“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs
Be careful what you wish for. The White family comes into possession of a mummified monkey’s paw that is said to grant three wishes. Even though they have been warned about the paw’s dangerous powers, Mr. White makes a wish for money, which sets off a disturbing chain of events.
Skill Focus
If you’re looking to start the year off with an attention getting story, this is a great choice. And if you’ve used any of my 7th grade units with mood you’ll see how skills become more challenging across grade levels with this unit.
- Elements of Plot Review
- Citing Text Evidence
- Mood and Mood Shifts
- Types of Foreshadowing
Download this free unit today.
“Flowers for Algernon”” by Daniel Keyes
Charlie Gordon, a 37-year-old man with intellectual disabilities, undergoes an experimental procedure to make him smarter. Was it right to experiment on someone like Charlie? Did Charlie even understand what he agreed to? What does it really mean to be intelligent?
Skill Focus
- Plot Pyramid
- Text Evidence
- Theme
- Development of Theme (w/Character’s Actions)
- Analyzing Motivation
- Integrating Fiction & Nonfiction
- Pair with my nonfiction article, The Disturbing History of Human Experimentation
- Comparing Short Story to Movie (Flowers for Algernon, year 2000 movie edition)
I’ve included my original 8th grade nonfiction article, The Disturbing History of Human Experimentation, which is hands down my favorite part of the unit. Super high interest, lots of ethical issues for students to consider.
Get this complete short story unit here.
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe
Ready to introduce your middle schoolers to a literary classic? An unreliable narrator tries to convince the reader that he is perfectly sane, all while describing a meticulously planned murder that suggests he is anything but sane.
Skill Focus
This text is a high reading level, so I’ve included a comprehension guide and different versions of a few activities that help break things into manageable steps.
- Text Evidence
- Tone
- Plot Pyramid
- Analyzing Motivation
- Literary Elements
- Arguments + Guided Argumentative Essay
- Comparing Short Story to Short Film
This “Tell-Tale Heart” short story unit has everything you need, including multiple pre-writing activities that lead up to writing a short, one paragraph argumentative essay.
“The Diary of Anne Frank” play by Goodrich and Hackett
Jewish teenager Anne Frank kept a diary of the two years she and 7 other Jews lived in a secret room called the annex during World War II. This play is based on her diary where she wrote about her family’s desperate attempt to survive Nazi persecution during the Holocaust.
I begin this unit with the 11-minute video The Development of the “Final Solution” from Yad Vashem, The International School for Holocaust Studies. Students answer some detailed questions while watching. I created this activity to make sure students understood the horrors that the occupants of the annex are hiding from.
Skill Focus
- Elements of Drama
- Dramatic Irony
- Text Evidence
- Analyzing Dialogue
- Analyzing Conflict
- Analyzing Events
I’ve included my original 8th grade nonfiction article, The Disturbing History of Human Experimentation, which is hands down my favorite part of the unit. Super high interest, lots of ethical issues for students to consider.
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers
What makes something a treasure? Does it have to be worth a lot of money? Could it be a gift from someone, maybe a souvenir or a ticket stub? 14-year old Greg Ridley discovers the answer with the help of some bad math grades, being punished from playing basketball, a homeless man, and a harmonica.
Skill Focus
- Character Traits
- Characterization
- Dynamic Characters
- Development of Theme
- Symbolism
