The Sparkly Notebook

Mastering the ELA Standards in Middle School

ELA Teacher

Activities for Practicing Sentence Structure: Conversation Play-By-Play

When you’re looking for activities for practicing sentence structure, consider games and activities that get students interacting with each other and moving around. Conversation Play-by-Play has the possibility of being both.

Who remembers DOL worksheets?

Anyone? No?

When I was growing up, I specifically remember sitting down to do Daily Oral Language (DOL) in middle and high school. These lessons were truly done every day. It was literally the first thing on the schedule just after attendance.

The worksheets were simple and pointed, and definitely required us to focus on grammar and language usage.

The good thing…for me, these daily lessons worked.

The bad thing…they were redundant and pretty boring.

Although I love a good well-designed worksheet and activity as much as the next teacher, sometimes our students need to practice grammar and punctuation skills through interactions and activities.

Today, we’re going to talk about the Conversation Play-by-Play.

This activity is one of the many activities and lessons from my L1 Standards-Based Learning Resource. In addition to this and other sentence structure activities, this resource provides teachers with the tools to teach and assess the L1 standard. 

Pin Image - Activities for Practicing Sentence Structure Conversation Play by Play

The L1 resource focuses on 3 main objectives:

  • explaining the function of phrases and clauses
  • choosing different sentence types
  • placing phrases and clauses within a sentence while also correcting misplaced/dangling modifiers

If you’re looking for a resource that takes you step-by-step through teaching sentence structure, be sure to take a closer look at the L1 Standards-Based Learning Resource.

Conventions of Standard English (7.L.1) Resource

The Conversation Play-by-Play

The Conversation Play-by-Play is designed to get students interacting with and learning together. Like many activities for practicing sentence structure, this one can be adapted to fit the needs of your class and the abilities of different learners.

This activity is simple.

  • Start by filling a bowl/cup for each group with all the different sentence structure types your students are currently working with. I suggest including 2-3 of each sentence structure in each cup.
  • Split students into pairs or groups of three.
  • Each group will need a sheet of paper or access to a Google document. I like having students work through the activity on paper as many of my students need handwriting practice, and this is a good win-win situation there.
  • Start the activity by writing a starting prompt on the board. These can be simple questions (What is your favorite food? How do you spend your time?), locations (the grocery store or at a carnival), or even a sentence to start the conversation (Did you see that guy running over there? How old was she when that happened?). Since students will be writing dialogue, anything that prompts a reply will work.
  • The group will draw a sentence structure from the bowl.
  • Then they’ll write the first line of dialogue using that type of sentence structure. Encourage them to write the dialogue like a script, but they can have as many speakers as they would like.
  • Then, they’ll repeat that process over and over until they have used up all the slips in the bowl, and they’ve written a full conversation.

Optional Variation

  • Have each student take a role in the conversation, and then ask them to work individually on their part of the conversation. (For example, if Sara is student 1 and Jon is student 2, then Sara will draw the first sentence type, and come up with the first line based on that sentence structure. Then Jon will draw. He will then respond to Sara using the sentence pattern he drew… and on and on.) This option works better for students who are more advanced.

Next Steps

Once they are done, encourage groups to read back through and fix any errors in their writing.

I like students to make two copies of the conversation. One that is just the conversation written out line by line, and one that has the same conversation written out, but is also labeled with the sentence structures.

After the groups finish their Conversation Play-by-Play, you have many different directions you can take the activity.

#1 | Pass and Break Down

After the groups finish their conversations, they pass the conversation to another group. That group then breaks down the conversation by labeling the sentence structures. They will hand it back to the original group to check their work.

#2 | Grammar Rules Gallery Walk

To support these activities for practicing sentence structure, create a set of posters or anchor charts that can be hung up around the room when working on grammar/usage.

These anchor charts will outline the key things to remember for each grammar or usage rule you’ve discussed in class.

If you have something like these posters that students can refer to, have the students work their way from poster to poster, identifying the rules exemplified in their conversations.

Examples

For example, you may have a conjunction poster. When students rotate to that poster, they will label the conjunctions in their conversations.

Maybe you have a dependent vs. independent clause poster. When students get to that poster, they’ll label the clauses in their conversations.

#3 | Presentations

Students will ‘present’ their conversation as a dramatic play. Over-dramatizing the simple conversation. After each sentence, a third person in their group will identify the type of sentence structure for the class.

You can also remove the third person, and instead have the students in the class write down the sentence structures being used in each line. After their presentation, the group will present a second time, this time revealing the correct sentence structures.

Other Activities for Practicing Sentence Structure

When coming up with activities in the classroom, I like to use the same concepts, but create different fun ways to diversify the activity for different times of the year.

With activities for practicing sentence structure, like the Conversation Play-by-Play, making the activity seasonal is really easy.

Around the holidays, rather than putting the sentence structures in a bowl, we hang them around the room on Christmas light cut-outs.

In the spring, we hide the sentence structures in eggs outside, and groups have to run around and collect 12-15 eggs before opening them and revealing the sentence structures they have to work with.

As a bonus, here are two more interactive activities for practicing sentence structure that will get students moving.

Bonus Activity #1 | Races

Write out 5, 7-sentence paragraphs on large sticky notes or posters. Number each sentence, and then hang them up around the room. (This activity also works well in a hallway, outside, or in the gym.)

Pair up students and give them one sentence structure per group. 

Using a stopwatch, time the students as they race from one poster to another. As they move, they have to document which sentences from each paragraph are examples of the sentence type they’re searching for.

Some posters may have one example. Others may have more than one. In the end, the group that is the fastest and has all of their sentences correctly identified wins.

I like this activity for getting students moving, so playing it outside where you can spread everyone out is an awesome option for the warmer months of the year.

