3 Creative Alternatives to Traditional ELA Unit Tests

Does every ELA unit really need to end with another traditional test?

While unit tests certainly have their place, sometimes you want students to do more than answer questions about what they've read. You want them to apply their understanding, think creatively, and show what they've learned in a way they'll actually remember.

In this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, Caitlin and Pat are back with another installment of the Hidden Gems of EB series, this time focusing on the "beyond" stage of an ELA unit.

They're sharing three creative end-of-unit projects that turn literary analysis into movie posters, student-created films, and board games. And whether you're an EB teacher or not, you can adapt all three activities for the texts you're already teaching.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Turn theme analysis into a drive-in movie experience.

Drive-In Stations comes from EB's "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" unit, but it works with almost any short story or novel.

Students rotate through stations designed as drive-in movie screens, each featuring a topic from the text. At every station, they create a mini movie poster with an illustration and a tagline that turns the topic into a complete theme statement.

Then, students explain how their tagline reflects a message from the text.

It's a creative way to assess whether students can move beyond identifying a topic and actually justify a theme.

2. Challenge students to bring literary themes to life with a film festival.

The Film Festival activity from EB's "Fish Cheeks" unit takes theme analysis in a completely different direction.

Instead of identifying themes in a story, students work in groups to create an original short film that communicates at least two of those same themes.

They develop new characters and a new plot, then screen their films for classmates, who analyze how each film communicates its themes.

No filming equipment? Students can perform their stories live instead.

Either way, they're applying their understanding of theme rather than simply repeating what happened in the original text.

3. Let students demonstrate their understanding by designing a board game.

Game Night from EB's "Raymond's Run" unit turns literary review into a student-created board game.

Groups design a game board and write question cards covering important elements of the text, such as characters, conflicts, topics, themes, and plot events.

Then they swap games with another group and actually play.

Creating the questions requires students to revisit the text and think carefully about what matters most. And a quick individual reflection or exit ticket can help you assess each student's understanding beyond the group project.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Drive-In Stations from "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" Short Story Unit

• Film Festival from "Fish Cheeks" Short Story Unit

• Game Night from "Raymond's Run" Short Story Unit

• Topics, Conflicts, and Themes (TCT) Review

• EB Into, Through, and Beyond Lesson Framework

• EB Teachers ELA Portal

• EB Teacher Community - exclusively for EB Teachers members

MORE FROM EB ACADEMICS

At EB Academics, we help middle school ELA teachers create engaging, rigorous classrooms without spending every evening and weekend planning.

Inside the EB Teachers ELA Portal, you'll find ready-to-use short story units, novel studies, writing resources, and creative assessments that help students demonstrate what they've learned.

And as the Hidden Gems of EB series shows, many of these activities can be adapted for texts beyond the units they were originally designed for.

Visit ebteacher.com/portal to learn more or join the priority list.

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you're ready to try something different at the end of your next ELA unit, make sure you're subscribed to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast.

And if you're enjoying the podcast, we'd love for you to leave a quick review. Your review helps more middle school ELA teachers discover practical ideas they can bring straight into their classrooms.

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