Literature Kits Grades 7-8 Series

Become part of the Gilbreths and experience what it's like to be part of a large family. The pre-reading and vocabulary sections prepare students for the upcoming chapters. Get an idea of what an efficiency expert is like by brainstorming what their goal might be. Identify statements about the Gilbreth's car as true or false. Describe how the children convinced their parents to buy a family dog. Explore the Gilbreth's life view by finding more efficient ways to do things in the classroom. Investigate the life of F.W. Taylor, whose achievements influenced the Gilbreth's work in efficiency. Using a chart, compare the traits of Mr. Gilbreth with another character in the novel. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: A classic story of a family of twelve children and their adventures while growing up together. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were renowned efficiency experts, who often practiced their many different theories and experiments on their large family. Written with wit and humor, the book documents a multitude of humorous and touching vignettes–some hilarious and others nostalgic and heart-warming. Family adventures include the family car, a vintage Pierce-Arrow, which is used by the parents for Sunday drives and causes the children no end of embarrassment. As well as a trip out west to visit Mother’s straight-laced family. It is a story in which most families will readily identify, and keep the reader turning the pages to the very end.

Experience the miracle of understanding that we all take for granted. An ideal play for students with a low reading level. Gain insight into the difficulties of being blind and/or deaf. Put events from the novel in order as they happened when Annie and Helen were eating dinner. Students attempt to understand the motivations of the characters in the play. Find the synonym of the vocabulary word from the text. Explain the event in Helen's past that made it possible for her to realize what 'water' was. Research the real-life location of Ivy Green and plan a field trip to this important location. Identify all the problems and their solutions in a chart. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: This story is an emotional and vivid portrayal of the relationship between a child and her teacher. Helen Keller is rendered deaf and blind at an early age, and by the time she is six years old, her behavior becomes completely unmanageable. In desperation, her parents send for teacher Annie Sullivan to bring some discipline into the spoiled child’s life. Helen and Annie become locked in a ferocious battle of wills, but Annie is determined to bring a sense of discipline into Helen’s life. Annie teaches Helen words by constantly spelling them into Helen’s palm. Although Helen can spell them back, she doesn’t understand that these words actually represent things. At the water pump Annie spells “water” into Helen’s hand and suddenly the miracle happens—Helen understands.

Become swept up in a tale of love, feuds and tragedy. Before and after reading questions and activities are designed to help guide student comprehension as they read the novel. Identify the central problem of this play. Defend or refute statements about the play by using evidence from the text. Find an example of hyperbole in Romeo's soliloquy. Get a handle on the difficult vocabulary by finding their synonyms based on their context. Identify the use of alliteration within Romeo and Mercutio's conversation. Answer true or false questions concerning the Capulet's plans to have Juliet marry Paris. Compare the feud between the Capulets and Montagues with another famous feud from history. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: William Shakespeare’s timeless tragic tale of two doomed young lovers caught between feuding families. The two young people fall in love and are secretly married. When Romeo kills Juliet’s kinsmen in a duel, he is banished and forced to live in exile. Distraught, Juliet formulates a plan to bring Romeo back by drinking a substance that renders her into a death-like state for several hours. Her family—assuming she is dead—lays Juliet to rest in the family vault. Romeo, also believing Juliet is dead, drinks poison and dies. Juliet recovers, sees Romeo dead beside her, and stabs herself to death. Both the Capulet and Montague families arrive at the tomb and are devastated; however, as a result of the tragedy they reconcile.

Expose your students to face their fears and overcome obstacles. Encourage them to find themselves and grow into the person they're meant to be. Make teaching a breeze with ready-made activities and prompts to stimulate student comprehension. Identify statements about life in Mafatu's village as true or false. Find the synonyms to key vocabulary words found in the novel. Imagine how Mafatu's life would be different had his mother been alive. Predict whether Mafatu will survive on the island and return to his village a new man. Explain what Mafatu believed brought him to safety. Create a board game, using a map of the island as a base. Create a set of rules and cards with questions, then play the game in small groups. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Call It Courage is a Newbery Medal-winning story about a boy who tries to overcome his fear of the sea by facing it. Set in the Pacific Islands, the story follows Mafatu, the son of the chief of Hikueru Island. After watching his mother die, Mafatu develops a fear of the sea, which brings his father shame. In order to no longer be seen as a coward among his tribe, Mafatu takes a canoe out into the ocean. He ends up lost and deserted on an island, forced to fend for himself. During his encounters on the island, Mafatu slowly faces and overcomes his fears, eventually returning home a new man.