Bonus Activity #2 | Classroom Poster Scavenger Hunt Bingo

Create a Bingo card with different sentence patterns and structures in each box. (Note: You’ll have more than one of each on every card.)

Give a Bingo card to each pair or group of three. 

The goal, students will have to race around the school and try to earn a Bingo by finding posters hanging up around school that exemplify each sentence structure on their card. Students will have to find the example, write down what the poster says and where it was found for the example to count.

The first group to finish the task wins.

You may need to be thinking ahead on this one as some complex sentence patterns are less likely to be found on a poster. If needed, create some posters that will fulfill the missing patterns, and hang them up a couple days before you have this activity planned.

As always, make sure your activity is not disrupting other classes, so let other teachers know that you are going to be doing this activity, and remind your students about good hallway and classroom etiquette.

Other Activities for Practicing Sentence Structure

For even more ways to practice sentence structure, take a closer look at the digital resources below!

Sentence Structure Sort Activity
Types of Sentences Activity Set

Rewards for Winners

In a few of these activities, students are encouraged to work hard to ‘win.’ Don’t worry about having just one winner. Any student who completes the activity correctly can win.

If you want to reward your winners, take a look at this blog post! We’ve given 5 fun reward ideas you can use to praise your students’ efforts!

There you go!

So many different activities for practicing sentence structure! Remember, if you are loving these ideas, be sure to roam around the blog a little more and see what other activities we have for you. 

Also, if you are in the market for an L1 Standards-Based Resource that will take your students step-by-step through this standard, then be sure to head on over to the store to check it out!

The Sparkly Notebook signature

Grab FREE Middle School ELA Standard Breakdowns Below!

* indicates required
Which grade level are you most interested in?

New Ways to Use Paired Passages

If you are looking for more ways to use paired passages with your students, try out some of these new ideas!

We have a bunch of paired passages in the store on a whole slew of high-interest topics, but once you have them, what else can you do with them? That is exactly what we’re talking about today.

We aren’t just going to talk about paired passages or their benefits. We’re providing 5 NEW ways to use them with your students!

What are paired passages?

Paired passages are a set of 2 writing passages that are similar in topic or theme.

These passages can be used by teachers for a variety of purposes.

We here at The Sparkly Notebook have always encouraged the use of paired passages for reading comprehension practice. In fact, each of the paired passages in our store includes reading comprehension activities.

In this paired passage set about playing team sports, students are asked to use the passages to…

  • Practice using context clues to define unknown words
  • Answer evidence-based questions
  • And write an argument based on the reading

These paired passages are specifically created to be no/low prep and easy for teachers to use.

Benefits of playing sports paired passages
Paired Passage Product Image

Paired Passages for Test Prep

Before we get into 5 new ways to use paired passages, let’s talk about one tried and true way we use paired passages with students.

Test Prep

We wrote all about using paired passages for test prep in this post.

Paired passages often mimic the style and feel of a reading test passage. That makes them great for practicing test-like situations. They are not, however, as boring as some other test prep options. As you get into test prep season, don’t forget to pull out some high-interest paired passages (like the ones below) to use as practice.

5 New Ways to Use Paired Passages

Each of the ideas on this list serves a different purpose. Choose the option that serves your students where they’re at. A few of the ideas will require a little bit of prep, so don’t wait until the last minute to decide which paired passage to try!

#1 | Sentence Slips

Cut up the paired passages into sentences or paragraphs, and challenge students to put them back together. This activity gives students practice in thinking through how effective writing is organized. Note: This activity may require reformatting the passage or typing out the sentences line by line, but it won’t take too long.

Option: To make this activity a little harder, mix the sentences from both passages together. Students will have to sort them first, and then organize them.

#2 | Scavenger Hunt

Put together a list of ‘Examples to Find’ for your students. On your list, you’ll ask students to find specific examples in the paired passage texts. 

Here are some examples of what you might put on their list.

  • An example of a compound sentence.
  • 3 examples of adverbs being used
  • An example of a fact
  • An example of an opinion
  • 3 examples of figurative language
  • Identify at least 2 different stakeholders for this issue
  • The main idea of the passages

Your scavenger hunt list can be adapted to whatever your students have been working on recently, and you can use the same passages over and over again.

Pro Tip: If you want to save on printing, place the passages in sheet protectors and give students dry-erase markers to identify the items on the list.

#3 | Practice Citing

Challenge students to write an argument on this topic using these paired passages as two of their sources. If source information is not provided in the paired passage, make some up for the purpose of practicing this skill.

#4 | Facts First

Before presenting students with the paired passage activity, put the facts on index cards. Encourage students to sort the cards to try to figure out how the facts might be arranged into two passages. This activity encourages students to think about why choosing the RIGHT facts to support an argument is helpful. As they get older and write longer essays, being able to choose facts well will be very important.

Organizational Idea: Take the time to put the facts on cardstock and then laminate them. They will last for years.

#5 | Research Starters

Use the paragraphs of the paired passages to assign research topics to students. 

Cut out the paragraphs and hand them out. Encourage students to read the passage, and then research their particular part of the argument in more detail. 

When they are done, students will bring at least 3 facts back to the group that supports the point made in the paragraph they were assigned.

Paired passages are super powerful in the classroom, and hopefully, when you add in a few of these new ways for using paired passages, they’ll be even more beneficial.

If you are excited to try out some of these new ideas, simply grab one of the paired passage resources below, and get started!

High-Interest Paired Passages

Try out some of the ideas in this post on one of the high-interest, engaging paired passage sets below. 

Now, pick one and go!

The Sparkly Notebook signature
Pin Image - New Ways to Use Paired Passages

What 7th Graders Need to Know: Publishing Content Online

According to the standards, 7th-grade students need to know about publishing content online. Use these ideas to make sure they master this standard.

Using Google Documents and other online means for writing, citing, and publishing content online as well as properly using these tools for collaboration is something 7th graders need to know. In fact, this skill is explicitly stated in the standards (W.7.6).

