Lessons and Unit Plans for the entire month of January! - 4 Unit BUNDLE!

New Year…new set of fun and engaging unit plans! This bundle includes 4 print-and-teach units that you can teach during the entire month of January! That’s right! Just download these units and you won’t have to do a bit of lesson planning! This bundle includes four resources that perfectly pair together, celebrate the time of year, AND help students learn a ton of skills in just 20 days!

This bundle includes:

• Poetry Analysis – Winter Poems-- Help your students cozy up to five winter poem studies in this engaging 5-day Poetry Analysis Unit. Take all of the intimidation out of teaching and analyzing poetry with the Interactive Flip Books designed for each poem.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Study-- This 5-day unit covers many critical ELA skills as students develop a deep understanding and connection to Martin Luther King, Jr.! While studying about King, students practice critical skills including reading comprehension, identifying nonfiction text features, participating in group discussions, analyzing a quote, cooperative learning, and writing.

• Opinion Writing Unit -- In this engaging 10-day opinion writing unit students write a business letter about a school issue. Writing as a concerned student, students will write a letter to their principal (that they do not necessarily need to send to him/her) based on their opinions. (Includes PDF and Google-Classroom compatible resources.)

• Daily Warm-Ups-- Start each class period with a warm-up that gives students choice while addressing a variety of ELA skills. Set 5. (Includes PDF and Google-Classroom compatible resources.)

***GREAT NEWS!*** This bundle is part of this YEAR OF ELA INSTRUCTION! The bundle includes 60 turn-key units that you can teach all year long! Units are bundled into monthly folders with a suggested scope and sequence. Your entire year is already planned for you! LEARN MORE HERE.

Looking for more monthly unit packs? Find them here…

• January Unit Plans Pack
• February Unit Plans Pack
• March Unit Plans Pack
• April Unit Plans Pack
• May Unit Plans Pack
• June Unit Plans Pack
• July / Summer Unit Plans Pack
• August Unit Plans Pack
• September Unit Plans Pack
• October Unit Plans Pack
• November Unit Plans Pack
• December Unit Plans Pack

Learn more about the units included in this bundle:

Winter Poems Analysis – 5 Days – 63 pages

This winter, help your students cozy up to five winter poems in this engaging 5-day Poetry Analysis Unit. Take all of the intimidation out of teaching and analyzing poetry with the Interactive Flip Books designed for each poem. Each flip book includes four analysis tasks to help students dive deeper into the interpretation of the poems. The best part is that students begin to see the value in reading a poem multiple times and develop confidence in their reading skills. Your students will love the interactive flip books and you’ll love how they develop as readers.

Quick Poetry Analysis Unit Overview:

• Includes 5 different poem studies all about winter. Poems are written by diverse authors.
• Students complete a five-page interactive flip book as they analyze each poem.
• Lessons are easily adaptable to small group or partner work.
• Lessons encourage repeated poetry readings to develop deep interpretation and comprehension.
• The unit can be taught in succession or broken into individual lessons throughout the year (or spring season).

This detailed unit includes:

• 20 close reading and analysis activities that can be assembled into interactive flip books
• Detailed instructional lesson plans
• Teacher keys for all student worksheets
• Multiple links to download, print, and/or type all 5 poems
• Styled pages for printing poems (optional)

Poems included in this unit:

• “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
• “Snow in the Suburbs” by Thomas Hardy
• “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden
• “Snow Day” by Billy Collins
• “Cynthia in the Snow” by Gwendolyn Brooks

IMPORTANT - The poems are NOT included in this resource. However, multiple links for each poem are included. You will be able to easily click, print and/or type each poem. You'll find 5 template pages for each poem included in case you would like to coordinate the poems with the analysis tasks. Super easy!

