The Monkey's Paw - Beginner ESL Halloween Text + Activities + Graphic Organizers

Have you ever wanted to read "The Monkey's Paw" with your ESL class? Then this is perfect for you!

The chilling classic is adapted to make it accessible to high beginner ESL students and less advanced readers. It is also available at a higher (but still adapted level) for regular ELA classroom. Please note - this will be highly challenging for absolute newcomers, unless you can add native language support. Please check out the preview to give you a sense of the language level.

Tackle vocabulary and ELA critical thinking -- including inferencing, irony and literary elements -- with the story, bundled lesson ideas, six reusable graphic organizers and activities! Also includes a 5-day lesson plan ready to submit.

This two-part story is part of a collection of high-interest material specifically designed by an experienced ESL/ELA teacher for ENL, ESL, ELL students. It is short enough for high beginner English Language learners (spanning 10 core pages of text, graphics and questions), yet contains meaningful content and engaging activities that are sure to provoke discussion. ELA concepts are embedded throughout the text. additional lesson plan suggestions are included.

The 10-sided handout can be copied for your class. The images can be displayed on a screen, if you have one. You can expand the story into a mini-unit with the extra graphic organizers.

You get:

• One two-part story with artwork. The language of the story has been simplified for ELLs, but it follows the original story exactly. You could spend anywhere from a single period to a week on the story.
• Activities including vocabulary and writing. (Note the vocabulary is aimed mainly at English Language Learners.)
• Ideas for teachers — what to do before reading, during reading and after reading.
• Extension project ideas.
• Two grids for retelling the story as a comic - with cut out and glue speech bubbles and sequence words.
• A 3 page graphic organizer to teach character with a portrait frame and STEAL analysis.
• A film strip graphic organizer for teaching setting.
• A scary story Pumpkin graphic organizer to analyze what makes a story scary.
• The original version of the story for advanced students.
• A 5 day lesson plan (Word Doc) ready for submission. Includes aims, objectives, activities, and summarizers.
• Answer key.

More great materials for your ELLs:

Be sure to check out my Halloween products for nonfiction, an original short story, plus the classic "The Monkey's Paw". They are all for beginner ESL students, and there is a great value bundle containing the whole lot of them. If you're looking for fun activities, nonfiction, a short story for Christmas ("The Little Match Girl") and the New Year, take a look at my Christmas and New Year materials. I also have a series of short stories that will engage your students at any time, while teaching grammar and vocab. Enjoy and have fun teaching!

ELA = Fiction, Conflict, Questioning, Setting, Details, Inferencing, Character, Irony.
Grades = 6+
English as a New Language Level = High beginner and intermediate
Estimated length = Three hours, plus (depending on how many of the additional exercises you use, such as the setting or character handouts.)
Answer key included

File Type = PDF (Lessons plans in Word format for modification)