and middle school ELA teachers everywhere are looking for ways to start strong. The first weeks of school set the tone for the year—students are adjusting to new routines, expectations, and challenges, while teachers are working hard to build a classroom community and establish consistency. That’s where having the right resources makes all the difference.
If you’re searching for a back-to-school middle school ELA bundle that actually saves time while engaging students, this one is for you.
While each middle school ELA class is going to be a little different, I love to begin my school year with three foundational units that my students and I will refer back to throughout the entire school year.
By combining writing, fiction, and nonfiction activities, this bundle ensures your students practice the essential ELA skills they’ll need all year long. As you progress towards more complex ELA tasks such as novel studies, research projects, and more, your students will have a solid foundation on which they can continue to build!
Perfect for the First Weeks of School
The start of the school year can feel overwhelming, but this bundle provides ready-to-use lessons that are flexible enough for different classrooms and student needs. You’ll save prep time and know that your students are getting high-quality instruction in reading and writing right away.
Make this school year your smoothest start yet. Grab the Back-to-School ELA Bundle and give your students the tools they need to succeed in middle school ELA.
Let’s be honest—by the time the school year ends, many teachers are running on fumes. We dream of summer as our great escape. And while a few weeks of sleeping in, beach days, and not hearing a single bell ring can offer temporary relief… it’s often not enough.
Because teacher burnout isn’t just about being tired. It’s about emotional exhaustion that accumulates over time. It’s about a nervous system stuck in survival mode. And unfortunately, summer break—on its own—doesn’t fix that.
Here’s what really happens:
You power through the end of the year, collapse into summer, and finally exhale.
You rest for a few weeks, thinking, “Okay, this will fix it.”
Then August hits… and the anxiety creeps back in.
As soon as you re-enter the classroom (or even a PD session), the same stress and dread resurface.
Sound familiar?
That’s because nothing inside you has shifted. The patterns of stress are still there. The boundaries are still blurry. The emotional weight of the past year hasn’t been processed.
The truth is: summer gives you space, but not the tools. And without those tools—emotional regulation, mindset work, nervous system resets, and real strategies for burnout recovery—you’re likely to find yourself stuck in the same cycle next year.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Click HERE to find out what to do instead!
I think teachers and parents should start a movement to rename the month of May to “May-hem.” It’s such a busy few weeks as we wrap up testing, celebrate graduations and advancements, have awards ceremonies, spirit weeks, field trips, and more!
To take some of the pressure off (of me) during this chaotic busy time, I like to assign my students a large project that will keep them occupiedlearning and engaged for a few weeks, if possible.
It’s a great time of year for students to showcase all the reading, writing, researching, speaking/listening skills they’ve been learning and practicing throughout the school year.
Here is a list of some of my favorite projects to assign during the month of May(hem).
End-of-Year Projects and Activities for Middle School Language Arts
Usually, by this point in the school year, my students have a pretty solid understanding of how to read and analyze poetry (click here for my favorite way to teach all things poetry), but the end of the year is a great time to practice writing poetry.
Students can write original poems or, for those who are less inclined to be creative in that way, they can imitate famous poems. This is a great way to get reluctant poets cranking out verses! Simply choose a poem that students are familiar with and ask them to write their version.
It’s fun to see students writing their imitations of Shakespearean sonnets or even Shel Silverstein favorites.
They can do one for each of the poems you’ve studied as a class this year!
Greek Mythology – End-of-School Unit
For most middle school students, Greek Mythology is always a hit–and for good reason! The stories and myths about the ancient gods and goddesses and heroes are so fascinating to study!
I love this one! For this project, students practice their inquiry and research skills to learn all about an animal of their choosing. After they have written an information piece of their findings, they can put that new knowledge into their very own children’s picture book.
Patterned after the Diary of a ___ series by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss, this is such a fun way for students to incorporate their research into a creative project.
I have the entire process prepped and ready so that all students can create a great final project which you can find here!
Author Study
Similarly, students can pick a favorite author, research their life and writings and put together a paper, presentation, and more to share their findings with the class.
Students LOVE this one! Using their multimedia skills, students will create a “trailer” for their favorite book from this year–something that would entice future middle schoolers to read that book!
As a bonus, ask students to present their trailers to the class; other students may be enticed to try out new books! Win-win!
Character on Trial – End-of-Year Fun!
