Schools nationwide are transitioning to the Common Core--our advice to you: Don't go it alone! Our new book, "Common Core Literacy Lesson Plans: Ready-to-Use Resources, 6-8," shows you that teaching the Common Core State Standards in the middle grades doesn't have to be intimidating! This easy-to-use guide meets the particular needs of middle school teachers. It provides model lesson plans for teaching the standards in reading, writing, speaking/listening, and language: (1) Get engaging lesson plans that are grade-appropriate, easy to implement and include ready-to-use reproducible handouts, assessments, resources, and ideas to help you modify the lesson for both struggling and advanced learners; (2) Our Common Core Literacy Lesson Plans are equally effective for both English and content-area teachers--the plans are designed to fit seamlessly into your middle school curriculum; (3) You get practical tips for revamping your existing lessons to meet the standards; and (4) Middle school students learn how to answer text-based questions, read informational texts, conduct research, write arguments, and improve their speaking and listening skills. We take the guesswork out of Common Core lesson plans with this practical, easy-to-use guide. All lesson plans are grade-appropriate, and every lesson plan includes...: (1) Common Core State Standards covered in the lesson; (2) Overview of objectives and focus of the lesson; (3) Background knowledge required and time required; (4) A detailed, step-by-step agenda for the lesson, plus a materials list; (5) Differentiation ideas to adapt the lesson for different kinds of learners; (6) Assessment ideas, including rubrics and scoring guides; and (7) A place for your notes: what worked; what can improve. Bonus! We show you how to extend the lessons into longer units to suit your particular grade's curriculum, and even help you create more of your own lessons!