ELA Skills Bundle | ELA Test Prep

Building strong readers and writers can be so difficult in the secondary setting. I've used all of these products to grow my secondary English students in literary analysis. By reinforcing the "building blocks" of ELA, I can help them deepen their understanding and grow their analytical skills. These products have helped so many of my students who were "stuck" in summary or needed help with reading critically.

When you purchase this product, you'll receive:

1. Learning Literary Analysis Using Pixar Short Films
I love to use these short films as a way to review literary elements with my students OR a way to introduce the concept of analysis. Sometimes, my students find it easier and less “scary” to analyze a film rather than a piece of literature. 

Each short film comes with a sheet of questions for students to review topics such as:

• Symbolism

• Theme

• Mood

• Characterization

• Imagery

• And so much more! 

These questions will push students to think outside of the box and actually analyze/apply what they’ve learned! 

I’ve included an answer key, but please know that these assignments are analysis-based. Therefore, answers will always vary. Subjective responses are a part of the beauty of an analysis. 

You’ll need access to the following films. I’ve included multiple links to each short film just in case a link becomes “broken”. 

Bao

Lou

Lifted

Partly Cloudy

La Luna 

2. Guide for Writing Commentary

My students struggle with writing about textual evidence. They can find evidence in the text to support their idea(s), but they can’t always articulate their thoughts about the piece of evidence. I've made the process more engaging for students by comparing writing commentary to making a sandwich! When students see the process as more formulaic, they are more confident in their writing. 

I use this strategy to help my students “dive in” to literary analysis. After my students practice, I like to give them a new piece of literature to practice this skill. It will work with all pieces! This exercise takes practice and scaffolding, but my students have tremendously improved their commentary writing/literary analysis skills because of this process. 

Includes:

- Link to video for walking students through the process

- Presentation

- Printable guide for students to practice skills

- Overview of activity for teachers 

3. Teaching Imagery and Why it Matters

Lead students in a powerful discussion and practice on the magical literary element: Imagery! Imagery is the building block for several important literary elements such as symbolism, theme, and mood. Use this hands-on, high interest lesson for showing students why imagery matters! 

My 10th grade English 2 students always struggle with imagery questions on the EOC - Imagery to refine a theme, imagery to create a mood, etc. But this simple lesson has raised their scores tremendously! They "get" it now and actually understand why the element is used for a specific effect. 

I even use a Mr. Potato head to add a fun, kinesthetic element. You could also print and cut Mr. Potato heads that would work just as well! :) 

This Imagery lesson includes:

- directions

- detailed presentation

- small flip book (that EASILY fits in student notebooks) for note taking

- a poem for practice

- answer key

a graphic organizer to use with ANY text for continued practice 

4. Text Structure STEM Activity

Text structure is such an important concept for students to master - but it's often quite tricky! I use this simple, yet effective STEM activity to get my middle school and high school students thinking critically about text structure. Students will "build" houses out of pretzels and marshmallows just as writers "build" a text. They'll complete a station rotation activity where they will work on writing tasks, discussions, and tasks all relating to text structure. They'll literally be utilizing all 5 text structures in their own writing. 

I've also included a presentation + mini flip book for students to take notes on and complete text structure activities. I've added in an article on tiny homes with questions that push students to analyze a text's structure rather than simply identify it.

I've seen more growth and comprehension when using this activity out of all other things I've tried to use to teach text structure. I hope that your students love it as much as mine do!

Keep in mind, you'll need to purchase supplies (napkins, pretzels, and mini marshmallows) in order to properly complete this activity.

 Includes:

- Instructions, suggestions, how-to

- Text Structure Presentation

- Mini booklet/flip book for students to take notes and practice

- Article for Text Structure practice

- Questions for text structure practice

- Detailed answer key

5. Cornell Notes: Note Taking Strategy for Secondary Learners

We often just assume that our students know how or why to take notes. However, I've found that many students don't know where to start when it comes to note taking. Cornell Notes help so many students organize their thoughts and prepare for tests. I always teach my students HOW to take notes so that they can be more actively engaged in presentations and know how take notes for any assigned reading. Cornell Notes are my favorite because they work with almost ANY subject area OR medium.

