Punctuation Using Commas PowerPoint. Supports Common Core! PowerPoint presentation on comma rules and using comma punctuation correctly in writing elements and sentence structure. The presentation covers using commas with lists, dates, addresses, titles, joining independent and subordinate clauses in compound and complex sentences, nonessential clauses, phrases and words, introductory clauses, and separating adjectives. Animated clips. There is a short 10 question multiple choice quiz at the end, with questions similar to what students would see on a standardized test. Recently revised and updated. - HappyEdugator Common Core Language Standards L 4.2b, L4.2c,,L.5.2c

Poetry Activity for A Remarkable Adventure by Jack Prelutsky. At the beginning of the year, read a poem about excuses for not doing homework! A fun back to school poem to read with your students. They can also do the poetry activity sheet (useful for the beginning of the year) which provides a scaffolded guide for them to analyze a poem, looking for rhyme, alliteration, figurative language, imagery, and so forth. They are also challenged to draw a picture of what they visualize and write their own poem of excuses. 2 pages...first page is the actual poem with some graphics, 2nd page is the worksheet and writing activity. Poem can be copied on the front and activity on the back of one sheet. - HappyEdugator

Drama - Play Outline for Play Writing Project. Drama writing activity. If you want your students to write their own play, this is a good way to get them to start thinking. They must write an outline of what their play is about, and they will need to complete the ten steps required for a good outline of their play. Students will have to include information on characters, setting, conflict, plot, etc. Includes brainstorming sheet and easy to grade checklist, for a total of 100 points.Students should write the actual outline on their own sheet of notebook paper or type it, using the checklist as a guide. - HappyEdugator

Test Taking Strategies - Test Taking Strategies for State Tests. Test prep PowerPoint.for all standardized testing and state testing. Useful strategies for taking a state test or assessment. Test taking strategies that students can use during mandated standardized state tests to be successful. Mnemonic devices or catch phrases will help them remember what to do on and before a standardized test! - HappyEdugator

Parts of speech PowerPoint game. A fun interactive way to practice identifying parts of speech. Students are given two sentences and have thirty seconds to decide what part of speech the underlined words function as in a sentence. They can work with a partner and use wipe-off white boards or write the answers down on paper. After time is up, the answers will disappear. (Timer is built in) Click again to check answers. Advance slide and click to start with a new set of sentences. Grades 3 and up. Supports common core! 36 sentences in all. - HappyEdugator

Sentence structure PowerPoint game. A fun interactive way to practice identifying sentence structure. Students are given two sentences and have thirty seconds to decide their sentence structure...simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex. They can work with a partner and use wipe-off white boards or write the answers down on paper. After time is up, the answers will disappear. (Timer is built in) Click again to check answers. Advance slide and click to start with a new set of sentences. Can also be used for team play. 36 sentences in all. Supports common core state standards. - HappyEdugator CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1b Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.

Persuasive Writing Emotional Appeals Powerpoint. Details five techniques writers - and especially advertisers - use to convince you to agree with them and take action (and possibly buy their product): Loaded Language, Basic Needs, Testimonials, Bandwagon, and Snob Appeal. Great for teaching students the importance of using critical analysis to evaluate persuasive writing and how writers will use these techniques in a persuasive essay or advertisement. - HappyEdugator

Owls - Fun Facts About Owls PowerPoint. All about owls! Facts about the life of an owl; covers various species. Use in science to discuss owl pellets and owl behaviors. Informational text for reading practice. Build background knowledge for reading books with owls, like "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen or "Hoot" by Carl Hiassen. Use to introduce an owl unit of study to engage students. Good for any owl theme. 17 slides. - HappyEdugator

Subject Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases - Handout and Worksheets. Includes a handout explaining the rule for subject verb agreement with intervening phrases, two practice worksheets with 10 sentences each, a worksheet or assessment with 15 sentences that have intervening phrases between the subject and the verb on a full sheet or as two per page to save copies. Phrases that come between the subject and the verb commonly cause students to choose the incorrect verb form. Students have two choices to choose from, and they have to look past the phrase to find the correct answer. Good test prep. Print and go. No prep. Keys included. - HappyEdugator

TEST PREP Language Arts Standardized Test Practice PowerPoint. Test prep! Interactive questions and answers to prepare students for a standardized test in Language Arts. Use as a review of verb tenses, adjective and adverb clauses, and sentence combining, sentence structure, and parts of speech. Prepared for the Georgia state test CRCT, but useful preparation for any Language Arts standardized test. You can also edit questions to support your instruction as well. Supports common core. Recently updated with the addition of more rigorous questions! - HappyEdugator

