Middle School Exit Slips are based on Common Core Literature Standards and can be used with any selection, any day! Just print, cut, and distribute! CCSS Aligned You can use each of the twenty-one tickets several times throughout the year with different literature selections. Although these are titled “Exit Tickets,” they can be used as activating strategies, homework slips, prompts for extemporaneous speeches, task cards… The uses are MANY. I have found these cards to be very successful with collaborative pairs as an informal assessment. Each of the 21 printable pages has four Exit Tickets. If you need 40 exit tickets, simply make 10 copies. Print, then cut along the lines. You may choose to laminate and keep them in a Ziplock bag to use more than once. (Since they work with any selection, students will benefit from repeated practice!) Two Exit Tickets that are included in this product: *How did the main character change during the story? (based on CCSS) *How might the story change if the ending was different? (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) Each card will be the same size (easy collecting and stacking!). A box at the bottom of each card is provided for the score (easy grading!). I have also added 14 Bonus Exit Ticket ideas (common core aligned) that are more specific- PLUS a blank Exit Ticket page. Write in your own idea! These bonus tickets might not work well with every story, but when you find one that works for your selection, simply: cut, paste, and print! Exit Slips are the tickets to get out of the door. They help students process what they've learned by allowing them to reflect and summarize. Thank you!

This graphic organizer will help students figure out the difference among Possessive, Plural, and Plural-possessive nouns. What's the difference? This product answers just that. Worth its weight in gold for my students! For some reason, this was a difficult concept. Even ADULTS confuse plurals and possessives. Think about how many Christmas cards you get from the Smith's or Jones's? (There is NO apostrophe on plurals, guys!) This printable shows the difference between plural, possessive, and plural- possessives. The clip art proves to be a valuable tool for student understanding! The 1-page printable is copied 4 times: once as a printable, once as a black and white printable, once as a fill-in-the- blanks graphic organizer and once as a graphic organizer without images. This product will easily help your students LEARN plurals and possessives! Thanks!

Brain Breaks for your older students are physical activities that give your students a quick break so they return to the lesson with a better focus.    No prep: Just print and cut  Less than 4 minutes  Easy for Teacher and Students  Stress Reliever If a few of your students are hesitant to join in, offer to give the best participant one extra point on the current assignment. After the initial motivation, you will notice that students enjoy- and request brain breaks. Option 1 (SLIDES 4-10) Cut and pass out cards to individual students (four to a page). Option 2 (SLIDES 11-38) Show the entire class the PowerPoint slide. There are 28 brain breaks. Notes** Cards 1- 21 are for individual student movement. Card 22 requires 4 paperclips for each student. Card 23 requires an item for each student such as a pencil or piece of paper. Cards 24-28 are whole class activities and require teacher interaction. **You may want to listen to the pronunciation of the word on Card 26 before you begin (the pronunciation is available on Dictionary.com.) If you have any suggestions, please contact me at luckykroll@hotmail.com. Thank you! ~Kim

Context Clues Task Cards for High School and Middle School Secondary students will learn how to determine the meaning of unknown words using the surrounding text. Definition, example, antonym, and details are the 4 strategies used to guess the definition in this NO PREP product. This NO PREP product uses the 4 strategies of definition, example, antonym, and details. Included: -- Preview Activity with 4 sample task cards -- Preview PowerPoint, with sample answers for discussion --24 Task Cards with a mystery word and a context clue-filled sentence. Print, cut, and go! -- Answer Key (in two formats) -- Bonus: Creating Context Clue-Filled Sentences Directions and Blank Cards -- Bonus: Creating Context Clue-Filled Sentences 20 Mystery Words with Definitions The Preview Activity allows students to try their hand at context clues before they are graded. This will be especially useful if this product is not being used immediately after a Context Clues lesson. The four sample cards work as a review to remind students of the four main strategies (definition, example, antonym, and details) for context clues. The class will use the PowerPoint to check their answers and generate a discussion if they have questions. Task Cards can also be used as Entrance Tickets, Differentiation, Homework, Comprehension Check, Exit Tickets … the possibilities are many! Simply print and cut. Laminate for years of use.

