Meridian
High interest learning resources for the Middle School student - fun, challenging and varied.
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High interest learning resources for the Middle School student - fun, challenging and varied.
English language arts
Fun with Malapropism
What's a Malaprop?
"It is the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect, as in, for example, “dance a flamingo ” (instead of flamenco )."
This pack has more than 170 Malaprops that are fun, challenging and great for learning about correct English. Many of the Malaprops include common mistakes that English speakers make.
Translating what the speaker was meaning needs some hard thinking in some cases.
An answer key is provided at the end.
The School Uniform
The School Uniform is always a matter of conversation and debate in schools and this thematic unit explores various aspects of the School Uniform discussion.
As a thematic unit it covers a variety of topic starters including colour charts, infographics, budgetting, design, debate, SWOT analysis and more.
A thematic study is always great for the creative teacher who can use these study starters to explore different directions around a them.
The package is attractively presented and provides two pages of teachers notes to assist in further study explorations.
My kids thoroughly enjoyed working through the topic - as expected, there was much debate!
25 pages
(The pages shown here are samples only)
1 week duration
Clowns and Slapstick
A slapstick was originally a harmless paddle composed of two pieces of wood that slapped together to produce a resounding whack when the paddle struck someone. It was soon used by jesters to playfully smack others in a play and soon came to be the descriptor of similar type of physical comedy.
Great printables around the theme of Clowns and the comedy method of slapstick. Research how slapstick is created, the principles of clowning and the history of both.
These printables are challenging and varied and all centred around the comedy of slapstick. Humour is a great way to engage students in the classroom and this Middle School Resource was great fun in my classes.
15 great worksheets that students can complete on their own, and teachers can use to build on with other activities and interests.
17 pages
Duration 1 week
Bundle
Public Speaking
Great Value bundle combining two popular packs focussing on public speaking, the techniques used by others and the process in writing and presenting a speech.
Each worksheet in each pack has engaging activities for the Middle School student to start to master one of the most important skills that any adult needs in their private and public lives - no matter what career they pursue.
Ove 50 pages of tips, ideas and activities for the student to self-guide their way to speaking mastery.
PLUS, a free fun pack is included to check on those speech trip-ups that will get in the way of any good speech. Nothing worse than saying the wrong thing, when you really meant something else. The effect can be catastrophic.
Note Taking Methods
Understanding note-taking strategies is important for further study and in working life.
These 23 pdf pages of activities show different ways of taking and recording notes.
It includes practice using the Cornell Method, Mind Mapping, the Charting Method, taking book notes, and using the SQ3R and Outline Method.
Each note-taking strategy can be used for different purposes.
All About Satire!
Welcome to Hell. Here's your accordion.” - Gary Larson
“This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.” - George Orwell, Animal Farm
Another of my humour units, to go with Slapstick and Sarcasm.
Anything to do with humour in the classroom is fun for the students and the teacher.
Analyse The Simpsons, South Pack, The Onion, Borat and more with the directions in this pack.
Pack includes activities, explanations, tips, hints, and self-directed activities.
Enjoy - we all did!
18 pages
Duration 3 weeks
Giving a Speech ***TIP SHEET***
A single simple A3 Tip Sheet on how to deliver a remarkable speech.
Easy tips that anyone can use to improve their public speaking.
Includes such things as:
15 tips on giving a knockout speech to any audience
What to do if you are reading your speech
Explains the type of speeches typically delivered
Important feedback questions to ask
Motivation to get up on stage and do it - again and again
Printout this tip sheet and refer to it every time you or your students prepare to deliver a speech on any occasion to any audience.
I’d be disappointed if anyone does not feel that this download suits. If it’s not suitable, please get in touch and your money will be returned - no issue at all.
12 Types of Humor **Info Sheet**
Single A3 Info Sheet outlining the 12 main types of humor, with examples, illustrations and further leads to look up.
Use as an easy reference guide to prompt discussion around the types and differences between different comedy genres.
I’d be disappointed if anyone does not feel that this pack suits their needs. If not, please get in touch and your money will be returned - no issue at all.
Be The Funniest Person In The Room
Being really funny means you need to have a humor attitude. These worksheets shows Middle School students how to develop a humor attitude.
The worksheets highlight the difference between being the ‘class clown’ or local ‘nitwit’, and focusses on looking at life with a sense of humor - using the lens of laughs.
My classes really enjoy the focus I have on humor - I’m sure yours will too.
Great activities and strategies for anyone wanting to let more humor in to their life.
17 pages in total including an answer key where necessary.
I’d be really disappointed if anyone is not happy with these packs, so if that’s you, please get back to me and your money will be very happily refunded. I’d really like some feedback too, so all comments most welcome.
How to Write & Present a Speech
The ability to construct and confidently present a speech to any audience will always be one of the most sought after skills required in any form of employment.
Any student needs to master the skills to speak confidently, and this pack of worksheets will provide every student with some unique insights to how to speak confidently.
Topics include:
Developing a hook to involve the audience
Telling a story to engage the audience
Develop a Call to Action to finish off the speech
Tips to gain confidence with public speaking
And the importance of seeking feedback about a speech that was delivered.
These topics and more are covered in these 20 plus pages of activities aimed for the Middle School Student
Answer key included
The Student's Storyteller's Activity Book
You know that storytelling is an important skill every student must master.