Transform your classroom into a courtroom by putting a character from a class novel or short story on trial. Was he guilty? Was she justified in her behavior? Assign roles for each student: judge, jurors, prosecutors, defense, etc.
If you get into it yourself, your students will buy in as well and this can be a really fun and memorable way to work on persuasive writing/speaking.
Engage your students’ critical thinking skills as you ask them to analyze a book that they have read on their own this year. Students can critique the novel and create some type of visual to share their analysis with the class–this could be done digitally or on paper.
Here’s an easy way to engage students in literary analysis!
Podcast Episode
Students can write and record their own podcast episode! The sky is the limit when it comes to possibilities for this one: they could do more literary analysis, interview a “character” from a story, explore the theme of a story, etc.
Your students will love the challenge of creating an original podcast!
Shameless Plug: Speaking of podcasts…have you checked out mine? Tune in to The Next Level Teacher podcast each week for practical tips and tools to stay mentally and emotionally well throughout the school year! Yes, even during May-hem!
Persuasive Writing – End-of-Year Project
By the end of the year, middle school students have a lot of opinions! Let’s capitalize on that with some persuasive writing. Topics for this are endless as well. They could write about an issue important to them. They could compose a letter to the principal or school board advocating for change. They could argue about what the best toilet paper is (I’ve surprisingly received at least a dozen of these–unprompted!)
End-of-Year Project Rationale
The key to each of these activities is that students have a large amount of work to produce which will take them some time, but doesn’t require a lot of direc instruction once you get them going. Of course they will still need help, but this allows you a little more wiggle room as you start wrapping up the year as you are not constantly planning lessons and scrambling to make copies before each class!
Legos and Writing Paragraphs? Do you have Legos at your house? I have a couple of kids who have been absolutely obsessed with Legos since they were toddlers stacking Duplo Blocks! As my kids have gotten older, the Lego sets they are completing become increasingly more complicated. (Huge shoutout to Grandma for buying these ridiculously expensive nice sets.)
I’m always amazed at how even a giant castle or Star Wars ship starts with the same small, basic Lego pieces. These basic pieces, when put together with some skill and craftsmanship, create some incredible masterpieces!
Like basic Lego pieces, paragraphs are the basic building blocks of nearly all other forms of formal writing. When students have developed the skill of writing excellent paragraphs, they can use some skill and craftmanship to write incredible masterpieces of writing later on in the school year!
I have found that even my advanced classes benefit from a refresher course on paragraph writing.
At the very least, this basic paragraph writing course communicates to students what you expect each time you ask them to write a paragraph.
(I don’t know about you, but I ask students to write paragraphs A LOT!)
A Slides Presentation outlining in detail the basic structure of a paragraph.
A practice worksheet where students are asked to write several paragraphs following the basic structure we discussed.
A Slides Presentation helping students write better paragraphs! This lesson goes a step beyond the basics asking students to improve the quality of their writing!
A practice worksheet where students are asked to write several better paragraphs!
A Grading Rubric that can be used to quickly assess any paragraph!
Two Instructional Slides Presentations!
Gain access to over 50 Slides teachings students the basic structure or paragraphs AND how to up-level their paragraph writing skills!
Print & Go Resources!
Resource includes lesson outlines, multiple student practice assignments, AND a grading rubric that can be used to assess any paragraph!
With the skills in their wheelhouse, students will be ready to apply them to any text or writing assignment they may encounter throughout the rest of the year!
Your students will be set up for a successful year!(And the hard work is already done for you!)
How to Write a Paragraph
Check them out today! If you have any questions, simply hit reply and I’ll get back to you!
Many of the Language Arts teachers I have been working with lately have been wondering how they can help their middle school students learn and retain new vocabulary words. They’ve tried everything, these teachers tell me, but teaching middle school vocabulary is still a challenge! Their students consistently struggle to integrate new vocabulary words into their everyday language! This common phenomenon begs the question:
Why are students not learning new vocabulary words–despite the best efforts of their dedicated and amazing teachers?
The answer is actually rather simple: lack of repetition.
In a 2007 study, educational researcher Stuart Webb found that in order for students to fully integrate new vocabulary words, they must encounter them in context at least 10 times; in some cases, new words must be encountered 20-30 times!
Why Traditional Vocabulary Instruction Doesn’t Work
Our traditional vocabulary method of assigning long lists of words for students to memorize each week may not be sufficient, as many of us ELA teachers know. Students become really proficient at passing a test, but fail to learn and integrate new vocabulary words. Most teachers would agree that passing a test is not our objective. We want our students to learn all the skills and content that we have prepared for them, vocabulary included!
