“Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto
Victor tries to impress his crush Teresa by faking his way through French class. It backfires spectacularly. His misadventures on the first day of school show that sometimes the best way to get noticed is to just be yourself.
Skill Focus
Since this is a high interest story with an easy readability level for 7th graders, I like to add in more analyzing with this one. And we’ll focus on skills that we use throughout the year like elements of plot, context clues, and text evidence.
- Analyze a short video, then we’ll annotate the story to analyze character’s actions based on the short video
- Annotate to analyze elements of plot
- Analyze dialogue
You can try this free resource for “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto here.
“Rikki Tikki Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling
“Rikki-tikki was very frightened as he saw the size of the big cobra. Nag coiled himself up, raised his head, and looked into the bathroom in the dark, and Rikki could see his eyes glitter.”
A British family living in India rescues a mongoose from a terrible flood and nurses him back to health. A tale of bravery and loyalty as the mongoose battles two very dangerous cobra snakes, Nag and Nagaina, to keep his new human family safe.
Skill Focus
- Four types of conflict
- Character’s motivation for their actions
- Sound devices including onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, consonance
My “Rikki Tikki Tavi” short story resource can help you teach these skills and more.
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” by Rod Sterling
A teleplay written as an episode for The Twilight Zone – this is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE selection for 7th grade.
Picture an ordinary neighborhood on a summer afternoon. Kids are playing outside. Somebody’s dad is
barbecuing. A huge shadow passes overhead, then a roar and a flash of light. The power goes off. Nothing works, not even lawnmowers or cars will start. It’s not an ordinary summer afternoon anymore.
Skill Focus
- Mood and Tone – works well with the audio verson.
- Theme
- Analyzing Conflict
- Compare and contrast the teleplay with the 2003 television episode.
- Pair with a nonfiction article about the War of the Worlds radio show panic, then listen to the War of the Worlds broadcast.
- Pair the War of the Worlds activities with an 8-minute video for a very different perspective about the so-called radio show panic
“A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley” a play by Israel Horowitz
Ebenezer Scrooge is a bitter old man who only cares about money. On Christmas Eve, he gets the wake-up call of a lifetime when three ghosts drag him on a wild journey through his past, present, and possible future. Scrooge is forced to face his past, but is it too late to change his future?
Skill Focus
- Elements of a drama
- Analyzing man vs. supernatural conflict
- Tracing the development of theme
- Providing an objective summary
I have these activities and more in my “A Christmas Carol” resource here.
“The Smallest Dragonboy” by Anne McCaffrey
Keevan’s heart is pounding as the dragon eggs begin to crack. Becoming a Dragonrider is one of the highest honors on the planet Pern. Riders must dedicate their entire lives to their dragons and to protecting Pern. Dragons choose their riders the moment they hatch – would this be Keevan’s moment, or would he be overlooked, his dreams slipping away as the dragons found their riders?
Skill Focus
- Indirect and Direct Characterization
- Supporting Character Traits with Text Evidence
- Types of Characters
“Song of the Trees” by Mildred Taylor
Cassie Logan is a young black girl growing up in rural Mississippi during the 1930s. Cassie loves the forest that surrounds her home – the trees “sing” to her, its where she feels at home. But Mr. Anderson is pressuring Cassie’s family to sell the trees for lumber.
Skill Focus
I love, love, love, using anything written by Mildred D. Taylor for mentor texts because her writing is incredible.
- Imagery
- Personification
- Text Evidence
- Development of Theme Analysis
I’ve included all these activities and more in my “Song of the Trees” unit if you’re interested.