Grab FREE Middle School ELA Standard Breakdowns Below!

* indicates required
Which grade level are you most interested in?

But with so many different options for approaching this topic, how do we make sure students are mastering this standard?

If publishing content online is something that makes you nervous, we’ve got you covered. Today we are going over the 5 steps we take to help students master this skill.

Want a step-by-step plan? We’ve got a resource specifically designed to help students master this standard. To learn more click here!

Publishing Content Online: 7.W.6 Resource

Teaching 7th Graders about Publishing Content Online

Let’s break down this writing standard into some simple instructional steps!

#1 | Different Ways to Publish

Sometimes getting students to connect to standards is tough, but that is not true for publishing online content.

If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, most of our students are consuming video and image-related content regularly. So they are familiar with how powerful publishing content online can be…maybe even more than we are.

Students show us new things they are watching or reading online All. The. Time. and they are excited about it!

However, in order to master this 7th-grade writing standard, we need to make our students producers of that content. We also need to bring them back to the OG style of content creation…writing.

If your students are anything like ours, they like videos and images best. That’s why step #1 is about taking a step back and talking about different kinds of online content.

When we introduce this standard, we start by introducing students to the different ways content is published online. (This is also how we lay it out in our unit resource in the store.)

We talk about…

  • Blogging
  • Long-Form Content
  • E-Books
  • Social Media
  • Youtube
  • Websites
Publishing Content Online: Typing Hands

We like to spend time discussing how each of these methods works, their benefits, and how creators use them. We’ve provided some examples in the resource, but students can also spend some time brainstorming ideas on their own.

Many students are familiar with different forms of content, and some have tried some of them before. Encourage students to share their good and bad experiences with each of these online publishing options when possible!

#2 | Internet Safety

As you get into the topic of publishing content online with 7th graders, take some time to review online safety.

This may be a good time to bring in an expert in this area. You can also find some articles that discuss online safety in more detail. 

In our resource about writing using technology, we provide a quick guide for students on the topic of online safety. Our tips include…

  • not publishing your personal information,
  • not posting personal photos of yourself or your family,
  • and not responding to people in comments or messages that you don’t know personally.

In 7th grade, online safety is a super hot topic. Use the resources at your disposal to hit this topic with the amount of emphasis it deserves (and needs!).

#3 | Different Ways to Cite 

Now that we’ve covered the different ways of publishing content online, and we’ve talked about safety, we can start digging into the nitty gritty details like citing, collaboration, and publishing which is what makes publishing content online so unique.

When your 7th-grade students start publishing online, whether that is on a class blog or on a Google Document they are sharing with the class, they have to start citing in a way that is appropriate to the online space. 

We teach students to use MLA formatting in their essays. 7th graders can still do that when publishing content online, but they also need to learn about hyperlinks.

Hyperlinks are a means for directly linking back to other pieces of information on the internet. 

7th-grade students can use either citations or hyperlinks (or both) in their online writing.

We like to give them opportunities to practice both!

#4 | Using Google Documents for Collaboration

We have to admit, this is where we get the most excited about this standard.

COLLABORATION!!

We love love love the different ways students can collaborate using tools like Google Docs. It always amazes us that all of our students can be working on the same document at the same time. They can be collaborating with each other through chats and comments without ever needing to be in the same room.

Students are getting better and better at collaborating online all the time. But… we do have a few tips for making collaboration easier.

We outline many of these tips in a way that is digestible for students in the writing resource we mentioned before, but we’ll list a few of them here.

  • Share the document with all students in the group.
  • When asking for feedback from people outside the group, limit the access (editor, viewer, etc.)
  • If students are working on different pieces of the project, use page breaks to make it easier to type all at the same time.
  • Use commenting and suggesting tools for feedback.
  • Explore add-ons to make the project easier or to streamline processes.
  • If a major issue arises, go back through the ‘version history’ to restore the project.

If your class does a lot of work collaborating online, spend time debriefing with them. What best practices have they noticed? If they find helpful add-ons, add them to an anchor chart in the classroom. You could also create an ‘online tool’ bulletin board or poster that other students in the class can access.

Your students are going to find great ways of doing this kind of work. Give them an opportunity to share their new discoveries!

#5 | Sharing Content with Others

Finally, after all of that writing, citing, and collaboration, we are ready to publish. When you are working with 7th graders, you’ll want to have a pretty firm grip on the publishing process. We want students to be able to share their work with people outside the class, but as a teacher, you are responsible for providing a safe way to do that.

Here are a few ideas for different ways you could share student work by “publishing” it online.

  • Publish via a post on a class Facebook page
  • Publish via a hyperlink on a Google Document that is shared with others in the class
  • Publish on a class website or webpage (with parent permission)

In the long list of things 7th graders need to know, publishing content online is a big one. It requires time, technology, and a good plan.

If you are wanting a step-by-step plan for this standard. Check out this Writing with Technology lesson! It covers all of the information in this post in a way that is accessible for 7th-grade students.

To learn more about how we break down standards to make step-by-step plans for our students, take a closer look at this blog post!

The Sparkly Notebook signature
Pin Image - Publishing Content Online with Google Docs 7th Grade ELA

Valentine’s Day Activities for Middle School Language Arts

Spread the love with these Valentine’s Day activities for middle school language arts.

Sometimes I think that my middle school students love holidays even more than elementary-aged kids. 

You give them a chance to dress up or do a themed activity and many of these teenagers will jump at the chance to wear silly clothes, go on an egg hunt, or make pink and red Valentine’s Day chains to hang all over the classroom.

Personally, I’ll take any opportunity to dress up or decorate my classroom, so you better believe that this coming Valentine’s Day I’ll be wearing my heart socks and distributing candy hearts every chance I get!

