Year Long High School English / ELA + Life Skills Mega Bundle: Two Novel Units + Two Non-Fiction SEL Oriented, Life Skills Units, Secondary English Year-Long Curriculum, 37 WEEKS OF LESSON PLANS ALIGNED WITH ELA CCS GRADES 9-12 

How much is your time worth?
How many evenings and weekends have you spent writing lesson plans instead of
spending time with friends and family?
How many hours of overtime
do you work for free every week? 

I get it, you're dedicated. But keep in mind, life is truly short, and you will never get those hours back.

If you're tired of sacrificing precious family and fun time and ready to enjoy your personal time away from school, you're in the right place. This year-long secondary ELA bundle will save you, quite literally, HUNDREDS OF HOURS of planning time! 

This 37 week mega bundle is comprised of my best-selling ELA/Life Skills units, and all units include detailed daily lesson plans aligned with ELA Common Core Standards for grades 9-12.

This bundle contains high quality material that has been designed to engage even the most reluctant learners, and the curriculum can be used in the classroom or easily adapted to online/distance learning. 

 Who am I, and why should you trust me to write your ELA curriculum for the year? 

My work has been endorsed by The Colorado Department of Education and by New York Times bestselling author and positive psychology guru, Shawn Achor. I have more than 13 years of experience in the secondary classroom and am obsessively passionate about designing relevant, rigorous, and life-changing curriculum. I'm confident in saying this bundle will change your students' lives for the better. It will also change your life for the better because your planning will be done for the entire school YEAR!

The two non-fiction units within this bundle will allow you to explicitly target the social-emotional domain, which will significantly strengthen your students' life skills and meta-cognitive growth.

The two inspirational novel units included within this bundle address universal themes that will empower and motivate your students to live their best lives. 

UNIT 1 DESCRIPTION: 11 Week Non-Fiction Life Skills Unit:

This first unit requires the non-fiction anchor text by Jay McGraw: Life Strategies for Teens. (You can find used copies of Life Strategies for Teens online for less than a dollar.)

 

IN THIS FIRST NON-FICTION UNIT YOU WILL RECEIVE:

• 11 weeks of detailed daily lesson plans with Common Core Standards for grades

9-12 on each lesson plan.

• Comprehension questions for each chapter in Life Strategies for Teens
• Pre/Post assessment on concepts in text
• 60 DOL Paragraphs + teacher/student KEY
• "What the Heck is a Clause" handout
• Anticipation guide/activity
• Two reflective essay structure guides
• Exemplar essay
• Reflective essay rubric
• Exit ticket
• Reflection feedback handout
• Argumentative essay unit based on docudrama film: The Secret
• Film comprehension questions (27)
• Argumentative essay structure guide
• Exemplar argumentative essay
• Argumentative essay rubric
  
• TWENTY paragraph prompts (two for each topic) related to:

Integrity

Kindness

Discipline

Passion

Gratitude

Positive Thinking

Compassion

Perseverance

Courage

Goal-Oriented Mindset

• Each prompt includes a short color-coded structure guide for reference and suggestions to help struggling writers with content and organization (can be edited out for experienced writers).
• Highlighted advanced vocabulary (can be edited out for experienced readers/writers)
• An Editor’s Checklist
• 4-Point Paragraph Rubric
• One Exemplar Paragraph
• Related Common Core Standards for Grades 7,8, + 9/10

 

For a FREE SAMPLE of this unit, download the Habit Loop Lesson Plan free from my shop HERE

 

UNIT 2 DESCRIPTION: 12 Week Non-Fiction Life Skills Unit : Web-Based--No Book Required
Teaching Happiness: Habits of Happy, Healthy Teens

 

*Internet Access is Required for Guided Research

 

More Than 300 Pages of Resources:

Within this unit students will be directed to follow more than 100 links to short videos, such as Ted Talks, and articles on the topic of happiness. BRIEF TEACHER SUMMARIES FOR EACH TEXT ARE INCLUDED, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO SPEND TIME READING/WATCHING THEM ALL YOURSELF!

 

Students are exposed to various perspectives from authorities in the fields of neuroscience, personal development, mindfulness, Positive Psychology, and emotional intelligence.