Author's Purpose Task Cards for High School and Middle School (two sets of 20 each) Based on Common Core.RI.6.6 , 7.6, 8.6, and 9-10.6, these task cards present a reading selection for which students select the correct author’s purpose. Included are: 2 SETS of 20 original Task Cards (There are 40 cards total- both sets use the same 20 cards strong>, but have different multiple choice selections. The second set is more rigorous- and most closely resembles the selections found on standardized tests.) Answer sheets Answer Keys Set 1: Students read a selection on each card and decide if the author's purpose is to: Persuade, Inform, or Entertain. Set 2: Students read a selection on each card and determine the author's purpose from more rigorous options, such as: A) to present an argument using facts, B) to narrate a scene using sensory details, etc. These cards are an easy way to check student comprehension, but can be used in many more ways: Entrance Tickets, Exit Tickets, Differentiation, Comprehension Check, Homework… They might also be used as a springboard for discussion of how the author accomplishes his/ her purpose. One of my favorite ways to use is as follows: Make copies of each slide, but do not cut apart. Each student will answer all four items on one page. The next day, as students enter the room, they will receive the next page. Continue until all answers are completed. On the fifth day, students pair up and check answers. Give students time to re-read any that are different from their partners. Turn in for a grade. Have students write on – or laminate and use them more than once. Focus: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

This is a PowerPoint, lesson plan, several worksheets and activities on phrases and clauses. An EATS lesson plan (tied to the Common Core Standards) as well as two graphic organizers are included. Complete with an essential question, activating strategy, vocabulary, teaching strategies, and an exit ticket, students learn the difference between phrases and clauses. In Part 1, students are shown examples of each phrase type: Noun phrase Verb phrase Adjectival phrase Adverbial phrase Participial phrase Prepositional phrase Absolute phrase The class will fill out a graphic organizer, practice with partners and practice individually using different phrases. In Part 2, students are shown examples of each clause type: Independent Clause Dependent Clause Noun Clause Relative Clause Adjectival Clause Again, the class will fill out a graphic organizer, practice with partners, and practice individually using different clauses. In Part 3, students get a chance to review. There are opportunities for differentiation in the activities. For example, on the PPT, students are asked to create example sentences. To challenge students, teachers may opt to ask students to use a topic. On Worksheet #5, students are challenged to identify phrase/clause types. Lastly, students will complete an exit ticket. This is a complete lesson- ready for your classroom. Thank you!

Secondary students will get a task card and determine the text structure of a passage. Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Description, Problem-Solution, Sequence, and Chronology are the structures used in this NO PREP product. Twenty-one original reading selections are showcased. Focus: CCSS ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5, 6.6, 7.5, 7.6, 8.5, 8.6, 9-10.5, 9-10.6 Included: ---- 21 original text structure Task Cards ---- Answer keys ---- Answer sheets ---- optional “Your Turn” activity ---- 6 “Your Turn” Task Cards ---- Text Structure printable worksheet --- Lesson/ Notes Just print, copy, and distribute. It's that easy! Students read a selection on each card and decide if the text structure is: Cause-Effect, Compare-Contrast, Description, Problem-Solution, Sequence, or Chronology. These cards are an easy way to check student comprehension, but can be used in many more ways. Try them as Entrance Tickets, Exit Tickets, Differentiation, Comprehension Check, or Homework… They might also be used as a springboard for discussion of how the author accomplishes his/ her purpose. One of my favorite ways to use is as follows: Make copies of each slide, but do not cut apart. Each student will answer all four items on one page. The next day, as students enter the room, they will receive the next page. Continue until all answers are completed. On the fifth day, students pair up and check answers. Give students time to re-read any passages that received a different answer from their partner. Turn in for a grade. Have students write on the task cards- or the provided answer sheets.