As the saying goes, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If we want our students to meet our outline objective (learning new words) we must be willing to try a new method of vocabulary instruction instead of defaulting to our old patterns that are not serving us or our students very well.
How Can I Effectively Teach Vocabulary?
Teachers need to provide ample opportunities for students to work with words over the course of several weeks and even months in order for the words to stick!
While many paths can lead to the same result, the most effective method I’ve found and used in my classroom includes assigning fewer weekly vocabulary words, and cumulatively adding more words to the students’ list each subsequent week, never testing on more than twelve words at one time.
For example:
Week 1: Words 1-3
Week 2: Words 1-6
Week 3: Words 1-9
Week 4: Words 1-12
Week 5: Words 4-15
Week 6: Words 7-18
And so on…
Students are asked to work with the growing list of words throughout the week, utilizing graphic organizers, vocabulary review activities, vocabulary games, etc. to dramatically increase the number of in-context encounters with each word.
At the end of the quarter, students review and test on all the words learned throughout the grading period. This requires students to do more than simply learn words on a surface level and immediately forget them following the weekly exam.
How Can I Easily Implement this Middle School Vocabulary in my Classroom?
While, yes, this sounds like it could be a very complicated system that is tricky to implement in your classroom, I have the BEST news:
Middle School Vocabulary DONE FOR YOU!
I have you covered! I have spent hours compiling this exact type of vocabulary program into a teacher-friendly package so as not to add more to your already full plate! Additionally, I’ve thrown in all sorts of bonuses and teacher-helps to help you implement this middle school vocabulary program in a streamlined and seamless way!
With this resource, you’ll no longer need to plan warm-ups or bell ringers! Every day, you will have an activity ready for your students to complete immediately as they enter the classroom! Over 250 Google Slides are included to make instruction time a breeze for the teacher! Vocabulary review activities and quizzes are included to help students LEARN and RETAIN the new words.
What’s Included?
Daily Vocabulary/Grammar Warm-Up Activities
Weekly Vocabulary Reviews
Weekly Vocabulary Quizzes
Answer Keys!
Over 75 PDF Pages!
Over 250 Google Slides!
Frequently Asked Questions–Answered!
Top Teacher Tips for Student Success
Vocabulary Review Game Ideas
Teacher Guidelines & Instructions
Julie says,
“I just wanted to tell you that I have been using the 6th-grade version of your sentence sleuth and vocab program since the beginning of this year and it is really amazing. My students are incredibly engaged every day at the start of class, they enjoy the sentences and are building their vocabulary. I have both anglophones and French students together in the same class group that really need both the language work (sentences) and a structured way to acquire new words. Anyway, we are reading The Giver right now, and particularly today (which is what prompted me to write!), many vocab words appeared in the pages we read. Every time my students see a vocab word they acknowledge it, which is a testament to their learning and the success of the program. I just wanted to say what a fabulous job you have done!”
Free Vocabulary Unit Trial for Middle School Grades
But, I never want you to pay for a program blindly, so I’ve also included three two-week trials (one each for grades 6-8) so you can test out this method before purchasing!
Whether you are looking to keep students engaged for the few days prior to Thanksgiving Break or you want to bring the spirit of Thanksgiving into the entire month of November, you’ll find something that will meet your students’ needs! Check out my favorite Thanksgiving ELA activities below!
Learning about history is so important! I love this article that outlines the history of the the American holiday in a fact-based way. Based on primary sources, this article will teach your students about Thanksgiving in a balanced way! Multiple student activities are included!
Learning to read and write instructions or procedural texts is an important skill! Whether in order to follow an instruction manual or give directions, this is an important life skill for human beings to master! This activity is a FUN way to teach students how to read and write procedural texts!
Starting with a non-example, students will try to fold an origami turkey with incomplete instructions! This Thanksgiving activity demonstrates to students how important clear instructions! Better instructions are provided as well to allow students to complete the Thanksgiving fun if desired.
Fun and engaging slides teaching how to write a well-written procedural texts as well as a bonus FUN Thanksgiving treat instructions included!
In the world of text message and emails, receiving a Thank You note is a rare occurrence, but it doesn’t have to be! Revive the lost art by teaching your students how and why they might enjoy writing thank you notes! Ask them to write a thank you letter to a different teacher and makes your colleagues’ day!
