Stop Googling “fun middle school lesson plans” on Sunday night and instead, do your treasure hunting here… where you are certain to find high-quality, ready-to-go lessons you know your students will love.
The lessons listed below are in alphabetical order and include a brief description. Click the underlined title to view and then download the full resource. If there is a topic, skill or standard you are looking to teach, but don’t see, email me and I’ll do my best to find or create it for you! (wordnerd@amandazieba.com)
Lessons
Everything you need to teach this amazing book by Linda Sue Park including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Everything you need to teach this award winning classic novel by Madeline L’Engle including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Everything you need to teach this adventurous middle grade book by Amanda Zieba including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Everything you need to teach Kate Messner’s timely and engaging novel told entirely in primary documents including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Practice the story element of character with this missing person writing activity.
In this writing resource you’ll find critical thinking and analysis activities that will help you and your students consider the pros and cons and applications of AI and ChatGPT at school.
Everything you need to teach this award winning nonfiction book about the civil rights movement by Phillip Hoose including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Use these engaging Mystery passage worksheets to help students practice their Collective Nouns.
Use this fun and interactive end of the year reading reflection resource to help students: reflect on their past year of reading, identify favorites (books, authors, genres, formats, etc.), recognize and celebrate reading achievements, and make plans to continue reading in the future.
Everything you need to introduce, review and practice identifying the major genres.
Everything you need to teach this groundbreaking and award winning book by Brian Selznick including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Get books in your students’ hands with this interactive book-hunting activity.
This 3 part short story mystery for middle schoolers will entertain your readers and polish up their reading skills. With this short story and its accompanying resources, you'll be able to: practice annotation skills, extend vocabulary, and do some creative writing.
Everything you need to teach your students about the most prestigious literary award for children and hopefully inspire some reading in the process!
Everything you need to teach this historical fiction book collection by Amanda Zieba including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
In this post-reading activity, students will pretend their book is being made into a movie and are tasked with creating a soundtrack to match key moments/scenes.
Explore several kinds of poems and figurative language with this powerpoint and poster set.
Introduce, review and practice the story element of point of view with this set of activities.
Have fun and figure out what to read next with this interactive lesson that can also be used as an interactive bulletin board.
Everything you need to teach this amazing book by Cynthia Lord including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Use this introduction to Story Elements PowerPoint to guide your students through the 7 major story elements.
Use these ten passages to help students practice replacing underlined words with synonyms.
Theme can be a hard lesson to teach, in part because it feels (especially to a middle schooler) so abstract. This lesson is my attempt to make this story element more concrete (and hopefully engaging and fun).
Speed Date a Book!
Everything you need to teach this amazing book by Cynthia Lord including pre reading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Accomplish more than just a time out - you’ll also be building background knowledge and classroom comradery.
Brain Breaks
Everything you need to implement the game changing practice of FCF right here - ready and waiting for your readers!
First Chapter Fridays
Monthly calendars full of pre-planned content. Each quarter, 3 new monthly calendars will be posted.
Pre-planned Calendars
Resources
Here are dozens of interesting writing prompts and resources to implement and support your efforts.
Writing Prompts
Teaching is more fun with friends! Check out ways to connect with fellow educators [and yours truly].
Connect
On this page, you’ll find all sorts of multi-day lesson plans and supplemental activities connected directly to the Common Core State Standards.
Lessons
Fill your teacher toolbox with some new strategies, tips and tools.
Teaching tips
Questions and comments? Click here to access our private FB Group
Private FB Group Access
These are books I have read, highly recommend, and has an accompanying FCF video. Bonus, you can print these 8.5x11 flyers and post them in your classroom!
Reading Recommendations
