A comprehensive 4-part review series designed to prepare 8th-grade students for the NY ELA Interim Assessment. Each session focuses on specific high-leverage standards and text analysis skills using authentic assessment passages.
A 6-session intervention sequence designed for small groups of students below grade level. This sequence uses a 'Building Blocks' metaphor to teach structured paragraph writing, starting with topic sentences and moving through evidence, explanation, and conclusions, progressively reducing scaffolding to build independence.
A middle school ELA unit exploring how authors use word choice, sentence structure, and personal history to craft unique voices and distinct perspectives. Students analyze contemporary literature and informational texts to understand the relationship between identity and narrative.
A three-lesson unit for grades 6-8 exploring authorial voice, identity, and perspective through contemporary literature and paired informational texts. Students analyze excerpts from diverse authors like Sandra Cisneros and Jason Reynolds to understand how language shapes narrative personality.
A 2-day lesson sequence focused on analyzing key ideas and details in a historical informational text about the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, featuring STAAR-aligned assessment and graphic organizers.
A comprehensive multi-day unit on drawing conclusions and making inferences using a detective-themed 'investigation' approach. Students learn to combine text evidence with background knowledge to solve 'cases' in both fiction and non-fiction texts.