I think my love of the big, loud, and proud is what makes holiday’s so much fun for my students and me. We are able to be a little silly while also working on some skills. 

Sign Up for a FREE plot structure digital escape room!

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

Let’s be honest, one of the greatest parts about being an ELA teacher (second only to getting to go to the library on a regular basis) is that ELA skills can be applied to any content.

That means that when I flip over the calendar and see a holiday coming up, I immediately start looking for some themed activities to make that season a little extra special. If they align with my standards or our classroom goals…even better!

Here are some of my favorites for Valentine’s Day!

Pin Image - Valentine's Day Activities for Middle School Language Arts

Valentine’s Day Escape Rooms for Middle School ELA

Sometimes I forget that my middle school students are just big kids in disguise. In addition to playing on their phones or dancing to the latest TikTok craze, they also really enjoy being challenged and competing even if it is just to see who can solve a pickle-themed Valentine’s Day message the fastest.

And that is exactly why they love these Valentine’s Day Escape Rooms. Each of the Valentine’s Escape Rooms requires students to practice their ELA skills in a unique Valentine’s Day way. They are also fully digital and require no prep, which never hurts!

Whether they are reading a funny story about a cupid getting lost or trying to figure out what one pickle wrote in her Valentine to another pickle, your students will get a lot of joy from these puzzles. I know I do!

We have two different Valentine’s Day Escape Rooms to choose from.

Valentines Day Digital Escape Room
Valentines Day Figurative Language Digital Escape Room

Valentine’s Day Fill-in-the-Blank Story for Middle School ELA

Another fun Valentine’s Day activity for middle school language arts classes is to have students create Valentine-themed fill-in-the-blank stories.

For this activity, pair students up, and have them create a story. Then tell them to take out some of the words, leaving blanks, so they can be replaced by another student.

This activity gets students thinking about parts of speech and the pieces of a good story.

In a Valentine’s twist, students will write a blank into their story for a MYSTERY candy heart message to appear.

Check out the example below.

When ______________ (Name #1) solved the clue, the code revealed a secret message “__________________” (Candy Heart). She knew at that moment that the villain meant business. 

________________ (Name #1) turned to _________________(Name #2) and gave them a _________________ (Adjective)  ___________________ (Facial Expression).

“I had no idea __________________ (Villain) was so evil!” she whispered.

“I did” _________________  (Name #2) whispered. “But I know we can stop them because we have the ________________ (Candy Heart) mobile, so we’ll be able to find them ____________(adverb).”

After taking one look at the ______________ (adjective) car, ________________ (Name #1) knew that _________________ (Name #2) was right.

Before working on our stories, I like to have students work through this Valentine’s Day Parts of Speech Word Sort activity. It is great for reviewing parts of speech and giving students ideas for their stories.

Valentine's Day Activities for Middle School Language Arts Parts of Speech

Figurative Language Valentine’s Day Challenge for Middle School

To create your own Figurative Language Valentine’s Day Challenge with your students, separate your students into groups of 2-3. 

Then give them a certain time limit to come up with as many figurative language examples as possible. The only rule, they have to be something you could see on a Valentine.

Before the time is up, students will transfer each message onto a heart-shaped piece of cardstock. The messages will then be displayed in the hallway.

You can add a little extra something something to this challenge by challenging your students to make a Valentine for each of their teachers.

Want a little more competition? Use the chart below to give out points.

  • Students earn one point for each type of figurative language they used in their valentines.
  • Students earn a half point for each valentine they create.
  • Students earn 5 points for creating a rhyming Valentine’s Day poem with at least two examples of figurative language in it. Plus one point for each additional figurative language example.
  • Students earn 2 points for each of their valentines that is chosen as a teacher’s favorite when they are voted on by the teachers.
  • Students lose a half point for each valentine that is the same as someone else’s in the same class.

Note: If you want to do a little brushing up before digging into this Figurative Language Valentine’s Day Challenge, this Valentine’s Day Figurative Language Color-by-Number is a quick way to review!

Valentine's Day Figurative Language Sort

There are so many awesome Valentine’s Day activities for middle school language arts, but these are some of my favorites. If you do each of these over the course of the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, your students will get some extra writing practice, some ELA skill review, and an extra special Figurative Language review that they will be sure to remember.

To read a little more about our Valentine’s Day resources, take a peek at this post!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Sparkly Notebook signature

7 Idea-Generating Activities for Setting Goals with Middle School Students

These 7 activities for setting goals with middle school students will help your students pick topics, develop plans, and think about the best way to accomplish their goals.

Got to be honest…sometimes setting goals with students can cause a legit headache. 

Just saying the words ‘goal setting’ can send our students into a tailspin of statements like…

“I don’t have any goals.”

“I don’t know what to write.”

“This doesn’t work for me.”

“I’m not a goal-setter.”

And you know what?

We get it.

We all have those days when some of these types of tasks feel a little pointless. However, research study after research study has proven that goals (especially those that are written down, frequently reviewed, and honestly assessed) are incredibly valuable in schools and the workplace.

Thus, if we can help our students come up with a goal they are passionate about, they will be more successful in accomplishing that goal.

So, today, we are going to make coming up with goals easier for your students with 7 idea-generating activities for goal setting with middle school students.

These ideas were created with middle school students in mind. They are active, quirky, and thought-provoking.

7 Activities for Setting Goals with Middle School Students

#1 | 20 Questions

Simple and cunning, this activity for setting goals with middle school students is really quite simple. Ask the students to write down some part of their life they would like to improve. Then pair them up. 

Each student will get to ask the other a series of 20 yes/no questions in an effort to guess what the first student wrote down.

The trick is that the game is just a distraction. The main goal is just to get the students to write down something they want to improve on. You’ll instruct them to write their first goal around that part of their life.