Skills developed in this unit:

• Close reading of complex texts
• Making inferences
• Determining central ideas or themes in poetry
• Interpreting figurative language
• Responding to poetry
• Citing textual evidence to support poem analysis
• Writing analyses with sufficient evidence
• Participating in discussions and expressing ideas about poetry clearly

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Study - 5 days – 46 pages

Six activities are included in this unit. Each is based on a nonfiction reading passage about Martin Luther King, Jr. The activities are designed to be interactive, engaging, and educational. This unit is perfect to teach as a celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or Black History Month, as preparation for standardized assessments, in conjunction with a biography unit, or any time during the year!

About the Activities

• Reading Comprehension - During this lesson, students will practice critical reading comprehension skills as they read a nonfiction text about Martin Luther King, Jr. Then, they will demonstrate their comprehension of the passage by responding to multiple-choice and short answer questions.

• Nonfiction Text Features - In this activity students define and identify nonfiction text features. First, students will match different types of text features with their definitions. Then, they’ll find examples of the text features in the passage about Martin Luther King, Jr. Finally, they’ll put together the type, definitions, and examples into mini-puzzles that they can glue directly into their packets.

• Small Group Discussions - Students will participate in group discussions about the reading passage and Martin Luther King, Jr. in small groups. Before working together in groups, they’ll develop a list that describes the elements of effective groups. Then, they’ll take turns posing questions and responding to them in their groups. Finally, students will reflect on their experiences and learning.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Facts - Students will learn and share 8 new facts about Martin Luther King, Jr. The lesson with start with each student having a single fact. Then, they’ll need to rotate around the classroom to find a student with a different fact. Next, they’ll switch facts, and continue collecting new facts until they’ve filled in their charts.

• Quote Analysis - Students practice their analysis skills when they work to analyze one of King’s famous quotes. They share their analysis with partners and small groups to dive even deeper into the quote’s meaning.

• Writing - In this activity students will not only share their own dreams, but they’ll build a connection with King by also dreaming about a better, brighter future.

• Art Integration - As an added bonus, Art with Jenny K has provided an art activity where students unscramble and draw a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr.. This activity is a perfect companion to this unit.

Skills Developed

• Citing textual evidence
• Answering multiple choice and short answer questions
• Identifying nonfiction text features
• Working collaboratively
• Participating effectively in group discussions
• Reflecting on learning
• Analyzing a quote
• Writing and reflecting

This detailed LISTENING COMPREHENSION UNIT includes:

• Unit Overview
• 6 Detailed Lesson Plans
• Background Information (for students and/or teachers)
• Nonfiction Text Features Puzzle Pieces – Types, Definitions, Examples
• Group Discussion Questions (12)
• Facts Cards about Martin Luther King, Jr. (8)
• Quote Cards (4)
• Student Packets:
• --- Informational Passage about MLK (2 pages)
• --- Reading Comprehension Questions – multiple-choice and short answer
• --- Nonfiction Text Features Guided Notes and Puzzle Activity
• --- Group Discussion Brainstorm and Reflection
• --- Martin Luther King Jr. Fact Collection Chart
• --- Quote Analysis Activity
• --- Writing Prompt
• All Instructional Keys

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Opinion Writing Unit – 10 Days – 68 pages

In this engaging 10-day opinion writing unit students write a business letter about a school issue. Writing as a concerned student, students will write a letter to their principal (that they do not necessarily need to send to him/her) based on their opinions. The unit begins with building background on opinion writing. Then, students practice how to differentiate between fact and opinion before completing an opinion and support match-up. Next, students select a school issue to write about. They can select from a list of issues or they can complete a guide to create their own. Then, students progress through every phase of the writing process as they develop their arguments, find research-based support for their opinions, and craft an engaging business letter.

In their letters students will include their stance on an issue, their opinions, reasons for their opinions, research-based support, and even a counter-argument. Their letters will include several critical elements of opinion writing including an engaging hook, compelling voice, strong word choice, transition words, and a call to action. Their final writing pieces are dynamic and interesting business letters that demonstrate their understanding of opinion-writing, conducting research, and supporting their arguments.