When you purchase this product, you'll receive:

- A presentation on WHY we take notes and HOW to take Cornell Notes

- 3 Examples of Cornell Notes

- 2 Short stories to use for practice ("The Yellow Wallpaper" excerpt by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf)

- Blank template for Cornell Notes

- Template for HOW to set up Cornell Notes and what goes where

- Video explanation of Cornell Notes you can play in class OR assign to students for homework

- Informational Text article for students to use for practice

- Setup and Suggestions Guide 

6. Literary Analysis Guide

This guide is a great resource for students who struggle with knowing "what to look for and what to say about it" in a piece of literature. I have broken down the key literary elements and put them in a concise format for students to use as a reference as they read. Next, I've included a list of "what to say" about each literary element with ideas and sentence starters. 

This piece gives extensive examples, definitions, and ideas for writing for the following elements:

- Diction

- Symbolism

- Social Commentary

- Figurative Language

- Setting

- Characterization

- Point of View 

I've also added some bonus words for students who may already understand a basic analysis, but need a push toward more complex ideas such as:

- Allegory

- Allusion

- Archetype

- Motif 

I print a copy of this 4 page guide for all of my students and have them place it in their notebooks. It serves as a guiding resource for the entire semester! 

7. How to Find the Main Idea

Even though I teach older students, they still struggle with "building block skills" such as finding the main idea in an article. I like to use this minilesson as an introduction to informational text or as a simple way to remediate finding the central idea. I've included an engaging activity for finding the main idea where students actually get to use song lyrics! These activities have helped my students break down the process and feel more confident as they not only find the main idea, but also support it and explain it. 

When you purchase this product, you'll receive:

- Main Idea/Central Idea presentation for note-taking

- 2 examples of songs for students to utilize in finding the main idea

- a graphic organizer for locating, tracing, and supporting the main idea

- 2 original articles for students to use in finding the main idea (Instagram Influencers and Blaming Violent Video Games for Violent Acts)

- Multiple Choice activity for one article

- Writing prompt for one article

- Detailed answer guides

- Instructions and Suggestions 

8. Literary Analysis of Setting

Setting seems to be a simple concept. However, many state standards require that students think about setting on a higher level. Students are challenged to consider setting and its relationship to mood, symbolism, and even theme. This set of exercises not only walks students through basic definitions but also challenges them to think critically about textual examples. There's plenty of room for practice + higher order thinking skills. I've even included a graphic organizer for ANY text that students can use to evaluate, analyze, and write about setting. 

This set works great as a minilesson or intro to literary analysis. 

Includes:

- Overview sheet

- Examples

- 3 separate practices

- basic answer key

- Graphic organizer for ANY text 

9. Teaching Theme

Teaching students about theme and how to find a theme can be tricky! I use this resource as a building block for teaching theme before reading a text or diving into literary analysis. Students are introduced to the concept of what a theme is AND how to support a theme. They practice the concept with a short film and a poem before starting 2 check-for-understanding stations. By breaking down larger skills such as refining a theme, students are able to see the work as a whole and how it all works together. 

When you purchase this resource you will receive:

- Presentation on what a theme is + how to find several in any piece and how to support those themes with textual evidence

- Editable theme Presentation

- Video Presentation on Theme to assign students for homework and/or remediation

- 2 Graphic Organizers

- Student Notes (Fill-in-the-blank style)

- Editable Student Notes

- 2 Stations to check for understanding

- Answer suggestions and keys for each activity

10. Teaching Symbolism

Teaching students about symbolism and how to find symbols in a text can be tricky! I use this resource as a building block for teaching symbolism before reading a text or diving into literary analysis. Students are introduced to the concept of what a symbol is AND how to use them to support a theme. They practice the concept with a short film before starting 2 check-for-understanding exercises. By breaking down what a symbol is, students are able to see the work as a whole and how they work together to enhance a theme. 

When you purchase this resource you will receive:

- Presentation on what symbolism is + how to find several in any piece (and how to use them to support a theme)

- Editable symbolism Presentation

- Video Presentation on symbolism to assign students for homework and/or remediation

- Graphic organizers

- Student Notes (Fill-in-the-blank style)

- Editable Student Notes

- Answer suggestions and keys for each activity