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

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.

Back to School Classroom Expectations PowerPoint. Just what you need at the beginning of the year. Use at Open House, Back to School Night, or Parent Night. A basic slideshow template of classroom expectations for students at the beginning of the year. Fill in your own specifics. Back to school expectations include behavior, routines, etc. Project it on your SmartBoard for the first day of school. Editable. Revise for yourself as necessary. I also play it continuously looping at Open House at individual student computers, set up like kiosks. - HappyEdugator

Biography Poster Person Project with Rubric. This biography project gives students a choice of making a poster person, poster, or diarama. Rubric provides students a guideline for expectations. Students must summarize in at least 4-6 paragraphs what they find out about their person, and the information on the poster should be legible and neat. They must also include the sources where they found the information on the back page the biography. Good project to do around President's Day, but the project doesn't have to be limited to Presidents. Editable format for you to make adjustments for your class. - HappyEdugator

Economics PowerPoint. Defines economics and the study of supply and demand. Explains in simple terms the differences between three different economic systems: the market economy, which is also known as capitalism; the command economy, which is also known as communism; and the mixed economy, which is also known as socialism. Animated graphics will engage your students. Last slide is a review for students to define the three different economies and answer a 3-2-1 question summary. - HappyEdugator

Latin America - All About Latin America PowerPoint. Teach Spanish or Social Studies? Latin America: the land, the people, the history and the culture. Packed with information! Animated slides. Can be used as an introduction to Spanish in a foreign language class, or in a Social Studies class. Engaging and entertaining, with interesting facts, and lots of photographs, this presentation is a good way to supplement a unit of study with an overview of population, politics, manufacturing, products,and agriculture. All countries in Latin America are included. 25 slides.

Greek and Latin Roots. 30 WEEKS of Word Stems from Latin and Greek Roots. Basic Lists of Greek and Latin roots. prefixes, suffixes, and affixes, tests, and answer keys included. Perfect for Back to School. Teacher directions, suggestions for homework activities, and differentiation included. This program will prepare your students for standardized tests. Starting at the beginning of the year, go through all 30 weeks, and then spend some time reviewing these as test prep before state testing. Knowing these Latin and Greek roots (which are labeled as to origin) will help your students understand the building blocks of the English language. In this file you will find thirty sets of word stems from Greek and Latin Roots. Each page has ten stems, with their meanings and example words. After the first set, most pages will have two review stems from a previous page. The origin of each stem is marked L for Latin or G for Greek. Supports common core standards. Suggested for middle grades, but may be adapted for grades 4 - 5 by following the suggestions for differentiation. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator Standards L.4.4b, L.5.4b, L.6.4b, L.7.4b, L.8.4b

A Beginning of the Year Me Bag Activity - a great back to school activity that helps everyone get to know each other at the beginning of the year. This All About Me Bag activity includes letter to parents with calendar, assignment reminder sheets, and rubric. Includes an original "me" bag poem to paste on the bag that students can read aloud and two writing sheets. Promotes creative thinking.

Leadership - Ten Qualities of a Good Leader PowerPoint Presentation. Helpful at the beginning of the year. Includes ten qualities that make a good leader. Some of the characteristics of a good leader include self-confidence, a sense of justice, and self-control. Good BTS character education activity or use when you are discussing classroom rules and behavior expectations. We tell kids to be good leaders,and not followers, but they need to know how. Good for back to school or the beginning of the year to provide students an understanding of expectations. Use at the beginning of the year to motivate. Use at the end of the year to review important life skills. (For professional development, insert the word teacher for leader, and student for follower) Animated slides, Partner activity and writing assignment included, along with some quick review questions. - HappyEdugator

Keep all your parent contacts in one place on this easy to use spreadsheet. Includes a separate sheet for each month of the school year, a field for last name, first name, date, and a field with a drop down menu for type of contact (phone, email, etc.) Editable for your classroom needs. - HappyEdugator

Following Directions TEST - A Tricky Following Directions Lesson. Fun for April Fool's Day, too! Give this following directions test to your students, and try not to laugh too much when they are taking it. If they don't read the directions first and do what the directions say, they will be shocked at the end to find out they only had to do number one...write their name! Great test preparation activity to get kids ready for standardized tests, too! Enjoy!

Myth Writing Lesson for Middle School. Fun for your mythology unit or writing lesson. Includes lesson plan details, assignment handout, and rubric. Students will learn the elements of myth, research a mythological hero, and write their own narrative on how the hero they chose can solve one of a list of problems that face middle school kids today. - HappyEdugator

Fraction Hunt. This is a fun way to practice fractions. First, hide a candy bar (or any individually wrapped candy) somewhere in the room under a map, atlas, globe, or drawing of the earth. Then give students the sheet to decode the message and find the candy. They will have lots of fun trying to be the first one done to get the prize. - HappyEdugator

Back to school Editable labels will help you get organized! Three different sizes. Just insert a text box and write what you want. Great for name tags, desk plates, signs, posters, supply labels, and more. - HappyEdugator

Shades of Meaning Verb Cards - Bundle of Six Sets. Cut out and laminate these 16 different cards IN EACH SET illustrating different synonyms of the verb "LAUGH, SEE, SAID, JUMP, RUN, AND WALK." Helps students understand connotation. With guidance and support from adults, students acquire new vocabulary by defining word relationships and nuances in word meanings, sorting words into categories, choosing and acting out the different meanings. Buy the bundle and save 20%! Aligns to Common Core Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.5d Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance) by acting out the meanings. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.5d Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them or by acting out the meanings. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.5b Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5c Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered). Additionally, words can be used for spelling practice, writing practice, and word walls. Includes definitions for the teacher. - HappyEdugator

All About Me Book - Beginning of the Year Writing Unit. Writing center activities. Gives students a chance to build a book about themselves, with writing prompts to encourage students to think. The pages can be completed as a class project, or individually whenever a child has finished other work and has free time. Supports common core state standards. Some pages can be done several times, such as the journal page once a week. Can be printed with color or white background. Teachers of younger children can help them fill out the pages. Although students can keep their own sheets and watch their books grow, you may wish to collect all their completed pages and keep folders for each author until all the pages are done. Assure them their pages will be kept private. Classroom and school photos can be added to make them extra special as a keepsake. Can also be used with older children who have autism or special needs. Join with your students and make your own book, too. 2 versions, 32 pages each - color background or white background to save ink. Print and go. - HappyEdugator

Africa Scavenger Hunt. A geography scavenger hunt of the continent of Africa. Fill-in-the-blank Reflects current geography of the continent. Students will need a map and will have to use their map skills to answer the questions. Key included. - HappyEdugator

Context Clues Practice Sheet. Several different context clue activities for students to do on this sheet that is a great review or quick substitute worksheet. Students have to define context clues, determine meanings of words in context, and write sentences using context clues.- HappyEdugator

Map Reading Worksheet. This worksheet students can use as a guide for finding important information on a map. Students should each be provided a map and then use this worksheet to learn about the title, grid, scale, legend or key, and direction of a map. - HappyEdugator

2015 Calendar - Free! Enjoy!