Classroom Etiquette Handout for Middle School and High School. Classroom management tool. Rules to live by! Teach classroom behavior and classroom expectations. Students will have no excuses after they read this detailed set of rules for good manners in the classroom. "What your teacher really wants." What seems like common sense to the teacher is not always common sense for a student. They need direct instruction on expectations. Give to students to remind them of how you expect them to behave. Works well with a positive behavior intervention system. Additionally, this handout also could be given to students to copy if they have been given detention or ISS. - HappyEdugator

United States Scavenger Hunt Handout. A fun fill-in-the-blank geography hunt of the United States. Students will need to use a US map (several included) and will have to use their map skills to answer the questions. There are 30 blanks worth 3 points each, and one bonus question. Key included. Also includes a set of internet task cards. Educational and fun! A good Social Studies class activity, as well as a great activity for summer. Have your kids do this activity at summer camp or on a trip! - HappyEdugator

Lesson Plan Template - Standards Based. A weekly plan in MS Word with plenty of room for you to organize and keep you focused on learning. Room for Standards, Essential Questions, Activating Strategies, Acceleration, Teaching, Summarizing, and Daily Products and Homework. 2 different styles! You may modify or edit for your own specific needs. Works best for middle school, but can be used for all grades. - HappyEdugator

Rikki Tikki Tavi Preview PowerPoint. Preview the short story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling with this introductory powerpoint. Has vocabulary with definitions, plot diagram, literary elements, anticipation guide, author biography and background information, and strategies for reading short stories. Cobra and mongoose facts and photos included, as well as a link to a National Geographic video clip of a mongoose encounter with a cobra. This is an engaging story for the beginning of the year, and a good one to introduce literary elements, especially plot and conflict. Readers will love Rikki Tikki Tavi! - HappyEdugator

Language Arts Game Show PowerPoint - What is the Question? Interactive fun for test prep! Similar to the TV game show Jeopardy. It has the following categories: Persuasive Advertising Techniques, Elements of Fiction, The Writing Process, The Basic Parts of an Essay, Creating an Outline, and Sentence Structure. Go through the categories first before you start the board. Each category has a slide with detailed explanations that students can take notes from before they begin. (the questions come from there) All answers are worded as questions. Music and sound effects included. This highly interactive and engaging game can also be used as a template, if you choose to change the questions. Enjoy! Your students will love it! -HappyEdugator

Multiple Intelligence Choice Board. Use this board to culminate a unit of study. This is an assignment menu. Students can choose activities from the board to complete based on the unit they are studying. boxes for different types of learners and learning styles, with choices for Verbal or Linguistic, Mathematical or Logical, Visual or Spatial,Bodily or Kinesthetic, Musical or Auditory, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Naturalistic, and a box for student-teacher choice. - HappyEdugator

Polar Bears - Fun Facts About Polar Bears PowerPoint. Polar bear facts including information on polar bear size, adaptations, what polar bears eat, cubs, global warming, the environment, etc. Informational text for reading practice. Animated clips make it more engaging to young readers. Includes three activities! Activity 1 - Read Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do You Hear? By Eric Carle. Click on the sound icons and identify the everyday sound. Name the sound and draw a picture. Activity 2 - Discuss camouflage. Find multicolored toothpicks thrown in the grass...why is it harder to find the green ones? Activity 3 - True False facts about the polar bear. The last slide has book suggestions for further reading for literacy and math development, such as Polar Bears Past Bedtime. Fun to use around the Christmas season or during the winter months! - HappyEdugator

Nonfiction Vocabulary You Should Know PowerPoint presentation on vocabulary used in a nonfiction unit of study. Supports Common Core! Includes nonfiction, author's purpose, exposition, description, narration, and persuasion, types of nonfiction selections and their descriptions, nonfiction text structures, the difference between dialogue and dialect,as well as stereotype and bias. Good as an introduction to nonfiction reading and writing, and can be accompanied by my PowerPoint Structures of Nonfiction Text for more specific information on text structures. Includes animated graphics. Reading more nonfiction is essential to the common core standards. Prepare your students for the terminology. - HappyEdugator Common Core Standards CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6

Appositives and Appositive Phrases Handout and Practice. This includes a two page handout with clear graphics detailing what an appositive and an appositive phrase is, providing examples and the rules for correct punctuation of them. It can be copied front and back to save paper. The third page is a worksheet for practice, and the last page is the answer key. - HappyEdugator

Writing a Persuasive Essay Handout. How to write a good argument: starting with how to write a good thesis statement, supporting claims in body paragraphs, and making a conclusion that will persuade the reader agree with you! 2 pages. This is useful for students to use as a reference when they begin to write an argument to persuade an audience. Supports common core state standards. - HappyEdugator 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.