A series of mini-lessons designed to guide students from identifying a text's topic to synthesizing central ideas and key details into a concise non-fiction summary. Using a detective theme, students learn to distinguish 'the big picture' from 'the supporting cast' of details.

A dual-focus instructional unit that pairs deep literary analysis of 'The Hate U Give' with transferable reading comprehension strategies for personal and social narratives.

A comprehensive three-day exploration of Julia Alvarez's 'Before We Were Free', focusing on the historical context of the Dominican Republic, the psychological impact of living under a dictatorship, and the evolution of Anita's voice. Students engage with vocabulary, close reading analysis, and creative journaling to deepen their understanding of freedom and sacrifice.

A sequence of lessons for 7th graders exploring the thematic depths and literary techniques of Kafka's The Metamorphosis, focusing on conflict, Gothic elements, and structured evidence-based writing.

A series of lessons focused on mastering the identification of themes in literature, moving from basic recognition to distinguishing themes from plot details and subjective opinions.

A comprehensive unit designed for middle schoolers to sharpen their reading comprehension skills, focusing on identifying main ideas, supporting details, and author's purpose through engaging informational texts.

A 5-day unit focused on character analysis, where students act as 'Story Detectives' to uncover traits, motivations, and the impact of character actions on plot and point of view.

A writing unit where students act as 'Break Detectives'. It begins with descriptive sentence writing and culminates in a formal three-paragraph report about their summer missions.

A comprehensive ELA unit focusing on text structure, argument analysis, and the interaction of ideas using the text 'Healing Brick City'. Students explore how personal anecdotes and systemic observations build a compelling case for social change.

A comprehensive reteach sequence for 8th Grade ELA standards RI 8.5 and RI 8.6, focusing on analyzing text structures and author's purpose/point of view using the 'Architect's Blueprint' theme.

A 16-lesson sequence covering the latter half of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, beginning with Gregor's first injury and concluding with the family's resolution after his death. Each lesson focuses on key literary elements: Conflict, Key Details, Characterization, and Theme.