It is an important skill for work and in life.
The best business leaders are great storytellers. The best community leaders are great storytellers.
To sell, to persuade, to influence, to show, to tell, to entertain - you need to tell a story.
Stories make an emotional connection.
But where do they come from? How do you structure a story? Is there a template? Or even some story starters that people use?
The Student’s Storyteller’s Activity Book answers all of these questions.
This pack of 24 pages of activities will guide students on how to find, create and deliver great stories to any audience.
Table of Contents
Finding Great Stories
Personal Stories
Deeper Personal Stories
Structuring Your Story
Structuring Your Story
Stories with Messages
The Story Spine
Stories with Character
Two Must-Have Stories
Delivery
Story Analysis
29 Storytelling Tips
Bundle
The Famous Comedy Fun Bundle **VALUE**
Teach Your Kids How to LOL .... Right Here!
You start with Slapstick, then Sarcasm, then move on to Satire, and finish with some Puns. You won't be able to stop your kids from all their wisecracking. But who cares when everyone is enjoying the work?
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This bundle of humor activities will start the comedy craze in your school. Who know where it will lead?
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Comedy is so much fun in the classroom and to learn how to understand and recreate the main comedic devices is a great advantage for any student.
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The activities are fun and relevant. They cross a range of disciplines. This bundle is a combination of four packs that can be bought separately. But with this fun bundle you get four packs for the price of three.
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I'd be really disappointed if anyone is not happy with these packs, so if that's you, please get back to me and your money will be very happily refunded. I'd really like some feedback too, so all comments most welcome.
What Makes You Laugh? **SLIDE DECK**
12 humor types are illustrated in this slide deck. The slides can be used to identify each of the humor types that are typically used.
Identify which humor type is being used in conversation, in literature, or by the scallywag in your class.
The slides identify the name of the humor type, includes a definition and an example along with an original illustration.
Political Cartoons **Powerpoint Slide Pack**
Great introduction into interpreting Political Cartoons, explaining and illustrating the main strategies used by cartoonists:
- labelling
- use of symbols
- analogy
- irony
- exaggeration.
The slide deck supports the Interactive Notebook Political Cartoons - An Interactive Notebook
The interactive slide deck is very expertly made and is another part of the humour and comedy series that I use in my Middle School classes.
Downloading this Powerpoint pack also provides you with a very flash template to develop your own great slide presentation.
Story Telling with Google Earth Placemarks (MAC)
Create fun storyboards that students then place on to geographic locations on Google Earth. The storyboards can be used to walk through a story showing each step of the plot on Google Earth - using images and descriptions - but they can also be used to create a tour of anything that you can think of.
This pack shows students how to create their own simple Tour on Google Earth, by creating a storyboard(Word template included), setting up Placemarks, inserting images and description as well some activities at each location, then recording the tour for others to view.
Very motivating.
Also includes an assessment Rubric, answer key, 12 worksheets, and a Word document Storyboard template.
Note that there are some very minor steps included that apply to Mac users only.
That's Very Punny
More humour to use in your English class.
Puns are painful, I know, but this unit is so much fun and a great test for understanding the use of language in different settings.
Table of Contents:
Definitions of Puns
Posters that are Puns
Word List
Knock Knock Jokes
I'm Confused!
Knock Knock! Rules
Punny Business
Local Punny Business
Types of Puns
Puns in Art
Get it Right
Tearable Puns
There are more units that I have developed on Humour that are just as energising. Hope you have as much fun as we did in our class!
21 pages
Answer Key included
1 week duration
The Political Cartoon - Interactive Notebook
The Interactive Notebook is a fun, creative and engaging learning experience for each student, and this pack encourages students to acquire the skills to view and analyse the political or editorial cartoon.
The various strategies and techniques used in political cartoons are explained and learned by completing tasks that show how cartoonists:
- use analogy
- use irony
- use exaggeration
- labelling, and
- symbols
..... to comment on the issue of the day
The final activities in the pack provides students with a template and practice to analyse political cartoons and make sense of their meanings and subtleties.
48 pages with Answer key included
Speechwriting ****Tip Sheet****
Single A3 pdf Tip Sheet for students to assist with their Speechwriting.
Includes:
13 tips when writing a speech
25 plus personal speechwriting ideas
The two main speech structures
Essential techniques that make speeches effective, with examples
The three main speech types
… all on a single page for easy reference
Yeah Right! - Sarcasm
"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” - Groucho Marx
“The problem with common sense is that most people are morons.” - The Sarcasm Society
Sarcasm can be witty, but in the school environment it can be hurting. Teach your students to recognise sarcasm and to be careful with its use.
This is a starter pack of humour worksheets centred around the topic of Sarcasm.
Topics include:
- Irony v Sarcasm
- Sarcasm Detector
- Sarcasm as Verbal Bullying
- Groucho Marx and his form of Sarcasm
- Comparing Sarcasm with being Sincere
- Plotting types of Sarcasm on the Nasty v Nice scale, and the Funny v not Funny scale
... and more
15 pages, 1 week duration
Mind Models for Mastering the Impromptu Speech
If the thought of public speaking creates fear in many people, the impromptu speech can create a sense of terror.
But with this simple A3 pdf of actionable tips, there’s no need to feel so anxious.
Download and keep them handy next time your students need some strategies to tackle an impromptu speech.