Anne of Green Gables | Full Week Lesson | Adapted Version | Montgomery | No Prep

Do you want students to read Anne of Green Gables, but you don’t have weeks to push through a 400-page novel with uneven reading levels in the room?

Here’s the solution: a resource that gives you both the complete original L. M. Montgomery text (public domain) and a tightly adapted 5-Part, one-week version (1/5th the original length), so you can match the reading path to every student—without changing your assessments or losing instructional time.

Anne of Green Gables is a beloved middle-grades staple, but at roughly 100,000 words it can easily overwhelm a crowded schedule and a wide spread of readers. The adapted version trims the text into five high-engagement parts that each fit into a single class period or homework assignment, while preserving the big moments—Anne’s arrival at Green Gables, the Mrs. Rachel showdown, the slate-smashing, the currant wine disaster, puffed sleeves and concerts, Queen’s examinations, and Anne’s final choice at the “bend in the road.”

Quick Guide for Teachers

Adapted-Only Track (Fastest: 5-Day Model)

• Best for classes that need a manageable, one-week novel study.
• Day 1–5: Students read one adapted part per day and use the matching discussion questions and self-grading quiz
• End the week with the Final Worksheet (Vocab + short answer + challenge questions).
• This track keeps the lesson tight, predictable, and easy to finish within the week.

Original-Only Track (Longer: Multi-Day Per Section)

• Ideal for advanced readers or classes with time for a full novel study.
• Students read the original chapters aligned to each adapted Part.
• Assessments still work exactly the same (except no vocab words)
• This track preserves Baum’s full language, pacing, and descriptive style.

Dual-Track Differentiation (Mixed Readers, flexible timelines)

• Lets your entire class study the same plot, themes, and characters at the same time—even if they are reading different versions of the text.
• Assign adapted version part 1 to students who need a shorter, clearer text and original chapters that correspond to part 1 to students reading the full text (This is fully detailed in the Teacher's Guide)
• Give original-text students multiple days per section while adapted-text students can reread, complete targeted vocabulary work, and/or tackle included discussion questions in small-groups.
• All assessments are usable for both tracks: Discussion questions + MC exit quizzes for each Part + Final Worksheet (except for Vocab Words)

What's the tradeoff of using the adapted version?

Pros:

• Reduces story to a fraction of its original length, fitting neatly into a one week lesson.
• Well suited for shorter attention spans to maintain student interest.
• Preserves core narrative elements, themes and character development.
• Better than omitting it completely due to time limits.
• Works for whole-class read-alouds, small-group novel studies, independent reading, or close reading unit.

Cons:

• Omits some original language and details for brevity, potentially losing nuances of the author's style.
• Limits opportunities for in-depth literary analysis by excluding certain subplots or descriptive passages.

This product includes a zip file consisting of:

Full Original Text ~100,000 words (PDF, DOCX)

• Great for advanced students that can read fast or for classrooms that want to take multiple weeks to read through the story.

Adapted Version Text ~20,000 words, 49 pages (PDF, DOCX, Google Docs)

• Divided into 5 parts for easy daily reading sessions

Student Worksheet (PPT, Google Slides, PDF print)

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short Answer Recall/Comprehension
• 5 Challenge Questions (synthesis, analysis, themes, real life connection)

Teacher’s Guide & Answer Key (PDF, DOCX, Google Docs)

• 5 Sets of Daily Discussion Questions (1 per part)
• 5 Sets of Self-Graded Exit Quizzes (1 per part, 20Qs each)
• Answer Keys for Vocab, Short Answer, and Challenge Questions
• Key Figures & Places reference sheets to help students track characters and settings

Text Summary
This 5-part mini-novel walks students through Anne’s whole arc—from unwanted orphan to young woman choosing a bend in the road—using one focused reading and response set per day.

• Part 1 – From Mrs. Rachel’s Window to a Home at Green Gables: Matthew and Marilla plan to adopt a boy to help on the farm, but a mistake sends Anne instead. After the shock, Anne fears being sent away again, yet a hard conversation about her future ends with Marilla deciding that Green Gables will be her real home.
• Part 2 – Tempers, Vows, and a Schoolroom Storm: Anne’s fierce temper explodes at Mrs. Rachel Lynde’s insults, then must be humbled in a dramatic apology. Anne meets Diana, declares her a “bosom friend,” and starts school, where Gilbert Blythe’s teasing, a smashed slate, and unfair punishment begin a long, proud feud.
• Part 3 – Tea Disasters, Midnight Courage, and Daring Falls: A well-meant afternoon ends in disaster when Anne accidentally serves Diana currant wine, nearly ruining their friendship. Anne proves her courage by facing the Haunted Wood alone and nearly drowns while playing the Lily Maid, only to be rescued by Gilbert in a moment that quietly shifts their relationship.
• Part 4 – Puffed Sleeves and Growing Dreams: Matthew’s secret trip to buy a puffed-sleeve dress gives Anne the Christmas of her dreams and reveals the depth of his love. Under Miss Stacy’s guidance, Anne and her friends join the advanced class, form a story club, perform at a concert, and begin working seriously toward the Queen’s Academy entrance exams.
• Part 5 – Queen’s College, Loss, and the Bend in the Road: Anne studies hard at Queen’s, earns high honors, and wins the Avery scholarship, only to face the sudden collapse of the Cuthberts’ savings and Matthew’s death. When Marilla’s eyesight and finances grow uncertain, Anne gives up Redmond, chooses to teach in Avonlea, makes peace with Gilbert, and looks toward the future as a hopeful “bend in the road” rather than an ending.

This one classical literature reading resource gives you a complete, no-prep, one-week unit for teaching Anne of Green Gables in bite-sized steps—preserving Montgomery’s original story while making it truly teachable in real classrooms with real time limits.

Try one of these free classical literature mini readers just like this one to see if it meets your needs:

• A Christmas Carol | Free Full Week Lesson | Adapted Version | Charles Dickens
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | Full Week Lesson | Adapted Version Text | No Prep

Standards

• Reading Literature: CCSS RL.6-8.1, CCSS RL.6-8.2, CCSS RL.6-8.3, CCSS RL.6-8.4, CCSS RL.6-8.5, CCSS RL.6-8.6
• Writing: CCSS W.6-8.2
• Speaking & Listening: CCSS SL.6-7.1

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Get the full Middle School Classical Lit Sets | Bundle of 8 Adapted Text Versions

This bundle includes adapted versions of:

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Baum, 1900) [FREE DOWNLOAD]
• Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery, 1908)
• The Secret Garden (Burnett, 1911)
• The Call of the Wild (London, 1903)
• Black Beauty (Sewell, 1877)
• White Fang (London, 1906)
• Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Verne, 1870)
• Robinson Crusoe (Defoe, 1719)
• BONUS: A Christmas Carol (Dickens, 1843) [FREE DOWNLOAD]