Sounder by William H. Armstrong is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that captivates readers. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or simply an avid reader, this classic work of literature is an excellent choice for a novel study.
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Sounder was published in 1969 and went on to be awarded the Newbery Medal in 1970. It has also been made into a feature film that earned several Academy Award nominations in 1972.
Sounder is a great choice for a novel study
Relevant and Timeless Themes: Sounder is a novel that explores timeless themes such as poverty, racism, and family relationships. These themes are still relevant today, making it an excellent choice for a novel study that will engage and challenge your students.
Inspiring Characters: The characters in Sounder are complex and relatable, making them ideal for students to study and analyze. The protagonist, a young African-American boy named David, is especially inspiring as he learns to overcome adversity and grow into a strong and compassionate person.
Beautifully Written: William H. Armstrong’s writing style is simple, yet beautiful and evocative. The prose is easy to understand and will engage students, making it an ideal choice for middle school students.
Engaging Plot: The plot of Sounder is both engaging and thought-provoking. It tells the story of a young boy and his family who must struggle to survive in the face of poverty and racism. This powerful story will keep students engaged and invested in the novel.
Cultural Significance: Sounder is a historically important novel that offers valuable insights into the lives of African Americans during the 19th century. It will broaden students’ understanding of American history and culture.
Supports Critical Thinking and Analysis: Reading Sounder will encourage students to think critically and analyze the themes, characters, and events which will help them to develop essential skills such as close reading, analysis, and interpretation.
This book takes a quiet look at the life of a poor, black sharecropping family in the South. It gives students an eye into the turmoil and adversity many families such as this faced at that time. Using literature in this way can help students empathize with the issues and gain an understanding of the history of those who came before us here in America. It is a tale worth using in your classroom.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Sounder for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Looking for an engaging On My Honor novel study to help your students dig deeper into Marion Dane Bauer’s powerful novel? On My Honor is an excellent choice for upper elementary and middle school readers, offering meaningful opportunities to explore friendship, responsibility, peer pressure, difficult choices, guilt, grief, and consequences.
A complete On My Honor book unit can help turn those themes into meaningful reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, and critical-thinking activities.
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About On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
In On My Honor, Joel and Tony set out on a bike ride that takes an unexpected and tragic turn. As Joel faces the consequences of what happens, readers are challenged to think about friendship, honesty, responsibility, fear, guilt, and the choices people make.
The novel provides plenty of opportunities for classroom discussion and literary analysis. Students can examine the characters’ decisions, consider how those decisions affect the plot, and explore the larger themes that develop throughout the story.
Because of its emotional depth and relatively short length, On My Honor can be a particularly effective novel for a 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade ELA novel study.
Why Teach On My Honor?
There are many reasons On My Honor works well as a classroom novel.
Friendship and Responsibility
Joel and Tony’s friendship allows students to discuss what it means to be a good friend—and what can happen when friends make choices without fully considering the consequences.
Choices and Consequences
The novel naturally lends itself to conversations about decision-making. Students can examine the choices made by the characters and consider how those choices influence the events that follow.
Guilt, Grief, and Emotional Responses
On My Honor gives students opportunities to explore complex emotions and consider how different characters respond to difficult circumstances.
Peer Pressure and Risk-Taking
Students can discuss how friendships and peer pressure can influence decisions and how young people respond when they find themselves in difficult situations.
Character Development
Joel provides rich opportunities for character analysis. Students can examine his thoughts, actions, relationships, and reactions throughout the novel and use textual evidence to support their ideas.
Critical Thinking and Literary Analysis
The story provides opportunities to teach important ELA skills, including plot, characterization, theme, conflict, point of view, author’s purpose, inference, and supporting answers with text evidence.
On My Honor Novel Study Activities
If you’re looking for ready-to-use On My Honor activities, a comprehensive novel study can save hours of planning while keeping students actively engaged with the book.
A complete On My Honor book unit can include:
Chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions
Reading comprehension activities
Vocabulary activities
Grammar practice
Writing activities
Character analysis
Literary analysis
Discussion questions
Reading assessments
Extended writing
End-of-book activities
Answer keys
Teacher resources
Common Core ELA standards alignment
These activities allow you to use the novel as more than simply a reading assignment. Students can practice a variety of ELA skills while thinking critically about the story.
A No-Prep On My Honor Novel Unit
Planning a novel study from scratch can take a tremendous amount of time. You need comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, writing assignments, assessments, answer keys, and additional activities—and then you have to organize everything into a workable unit.
The unit is designed for Grades 5–8 and includes both printable PDF materials and digital Google Drive™ resources, giving you the flexibility to use the materials in a traditional classroom, paperless classroom, Google Classroom, homeschool setting, or for independent reading.
What’s Included?
The On My Honor Novel Study includes:
Teacher lesson plans and resources
Reading comprehension questions
Vocabulary and grammar activities
Writing activities
Spelling activities
Assessments
Answer keys
Common Core standards alignment
End-of-book activities
Printable student materials
Digital Google Drive™ materials
The goal is simple: give you ready-to-use resources so you can spend less time planning and more time teaching.