Teaching Parallel Structure to 9th and 10th graders CAN be enjoyable! This resource was created to make teaching this Common Core Standard easy! I have included: -an EATS lesson plan -the content standard -essential question -vocabulary: Parallel and Structure -an activating strategy -collaborative activities -individual activities -a printable exit ticket -POWERPOINT -WORKSHEETS TASK CARDS -challenge activity -optional homework practice and answer keys This works really well with my 9th graders! You can also use with grades: 7, 8, 11 or 12th grade, but it was built specifically for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.a (Use parallel structure). The Essential Question is: How can I create and correct sentences that have parallel structure? This lesson is accompanied by a PowerPoint (included) that goes with the EATS lesson plan- and makes teaching very easy. I hope you enjoy this lesson! Thanks!- Kim Kroll

This lesson is on the short story "Miss Awful," by Arthur Cavanaugh. Please make sure you have a copy of the text in your anthology. ✓ This set includes a PowerPoint, 2 Worksheets, Written Response (Essay Prompts), Vocabulary Worksheets, Vocabulary Quiz, Final Test, Exit Tickets, and Answer Keys. ✓ The EATS lesson plan includes: Essential Question, vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies, and an Exit Ticket. ✓ The lesson plan and worksheets are a time-saver. Just print and go! Answer keys are included. ✓ The PowerPoint will help with pacing the lesson (especially if you are getting observed!) and will help students focus on the most important components of the lesson. I has also answered the essential question (using "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" example) so that students will be able to discuss how to critique an effective response. Teachers can display this sample answer when students are completing the exit ticket. The Common Core Focus is: CCSS.ELA-RL.6.1/ 7/1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Thank you!

This Literary Terms Match-Up Game is effective, fun, and can be used over and over in the classroom! Accompanied with an EATS lesson plan and following the Common Core RI.7.4., the "board" gives 28 definitions. Literary terms included are: Dialogue, Figurative language, Plot Inference, Genre, Suspense, Imagery, Theme, Flashback, Irony, Effect, Omniscient, Point of View, Fiction, Cause, Paraphrase, Retelling, Conflict, Setting, Climax, Foreshadowing, Predict, Stanza, Tone, Mood, Main idea, Resolution,Character, Drama, Non-fiction, Narration, Onomatopoeia. The answer key is provided not only to make life easier, but to allow students to check their own work. At the beginning of the year, have students work in groups to match the term to the definition. As the year progresses, use it as a review to see if the students learned the material. Eventually, students will complete the activity individually. It is a great activity for the end of the year, too. You will be impressed how much the students have learned. What took them 20 minutes at the beginning of the year now takes 5 minutes for many students! Throughout the year, I use this as a "filler" when the power goes out or a bomb threat is called in (Yes, it happens!) without wasting students' time. Once, my principal unexpectedly visited my classroom while the students were working on this activity- and he asked if I made this myself. He was impressed. Yay! (The happiness we teachers get from a pat on the back...) I suggest making copies of the game pieces with colored paper so the words stand out more. (Mine was printed on colored paper- in the picture. Laminating the game board and pieces (hint: BEFORE you cut them apart) is a really good idea as well! I also print out copies and give at Open House or at conferences. My students' parents were very grateful!

If you are looking for a high-interest topic to tackle the reading, viewing, and listening standard, look no further! Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius’ eruption, lava, Pliny the Younger… it’s all here. The videos are superb, the the text is rigorous (but short, accessible- and has humor!) and the audio is great. I LOVE teaching Pompeii because the students are fully engaged- mesmerized! The text for READING is by Pliny the Younger. A first-hand account of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Knowing that students may struggle a bit with the language, I have created a paired activity where students summarize each sentence. I have included my summary of each sentence (in case they get stuck- or ) to compare with the student’s finished activity. Yes, Pliny actually calls his uncle out for snoring! The LISTENING text is “The Dog of Pompeii” by Louis Untermyer. If you don’t have the text in your anthology, search for free copies on the web. Students individually complete a worksheet (included) after reading. The VIEWING component uses two videos readily available on the web- one made by PBS that is 2 minutes in length (but packs a punch!) and another lengthier, informative video. Once the students have completed activities on EACH of the modes, there is a writing assignment. The writing assignment begins as a group activity. Groups will write a paragraph and compare to my sample paragraph. Then, students work individually for the final assessment- a similar paragraph that compares the three modes: reading, listening, and viewing. This is a week-long lesson, but you can just teach a part of this lesson if you are focusing on other standards (For example, you may have “Dog of Pompeii” in your anthology. You can use the worksheets and activity for just this story instead of teaching the entire unit). Thanks so much for your interest. Enjoy teaching Pompeii!

