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Lit with Lyns

Back to School Tools

Back to School Ideas & Resources· essay writing· Uncategorized

It’s hard to believe that it’s back to school time again!  My district has been back since the beginning of August, which is even harder to believe!   But for many of you that are just starting, that means Back to School shopping AND deals. To save you the hassle of checking around I’ve rounded up my top back to school picks in science, reading and writing and made sure you’re saving at least 20%!
Tip: Use WELCOME16 for Free Shipping and 15% off if you’re new to Educents.com (you won’t see that on their website).

How to Teach the 5 Paragraph Essay: Save 25%

A great lesson plan on this crucial skill.
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Science Graphic Book: Save 20%

I admit I’m surprised, but the comic book format of this science series has kids mastering materials because they’re excited about the book itself! Definitely worth checking out, especially with the savings.
manga Save
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Life of Fred Beginning Reader Books: Save 19%

A perfect tie-in with the beloved Life of Fred Math Books for new readers.
life of fred Save
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Analytical Grammar Set: Save 20%

Help your littles master this sometimes fun, sometimes maddening subject. Saving 20% helps.
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🌎 Make Earth Day meaningful and stress-free! 🌱 Co 🌎 Make Earth Day meaningful and stress-free! 🌱  Comment 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 for the link to be sent to your inbox. 
Middle schoolers will LOVE this Earth Day Reading Comprehension Escape Room—and you’ll love how easy it is to use 🙌  ✨ DIGITAL + PRINT OPTIONS 
✨ ZERO PREP (just assign or print!) 
✨ Built for engagement + real learning  Students will: 
🔍 Explore informational text about Earth Day 
🎭 Analyze environmental poems with figurative language 
🧠 Answer comprehension questions 
🎥 Watch a short video clip using symbolism  All while working through 4 interactive “rooms” to escape 🔐  💡 What’s included: 
✔️ Easy-to-follow teacher directions 
✔️ Answer key 
✔️ Code recording sheet 
✔️ Digital link + printable version  🌿 Teach the impact humans have on the environment in a way students actually enjoy!  👉 Your easiest, most engaging Earth Day lesson—done.  #middleschoolela #earthdayactivities #elaclassroom
✨ Argumentative Essay Writing Made EASY for Grades ✨ Argumentative Essay Writing Made EASY for Grades 5–8 ✨  Struggling to get students to write strong, structured essays? This Argumentative Writing Unit is your solution 🙌 Reply 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 in comments to have link sent to your inbox.  With step-by-step support, your students won’t just write essays… they’ll write CONFIDENT, well-organized arguments backed with clear evidence.  ✔️ DIGITAL + PRINT options (perfect for any classroom setup) 
✔️ 2 model argumentative essays with guided questions 
✔️ Scaffolded practice to break down each part of the essay 
✔️ Graphic organizers to simplify planning 
✔️ Student-friendly rubric for self-check + revision  Students will:
📌 Analyze model essays to identify key elements (hook, claim, evidence, reasoning) 
📌 Use guided questions to truly understand structure 
📌 Draft with confidence using organizers 
📌 Revise using a clear rubric before publishing  The result? Students who KNOW exactly what to include in their writing 💡  Perfect for:
#middleschoolELA #5thgrade #6thgrade #7thgrade #8thgrade
ELA Test Prep Escape Room | Reading Comprehension ELA Test Prep Escape Room | Reading Comprehension Activities for Grades 5–8 | Printable & Digital | No Prep! Reply 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 in comments for the link!  Looking for engaging middle school ELA test prep activities that your students will actually enjoy? This ELA Test Prep Escape Room is the perfect solution for boosting reading comprehension skills while keeping students motivated and on task.  🎯 Designed for grades 5–8, this resource transforms boring test prep into an interactive experience with 6 exciting escape room challenges students must solve to “escape”!  ✨ Why teachers love it:
✔️ No prep ELA activity (just print or assign digitally!)
✔️ Includes printable and digital formats
✔️ Perfect for test review, ELA centers, sub plans, and review days
✔️ Keeps students engaged while practicing essential skills  📚 Skills included:
• Main Idea
• Supporting Details
• Theme
• Point of View
• Text Structure & Mood
• Inferences
• Figurative Language
• Characterization
• Story Elements
• Context Clues  This middle school reading comprehension escape room is ideal for test prep, review, and skill reinforcement—without the stress or prep time.  📌 Save this pin for your next ELA test prep activity!  🔗 Click to grab this engaging ELA escape room for middle school  #ELATestPrep #ReadingComprehension #MiddleSchoolELA #6thGradeELA
🚨 Middle School ELA Teachers—This is your test pre 🚨 Middle School ELA Teachers—This is your test prep game changer. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤.  Test prep doesn’t have to mean packets, boredom, and disengaged students. What if your students were excited to review?  🔐 Introducing the ELA Escape Room Growing Bundle (Grades 5–8).
✨ ZERO prep for you
✨ HIGH engagement for them
✨ REAL standards-based practice  Students will review key skills like:
📚 Main Idea & Supporting Details
🧠 Inference & Theme
🧩 Text Structure & Story Elements
🎭 Point of View & Figurative Language
💬 Vocabulary in Context  All through interactive, problem-solving escape rooms that feel like a game—but deliver serious results.  💡 Perfect for:
✔ Test prep season
✔ Review days
✔ Sub plans
✔ Keeping students focused (and off-task behavior low)  Stop stressing over test prep… and start watching your students love it.  🎯 Grab the growing bundle now and get access to ALL future escape rooms for FREE.  #MiddleSchoolELA #ELATeacher #TestPrep #middleschoolela
✨ Make End-of-Year Awards Actually FUN Again! ✨ T ✨ Make End-of-Year Awards Actually FUN Again! ✨  Teachers—ditch the boring awards and give your students something they’ll actually be excited about! These editable Student Superlative Certificates are designed with middle schoolers in mind—featuring trendy slang, relatable humor, and personality-based awards your students will LOVE. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤.  From “Most Likely to Know Every TikTok Dance” to “Future Influencer,” these superlatives celebrate who your students really are—making your end-of-year celebration memorable, engaging, and meaningful.  ✔️ Editable + Print & Digital Options
✔️ Zero prep (teacher win 🙌)
✔️ Perfect for middle school classrooms
✔️ Boosts classroom community + student confidence  Make your awards day unforgettable 💖  #TeacherIdeas #MiddleSchoolELA #EndOfYearActivities #TeacherLife #StudentAwards
Student Superlatives that will make your students Student Superlatives that will make your students crack up! They’ll actually relate to these so much! Your kids will be “cooked,” and you can use them year after year! Link in bio. #studentawards #endofschoolyear
Middle school ELA teachers—if your students strugg Middle school ELA teachers—if your students struggle with claims, counterclaims, and evidence… you need this 👏  This hands-on print + digital resource breaks argumentative writing down in a way that finally clicks. Students practice building strong thesis statements, identifying relevant evidence, and writing clear claims + counterclaims through engaging drag-and-drop activities and paragraph analysis. Link in bio.  No more confusion—students will know exactly what belongs in a strong argumentative paragraph or essay 💡  Perfect for test prep, skill-building, and easy review—PLUS it’s ZERO PREP 🙌  Save time, boost confidence, and watch your students’ writing improve FAST ✏️  #middleschoolela #argumentativewriting #elateachers #writinginstruction #test prep engaginglessons

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