May lesson plans for middle school ELA are just as important as September’s lesson plans. May is finally here. And whether you are done at the end of this month or continue on through later June, May is a time of looking toward the future – for both you and your students. So let’s talk about productive ways to focus on this. Let’s talk about May lesson plans for middle school ELA.
During the month of May, my classes focus on two very important skill sets:
- Career Planning The current statistic is that college freshman will change their majors on average seven times before they graduate. Help students see careers as actual practical goals and not just daydreams.
- Informational Writing It is not just about the 5 paragraph essay. Students need to practice real-life writing.
Try These Print and Go Resources This Month
Focus on Reading
Independent Reading Journal Assignment Designed to help keep your students organized during independent reading, this assignment is a collection of six independent reading tracking forms and one reading journal assignment. These forms help students stay organized and purposeful during reader’s workshop or independent reading time. Easy-to-use assessment forms are included to ensure student accountability and less teacher marking stress. Find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Focus on Writing and Speaking
Career Research Project Help your students think purposely about their futures with this Career Exploration and Research Project. Students will get excited about career research by taking an online career quiz, then brainstorming possible career choices. After students complete the research, they must create a detailed poster to present to the class. Find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Focus on Media Literacy
Media Literacy Review Writing This lesson bundle contains sixteen different media types (Cellphone, Social Media App, Theatre Performance, Musical, Radio Station, Magazine, Newspaper, Subscription Service, Book, Advertisement, TV Show, Song, App, Video Game, Commercial and Movie) for students to review. Help your students purposely engage with the media using this differentiated review writing lesson bundle. Find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Consumer Awareness Lessons (Bundle) For the month of March I again pick another of these consumer awareness lessons to use in my classroom. Topics include check out charities, clothing waste, gender price differences, outlet vs. retail, bottled water, misleading food labels, breakfast sandwiches, makeup testers, fast food chicken, and healthy or junk food. There is no particular order that these have to be covered, I just pick what appeals to me, my students, and any current trends in my classroom. Find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Special Occasions
- Spring Creative Writing Assignment Spring Creative Writing | PDF and Digital Formats: In this Spring Creative Writing Assignment, students will select one of the provided character roles — bear, grass, snow shovel, bird, professional gardener — and create a written or visual product based on the character’s specific writing prompt. Find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
- Spring Digital Escape Room Spring Digital Escape Room | Digital and Editable: This spring-themed digital escape room provides students with the opportunity to work independently or with their peers to solve 10 spring-themed challenges. Find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Articles To Inform Your Teaching
- How to Host a Career Day Hosting a career day is a great experiential learning opportunity for your students. Read this article to learn how.
- Graduation Songs for End-of-the-Year Slideshows 15 graduation songs for your end-of-the-year slideshow or celebration.
- End-of-the-Year Classroom Management Strategies
I hope some of these tips, lessons, and ideas are things you can apply in your own classroom.