Digital Version Included - This resource includes a traditional PDF version of the student writing packet, as well as a link for Google Slides. This means that this resource is ready for Google Classroom! The digital version of the packet is accessible from any computer and allows students to complete their work online. You’ll find links for digital versions of the student writing packet and the grading rubric included with this resource.

In this unit, students will:

• Understand and implement the distinctive techniques for opinion writing and why they should use them
• Consider the audience to whom they want to communicate their opinion
• Determine how to choose a position and take a stand on an issue.
• Clearly support their position with research and details
• Develop a strong, clear, claim or position statement especially focused on their opinion
• Write a business letter based on logical reasons, supported by fact-based research
• Write arguments and support claims
• Use valid reasoning and relevant evidence to support opinions
• Produce clear and coherent writing
• Develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, and publishing their work
• Conduct a short research project

Learning Standards:

• Writing: W.1, W.4, W.5, W.7, W.10
• Speaking and Listening: SL.1, SL.4
• Language: L.1, L.2, L.3

This detailed Opinion Writing unit includes:

• Unit Plan Overview
• Extremely detailed daily lesson plans (10)
• Student Packet:
• --- Opinion Writing Guided Notes
• --- Fact vs. Opinion Task Card Activity
• --- Opinion Business Letters Listening Guide
• --- Sample Opinion Writing Business Letter
• --- Critical Components Opinion Writing Analysis
• --- Opinion and Support Match-Up Mini-Lesson
• --- Planning – Generating Topic Ideas
• --- Planning – Seeing Both Sides
• --- Planning - Take a Stand
• --- Planning – Learning More – Research Collection Cards
• --- Planning – Putting it all Together
• --- Writing – Business Letter Format
• --- Writing – First Draft Guide
• --- Revising – Engaging Hook
• --- Revising – Word Choice
• --- Revising – Writing a Counter-Argument
• --- Revising – Voice
• --- Revising – Strong Conclusion
• --- Revising – Checklist
• --- Editing – Checklist
• --- Editing - Checklist
• Opinion Writing Rubric
• 20 Fact and Opinion Cards for Mini-Lesson
• Instructional Answer Keys
• Sample Responses for pre-writing and revising (14)

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Daily ELA Warm-Ups – All month long – 57 pages

This resource includes 20 This or That Warm Ups with a total of 40 activities that review critical ELA skills. Each This or That Warm Up includes instruction (at the top of the worksheet) and then 2 choices for students to showcase their learning. After reviewing each choice, students can choose to do the “This” activity or the “That” activity. The choices promote engagement and tap into multiple learning styles. All 20 of the This or That Warm Ups can be taught sequentially or used throughout the year. The warm ups are an awesome way to start each class. They typically take between 5-10 minutes, and often lead to great mini-lessons and discussions.

Four tracking and grading options are included in this resource so that you can use the method that works best in your classroom. Also, you’ll find tips and ideas for implementing the warm ups into your instruction and teacher keys for each warm up.

DIGITAL VERSION INCLUDED – A google-compatible version of the 20 This or That Warm-Ups is also included. In addition, there is a digital version of one of the grade tracking sheets. Simply click the links provided in the resource to make a copy of the digital warm-ups. Created with Google Slides for Google Classroom.

Skills developed and reviewed...

• Synonyms And Antonyms
• Prefixes
• Writing Prompt
• Avoiding Run-on Sentences
• Irregular Verbs
• Spelling
• Adverbs
• Mood
• Using Commas
• Explanatory Paragraphs
• Blend Words
• Time Order
• Apostrophes
• Colons
• Prepositions
• Creative Writing
• Similes and Metaphors
• Accept & Except
• Capitalizing Parts of a Letter
• Latin Roots

This resource includes

• This or That Warm Ups Overview (for teachers)
• Anatomy of a This or That Warm Up
• Setup Guide (with two options for implementation - file folders or packets)
• Grading Options Review
• 4 This or That Tracking and Grading Options
• 20 This or That Warm Ups (with 40 activities)
• 20 This or That Warm Up KEYS

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