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.
Your kids will be proud of their superpowers with this editable superhero award set for the end of the year. The set includes four different boys and four different girls for each award. There is an end of year award for each of the following:
Star Reader
Star Writer
Star Historian
Star Scientist
Star Athlete
Star Artist
Star Musician
Star Citizen
Just fill in by adding text boxes above the lines and typing in name, date, and teacher. This way you can use your own font and style for the lettering. There is also a blank award certificate for each style so you can put in your own words by just adding a textbox and typing in what you want. Your little superheroes will love these, and so will their parents.
Bald Eagles - Fun Facts About Eagles PowerPoint. Learn about bald eagles! This American Bald Eagle PowerPoint has interesting and fun facts about the life of an eagle. Students will learn about two subspecies of bald eagles, and engaging facts about eagle characteristics, abilities, and behavior. They will discover eagle habitat, eagle adaptations, and how they raise their young. Informational text can be used to introduce or supplement a forest theme unit or a unit about the zoo, eagles, or American symbols and animals. Engage students and grab their attention, or build background knowledge for reading books with eagles. Includes links to websites about eagle sounds, short videos all about eagles, and the DC Eagle Cam. Students will enjoy studying about bald eagles around patriotic holidays and events, since the bald eagle is the national bird of the U.S.A. Great summer activity as well, or use in a summer camp around the 4th of July. - HappyEdugator
ndependent Clauses and Dependent Clauses handout will help your students understand sentence structure and how to make compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Explains how to form compound sentence using independent clauses with commas and conjunctions or semicolons,and also with semicolons and transitional words. Explains how to make a complex sentence with subordinating or relative pronouns, and how to use a dependent clause at the beginning followed by a comma. Also notes how to make a compound-complex sentence by combining a compound sentence with a dependent clause. Lists coordinating conjunctions (in FANBOYS order), common subordinating conjunctions and relative pronouns. Concise, handy reference for developing writing skills. - HappyEdugator
Thanksgiving Writing Paper - Lined Paper - Thanksgiving Harvest Theme. Writing paper for your Harvest or Thanksgiving celebration in your classroom. Four different designs. Two sheets have illustration boxes for students to decorate. Clip art includes choice of turkeys, harvest pumpkins, and pilgrims. - HappyEdugator
Greater Than or Less Than or Equal ( >< = ) Students can use the practice putting the correct symbol between two numbers. The sheets get more challenging as you go through them. The first sheet starts out with numbers between 0 and 5, the second sheet between 0 and 9, and so on. By the tenth sheet, they are comparing 3 digit numbers. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator
Persuasive Writing Prompt and Task with Standards Based Rubric. Writing an argument. Practice for students in middle school or beyond. Includes writing prompt and the standards-based rubric. Suggested lesson, Give out the rubric first and discuss, so students will know what is expected and strive for excellence. Then give them the writing prompt and let them work on the writing process.
Supports common core 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.
Christmas Analogies PowerPoint - a fun December Christmas activity for students to practice looking for relationships between word pairs. Students number their papers 1-10 and write the word that completes each analogy on their paper. They can then check their answers with the key on the last slide. Includes animated pictures that are entertaining and engaging. Two sets of ten Christmas analogies. All the analogies are Christmas related. Enjoy! Happy Holidays! - HappyEdugator
eading - Author's Purpose Activity Handout. This reading activity handout explains author's purpose (to inform, to persuade, and to entertain) and gives students six different author's purpose reading selections they need to identify. Key is included. - HappyEdugator
TEST PREP Language Arts Standards Practice Test is a 30 multiple choice question practice test or study guide presented in the style of a state standardized test. Test prep questions cover a variety of standards, including research, word roots, combining sentences and figurative language. Useful for preparing for any state test. Students can get ready for taking a standardized test by practicing. Use a bubble sheet or scan-tron to make it more like the real thing. Supports common core. - HappyEdugator
Multiple Intelligence Tic Tac Toe Assignment Template. This is a differentiated assignment... a tic tac toe or menu activity that uses multiple intelligences for each section. Write in the theme or unit you are teaching. Teachers can customize the tic tac toe to fit what they are teaching and makes differentiation easy. There are nine 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. Just fill in the blanks for what you want students to learn in your unit of study. Adaptable to any subject. - HappyEdugator
Rikki Tikki Tavi Six Sentence Summary Format and Grammar Practice Sheet. Students can learn to write a brief summary, but they often need scaffolding to get started. Here is a strategy to help your reluctant writers or your students who have trouble organizing their ideas. Use the format to have students write a better summary of a fiction text. The example given is based on Rikki Tikki Tavi by Rudyard Kipling, but the format can be used with other short stories, too. Included is a grammar practice sheet on punctuation and capitalization based also on the short story Rikki Tikki Tavi Use as a quick activity or warm up to review skills.
Enjoy! - HappyEdugator
Halloween Word Search Activity and Fill-In. Happy Halloween! Thirty Halloween related words that should be more fun than scary. For extra fun, have students work in pairs and use orange highlighters to find the words. Students can use the words in the word search to fill in the Halloween story. Entertaining Halloween wordsearch and fill-in will develop vocabulary and spelling skills. Two Halloween activities in one. Answer key included. - HappyEdugator
Expository Writing. Methods of Expository Writing Activity Handout. Practice identifying correct text structure. Students identify the type of writing they would use for each writing task. They can choose from process, comparison/contrast, cause and effect, or persuasion. 12 different scenarios for writing. Students can work in groups, with a partner, or individually on this assignment sheet. Based on the type of questions often given on standardized tests. Key included. - HappyEdugator
Show Not Tell PowerPoint. How to use the "Show Not Tell" strategy in creative writing. Imagery and sensory language create mental pictures. Strong verbs replace dead verbs. Helps student write with more descriptive words and vivid language. Animated graphics. Practice slides included.
- HappyEdugator
Smartboard Christmas activity - identify figurative language in Christmas songs. Students have to read through the lyrics of different winter tunes and Christmas songs and identify types of figurative language, such as metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, or idiom. Lyrics have examples highlighted in different colors, so they can try to figure out the color code. Each song has a snowflake link to a music video of the song. Five songs...fun activity for the holidays. Color code key is at the end, so they can check their answers, and a name that tune/figurative language quiz at the end, with key under the pull down shade. Happy holidays!
- HappyEdugator
Literary Elements of a Short Story PowerPoint. Literary terms and elements include characters, plot, conflict, setting, theme, resolution, denouement. Explains the critical parts of a short story that students need to be able to identify when they read, as well as incorporate into their own writing. Quiz at the end. Good for test prep Supports common core standards. 16 slides - HappyEdugator
Drama - The Emperor's New Clothes. This PowerPoint is a fun reader's theater or classroom play based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale that can be performed by students on short notice with limited space and props. Cast of characters, props, and stage directions make it easy and entertaining. Vocabulary can be discussed during a preview. Print the slides out as handouts (Print-Settings-Outline - to print out like a script in black and white) for your students and project the play as it is being performed.You can also just project it to save copies. I have students read their handouts silently first and look for words that are unfamiliar. Some possible words are highlighted on the slide show. Then discuss the unknown words and use them in a performance! I used this fairy tale theater as a bridge between a drama unit and a fairy tale and folk tale unit. And don't worry...no one has to get undressed! :-)
- HappyEdugator
Halloween Smart Board Activities - Four different Halloween ELA activities for your Smartboard. Sort the Halloween vocabulary into Parts of Speech, complete a fill-in the blank or cloze story, put together some Halloween antonyms, and solve the Halloween crossword puzzle. All interactive activities. Answers can be checked right away for immediate feedback. - HappyEdugator