‘Get to Know You’ Cootie Catchers are perfect for the first day of school- or when students need to break the ice before they work in groups. Cootie Catchers are also called Fortune Tellers. Included in this product are 10 different cootie catchers, each with 8 different questions each. Sample questions include: • Tell me about a time when you got stitches. • Tell me about your favorite dessert. • What is the first thing you will buy if you win the lottery? • How do you feel about staying healthy? Partners will pair up to use these cootie catchers. This is a fun FOLDABLE and great interactive activity as an ice breaker! Just print and pass out! Students will cut off the bottom strip, fold, and begin discussing! These cootie catchers really promote student interest! Learning and fun!

Want to motivate your students with a creative writing prompt? This set includes tree choices of backgrounds for your students to use as they explain how life will be when they become the President of the United States! Each is formatted on a single page.

Intensive Pronouns are the focus of Common Core 6.1 b. A PowerPoint, lesson plan, and worksheet on Intensive Pronouns are all included. The EATS lesson plan (tied to the Common Core Standards) as well as an individual worksheet work together to keep students on-task! If your class is studying Intensive Pronouns, this resource is for you! Complete with an essential question, vocabulary, teaching strategies, and an exit ticket, this lesson shows the difference between Intensive Pronouns and Reflexive Pronouns. Once students are shown several examples, they will practice with slides on the PowerPoint. Following the PowerPoint, students will work on individual worksheets. Lastly, students will complete an exit ticket. Students will learn: How can I use intensive pronouns correctly? CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1b Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). Thank you and ENJOY!

Secondary Word of the Day S.A.T. Bracelets S.A.T.-level vocabulary for your secondary students! These paper bracelets are ready-to-go! Simply print, cut, and tape them on students’ wrists. Add a bit of whimsy to education! Don’t think for a minute that your secondary students are too mature for paper bracelets; they LOVE them! Use these Word of the Day bracelets to help reinforce long-term learning. (Eradicate the “remember-for-the-test, then forget” strategy.) Students will be reminded of their vocabulary word throughout the day. Assign one word to each student per period- and watch them find students with the same word throughout the day. Watch students between classes discuss each other’s words. Hooray! These bracelets create a ripple effect, too. Students report that family members learn their words, too (especially their younger siblings– your future students)! At the end of the week, ask students to use the bracelets to create links for a Vocabulary Word Chain in their locker for year-long reinforcement. Included are “Don’t Forget,” “Test tomorrow,” and some blank bracelets for you to customize as study reminders for students (and parents)! This product includes: - 45 slips with (45) S.A.T.-level vocabulary words and definitions - notes/ directions - 1 free Cootie Catcher - 15 Reminder Bracelets (5 “Test Tomorrow”, 5 “Don’t Forget”, and 5 blanks for you to write on) This product is in PDF form and is not editable. Thanks! Kim Kroll

If you have the short story “The All American Slurp” by Lensey Namiokain your anthology, this lesson is for you! This short story resource includes worksheets, PowerPoint, vocabulary quiz, and lesson plan. All are editable. I have included an EATS lesson plan with an Essential Question, preview vocabulary, activating strategy, teaching strategies and a summarizing strategy (Exit Ticket). The exit tickets are printable. The lesson focuses on theme and provides an answer to the essential question so students will understand the concept. The lesson also touches on onomatopoeia. The lesson plan and worksheets are a valuable time-saver. Just print and go! Answer key is included. This resource also includes directions to use the PALS reading strategy and a PALS worksheet. I LOVE using PALS so that every student is responsible to read and comprehend. This is a great short story to use with PALS! Thank you! ~Kim