Get a glimpse into the early life of John Steinbeck with this coming-of-age story of loss. A variety of activities are divided into pre and post-reading, with extra writing tasks that offer great options for work. Get to know the characters with multiple choice questions. Explain why Jody found it significant that his father and Billy Buck both wore flat-heeled shoes to breakfast. Predict what will happen to Gabilan's illness. Explore the concept of a 'refuge', and whether it is important to have. Imagine how Doubletree Mutt got his name. Answer true or false questions about the horses Gitano and Easter. Find examples from the novel that deal with sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, and list them in an Observation Chart. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Steinbeck recalls four loosely connected episodes from his own childhood, weaving them together into an unforgettable classic. Growing up on a remote ranch in California, ten-year-old Jody Tiflin’s life is forever changed when his father gives him a beautiful red pony. With the help of his father’s hired hand—Billy Buck—Jody commits himself whole-heartedly to the raising of this wonderful colt. When the colt grows ill and dies, Jody’s world is shattered, as is his faith in Billy Buck, who had assured the boy that the pony would recover. Jody’s father promises him a colt that will soon be born to their mare, but dies at the birth. The stories weave together in effortless fashion, chronicling the coming-of-age-story of young Jody Tiflin.

Unravel the secrets at the center of an intriguing murder mystery game. Activities are meant to excite students throughout the reading. Using the chapter titles as clues, predict what might happen in each one. Identify elements of foreshadowing from the novel, and imagine what will take place. Follow the clues in the story to solve the game before any of the characters. Identify cause and effect by explaining why each event happened. Keep track of the variety of characters with comprehension questions. Students will write their own prologue and epilogue at the completion of the reading. Compare two different character's perspectives of the same event from the novel. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Westing Game is a Newbery Medal winning story about a group of people playing the game of who killed the millionaire. Samuel W. Westing, owner of Westing Paper Products, has died. Sixteen heirs are invited to live in the Sunset Towers apartment building. These heirs come together to read the will of the late self-made millionaire. The will challenges them to solve the murder of Sam Westing by splitting up into eight pairs. Each pair is given a set of clues and $10,000 dollars to play the game. The winner will inherit the $200,000,000 fortune and unravel the secret behind the old man's death.

Sail the seas to quench your thirst for gold in this tale of piracy, adventure and betrayal. Help students better understand the novel with in-depth comprehension and vocabulary questions. Match the characters introduced in the novel to their descriptions. Draw the map that Jim finds in Billy's chest. Summarize what Jim heard in the apple barrel. Explain who the character of Ben Gunn is, and how he ended up on the island. Using multiple choice, identify the characters who said the provided quotes. Students write their own pirate ditty to be sung while sailing. Identify the character who has the biggest influence on Jim Hawkins, and describe their relationship and how it affects the outcome of the story. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Treasure Island is one of the most perfect examples of an exciting classic adventure tale. Masterfully crafted, this stunning book of piracy on the tropic seas is an unforgettable tale of treachery between good and evil. Developed from an imaginary map that Stevenson and his stepson made while on vacation, Treasure Island is an all-time classic for those who love romance and adventure. Perhaps the reason for the book's allure to children is the famous hero-villain character of Long John Silver, with his unscrupulous buccaneer-rogues on their quest for gold.

Jump into a world filled with mystery and intrigue as one boy discovers his heritage. Our all-in-one resource provides everything needed for student comprehension, including vocabulary and writing prompts with each chapter. Determine whether Crispin would support the viewpoint, "cruelty is contagious in uncivilized communities". Brainstorm possible inscriptions on Crispin's cross that would cause Bear's reaction. Investigate the trade of a tinker as it would appear during the time of the novel. Consider the battle between Bear and John Aycliffe from a different perspective, then complete a chart. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Crispin: The Cross of Lead is the Newbery Medal winning story of a young boy hiding from the law. Set in 14th Century England, a young boy—only known as Crispin—finds himself on the run from Lord Furnival and his evil steward, John Aycliffe. When Crispin overhears the private conversation of Aycliffe and another man in the forest, he becomes the object of a massive hunt. Crispin then flees from the area after his only allies—his mother and Father Quinel—are dead. Crispin soon meets up with Bear—a traveling entertainer—who trains him in the arts of the mummer. However, Bear is not what he seems, and Crispin is thrown into a life full of dangerous adventures that lead to a dramatic ending, where the secret of Crispin’s heritage is revealed.