The goal of this activity is to get students to think quickly. The game takes away the pressure of having to come up with the RIGHT thing to set a goal about. Instead, students are just asked to pick a topic on which they know they need to improve.

For many students, coming up with a topic to base a goal around is the hard part. However, once we hide the topic in the form of a game, it becomes easier.

You can also have them write down answers to these questions to get a similar result:

  • Write down the activity you’ve always wanted to try.
  • Write down the part of this class that is hardest for you.
  • Write down something that distracts you.
  • Write down a part of writing that is hard.
  • Write down your favorite topic in science.

#2 | The Game of Life

Our favorite part of The Game of Life is that we all secretly have an avenue that we hope our little car of people will take. 

To start this activity, let your students play the board game The Game of Life. Tell them that the person who’ll win is not the person with the most money but rather the person who is the happiest with their result in the end.

Once they’re done, ask them to rate their level of happiness and journal on what outcomes they would have rather seen their avatar achieve.

Use their writing to inspire their goal setting by having them pick one of their ‘ideal outcomes’ and consider what they can start doing today to achieve that outcome for themselves.

#3 | My Perfect Day

This is a writing activity, but it can be life-changing and eye-opening.

Ask students to consider themselves as adults. Ask them to write out their perfect day as an adult. 

For this activity, we are focusing on the day. So, their writing will probably have lots of times on it. At 6:30 am I wake up and have a latte made by my butler or at 7:00 am I am woken up when I hear my baby crying or I wake up at 4:30 am to head to the gym to lift weights.

The goal is to let the students have a little fun dreaming while also helping them to think through where they want to be in 8-12 years.

If your students go over the top with their planning, and get a little too silly, ask them to do a second write-up that is focused a little more on reality. 

Next, ask them to write about their perfect day as it would look at the end of the school year, but with that 8-12 year goal in mind. The goal of this activity is to get students thinking about what they can start doing as a 13-year-old to get them where they want to be in the future…What goals they could set now to have a better chance at making that future a reality.

For example, if their perfect day has them working as a lawyer, then their ‘end-of-year goal may have them participating in an 8th-grade mock trial.

Their goal for right now might have to do with researching the best clubs and teams an aspiring lawyer should consider trying in high school.

#4 | Spin the Wheel

This one is simple. Ask students to write down 5 areas of their life they are most interested in improving. (or 5 academic standards they want to improve), and then assign each to a spot on a spinner. 

Students will spin the wheel and see which one they land on. The first topic they land on 3 times is the winner and gets to be the focus of the first goal.

You can also use this method for class-wide goals.

We really like to have spinners like these handy for this kind of project.

What we find most interesting about something like spinning a wheel is that students often figure out which topic they really want to focus on most simply by waiting for the results. 

It is like the old trick of flipping a coin to make a decision. It isn’t about what side the coin lands on, it is really about which side you WANTED the coin to land on. This spinner activity can produce the same result. 

If your students come to you after spinning and say that they really want to pick one of their other topics, let them. Even though it goes against the rules of the game, we all know the main goal was just to get your students to pick a topic, and with this result, we all win!

#5 | Bingo Cards

Remember, when picking activities for goal setting with middle school students, goals can be based on a lot of different topics. We like using BINGO cards for working on behavior or healthy habits and activities.

As a class, come up with 25 healthy habits or activities (or good behaviors). Put them into a BINGO card generator like this one, and give each student a BINGO card. 

The students’ goals can then be based around the number of habits they want to incorporate into their lives or how many of these tasks they want to accomplish. The goal could also be based on the number of Bingo lines the student is able to create.

#6 | Tree of Dreams

Sometimes students need to see how accomplishing a goal can lead to changes long-term.

As a class, create a Tree of Dreams. A Tree of Dreams starts with a solid base. A single goal that is accomplished this year. Then brainstorm the different ways accomplishing that goal can affect other areas of the students’ lives or inspire other goals. 

Example:

  • If a student’s goal is to learn how to knit a scarf over the course of the next month.
  • Their next goal with that skill may be to knit a throw blanket.
  • Next, they may knit a pair of gloves and hat with a matching pattern.
  • Then, they may aim to learn another knitting pattern and make another scarf.
  • Then, they may create a pattern of their own.
  • After creating a pattern, they may host a workshop at the school to teach other people how to knit their pattern… and so on and so on.

Ask them to make a tree showing how accomplishing this one goal and rolling those skills into other goals could turn into a much bigger accomplishment. Just like a tree only has one starting point from the ground, it continues to grow and spread and become bigger and bigger.

#7 | Goldilocks’ Way

This activity is all about finding a way to accomplish your goals that is ‘just right.’

Just as Goldilocks had to sit in several chairs before finding the one that was just right for her, many of your students are not going to know how to accomplish their goals or make a plan that is right for them.

In this activity, students will establish a general goal. 

Example: I will read 5 pages in my book every day for the next 10 days.

Then, they will explore several ways to accomplish this task by considering the following question.

  • What is the fastest way to accomplish this goal?
  • What is the worst way to accomplish this goal?
  • What is the slowest way to accomplish this goal?
  • What is the happiest way to accomplish this goal?
  • What is the oddest way to accomplish this goal?
  • What is the most helpful way to accomplish this goal?
  • How would your parent/guardian accomplish this goal?
  • How would your best friend accomplish this goal?
  • How would a child accomplish this goal?
  • What is the right/best way for YOU to accomplish this goal?

It is fun for students to explore all the ways a goal can be accomplished and arrive at what is best for them. This reinforces that there are many different ways to plan for and accomplish a goal even if it is exactly the same as someone else’s.

SMART Goals

Once your students have their topics figured out, start working through the SMART goal process. To learn more about SMART goals, you can read this blog post. We also have a SMART Goals Template!

Smart Goal Template Resource

For many students, simply coming up with an idea to set a goal around will be a challenge. These activities for setting goals with middle school students are designed to get the brainstorming started!

