I have a total of 27 years teaching experience . After I received my M.Ed. from the University of Florida (hence the name "HappyEdugator"), I began teaching in elementary school, where I taught pull-out remedial classes for grades 2-5 and a section of K-1. Then I taught Pre-K for 5 years, before I went up to Middle School, where I have been in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Last year, I went back to 1st grade in a private setting. I have traveled worldwide and am also fluent in Spanish.
I have a total of 27 years teaching experience . After I received my M.Ed. from the University of Florida (hence the name "HappyEdugator"), I began teaching in elementary school, where I taught pull-out remedial classes for grades 2-5 and a section of K-1. Then I taught Pre-K for 5 years, before I went up to Middle School, where I have been in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Last year, I went back to 1st grade in a private setting. I have traveled worldwide and am also fluent in Spanish.
Allergies: Anaphylaxis PowerPoint describes a severe allergic reaction which is life threatening, causes, symptoms, and emergency treatment, including how to use and administer an epi-pen. When going back to school, teachers should know this in case of an emergency with a student who has a severe allergy. A good tool for a health class. Includes a sign that can be used to place on a peanut safe table in the cafeteria.
Noun Clauses PowerPoint. What is a noun clause? What is the differentce between a phrase and a clause? This is a short 8 slide practice Powerpoint on noun clauses. Students will learn how noun clauses are dependent or subordinate clauses, and signal words to look for when identifying noun clauses. Explains how noun clauses can act as a subject in a sentence, or as a direct object. Practice sentences for students to work with. Key is on the last slide. Updated July 2015. - HappyEdugator
Past verb tenses PowerPoint. More than 30 slides on the four past tenses students often get confused: the past, the past progressive, the past perfect, and the past perfect progressive. Grammar rules are given for each tense, with plenty of examples for positive statements, negative statements and questions. Sound and animation added to keep it lively. Best used in chunks.
Vocabulary Builder - Pump Up Your Vocabulary in Ten Easy Steps PowerPoint. Going back to school? Give students vocabulary strategies that will help them build a strong vocabulary for reading and writing. Interactive PowerPoint lesson. Ten vocabulary builders. The ten steps for building vocabulary include:
Pronounce words correctly
Use a dictionary
Use a thesaurus
Make word cards
Use mnemonics
Use context clues
Distinguish between multiple-meaning words
Learn word origins
Study word parts
and
Distinguish connotation and denotation
33 slides with activities for practice and answers.
Materials required: a dictionary for each student or group of students, and 4 index cards for each student.
Sentences; All About Sentences PowerPoint. Animated. Sentence types and sentence structure. Interactive. Describes kinds of sentences (such as declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative), subjects and predicates (simple and compound), fragments and run-ons, simple, compound, and complex sentences, and adverb and adjective clauses. Great test prep! Has everything students need to know about sentences and sentence structure and gives short practice exercises which can immediately be checked. Teaches common core standards. Students can also copy notes on each lesson, and a list of subordinating conjunctions, and more. Each of the thirteen sections with practice and feedback can be a separate minilesson! - HappyEdugator
Homophone Match Worksheet. This is a challenging homophone matching activity for upper grades. Have students work in individually or in groups with a dictionary to look up unknown words. Words and definitions are chunked into groups of six. - HappyEdugator
Internet Safety PowerPoint - Pausing Before You Post. Strategies for students to use the internet and social media wisely. Students can discuss appropriate internet behavior on social media and ways to increase their internet security. Students can then take a pledge online at jostens to pause before they post.
Brain Teaser Sheet - Critical Thinking.