 

The final assignment in this project-based unit is for students to reflect on what they've learned and present a project to their peers that teaches and inspires others on the art and science of happiness.

The unit is structured around 70-90 minute class periods over the course of 12 weeks, but you can alter the daily lesson plans to fit your needs and time frame. Again, this could also be used at home for distance learning.

 

The majority of the work is completed independently, so this unit could easily be used for Independent Study credit (It's aligned with ELA Common Core Standards grades 9-12.), or simply used a self-paced curriculum in the classroom. To support whole group instruction, there is a guided weekly chat group activity wherein students can collaborate on their learning and final project.

 

Detailed daily lesson plans are included, which include the CCS for grades 9-12 on each and every day's plan.
This means, zero planning, unless of course you'd like to alter the content to suit your needs.

 

The unit is divided into seven sections that address healthy habits associated with joy and well-being. They are as followed:

 

1) Reexamine Your Role: Texts within this section explore the meaning and formation of identity and the possibility of recreating roles that better serve one’s self.

 

2) Master Your Mind ~ Manage Your Emotions: Texts within this section analyze the interdependent relationship between psychological wellness and healthy behaviors; emphasis is placed on the idea that changing outer reality requires a shift in inner reality.

3) Create Your Purpose: Texts within this section address the importance and process of recognizing strengths and interests and aligning them with a sense of purpose.

4) Plan & Pave Your Path: Texts within this section speak to the importance of creating short and long-term goals while developing discipline and taking action.

 

5) Contribute Your Gifts: Texts within this section emphasize the importance and benefits of service and altruism.

6) Love Yourself: Texts within this section provide strategies to develop self-awareness, self-love, and healthy relationships.

7) Commit to Happiness: Texts within this section reinforce the understanding that happiness is a conscious choice and a habituated way of being. Choosing and committing to daily habits that foster happiness is the foundation for long term well-being and success.

 

In addition to the master PDF document, you will be provided with a link to a student Google Doc, which allows them to easily access the curriculum and links to online videos and articles.

 

IN THIS SECOND NON-FICTION UNIT YOU WILL RECEIVE:

• Unit Introduction
• 14 Week Unit Calendar
• 100 + Teacher Summaries for Unit Texts
• About the Author
• Anticipation Activity
• Exit Ticket #1
• Pre/Post Assessment
• Weekly Chat Group Overview and Student Handouts
• Daily Oral Language Introduction (DOL)
• What the Heck is a Clause Handout
• DOL Teacher Key (60 DOL Paragraphs) (THIS BEST-SELLING RESOURCE ALONE SELLS FOR 19.99 IN MY STORE)
• Student DOL (60 DOL Paragraphs)
• Student Introduction to Unit
• Student Unit Checklist
• Sample Summary & Reflection Paragraph
• Summary Rubric
• Mind Map Activity Guide
• Mind Map Rubric
• Reflective Essay Rubric
• Teaching Happiness Project Rubric
• Teaching Happiness Presentation Rubric
• Exit Ticket #2
• Final Project Guidelines
• Essay Structure Guides
• Final Student Reflection Handout
• Happiness Habits Check List Handout
• Student Links to Research Healthy Habits
• Journal Reflection Prompts on Healthy Habits

 

 

UNIT 3 DESCRIPTION: 8 WEEK NOVEL UNIT FOR MITCH ALBOM'S THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN

Few novels are as engaging--especially to reluctant readers--as The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.

 

Students find the major themes in this novel relevant in their own lives, and in my 12 years of teaching, I have yet to have a student who hasn't enjoyed and learned from this text.

 

***You will download this unit in PDF format. I realize some teachers prefer Google Docs, so I have also included a link within the PDF to the unit in Google Doc format. Please note, for copyright protection, the Google Doc version of the unit is "view only." However, I have offered the student resources and assignments (a separate 60 page doc) in an editable doc, so students can complete and submit all assignments conveniently within Google Docs.