Experience this powerful story about childhood innocence, friendship and suffering set at Auschwitz Concentration Camp during World War II. Assess students' comprehension of the novel and explore their personal reactions to the events of the book. Imagine what Bruno sees from his bedroom window that makes him feel cold and unsafe. Explore Bruno's state of mind by detailing the lesson he learns from his conversation with Maria, and what experiences he thinks he shares with her. Identify statements about the story as either Bruno or his mother's description of Herr Roller. Match vocabulary words from the novel with their meanings. Describe how Bruno's perspective is different from Gretel's because he is getting to know Maria, Pavel and Schmuel. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a classic story told from the point of view of a young German boy as he befriends a Jewish boy at a concentration camp. Nine-year-old Bruno lives with his family at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. They move there when Bruno's father is prompted to Commandant. While at his new home, Bruno meets and befriends a young boy named Shmuel who lives on the other side of the wire fence that surrounds the camp. One day, Bruno's mother convinces his father to let the family move back to Berlin. Before they leave, Bruno disguises himself and sneaks into the camp to help his friend find his missing father.

See how the basic need for survival can break down barriers in this gripping story of overcoming prejudices. Challenge students to think deeply about the themes presented in this story. Imagine the hindrances experienced by those with a disability, and in what ways they are able to overcome them. Identify different statements from the novel as proof Timothy and Philip will be rescued or they will perish. Complete sentences from the book with their missing vocabulary words. Students share a time when they overcame a fear to accomplish a task. Using the author's descriptive language, describe the storm that hits the little island. Using the description Timothy provides to Phillip, research the tea bird and draw a picture of it along with a fact sheet. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Cay is a story about a man and a boy who get stranded on an island and struggle to survive with each other. 11-year-old Phillip Enright and his mother board a ship to Virginia in the hopes of escaping the German submarines that are surrounding the area around Curaçao. Along the way, the ship gets torpedoed by one such submarine. Phillip is blinded and stranded out to sea with an old African American man named Timothy and a cat named Stew Cat. The group find themselves on a tiny island, where they survive by fishing and collecting rain water. During their time, Timothy and Phillip struggle to work together, partly due to Phillip's racial prejudices. In the end, the two must learn to work together in the hopes of survival and eventual rescue.

Explore the concepts of evil and greed, and how it relates to man's nature. Everything needed to make lessons effective and enjoyable are provided in this unit. Begin by preparing students with tailored questions dealing with subjects they will soon read about in the story. Strengthen student understanding with a variety of comprehension questions. Put events in order, complete sentences from the novel with their missing words, answer true or false and multiple choice questions. Put yourself in the characters' shoes by imagining living in their environment. Predict what will happen to Kino and the pearl. Role-play selling the pearl to imagine how this scene will play out in the book. Plan a debate to determine whether Kino's decision about selling the pearl was a good one. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Pearl tells the story of a man who tries to save his son, and finds the pearl that will help him do it. Kino's son Coyotito is stung by a scorpion. After the doctor denies to treat him, Kino finds a large pearl that he hopes to use as payment. News gets around and many people begin to want the pearl for themselves. One night, Kino is attacked and decides then and there to get rid of the pearl. He attempts to sell it at an auction that turns out to be a sham. Determined to get good money for the wondrous pearl, Kino decides to try his luck in the capital. During his journey, greed gets a hold of Kino. More and more dangers surround the family, until Kino is finally free from the cursed pearl.

Witness the power that love for family has with one girl's sacrifice and struggle to survive. Test student comprehension of key vocabulary words found in the story. Students start by looking inward and identifying any skills they possess that could help provide for their family if needed. Put the events from the story in the order that they happened when Katniss and Peeta are introduced to the Capitol. Describe how Katniss treats Peeta after the interview and explain her motivations behind it. Predict the relationships Katniss with have with Peeta and Gale after she returns to District 12. Students design their own symbol for Peeta, similar to the mockingjay for Katniss. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Hunger Games is a story about a dystopian society and a young girl's sacrifice to keep her family safe. Told from the perspective of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic nation called Panem. The nation consists of a rich Capitol and 12 surrounding poor districts. Every year, an event known as The Hunger Games is held. One boy and one girl from each district is selected by lottery to compete in the battle to the death, with only one person standing. The story begins in District 12, where the lottery chooses Primrose to compete. In an effort to protect her sister, Katniss volunteers, taking her place. The story then follows Katniss as she journeys to the Capitol and enters the Hunger Games.