Fun Brain Workout. Letter equations. May be challenging, but students will love trying to figure them out! A letter equation is a common combination of letters and numbers that are abbreviated. The trick is to figure out what the abbreviation means. For example, 7 d. in a w. is 7 days in a week. 22 brain teaser equations and key included. Good activity to get minds working for test prep. Exercise for the brain. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator
Christmas Holiday Sensory Writing Practice Worksheet. A Christmas or winter holiday writing worksheet. Ten different Christmas writing prompts for sensory writing, to create imagery with a holiday twist. Students will need to show, not tell, using words that utilize the five senses. You may use the worksheet in centers. group work, or individual instruction. You may wish to have them complete all the exercises, choose some, or assign them individually. Includes three pages of sensory words for students to use if needed. - HappyEdugator
Correlative Conjunctions Study Guide. Study guide and worksheet on correlative conjunctions. Definition, Examples, and practice using correlative conjunctions correctly in a sentence. Subject/verb agreement and pronoun/antecedent agreement using correlative conjunctions when writing sentences. Key inlcuded. Supports common core. -HappyEdugator
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.1e Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
Earth Day Word Problems - Multiple Operations. 15 word problems related to Earth Day for your students to solve. Includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. Some are two step problems. Encourages critical thinking and application of basic math skills. Supports common core! Problems can also be cut out and used as task cards. - HappyEdugator
Commonly Confused Words TEST. Good spelling help and standardized test prep. Fifty questions of commonly confused words that are often seen on state tests. Includes common homophones like there, they're and their; usage errors such as its, and it's and should have vs. should of; as well as words such as sit and set and lie and lay. Should really make them think. - HappyEdugator
Rebus Puzzles - a fun critical thinking activity. Figure out the word puzzles. Great to do with partners, or use as a warm up. Print and go, Works especially well for gifted and talented students who enjoy challenges, but will work with other student populations as well. Enjoy! - Happyedugator
Writing an Objective Summary with Rubric. Handout on how to write an objective summary based on common core standards. Often a constructed response will require a summary of the text. Includes rubric for evaluation.
ersuasive Prompts Handout. Use this as a handout to give students many different choices for writing an argument or opinion piece, or use the prompts separately for different writing assignments. There is a total of 18 persuasive writing prompts that will surely get them writing! - HappyEdugator
Supports Common Core ELA Writing Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1a Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1b Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1d Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1d Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1d Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Subject Verb Agreement - Practice Worksheets with key. You get 2 worksheets, and a subject-verb agreement handout! The first worksheet has twenty-five practice sentences that students can use to practice their skills. The second has twenty questions. There are two choices given in each sentence, but students will have to think to pick the correct choice. These can also be used as an assessment after a unit of study. Also includes a handout on subject verb agreement for student reference. Keys included. - HappyEdugator
Sequencing Activity Using Recipes. LF based lesson plan focuses on "How are following directions and sequencing events related?" This is an Activity Sheet with Essential Question and Activating Strategy, Activity Directions, and Exit Ticket Summarizer included, and a set of blank recipe cards for students to complete. Students will work with a partner and find recipes in a cookbook or on the internet and copy them down on their blank recipe cards. They will then complete two different activities with the cards. With the first card,they will identify directions and transition words and discuss what would happen if these got mixed up or out of order with their partner. With the second card, they will copy the directions onto sentence strips, mix them up, and give to another group to put in order. They will then write about their experience and turn in their summary. Ticket out the door included. - HappyEdugator
Roots with Meaning and Example Words Handout. Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes along with their meanings and example words. alphabetical order. 5 pages, useful as a study guide for test preparation. Supports common core. - HappyEdugator
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).
Organize for back to school with this free desk planner! Print on cardstock, laminate, and use dry erase markers (or wet erase) to write on and wipe off. Write in the month, dates, and days of the week. Calendar also has a place for Notes, Reminders, Daily To Do List,and Weekly To Do List. In color or ink friendly black and white. - HappyEdugator
Organize for back to school with this free desk planner! Print on cardstock, laminate, and use dry erase markers (or wet erase) to write on and wipe off. Write in the month, dates, and days of the week. Calendar also has a place for Notes, Reminders, Daily To Do List,and Weekly To Do List. In color or ink friendly black and white. - HappyEdugator