Over twenty years teaching, developing lessons and conducting professional development - coupled with fiction and film writing - is who I am. Family, education and writing define what I love.
Over twenty years teaching, developing lessons and conducting professional development - coupled with fiction and film writing - is who I am. Family, education and writing define what I love.
The non-fiction Common Core aligned readings and primary source Document Pamphlet series: Discovering America is designed to help students read for information and think critically while forming their own ideas. Students and adults alike will discover history by looking at artifacts constructed by the people who shaped the United States of America.
Perfect for any classroom, from Fifth Grade to college, this series engages students and prompts them to think for themselves, question, reflect and gain a deeper understanding of history.
100s of Pages of Engaging Student Document Analysis, lessons, debates and Activities.
Imperative for understanding, critical thinking and 21st Century learning is the ability for students to analyze primary source documents.
Included in this lesson are copies of the original, handwritten versions of the Emancipation Proclamation, a typewritten "Interactive Reader" version for analysis, student instructions on analyzing primary sources and a Source Document Graphic Organizer.
Primary sources provide a window into the past—unfiltered access to the record of artistic, social, scientific and political thought and achievement during the specific period under study, produced by people who lived during that period.
Bringing young people into close contact with these unique, often profoundly personal, documents and objects can give them a very real sense of what it was like to be alive during a long-past era.
The ultimate teaching tool to Harper Lee's best-selling Go Set a Watchman.” Complete with historical background your students need to fully understand the context of the plot, themes and symbolism -- this guide contains non-fiction assignments, differentiated instruction technique hints and assignments, universal access lessons and interactive notebook templates and that is just the beginning. This unit is print-n-go, no prep.
Each section of the novel is summarized and analyzed and contains comprehension quizzes, Socratic Seminar notes, assignments and much more.
Links are included for extra resources -- as well as exclusive access to teaching PowerPoints -- aligned with this essential novel study.
Also includes Timeline Towards Desegregation from 1857 Dred Scott to 1955 Brown vs. Board of Education with R.A.F.T. assignment, historical source document analysis, interactive journal pages and, again, much more.
Table of Contents
A Quick and Dirty Guide to Go Set a Watchman 5
Themes 7
Symbols 8
Characters 9
A Quick and Dirty Guide to Literary Elements 10
R.A.F.T. Assignment – Historical Background Assignment 11
Pre-Reading R.A.F.T Student Pages 14
Go Set a Watchman Novel Unit 17
With Summaries and Analysis for Each Section
Comprehension Quizzes for Each Section
Historical Non-Fiction Text Assignments
Other Assignments and Graphic Organizers
Go Set a Watchman Final Exam 48
Common Core State Standards Literature Assignments 51
Socratic Discussion/Seminar with Rubric 62
Go Set a Watchman Interactive Notebook 65
Templates and Assignments for Universal Access
Answers and Information 102
These Daily Reading and Writing Warm-Ups are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and help to foster the 21st Century higher order thinking skills necessary in today's world. Not your ordinary multiple-choice bell-ringers, but learning tasks designed to engage students and get them thinking.
Over 130 in all, these Daily Reading and Writing Warm-Ups are themed for an entire school year and are written at reading levels from 3rd through 5th grades. Perfect as Early Finishers, Bell Ringers, Warm-Ups and more.
Cross-Curricular.
A no-prep novel unit for Harper Lee's classic -- "To Kill a Mockingbird". With quizzes, comprehension, literary device study, interactive notebook pages, universal access assignments, source document analysis, social studies tie-ins, and much more, this handbook is the perfect solution for the 21st Century classroom. Differentiated activities and lessons abound in this comprehensive and complete novel study.
134-pages
“Thomas Jefferson: Views on Slavery and Framing Independence” is part of the non-fiction, Common Core State Standards aligned readings and primary source document pamphlet series: Discovering America. This is an interactive reader designed to help students read for information and think critically as they form their own thoughts and opinions about United States history. This series allows students to explore history by looking at and interpreting artifacts constructed by the people and events that made history.
Perfect for any classroom, from guided Fifth Grade through college, this series engages students and prompts them to think for themselves, question, reflect and gain a deeper understanding of the events that shaped the United States of America. Students will experience an inside glimpse of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson – in all of his historical glory and flawed humanity. This publication is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and covers anchor standards as well as standards on writing, reading and literacy across the curriculum.