Whether you’re looking for On My Honor comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, writing prompts, or a complete novel unit, having all of the materials together makes teaching the book much easier.
Try the Free Preview
Want to see what is included before purchasing?
Download the free preview of the On My Honor Novel Study to see examples of the student activities and teacher resources included in the complete unit.
Make On My Honor More Than Just a Reading Assignment
On My Honor gives students an opportunity to think about friendship, responsibility, choices, and consequences while developing important reading and ELA skills.
With a complete On My Honor novel study, you can turn those opportunities into structured lessons, meaningful discussions, writing activities, and assessments—without spending hours creating everything yourself.
Ready to teach On My Honor?
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Are you teaching On My Honor this school year?
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About From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is a wonderful choice for a middle school or upper elementary novel study.
The story follows Claudia Kincaid and her younger brother Jamie as they decide to run away from home—but not just anywhere. They choose the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as their temporary home.
Claudia carefully plans their escape, while Jamie focuses on saving money. Once they arrive at the museum, however, their adventure becomes much more complicated when they discover a mysterious statue that may have been created by the famous artist Michelangelo.
As students follow Claudia and Jamie’s adventure, they encounter themes of independence, family, identity, money, mystery, responsibility, and belonging.
These themes provide excellent opportunities for meaningful classroom discussions and deeper literary analysis.
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Looking for a From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler novel study that makes teaching this classic E. L. Konigsburg novel easier?
This complete From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler book unit provides everything you need to guide students through the novel while building reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, grammar, literary analysis, and critical-thinking skills.
Designed for grades 5–8, this no-prep novel study is perfect for whole-class instruction, small groups, literature circles, independent reading, or homeschool ELA.
And because both printable and Google Drive™ formats are included, you can use the resource in whatever format works best for your students.
Why Teach From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler?
This classic children’s novel offers much more than an entertaining story.
Students can explore:
Character development
Setting
Plot and conflict
Theme
Point of view
Making inferences
Drawing conclusions
Supporting ideas with text evidence
Vocabulary in context
Author’s craft
Critical thinking
Written responses
The novel also lends itself naturally to discussions about independence and family relationships, making it a great way to connect reading skills with deeper conversations.
A Complete From the Mixed-Up Files Novel Study
If you don’t want to spend hours searching for individual worksheets, comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, writing prompts, and assessments, a complete novel unit can save you significant planning time.
Instead of piecing together separate activities, you have a ready-to-use collection of resources designed to take students from the beginning of the novel through assessment and written reflection.
What’s Included?
This complete novel study includes:
Teacher lesson plans and pacing support
Chapter-by-chapter comprehension activities
Vocabulary and grammar activities
Writing activities
Assessments
Answer keys
Additional reading and writing activities
Common Core standards alignment
Printable student resources
Google Drive™ versions for digital learning
The unit is designed to give you the flexibility to use the entire resource or select the activities that best fit your students and your schedule.
One of the biggest challenges of teaching a novel is finding the time to create meaningful activities to go along with it.
This no-prep novel study is designed to take much of that work off your plate.
Use the included resources for:
Whole-Class Novel Studies Guide your entire class through the novel with structured reading activities, comprehension questions, vocabulary, writing, and assessments.
Small-Group Instruction Use selected activities to support students who need additional reading practice or targeted instruction.
Literature Circles & Book Clubs Give students meaningful questions and activities to guide discussion and encourage deeper thinking about the novel.
Independent Reading Students can work through comprehension, vocabulary, and writing activities as they read independently.
Homeschool ELA The complete unit provides a convenient framework for teaching the novel at home without having to create every activity yourself.
Printable + Digital Novel Study
Today’s classrooms often require flexibility, which is why this From the Mixed-Up Files novel unit includes both printable and Google Drive™ formats.
Use the printable materials for traditional classroom instruction, or assign the digital resources through your preferred online learning platform.
Having both formats gives you the flexibility to adapt the unit to your classroom, students, and teaching style.
Build More Than Reading Comprehension
A strong novel study should do more than ask students what happened in each chapter.
This unit gives students opportunities to practice a variety of ELA and reading skills while engaging with the novel.
Students work on:
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary development
Grammar
Character analysis
Literary elements
Written response
Critical thinking
Text-based analysis
Writing skills
The goal is to help students become more thoughtful readers while giving you practical, ready-to-use teaching materials.
Looking for a From the Mixed-Up Files Novel Study?
If you’re planning to teach From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and want a complete resource that saves you planning time, this novel study is designed to give you everything you need in one place.
Whether you’re teaching 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, this flexible ELA unit can be adapted for whole-class reading, small groups, literature circles, independent work, or homeschool.
Try a free sample of the novel study for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Get the Complete From the Mixed-Up Files Novel Unit
Ready to make your next novel study easier?
This From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Novel Study Book Unit includes printable and digital resources covering comprehension, vocabulary, writing, grammar, assessment, and more.
Save time planning and spend more time helping your students become stronger, more thoughtful readers.
Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler this school year?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
While having your students physically present offers the best means to gauge their comprehension of a subject and identify the necessity for tailored instruction, circumstances may arise where this isn’t feasible. Increasingly, students equipped with laptops and various devices are transforming traditional “free” snow days into E-Learning days. This shift aims to prevent extending the school year by leveraging technology for remote learning when in-person classes are impractical.
Periodic closures of schools due to natural disasters have been evident in various regions. For instance, in Nebraska, schools grappled with flooding issues both, in the spring and fall, resulting in chaotic interruptions to regular schedules. Additionally, student absences can range from short-term illnesses to prolonged health issues, leading to extended periods away from the classroom.
Furthermore, homeschooling communities often utilize e-learning within their cooperative groups or classes. The diverse array of reasons preventing direct in-person interaction with students underscores the significance of technology. It enables educators to virtually engage with their students during such challenging times, bridging the physical gap through digital platforms.
In my role as a curriculum writer, I prioritize flexibility by integrating numerous choices and options into my educational materials. Having been a teacher myself, I understand the constant influx of various challenges and unforeseen circumstances that a standard textbook isn’t equipped to handle. My educational philosophy revolves around the idea that a student ideally engages with the material using all their senses, transforming learning into solid knowledge. Therefore, all my resources feature a hands-on component—printable and tactile—encouraging collaborative engagement between students and teachers.
Recognizing the limitations of this ideal scenario, I’ve supplemented almost all my products with a Google Drive format, providing educators with alternative options. The Google Drive version encompasses the same content areas but allows for a paperless approach, utilizing Google Drive tools like Slides and Forms.
My portfolio predominantly includes a blend of printable and Google format materials, ranging from novel studies, social studies, to financial literacy resources. Additionally, I offer ELA and Math centers that are interactive on Google Drive while still being available in printable formats. Each download includes complete printable content and instructions on accessing and integrating the Google format files into your Google Drive, facilitating ease of use for educators.
After clicking on the provided link, your file will be visible in your Google Drive account under the name “Copy of File Name.” You can conveniently modify this title to your preference by clicking on the name box. Subsequently, you can assign these files to your students through Google Classroom.
How to use Novel Studies in an E-Learning Format?
In utilizing novel studies, your students will require a copy of the novel to accompany either the printable or Google Drive format provided. With the book in hand, they can seamlessly navigate through the study, engaging with comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, and extended writing tasks on Google Slides, mirroring the functionality available in the printable version. Teachers can track their progress through Google Classroom and I recommend conducting check-ins with small groups via platforms like Google Talk (or Google Hangouts/Google Chat) or Zoom. These sessions allow for discussions about the material read, ensuring comprehension and encouraging deeper exploration of the novel. It’s akin to the class discussions held in person, bridging the gap using technology.
All my novel studies feature assessments that can be completed through Google Forms. The multiple-choice assessments for comprehension and vocabulary are self-grading, significantly reducing grading time for teachers. However, the writing assessments, being more open-ended, cannot be self-graded. Typically consisting of one to two questions per assessment, these tasks can be submitted via Google Classroom for review and grading by the teacher.
How to use Social Studies and Financial Literacy Activities in an E-Learning Format?
My social studies and financial literacy resources are structured similarly to the novel studies in Google format, but they don’t require any specific books or textbooks. These materials feature Webquest links that offer learning content and include slideshow presentations in all social studies resources to facilitate students’ understanding and completion of activities.
Just like with the novel studies, Google Slides serve as the platform for both the presentations and activity completion. Additionally, in certain financial literacy activities such as the Escape Room exercises, Google Forms are integrated to delve deeper into the content alongside the use of Google Slides.
How to use ELA and Math Centers in an E-Learning Format?
The interactive ELA and Math Centers are designed to be completed using Google Slides. Students engage with the components to practice various skills, and teachers can oversee their progress through Google Classroom.
What can I do if my student doesn’t have access to equipment or the internet?
Many of us assume ready access to computers, laptops, and internet connectivity at home, yet some students lack this accessibility. In public schools, it’s our responsibility to ensure equity among our students. If your school lacks one-to-one capability or if a student doesn’t have home internet access, all my materials are provided in printable formats within the same product download. These activities are identical, just presented on paper rather than on a computer. You can distribute these packets to students for home use. To stay connected, consider communicating via phone calls, Facetime, or Skype for those with access via a parent’s cell phone. The content remains the same, only the format differs.
Technology offers various avenues to engage with students. While I advocate for a multisensory approach to learning—incorporating reading, writing, manipulation, and discussion—I recognize that there are instances where this isn’t feasible. In such cases, I hope my materials offer diverse options for utilization during e-learning scenarios.
Explore these free samples offered in my store, featuring both printable and Google Drive™ formats. They provide an opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with the functionalities of these resources.
Sample from my Wonder Novel Study
Sample Social Studies Activity
In this post titled “Tips for Using Google Drive in Your Classroom,” you’ll discover helpful suggestions on customizing Google Drive products to suit your specific requirements more effortlessly.
Here are a few of the most frequent questions that I am asked from buyers, and potential buyers, about my resources. Hopefully, you will find these answers helpful.
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If you still have questions, please email me directly.
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