I am so proud of this lesson! When I found the Common Core Standard for punctuating a pause in 8th grade, I looked high and low for a resource before realizing one needed to be created. How difficult can creating an ellipsis, dash and comma lesson be? Trust me, it wasn’t as easy as I originally thought! The nuances between the three punctuation marks need to be distinguished so students can learn which to use- and further- what each one adds to the text (suspense, sudden interruption, reader direction…). Included is the PPT, Lesson plan, Worksheets and more. With the PowerPoint, a lecture unfolds following LFS (Learning Focused Strategies) to include an activating strategy, teaching strategies and summarizing strategies. Using the Essential Question: “How do I punctuate a pause?” the graphic organizer worksheet allows students to follow along with the PPT smoothly, while taking notes. There are pictures on the PowerPoint to stimulate interest, along with an easy format for students and teachers, alike. The PPT, graphic organizer worksheet, and Activity Worksheets focus on the three punctuation marks: ellipsis, dash, and comma. There is an exit ticket on the worksheet for summary. Included are examples and activities for the entire class, partners, and individuals. Answer keys are provided for each activity. Addressed Common Core Standards include: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2a Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. Hope you enjoy this lesson! It will save you hours from creating a lesson from scratch! #ellipsis #dash #comma #pause

Context clues are so important; they are part of the Common Core Standards in grades TWO through TWELVE! This lesson focuses on grades 6 through 8. This product includes: ---An EATS Lesson plan (with activating strategy, teaching strategies, etc.) ---A complete PowerPoint for this lesson ---Two worksheets ---Two activities ---A PowerPoint of printable task cards (8)- perfect for differentiated instruction The lesson gives the definition for context and shows examples. A sample sentence without context clues is also shown. Students will be given an original picture of "clues" as a PowerPoint visual to connect with this concept. Students will learn the four main strategies that writers use to give context clues to their readers (telling, examples, antonyms, and picture-painting). As a class, students will practice with the examples on the PowerPoint- identifying which strategy the writer used. Later, students will pair up and work on TASK CARD examples (perfect for differentiating this lesson- or use them as homework slips!). Finally, students will work independently on a worksheet and create a context clue-filled sentence of their own for their peers to critique. Most of the students' unknown words come from my "Word of the Day: Preparing for the S.A.T." So, if they accidentally learn the meaning, it's a win!! :) This lesson has a lot of information and several strategies for students to learn. The second PowerPoint (the one with task cards) is intended to be printed. This lesson focuses on: CCSS Literacy .L.6.4.a, 7.4.a, and 8-12.4.a. Thank you so much!

Students are shown the humor that can be created with dangling and misplaced modifiers. (Prepare to have your students laughing!) This lesson shows the definition of a modifier and a clause, as well as the difference between a misplaced modifier and a dangling modifier. The PowerPoint provides several examples for mastery and later for students to identify. Following the PowerPoint, groups will use the printable worksheets to determine which sentences contain misplaced/dangling modifiers. An EATS lesson plan (tied to the Writing Common Core Standards) includes an essential question, preview vocabulary, teaching strategies, assessment strategies, and an exit ticket. This lesson is easy to follow, interactive and high-interest. The lesson plan, PPT, a group activity and individual worksheets are all included. There is also a challenge section to differentiate instruction for quick learners. Finally, students will complete an individual worksheet and an Exit Ticket. This lesson was a hit in my classroom. I hope you enjoy this product, too!

Author's Purpose Inform, Entertain and Persuade: a lesson on Author's Purpose This PowerPoint was created for my observation/ evaluation. It has a lesson plan and worksheet included. It is: *interesting and rigorous *timed perfectly for a 53-minute class period *showcases teacher strengths *uses various activities for high interest *keeps students involved This lesson was used during my observation/ evaluation, and my principal LOVED it. This PPT focuses on the 3 purposes-- inform, entertain and persuade-- giving examples, practice and eventually an Exit Ticket. This presentation was used for 6th and 7th grade, but could work with 5th-12th. At one point, students can use sign language to silently engage in the lesson. (Principal and students LOVE this part!) Included with the lesson plan are activities for partners (sorting slips) and individuals (writing). Answer keys are also provided. I HIGHLY SUGGEST USING THIS ONE-DAY LESSON WHILE GETTING EVALUATED. Using the Essential Question: How can a reader determine the author’s purpose?, the worksheet allows students to follow along with the PowerPoint smoothly. There are pictures to stimulate interest, along with an easy format for students and teachers, alike. The Author's Purpose lesson plan follows LFS (Learning Focused Strategies) to include an activating strategy, teaching strategies and summarizing strategies. The lesson helps students determine the author's purpose as found in the Common Core Standards: "Reading Standards for Informational Text - Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others." This teaches students to look for clues to the author's purpose. I truly think you will like this one! Enjoy!