Some of these activities will help students settle on a topic for their goal, and others will help them with the implementation plan. They will all encourage your students to have some fun while they work their way through the process.

If you are looking for some ideas on how to set teacher goals, you’re in luck. We just finished up a blog post just for you. Check it out here!

Happy Goal Setting!

The Sparkly Notebook signature

Grab FREE Middle School ELA Standard Breakdowns Below!

* indicates required
Which grade level are you most interested in?

January Goal Setting as Middle School Teachers

January goal setting as middle school teachers is a process that keeps personal needs, classroom community, and academic success at the forefront of our minds.

Does it ever feel like the students you start the year with are not the same students you see every day in January?

It’s because they aren’t. Especially if you are a middle school teacher. 

This is because puberty is a crazy, complicated process. It can happen at any time and can even last several years.

In short, your students may look like the darlings you started the year teaching, but they’re not the same. Their needs, interests, and even their level of comfort sitting in desks may have changed in the last couple months.

When we begin our January goal-setting as middle school teachers, we are keeping all these changes in mind.

Depending on how the fall has gone, we are ready to make some big, audacious goals for the rest of the year, but this time, we actually know our students. We know what they can handle, how they work through problems, what topics excite them, and what topics don’t.

We love that we get to ‘start over’ after our winter break, and truly set some goals with THESE students in mind.

When starting your January goal setting as middle school teachers, you want to spend a little time questioning your students. This could happen before the winter break ever starts

“Hey, I’m going to be setting some new professional goals for this spring during winter break, and I’d love to have your input on…”

Or you can start the process after break.

“Hey! During break I was reflecting on the year so far, and I’ve decided I want to set a few new professional goals. I’d love to know what you think of…”

No matter when you start to set your goals, you’ll want to have at least three different kinds.

  • One personal (something that has nothing to do with school)
  • One community-based (focused on the atmosphere or community of the classroom)
  • One academic (based on student success so far and where you want them to get)

Let’s dive into each, but first… a note about SMART goals.

SMART Goals

As educators, you may already be familiar with SMART goals. If you are, this is your friendly reminder to use SMART goals as you being this January goal-setting journey.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. You can learn more about how we set SMART goals in this blog post.

Quick History Lesson: SMART goals date back to the 1980s. The idea was first discussed by George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham in an article about good management.

January goal setting as middle school teachers SMART Goal Template

Personal Goals

Let’s start with a personal goal.

Setting personal goals is important as they remind us that we are people with needs, interests, and wants. Setting a good goal related to one of these gives teachers some motivation outside the classroom. The accomplishment of achieving these goals will also directly affect your mood and general level of joy in the classroom.

They are the MOST important, so we’re putting the personal goal at the top of our list.

As we begin setting January goals as middle school teachers, we are going to focus on one specific personal goal. This can be something related to money, health, habits, or even a hobby or relationship. It does not in any way have to be related to school or any job.

Make this one personal, and something that will truly bring you joy if you accomplish it!

Community-Based Goals

Before focusing too heavily on academics, let’s spend some time setting a goal related to the community of the classroom.

Now, this doesn’t have to be classroom specific. If you have a goal you want to set for the lunchroom or a school club, you can follow your heart. However, we definitely want this goal to be about improving the culture of the school or your classroom.

We recommend getting your students involved in helping you come up with a topic for this community-based goal. Students have been coming in and out of your room for months, they have ideas. This is a great time to let them share those ideas.

As we stated before, when working through January goal setting as middle school teachers, we have to keep our students’ personal changes in mind. If they say they want you to have more seating options, it may not be because they want to get cozier. They may legitimately NEED taller chairs because they don’t fit in the ones you have now. If they want different rules about going to the bathroom, it may be because they are worried they won’t have the flexibility if they NEED the restroom.

Take the time to consider student suggestions. Then put some goals in place to support your classroom community or improve procedures.

Remember: Goals don’t have to last the whole semester. They may only take a week to accomplish.

Share your goals with your students. They can learn a lot from watching you set a goal and then knocking the follow-through out of the park.

Academic-Based Goal Setting

Finally, we are going to spend some time setting academic goals. These goals are standards or skills-based, and most likely student-focused. 

To set this goal, go through your class standards, review where our students are, and figure out where you want them to end up.

Use this Common Core Standard Checklist to identify the areas on which your students still need to focus. Use the information you gain from the reflection to pick a goal (or two) to start with.

7 ELA Curriculum Guide

Again, these goals may not last the whole semester, so don’t be afraid to hunker down to a specific standard.

We’ve created a whole series of focused lessons and units for each standard, so if you decide that you really want to focus on RL.7.5: Analyzing Text Structure and Form of Drama and Poems, you can use this link to find the resources to specifically work on that standard. 

Standards-Based Learning 7th Grade Standards Mini-Lessons Bundle

Once you’ve identified the SPECIFIC standard you want to focus on, you can use the resource to MEASURE student success, pick the lessons and activities that will make it ATTAINABLE and RELEVANT, and set realistic TIME-BOUND details for your goal based on the provided teacher’s guide in each standards-focused resource.

Change is going to happen in middle school. When we do our January goal-setting as middle school teachers, we are showing a willingness to embrace that change and roll with it. 

Setting personal, community-based, and academic goals in January will set you up to have a productive semester both inside and outside the classroom. Hopefully, this post has given you some great ideas to get started with each type of goal. 

Remember, be SMART with your goals, and encourage your students to do the same!

The Sparkly Notebook signature

Grab FREE Middle School ELA Standard Breakdowns Below!

* indicates required
Which grade level are you most interested in?

6 Easy (Low/No-Prep) Christmas ELA Activities for Middle School

Enjoy the Ho! Ho! Ho-lidays with these 6 easy Christmas ELA activities for middle school.