Students analyze source documents and determine historical outcomes from the words and workings of the people who made history
Table of Contents
Interpreting a Source Document Instructions page 7
Declaration of Independence Notes page 8
Letter to Henry Lee page 9‐10
Thomas Jefferson page 12
Annotated: Little Journeys To the Homes of the Great page 13
Letter to John Randolph, August 25, 1775 page 23
Letter to John Randolph, November 29, 1775 page 26
Letter to Benjamin Franklin, August 13, 1777 page 28
Drafting the Declaration page 30
Towards Independence page 37
Annotated from Thomas Jefferson’s Memoir, Correspondence and Miscellanies page 37
Thomas Jefferson and Slavery page 48
Acknowledgments page 57
Notes on Answers page 58
Can you Name 4 states that begin with the letter "S" in 30 seconds?
Can you Name 4 types of precipitation?
Can you Name 4 parts of the sun?
Engaging game for the entire class, as a,center activity, or for partner play. The premise is simple – a team or student draws a card and answers the question by naming four.
Questions based on information students need to know for school success in 5th Grade.
There are:
81 – History/Social Studies Cards
45 – Science Cards
63- Math Cards
45 – English/Language Arts Cards
The non-fiction Common Core aligned readings and primary source Document Pamphlet series: Discovering America is designed to help students read for information and think critically while forming their own ideas about why history happened.
Students and adults alike will discover history by looking at artifacts constructed by the very people who shaped the United States of America. Perfect for any classroom, from Fifth Grade to college, this series engages readers and prompts them to think critically and divergently by analyzing and synthesizing information, questioning and reflecting…all to gain a deeper understanding of how the U.S was formed and how policy decisions were derived. In this edition, students discover the intelligent and pervasive John Adams.
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for literacy across history – “John Adams: Non-Fiction Readings” will engage students and non-students alike as they discover American history.
The activities in this unit are CCSS aligned with grades 4-8. These lessons and activities are differentiated and engaging. Students will learn about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and the office of the Presidency as they work through Readers’ Theater scripts, Fluency exercises, compare and contrast writing assignments, projects: Make Your Own Ink and Write a Letter to the President and source document analysis and study.
69- Pages Including – George Washington PowerPoint and Notes Template for Students
Part 1
Page 4: Reader’s Theater Script Instructions
Page 5-8: Reader’s Theater 1: “George Washington’s Years with His Brother”
Pages 9-11: Reader’s Theater 2: “It’s Presidents’ Day”
Pages 12-13: Reader’s Theater 3: “Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address”
Pages 14-15: Reader’s Theater 4: “Facts About Lincoln”
Differentiated for Struggling Readers
Pages 16-17: Reader’s Theater 5: “The Gettysburg Address”
Part of Lincoln for advanced readers
Page 18: Instructions for “Lincoln vs. Washington Compare and Contrast Differentiated Writing Assignment”
Page 19-22: Lincoln vs. Washington Compare an Contrast Reading
Page 23: Lincoln vs. Washington – graphic organizer activity
Page 24: Lincoln vs. Washington Essay notes Template
Page 25: Instructions to Five Minutes to Fluency Practice and Comprehension.
Page 27: Grade Level Fluency Chart
Page 28-31: Four Multi-Level Presidents’ Day Themed Fluency Passages
Page 32-35: Alternative Fluency Assignments for Advanced Learners – “Working With Source Documents – The Gettysburg Address
Page 36-40: Relevant CCSS
President Washington Literacy and Math Unit With Some History on the Side
Part 2
Pages 4-6: Guided Reading Exercises and Questions
Page 7: Fluency and Comprehension Passages and Questions
Page 8: George Washington Fluency Practice The Early Years
Page 9: Comprehension Questions
Page 10: George Washington Fluency A Man of Manners
Page 11: Comprehension Questions
Page 12: George Washington Fluency Practice George Meets Martha
Page 13: Comprehension Questions
Page 14: George Washington Fluency Practice George Protests
Page 15: Comprehension Questions
Page 16: George Washington Fluency Practice Father of the Country
Page 17: Comprehension Questions
Pages 18-19: Critically Thinking Activity: Colonial Manners – Think Critically The Art of Civility
Page 22: Washington and Me: Presidential Material – Comparison Activity
Page 23: I Would Be a Great President Writing Activity
Page 24: Math Problem Puzzles
Page 25: Math Word Problems
Page 26-27: Letter to Martha or George: Letter Writing Activity; Make Your Own Ink for Letter Writing: Letter Writing Template
Page 28: Answer Key
Martin Luther King Jr. cross curricular, differentiated unit. The activities in this unit are engaging and perfect for grades 4-8.