Travel back to a time when conflict between the American colonies and Great Britain were beginning to bubble. The higher-order questions and activities in this resource are well thought-out and effective to use with students at any reading level. Research the act of silversmithing and maker's marks, and describe why they were used. Answer true or false questions about the events the followed Johnny's tragic accident. Determine Rab's motives for helping Johnny. Explain why Johnny had to memorize the names of the members of the Observers' Club. Find the word that does not belong, then write a sentence explaining why. Describe the events of the Boston Tea Party as they were depicted in the book. Describe some of the various moments of loss that key characters experienced throughout the book. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Johnny Tremain takes place at the dawn of the American Revolution. It includes such notable figures as Paul Revere, John Hancock and Samuel Adams; however, the story is told from the perspective of a young, down-on-his-luck boy. The story follows Johnny Tremain, a gifted apprentice silversmith. His ego and treatment of others gets the better of him when a tragic accident causes him to lose the function of his right hand. Now, unable to continue with his apprenticeship, Johnny must find a new way to support himself. He settles on delivering newspapers for the Boston Observer. During this time, Johnny becomes involved with the Boston Patriots who lead the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. Johnny Tremain is a fictional tale that delves into the true events that surround the American Revolution.

Experience the discrimination of race, gender and class felt by one girl in this coming-of-age story. The layout and variety of activities in this resource will keep students engaged and involved in the reading. Use metaphors and figurative language to describe things that bring comfort, much like Esperanza’s thoughts on her mother’s hair. Describe Nenny’s personality based on what’s been revealed in previous chapters. Put events surrounding Esperanza’s poetry writing in the order as they occur in the chapter. Explain why the author might choose specific spelling as a plot device. Choose words that mean the same as the vocabulary word found in the reading. Write your own persuasive argument, similar to Esperanza’s argument for eating at school. Record the symbolism of shoes used throughout the novel by detailing their use on a flowchart. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, our worksheets incorporate a variety of scaffolding strategies along with additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key. About the Novel: The House on Mango Street follows Esperanza Cordero as she tells stories from her childhood living on Mango Street in a series of vignettes. Esperanza is a young Latina girl living in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. She is not happy with her home on Mango Street. Her neighborhood is poor, and the people that live within it are treated like second class citizens. Esperanza experiences a lot of hardships growing up, from discrimination against her race, to men abusing their wives. Esperanza witnesses all this in her neighborhood, and vows to make a better future for herself. The House on Mango Street is a coming-of-age story that explores tough topics that force a young girl to grow up quickly.

Experience the importance of land and effects of racism on an African-American family living in the South in the 1930s. The questions are challenging enough to push students to think deeply about the text. Imagine what Little Man is beginning to learn after the incident with the school books. Explain what Cassie is suggesting when the kids talk about Mr. Morrison’s arrival. Answer comprehension questions about Uncle Hammer’s visit for Christmas. Put yourself in Cassie’s shoes and explain what the Logan land means to her family. Research how racism and slavery look today, then rewrite the 13th Amendment to reflect these modern times. Create a social media profile for one of the characters in the book. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells the story of an African-American family and their struggles while living in southern Mississippi during the Great Depression. The story follows Cassie, a young girl part of the Logan family. This family is lucky, they own their own farm land. However, they are in danger of losing it. As Cassie struggles to accept “how things are” in their town for African-Americans, she witnesses firsthand the prejudice and racism that her family and others experience on a daily basis. Living in the South is dangerous during this time. Many families just like Cassie’s struggle to make ends meet. They remain in debt and forced to shop at the Wallace Store, who’s owners commit unspeakable violence against them. In an attempt to change how things are, the Logan family puts themselves and their livelihood in danger. As Cassie grows, she begins to experience the injustice that plagues the people in her community.

Find the strength within to stand up for yourself and others with this coming-of-age tale. The engaging activities will help educators keep the class paced and structured well. Put events in order as they happen when Holling stays behind one Wednesday. Imagine what Mrs. Baker’s inspiration might be for assigning Holling to read The Tempest. Predict whether Holling, Danny and Doug will feel differently towards Mrs. Baker after her gesture. Describe the difficult situation Mai Thi is in at her school and the significance it has within the backdrop of the story. Explore the motivations of the characters from the novel and describe how they impact the decisions made by them throughout the story. Map out some of the noted architecture described in the book. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Wednesday Wars follows Holling Hoodhood as he enters the seventh grade. Every Wednesday, the students in his class go to separate churches for religious classes. However, as a Presbyterian, Holling doesn’t have anywhere to go. So instead, he stays behind with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. She doesn’t seem pleased about this, and quickly Holling believes that she has it in for him. Each week, Mrs. Baker gives Holling menial tasks, until finally she begins to force him to read the works of William Shakespeare. This backfires, however, as Holling begins to enjoy the plays. So much so, that he even gets a roll in the community’s Holiday Extravaganza. Life at home for Holling isn’t any better. He is constantly lost in his father’s shadow, who forces Holling to continue in the family business. His sister tries to rebel, but is also forced to follow her father’s wishes. With the war in Vietnam as the backdrop, tensions rise as news of lost husbands overseas begin to come in. This coming-of-age story focuses on one boy finding the strength within and standing up for himself and others.