Whether you are one of the teachers who absolutely loves the holidays or… well, you’re not, you know the chaos that is the holiday season in middle school ELA.

Although the holidays are fun, we all know that the holidays and school don’t always go together as smoothly as peppermint sticks in cocoa.

It seems that no matter how much you have planned, during the winter holiday months your students are fidgety and fabulous. They are wearing their candy-cane striped socks, wearing sweaters that are really just blankets with arms, and somehow slipping PSLs past the admin on the daily.

They are not, however, ready to start anything new. 

Plan to Review!

Those weeks between Thanksgiving and the winter break are like the no-man’s land of the school year. It is an awkward time when students have learned a lot of new content, and you could really capitalize on their new knowledge. However, their attention spans and focus are 100% elsewhere. 

And who can blame them?!

You made it through the rough and tumble months of September and October, two very difficult months for middle school students. Now, you are gearing up for some longer breaks, New Year’s Resolutions, and the school year equivalent of a ‘fresh start’ that will begin after we return from break.

So… as much as it kills us to say it, this is not the time to start something new, or try to engage your student with a big project. 

Save that for January. 

Instead, let’s focus on reviewing some of the skills we’ve been working on in fun, festive, new ways.

Today, we’ve got 6 Easy Christmas ELA activities for middle school that won’t fill your prep time or require you to go buy a bunch of extra supplies, so let’s get to ‘em!

Pssst….if you are interested in doing a little decorating or getting your crafting gloves on this season, you should check out this post about boosting morale as you head into the holiday season.

Christmas ELA Activities for Middle School: Digital Escape Rooms

These Christmas Digital Escape Rooms are no-prep, holiday joy with the perfect combination of work and fun. These activities align with the standards, test students on ELA skills, and challenge them to ‘break the code’.

These Christmas Digital Escape Rooms will take one class period, and we absolutely love them for the last day before the holiday break.

Each escape room includes four ELA activities that perfectly align with middle school standards, and will allow your students to practice their skills, while also solving problems and celebrating the holiday season.

#1 | Figurative Language Escape Room

Christmas Digital Escape Room

#2 | ELA Skills (Common Core Aligned)

ELA Christmas Activities for Middle School: ELA Digital Escape Room

Bonus Time: We also have a MATH Digital Escape Room for the holidays. You can gift it to a colleague or use it in your classroom. We are all about connecting with other subject areas!

Sign Up for a FREE plot structure digital escape room!

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

ELA Christmas Activities for Middle School: Prepositional Phrases

The holiday season is perfect for prepositional phrase practices. We are hanging stockings over fireplaces, gluing candy on top of gingerbread houses, and placing presents under trees. 

We can think of no better time of the year to practice our prepositional phrases, and these three prepositional phrase activities (which are also available in a bundle) are creative, artistic, and perfectly designed to give your students a chance to practice prepositional phrases in a whole new way.

Watch as your students create their own elves, design gingerbread houses, and decorate the Christmas tree. Will they put a star or an angel on top or maybe a wreath? We’ll have to wait and see.

These prepositional phrase activities are also a great way to get students to talk about their holiday traditions and what the holidays look like in their homes.

#3 | Gingerbread House Prepositional Phrases

Gingerbread Prepositional Phrase Activity

#4 | Christmas Tree Prepositional Phrases

ELA Christmas Activities for Middle School: Christmas Tree Prepositional Phrases

#5 | Elf Prepositional Phrases

Elf Prepositional Phrase Activity

ELA Christmas Activities for Middle School: Narrative Writing

This cute little narrative writing activity is all the things. It has non-fiction passages and narrative writing prompts. It even includes graphic organizers and checklists. Of course, we can’t leave out the reindeer coloring sheets!

One thing that makes this particular activity unique is the use of two different passages. One includes Santa, and one does not. These two different versions give you the ability to choose the best path for the needs of your specific students.

Holiday Activity #6 | Reindeer Narrative Writing

ELA Christmas Activities for Middle School: Narrative Writing

The holiday season is tough, and middle school minds are merry and bright and nowhere in sight.

But… that doesn’t mean that you can’t spread some Christmas cheer while also getting in some needed ELA skill review.

Keep these 6 EASY (low/no-prep) Christmas ELA activities for middle school students in mind as you begin planning for the holiday season!

Enjoy the season, Friends!

Happy Holidays!

The Sparkly Notebook signature

4 standard-aligned Thanksgiving activities

It’s not easy to find Thanksgiving activities that are fun AND standard-aligned. But look no more! Check out these FOUR standard-aligned Thanksgiving activities from The Sparkly Notebook!

Thanksgiving is upon us and it’s another holiday we can have some fun with!

I know! I know! We have a lot of curriculum to get to and it’s hard to set aside some time for fun activities…but what if those activities were standard-aligned?

It could be a win-win for both the students and yourself!

Check out these FOUR standard-aligned Thanksgiving activities for middle school ELA

#1 Turkey Pardoning Activity

turkey by the White house - Thanksgiving narrative activities for middle school students

This is one of my favorite standard-aligned Thanksgiving activities to do with my students around the Thanksgiving holiday!

This Thanksgiving narrative writing activity is about the presidential pardoning of turkeys, something that is not often covered in the classroom. It takes on a different angle of the holiday and the kids always have so much fun with it! Check it out! You will LOVE it!

#2 Thanksgiving Reading Comprehension Escape Room

Digital Escape Room Thanksgiving activities

Escape rooms are such a student pleaser around the holidays. They want to do something a little more fun and a little more interactive, which is why I love escape rooms so much!

A classroom digital escape room uses technology to steer the students through different problems and/or scenarios in order to solve a puzzle. Just like an entertainment escape room, the goal is to solve one problem, which leads to the next problem, and so on…with the ultimate goal of “escaping” the challenge.