Pages 3-4: Who is Martin Luther King Jr?: Literacy Activity
Pages 5-8: Readers’ Theater Script “I Have a Dream.”
Page 9: “I Have a Dream Readers’ Theater Summary” Template Worksheet
Page 10: Writing Across the Curriculum: Organization Game Directions
Page 11: Organization Game Cutable Worksheet: Words and MKL
Page 12: Vocabulary Building
Page 13: Writing Across the Curriculum: Social Students: Sentence Sorting to Building a Paragraph Instructions
Page 14: Sentence Sorting Activity and Template: MLK and the Quest for Civil Rights Pre-Writing Activity
Page 15: From Sentence Sorting to Paragraph Writing: Teacher Template – A completed template for teachers to use to teach the following…
Page 16: From Sentence Sorting to Paragraph Writing Student Template
Page 17: I Have a Dream: “A think and write about me” activity.
Page 18: I have a Dream Activity
20 Slide PowerPoint – MLK Jr. and the Road to Civil Rights
8 Slide PowerPoint to help instruct student about Readers’ Theater Guidelines and Participation
This bundle includes to of my non-fiction Common Core aligned readings and primary source Document Pamphlet series Interactive Workbooks -- Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. They are designed to help students read for information and think critically while forming their own ideas about why history happened.
Students and adults alike will discover history by looking at artifacts constructed by the very people who shaped the United States of America. Perfect for any classroom, from Fifth Grade to college, this series engages readers and prompts them to think critically and divergently by analyzing and synthesizing information, questioning and reflecting…all to gain a deeper understanding of how the U.S was formed and how policy decisions were derived. In this edition, students discover the intelligent and pervasive John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
As a bonus -- the Project Based Learning "Choose Your Own Government Structure" is also attached.
This unit contains three teaching PowerPoints, assessments, primary and secondary source document analysis, workbook pages and more --- over 100 pages of learning. Daily Reading and Writing Warm-ups are included!
The PowerPoints are also in PDF - because sometimes versions are not compatible.
All things RISE AND FALL of the Roman Empire
CCSS demands non-fiction document analysis. Additionally, college prep demands it. This resource contains the complete texts of the State of the Union Addresses of the first five presidents of the United States of America. Formative words that reflect the prosperity and growing pains of a new nation plus CCSS Document Analysis Template for differentiated - cross curricular instruction, debate and engagement.
Read and study the words of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe.
Our interactive readers are designed to help students read for information and think critically as they form their own thoughts and opinions about United States history. This series allows students to explore history by looking at and interpreting artifacts constructed by the people and events that made history. Primary source document analysis
Perfect for any classroom, from guided Fifth Grade through college, this series engages students and prompts them to think for themselves, question, reflect and gain a deeper understanding of the events that shaped the United States of America.
State of the Union Address
George Washington
January 8, 1790
December 8, 1790
October 25, 1791
November 6, 1792
December 3, 1793
November 19, 1794
December 8, 1795
December 7, 1796
John Adams
November 22, 1797
December 8, 1798
December 3, 1799
November 11, 1800
Thomas Jefferson
December 8, 1801
December 15, 1802
October 17, 1803
November 8, 1804
December 3, 1805
December 2, 1806
October 27, 1807
November 8, 1808
James Madison
November 29, 1809
December 5, 1810
November 5, 1811
November 4, 1812
December 7, 1813
September 20, 1814
December !3, 1816
James Monroe
December 12, 1817
November 16, 1818
December 17, 1819
November 14, 1820
December 3, 1821
December !3. 1822
December 2, 1823
December 7, 1824
FREEBIE FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH. ELEVEN Reading Comprehension Daily Reading and Writing Warm-Ups are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and help to foster the 21st Century higher order thinking skills necessary in today's world. Not your ordinary multiple-choice bell-ringers, but learning tasks designed to engage students and get them thinking.
Eleven in all , these Daily Reading and Writing Warm-Ups are themed for any day of the school year and are written at reading levels from 4th through 8th grades.
The non-fiction readings and primary source Document Pamphlet series: Discovering America is designed to help students read for information and think critically while forming their own ideas. Students and adults alike will discover history by looking at artifacts constructed by the people who shaped the United States of America. Perfect for any classroom, from Fifth Grade to college, this series engages students and prompts them to think for themselves, question, reflect and gain a deeper understanding of history. In this edition, students discover the prolific Patrick Henry – who some historians credit as firing the first figurative shot of the Revolution in his fiery “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech. Read select letters written by Henry, engage in his oratory, learn about his life and decide for yourself the impetus behind a man called one of the greatest Patriots in the history of America.