The Maze Runner by James Dashner Novel Study Reading Unit for 6th 7th 8th

Teaching dystopian literature through The Maze Runner by James Dashner will be engaging, thought-provoking, and thorough with this novel study. The Maze Runner Middle School reading unit and novel study is exactly what you need to teach your sixth, seventh, or eighth-grade middle school learners in an engaging Socratic Seminar, discussion-based, and reading response focused format with this dystopian book.

This unit digs deep into EVERY SINGLE common core reading literature and main writing standard. These units were designed because I didn't want to just “hit” the standards. I wanted to dig deep into every single standard multiple times throughout the year.

The backbone of these units is The Socratic Seminar, which pushes students to have discussions with their peers about the novels (by using the guiding and interpretive questions provided) while using text-based evidence and critical thinking.

Here's what you'll get:

1. The Maze Runner 27 Lesson Reading Unit
2. Teacher answer keys and vocabulary for all lessons.
3. 16 Reading Response Examples for teachers and students to reference.
4. 12+ Literary Devices Mini-Anchor Charts or Student Reference Pages
5. 15+ Reading Response Graphic Organizers
6. 40+ page Implementation Teachers Guide: Socratic Seminar, Tips and Tricks, Pacing, Student Examples, FAQs, scripted lesson examples, etc.
7. PowerPoint, JPEG, and PDF Display slides for all Guiding and Interpretive Questions
8. Ready-to-Assign and done-for-you Digital Student Reading Response Notebooks
9. Editable PowerPoint and Google SlidesReading Response Rubrics: Differentiated by grade level.
10. Editable PowerPoint and Google Slides Literature Reading Response Rubrics: Differentiated by grade level.
11. Small group and individual conference teacher forms

Students' thinking and discussions build a strong foundation of understanding for their reading responses (which will blow you away because of how much they grow throughout the year). This unit teaches your students about every single sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade CCSS literature standard in an engaging and thought-provoking unit, and all the work is done for you.

The 28 lesson plans are:

1. Pre-Lesson: Socratic Seminar Norms
2. The Maze Runner Day 1: Point of View (Ch. 1-2)
3. The Maze Runner Day 2: Dystopian Genre (Ch. 3-4)
4. The Maze Runner Day 3: Point of View (Ch. 5-7)
5. The Maze Runner Day 4: Character Traits (Ch. 8-9)
6. The Maze Runner Day 5: Plot (Ch. 10-11)
7. The Maze Runner Day 6: Theme (Ch. 12-14)
8. The Maze Runner Day 7: Character Traits/POV (Ch. 15-16)
9. The Maze Runner Day 8: Character Traits (Ch. 17-19)
10. The Maze Runner Day 9: Author’s Craft (Ch. 20-22)
11. The Maze Runner Day 10: Central Idea (Ch. 23-24)
12. The Maze Runner Day 11: Plot/ Point of View (Ch. 25-27)
13. The Maze Runner Day 12: Plot and Characterization (Ch. 28-29)
14. The Maze Runner Day 13: Theme (Ch. 30-32)
15. The Maze Runner Day 14: Plot and Setting/Chapters (Ch. 33-34)
16. The Maze Runner Day 15: Dystopian Elements (Ch. 35-36)
17. The Maze Runner Day 16: Conflict and Theme (Ch. 37-38)
18. The Maze Runner Day 17: Point of View (Ch. 39-41)
19. The Maze Runner Day 18: Mood and Tone (Ch. 42-44)
20. The Maze Runner Day 19: Characterization (Ch. 45-48)
21. The Maze Runner Day 20: Theme (Ch. 49-52)
22. The Maze Runner Day 21: Point of View (Ch. 53-55)
23. The Maze Runner Day 22: Symbolism (Ch. 56-58)
24. The Maze Runner Day 23: Inferences (Ch. 59-60)
25. The Maze Runner Day 24: Inferences (Ch. 61-Epilogue)
26. BONUS 1: The Maze Runner: Comparing to Video Version
27. BONUS 2: Comparing Texts in Different and Same Genres: 6th/7th Grade Version and 8th Grade Version
28. BONUS 3: Objective Summaries

I still do guided reading, book clubs, literature circles, and Daily 5 in my classroom, so I know this can work with any type of reading program that you already have in place.

In this unit, your students will get tons of support and conversations from their peers, will be exposed to literature and vocabulary at or above their grade level, and become part of a reading community. Yet it still gives you the flexibility to work with groups of students at their particular reading levels.

Prep is quick and easy... Just review the guiding questions, print or display any reference materials, and you're ready for an engaging and results-producing class period! There is no fluff and no busy work in my reading units.

TEACHERS LIKE YOU SAID…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amy S. says, "OBSESSED!!!! I am teaching summer school and I'm normally a math teacher but I am also teaching them ELA. I found this and I honestly wish I taught ELA so I could buy the rest of the novel studies and do them! This is the way you should teach ELA. Easily able to teach all standards through reading notebook, vocabulary, discussion. Lesson plans are soooo thorough. I highly suggest all upper elementary ELA teachers look into your resources!"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sarah V. says, "I really appreciate how this unit is organized and how thought provoking it has been. We are only a few days in and the students are loving the socratic seminar setup and I, being a newbie with this type of discussion setup, am enjoying all of the instructions and lack of busywork for students to just get done. I'll be purchasing more for the novels that I teach!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Krista L. says, "Students are thrilled to be talking about the book instead of doing a ton of comprehension questions. My students’ writing improved because they are hyper-focused on answering the discussion question and are actually using textual evidence to answer, because instead of 5-10 questions, they have one. The vocabulary and extra comprehension questions are very useful as well.

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You may also like…

→ Literature Interactive Notebook Unit for Dystopian Literary Elements

→ The Giver by Lois Lowry Dystopian Fiction Novel Study

→ Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix Dystopian Fiction Novel Study

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