 

IN THIS FIRST 8 WEEK NOVEL UNIT YOU WILL RECEIVE:

• Forty daily lesson plans for 45 minute class periods with Common Core

Standards grades 9-12 on each lesson plan

• Anticipation guide (5 group discussion prompts)
• Final Exam/ Comprehensive Comprehension Questions (20 questions)
• Three essay prompts with three essay structure guides with sentences stems and sample introductions and conclusions
• 30 DOL (daily oral language) paragraphs + Teacher Key + clause handout
• Three creative project choices
• Five "section summary" writing prompts
• Essay rubric
• Summary rubric
• Literary term guide (blank: students must complete after reading novel)

+ Teacher key

• Reading comprehension strategies handout

 

UNIT 4 DESCRIPTION: 6 WEEK NOVEL UNIT FOR MITCH ALBOM'S THE TIME KEEPER

Upon purchase, you will download a 145 page PDF with a link to a 145 page Google Doc.

Within the master teacher resource document, you will have a link to an editable student Google Doc with all student resources. Students will be able to make their own copies and complete/submit their assignments via Google Docs.

IN THIS SECOND 6 WEEK NOVEL UNIT YOU WILL RECEIVE:

• Unit Assignment Overview
• Anticipation Guide & Discussion Questions
• Prologue Introductory Activity
• Chapter Review Questions for 80 Chapters
• Teacher Key for Chapter Review Questions
• Multiple Mini Lessons and Activities Related to Themes in Novel With Teacher Keys
• Multiple Paragraph Prompts Related to Themes in Novel
• Multiple Exemplar Paragraphs
• Paragraph Rubric
• Final Novel Reflection Questions
• Literary Terms and Elements Activity w/Teacher Key
• Three Essay Prompts
• Three Essay Structure Guides/One for Each prompt
• Exemplar Essay/Five Paragraph
• Essay Rubric
• Bonus Mini-Lessons and Activities
• 6 Weeks/30 Days detailed Daily Lesson Plans Aligned With ELA CCS Grades 9-12
  
  

  Watch this preview video on YouTube to peek inside the novel unit for The Five People You Meet in Heaven :

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSzS5xaA-SY&t=438s
  

Watch this preview video on YouTube to peek inside the novel unit for The Time Keeper: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3uj78O8wV4&t=442s

 

 

 

♥ ♥ ♥ BONUS OFFER ♥ ♥♥

Project-Based Learning Unit | ChangeMaker or Passion Project Secondary Unit: This engaging student-centered unit is designed to inspire middle and high school students to become genuine ChangeMakers in the world. Resources can be used for project-based learning, independent study, or secondary ELA credit.

Within this ChangeMaker project, students are guided to:

1. Brainstorm and identify a problem they are passionate about solving or alleviating
2. Create and submit project proposal
3. Write a mission statement
4. Research, summarize, and reflect upon informational texts (sample summary and reflection provided)
5. Develop a creative writing assignment (six options offered)
6. Collaborate with peers for weekly chat groups (chat group role descriptions are provided along with tasks and templates to record info.)
7. Create and present final project (multiple options are shared along with exemplar)

 

In addition to a 20 page Power Point PDF, you will receive: 

 

• Links to videos to help students better understand the role of a ChangeMaker
• Link to my FREE exemplar ChangeMaker project/Powerpoint, which demonstrates what a final project might look like
• Link to download my FREE ChangeMaker 12 x 18 poster
• Link to download my four FREE graphic organizers to help students brainstorm ideas for their projects
• Common Core ELA Standards for grades 9-12

 

 

♥ ♥ ♥ SECOND BONUS OFFER ♥ ♥♥

Once this bundle is downloaded, you will be directed to receive your FREE eBook: Birdseed: A Guide to Teaching Emotional Intelligence in the Primary & Secondary Classroom: Daily Activity to Foster Social-Emotional Development & Personal Growth.

 

Birdseed is endorsed by The Colorado Department of Education, by positive psychology guru and best-selling NY Times author Shawn Achor, and by psychologists, teachers, and students worldwide.

 

Inside, you'll find a collection of THE BEST 365 inspirational quotes, (organized by theme for quick reference) along with a novel way to use them on a daily basis in any classroom to foster character development. This is an activity (referred to as "Birdseed") every secondary teacher can use to create an environment conducive to authentic learning (Have a closer peek at Birdseed in my store.).

 

 

UPON PURCHASE, DOWNLOAD THE ZIP FILE, RIGHT CLICK, AND CLICK "EXPORT FILES"