Shaped

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners, and shaping the future of education.* 

 

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May Memorial Day

Use these Memorial Day classroom activities for elementary and middle school students to honor those who sacrificed for their country.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Teaching students how to write a persuasive paragraph hero

Teaching kids how to write a persuasive paragraph consisting of their opinion and supporting sentences puts them on the right track to being an effective communicator.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Teaching students how to write an expository paragraph hero

Want to help your students develop their organizational, analytical, and research skills? Teach them how to write an expository paragraph.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Student reading

Support students with these seven tips to maximize middle school and high school reading intervention and help your students become better readers.

Shelley Branine
Instructional Coach, HMH

Hmh Elementary 2017 48114

Explore “All About Me”​ activities for elementary and middle school students. Help your students to celebrate what makes them different.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

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Help your middle schoolers sharpen their writing and critical thinking skills with activities including a poetry scavenger hunt and an opportunity for them to invent a board game.

Shaped Staff

Student reading

Sharpen your writing, language, critical thinking, and reading skills with these instructional resources for Grades 6-8, including a poetry scavenger hunt.

Shaped Staff

Activityset3

Have middle schoolers identify figurative language, start a dialectical journal, and respond to daily dinner prompts.

Shaped Staff

13 Classroom New Year's Activities for Students

Ready for a fresh start in your classroom? Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new with our fun New Year's activities for students.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Middle school students using laptops

Discover English 3D’s impact on multilingual students in the Community Consolidated School District 15 in Chicago, Illinois.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Shaped Staff

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Have middle schoolers create a Story Spine, find inspiration in everyday objects, and write an advice column.

Shaped Staff

Activityset 5

Teach students about metaphors and have them write fiction stories with these free downloadable activities for middle schoolers.

Shaped Staff

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For this week's activities, students can create how-to videos, analyze media messages, and respond to summer writing prompts.

Shaped Staff

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Have your students hone their active-listening skills and identify literary terms with these at-home activities for middle schoolers.

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Looking for fun reading activities to keep your students engaged? Check out our collection of reading and writing activities.

Christen Spehr
Shaped Editor

Tarwos Read 180 Story HMH hero

When Tarwo Konbloa came to the United States from a Cote d'Ivoire refugee camp at age 11, he struggled in school. But in time his academics improved through a mix of perseverance, intervention, and dedicated teachers.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Background knowledge reading hero 2

In this blog, we break down the importance of building background knowledge in reading, and provide ways to build and strengthen comprehension.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

Two students reading and taking notes and one student using a tablet

Read more about five essential reading strategies for secondary students, including tips to enhance comprehension and help students become active readers.

Jakeima (Jai) Lewis, MEd
Sixth-Grade Teacher, Instructional Coach & Teacher’s Corner Contributor