This Common Core-aligned escape room focuses on reading comprehension skills and includes tasks that involve information about the Mayflower voyage, a tale of the terrified turkey, and a Thanksgiving timeline.

#3 Thanksgiving Word Choice Activity

Word Choice Thanksgiving activities

Vocabulary can be such a struggle for middle school students. I am always trying to incorporate diction support into our day-to-day, encouraging students to choose stronger words in both their academic and personal conversations. 

This Thanksgiving ELA activity is the perfect opportunity for word choice practice. It specifically focuses on the L3 standard: Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

#4 Thanksgiving Figurative Language Escape Room

Teachers LOVE digital escape rooms so I went ahead and made this second Thanksgiving digital escape room. It covers figurative language, but as always, is still core-aligned.

Sign Up for a FREE plot structure digital escape room!

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

As Thanksgiving approaches…

Remember to sit back and remember all that you are thankful for! I am so grateful for my family, my health, and my evolving career in education. It has led me to so many amazing opportunities.

I am also thankful for you, my dear reader! Thank you for being such an amazing teacher and always aspiring to be better.

The world needs many like you, and so from the bottom of my heart…

Thank you!

The Sparkly Notebook signature
Join The Sparkly Notebook email list.
For more tips and tricks for the middle school ELA classroom, join The Sparkly Notebook’s email list!

ELA standards got you down? Check out these bundles!

Teaching and assessing all of the ELA standards can be super challenging. Read about this new product line from The Sparkly Notebook.

As an ELA teacher, do you know how many “Reading Literature” standards there are?

What about “Reading Information” standards?

There are 10 standards for each of these…a total of 20 standards that your students have to master by the end of the year. This 20, of course, does not include the writing, speaking & listening, and language standards…so add another 20 standards (roughly) for a total of 40 STANDARDS! 

Each of these standards takes time to plan, organize, and teach…which is why you get paid the big bucks! Ha! I know…teacher joke!

However, it does take a lot of time to put lessons and assessments together. You have to break down the standards, prep your assessments, and design lesson plans. (Visit this blog post to walk you through the process of standard breakdown.)

Grab FREE Middle School ELA Standard Breakdowns Below!

* indicates required
Which grade level are you most interested in?

Just like any craft, there is always a way to do it better, which is why we spend so much time year after year trying to figure out a better way…an easier way to get it all done.

*Shout out to all of my friends who teach multiple subjects. I have a friend who teaches three subjects in middle school due to the teacher shortage. I can’t imagine trying to teach all the standards for two different subjects…let alone three.

About two years ago now, I realized that teachers need a good base for their instruction. We need to have instructional tools and activities available for our students that are easy to read and complete BUT ALSO cover the standards completely…

Which is why I came up with our ELA Standard product line. My team created a product for EVERY. SINGLE. STANDARD so you as the teacher can receive help with the standards that are tough to teach as well as feel confident that you have covered all of the others!

Not only does this ELA Standard product line come as individual products, but they can be purchased as bundles so you can use the tools as needed to fill in any holes in your curriculum!

Here is a preview of two of the ELA standard bundles...

7th Grade Reading Literature Standards Bundle

This bundle covers all ten of the RL standards. Each resource inside the bundle includes an activity per standard objective, a summative assessment, and both a printable and digital version that is ready for Google Classroom and other distance learning platforms.

>>>GRAB IT HERE!<<<

7th Grade Reading Information Standards Bundle

Each resource within the bundle includes everything you need for practice, formative, and summative assessment! It includes both a digital and printable version, so you can use each as necessary. This bundle includes products for all 10 RI Standards. To read about the RI standards, click HERE!

 >>>CHECK OUT THE BUNDLE HERE!<<<

Along with the two options above, there are other variations of bundles available at The Sparkly Notebook TPT store, so jump over there to learn more.

Teaching and assessing the ELA standards do not have to take up all of your time!

Curriculum planning should be a part of your job, but not all of it! Remember to look for help when you need it! I am happy to answer any questions about standard breakdown…as it is my specialty. So, if you are struggling at all, reach out!

I am happy to help!

The Sparkly Notebook signature
Join The Sparkly Notebook email list.

.

Mental health check-in!

How is your mental health, my fellow teacher? Read below to check in and grade your own health halfway through this first semester.

Who needs a mental health check-in? I do!

How are you, friend?

We have finally reached the end of October and moving into the holiday months! 

Whoa, baby! 

Sometimes at this point, I feel like time has been moving SO SLOWLY, and other times…I can’t believe it is already November! 

Surely, by now, you are done with conferences and feel like you are getting into a solid routine in your classroom! That hard stuff is over and congratulations on making it through!

Now we need to start preparing for the chaos of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season!

BUT FIRST…

Sit down! Take a breath! Let’s do a mental check-in, shall we?

  • Am I happy?
  • Have I created a daily routine that works well for MYSELF as well as my students?
  • Have I established boundaries with my students, parents, administrators, and myself 🥴 to keep my mental and emotional health in check?
  • Have I been focusing on healthier and happier thoughts?
  • Have I checked in with my circle of supportive coworkers who help me keep my mental health in check?
  • Have I been partaking in a hobby that does not relate to school?
  • Have I been balancing my work and home life in a healthy way?

Remember, staying healthy is all about controlling what we can control! 

If you answered no to one or two of the above questions…

Work on it! Revert back to my 7 mental health tips to look into ways to help yourself! 

If you answered no to several of the questions…

It may be best to seek some help from your administrator or counselor. They can help you set your boundaries, balance your work/home life, and/or dig deeper into your mental health needs! 

All I can say, is you have a RIGHT to FIGHT for your mental health. 

So, get to fighting!

The Sparkly Notebook signature

Grab FREE Middle School ELA Standard Breakdowns Below!

* indicates required
Which grade level are you most interested in?

↑ Top of Page