Reflective writing is always a beneficial exercise for students! This Thanksgiving ELA writing assignment will give your middle school students the opportunity to consider the good things in their lives–and regardless of their situations, there IS something worthy feeling grateful for!
Why should students take the time to be grateful? Check our the FREE RESOURCE linked below!
Do you know the mental and physical benefits of regularly practicing gratitude? Check out this free Thanksgiving Resource and share the information with you students! Gratitude is life-changing!
Do you like scary stories? I admit I am a total wimp when it comes to anything scary! But my middle school ELA students LOVE creeping themselves out with this scary story and Halloween activities! I love to use their love of all things scary to practice reading literature and improve their analysis skills! I recently discovered this often-forgotten gem by the one and only Mark Twain: “A Ghost Story.”
“A Ghost Story” – Mark Twain
Only recently had I discovered this story and I was absolutely delighted by it! In true Mark Twain fashion, satire is front and center in this story and provides a great opportunity to introduce satire to your students.
Based on the true story of one of the greatest hoaxes of all time, “The Cardiff Giant,” this fictional account begins with a chilling narrative of a hotel guest about to encounter something supernatural.
After hours of terror and, in an unexpected plot twist, the narrator finally meets the ghostly specter face-to-face. What follows is a hilarious and absurd conversation between the narrator and the ghost where Twain uses satire in his commentary on the general public and their gullibility.
Fun and Engaging Learning!
Trust me when I say that this is such a fun story to read with students! However, some background knowledge is required! Without the proper background knowledge, the story will likely not make sense and fall flat.
But don’t worry, I’ve got you! You know I love helping you build your students’ background knowledge!
Here is a list of everything you will get with this Halloween Resource:
An Informational Article recounting the real history of “The Cardiff Giant.” (Absolutely vital for understanding the story!)
A Slides Presentation teaching and reviewing the following topics.
Satire
Suspense
Foreshadowing
Sensory Details
Tone (review)
Mood (review)
“A Ghost Story” by Mark Twain (Full Text – it’s in the public domain)
“A Ghost Story” Student Assignment that asks students to analyze all of the topics listed above.
Symbolism (specifically Twain’s use of light and dark in the story)
Social Commentary
Humor and Irony
Modern-day Connections (spread of misinformation via social media and the gullibility of individuals)
BONUS: Writing Assignment Asking students to write their own spooky story with a surprise ending.
Grading Rubric
Answer Keys!
This is truly a great way to dive into some fun Halloween Activities for Middle School ELA with your students during the month of October!
Until Next Time!
Brenna (Mrs. Nelson)
P.S. While these resources are available individually at a great price, you will get 20% off when you buy the Bundle! Check out the full Halloween Bundle below!
In order for middle school students to truly add new words to their personal vocabularies, they must work with the words multiple times over a length of time! While we could ask students to write sentences with the vocabulary words over and over again, that’s not nearly as fun as utilizing vocabulary learning games!
In my vocabulary resources, while I have included a review worksheet activity for each weekly vocabulary quiz, I LOVE to play review games with my students! It is such a fun way to get students moving AND working with the week’s vocabulary words at the same time!
Here are a few of my all-time favorite crowd-pleasing Vocabulary Review Games:
Garbage Can Basketball Vocabulary Game– Students are divided up into teams. Whem it is a team’s turn, I ask a team member to spell a word or provide its definition. If they answer correctly, the team member gets a chance to shoot a mini basketball into the (clean) garbage can or a Little Tykes basketball hoop if you have one. Another point can be earned from stating the definition.
I usually have three masking tape lines on the floor to mark a 1-point shot, 2-point shot, and 3-point shot. The higher the risk, the higher the reward in this game!
Ground Rules: Before a team can take a turn, everyone must be quiet. Points may be taken away for excessive talking or excessive celebrations! (Just call me the NFL.)
You will have to use all your self-restraint to not unleash your inner Michael Jordan on your students!
Some groups of students may need a little incentive to keep them engaged while their classmates are taking their turns. In this case, I have each student write down each word and definition as we go. In order for their team to win, each team member has to have an accountability sheet!
“The Board Game”– This vocabulary game is SO fun, but can get a little rowdy. I suggest setting clear behavioral expectations and enforcing them. Students are divided up into teams. One team member from each team comes to the whiteboard and finds a marker. When the entire class is silent, the teacher reads a vocabulary word’s definition. The students then race to write the word correctly on the board (in my class, they have to spell it correctly as well).
When they think they have it correct, they must squat down so the teacher can see their answer. [Their answer is not considered submitted until they crouch down!] First person to spell it correctly and crouch down wins a point. If it’s close, I ask a student from a neutral team to help decide.
The Fly Swatter Vocabulary Game – For this game, you will need a projector and two fly swatters. Students are divided into two teams. The list of vocabulary words or definitions is projected on the board/screen. The teacher reads a word or definition and, using their fly swatter, students must point to the corresponding definition or word.
The first one to point to the correct word or definition with their fly swatter wins!
Similar to the other vocabulary games, students must be quiet before each turn and an accountability sheet is a great way to keep students engaged when they aren’t the active player.
Partner Matching Game – Ask students to write each vocabulary word on a 3×5 card (or half a card) and each definition on a card. Students play memory/concentration in pairs
This is a great vocabulary activity when you want students to be active, but don’t feel like leading a whole-class vocabulary activity.
Vocabulary Games are a great way to make learning new words fun for your middle school students!
St. Patrick’s Day can either be a major distraction for students and teachers OR it can be a catalyst for learning! We know students will be thinking about the holiday. Rather than fight against it, put that energy to good use! These fun creative writing prompts will turn St. Patrick’s Day into an exciting learning adventure for your students!
(Not to mention, these prompts require very little effort on your part. Between the writing and sharing with the class, your students will be busy engaged for the entire class period!)
You have won an all-expense-paid vacation to Ireland! You may bring three people with you for free. Who are you taking on this once-in-a-lifetime trip? What will you do while you’re in Ireland? What would this incredible opportunity look like for you? Write about your imaginary adventures!
2. Alone in a Castle at Night
A long-lost relative has passed away and has bequeathed to you an ancient Irish castle. After traveling to Ireland to inspect your inheritance, you spend the night alone in the large castle. Despite your usual level-headedness, you find yourself feeling spooked. Describe your frightening night alone in the dark, cold castle! Use lots of sensory details and build suspense for your readers!
The Misunderstood “Man”
The notorious villain, Dracula, was based upon an Irish folktale and immortalized by Irish author Bram Stoker. Using your imagination, write a story where Dracula returns to Ireland, not as a villain, but as a misunderstood creature. What is his experience? How does he try to convince the Irish inhabitants that he is harmless? How do people respond?
4. Show Me the Money!
In the attempt to acquire his gold, you have set a trap for a Leprechaun. On the morning of St. Patrick’s Day, you discover that you have caught one! Now you only have to convince him to take you to his gold; however, you soon find that this is not as easy as it sounds. Describe your adventure with the Leprechaun! How do you convince him? How does he respond? Does he try to trick you in the process? How does the adventure turn out?
5. The Luck of the Irish
For one day, you have all the good luck in the world! Anything you attempt will be successful! There is no failure today! What would you do with your stroke of good luck? What will you accomplish? Who would you help? What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail! Describe your entire lucky day!
Whether you assign one of these writing prompts or offer your students a choice, they will be sure to have lots of St. Patrick’s Day fun using their imaginations! For more St. Patrick’s Day activities, check out this bundle!
Many of our middle school students will be familiar with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. With all the many film and television adaptations that have been produced over the years, many of them have been exposed to the story!
However, many of them have not read the actual text! Why? Well, Washington Irving seems to like his long description and silver-tongued vocabulary. In short, it’s a tough read for many middle school students.
That said, you know I’ve got your back!
Simplified Adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Now included as part of my The Legend of Sleepy Hollow resource, you will receive a simplified version of Irving’s short story. This adaptation remains true to the original story, but tones down some of the difficult early 19th century language. This more accessible version will allow students to dive deep into literary analysis!
In my classroom, I like to use this story to take a look at the characters and Irving’s use of characterization. I ask my students to examine closely the characters of Ichabod Crane, Brom Bones, Katrina Van Tassel, and The Headless Horseman.
Students also work on their paragraph writing skills as they write a character sketch for each! As a bonus, I’ve also included a context clue vocabulary assignment for students to practice identifying unknown words!
This is such a fun way to incorporate a little spookiness into your classroom this fall season! I love the way holiday lesson plans seem to engage students–even the reluctant ones–in learning on a deeper level!
If you’re looking for more spooky short story fun, check out the bundle!
