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.
The Night the Bed Fell by James Thurber Short Story Support Materials. Includes vocabulary word splash with synonym search, vocabulary review, vocabulary test, multiple choice comprehension test, and character graphic organizer. 9 pages. - HappyEdugator
This Indefinite Articles PowerPoint has 15 practice slides Help your students know when to use the articles "a" and "an." Includes answers after each slide. - HappyEdugator
Subject Verb Agreement PowerPoint. Interactive. 25 practice sentences for students to find the correct verb and then check. Includes sentences that have indefinite pronouns. A fun way to practice. Animated graphics and sound. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator
Endangered Animal Brochure Project with Rubric - The White Giraffe. Also includes research report assignment and rubric. Students must take on the role of an endangered African animal protection activist. Student task is to create a brochure for the public to inform them of the dire need to preserve the species that he or she chose to advocate. The brochure must persuade others of the importance of their animal, and the urgent need to preserve it for the future. Includes student handout and 100 points rubric. Left in editable format so you may modify for your classroom needs. May be used as a supplemental extension activity when reading The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John, or may be adapted for science or a research unit. (Just remove novel name) Includes a template for the students to use to make their brochures and an endangered species list. Supports student writing of informational text and argument that the common core standards stress, and the use of technology in the classroom.
Word Families PowerPoint. 77 slides on this Literacy PowerPoint! Introduce word families. Print out as signs for literacy centers, make into reading phonics flashcards by printing out on index cards, or show on the projector to use when introducing a word family. Each slide has the word family as the title, an example of a word in that family, and a picture to represent it. Multiple uses...you can use these signs as word wall titles, for word sorting, reading practice flash cards, etc. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator
Past verb tenses PowerPoint. More than 30 slides on the four past tenses students often get confused: the past, the past progressive, the past perfect, and the past perfect progressive. Grammar rules are given for each tense, with plenty of examples for positive statements, negative statements and questions. Sound and animation added to keep it lively. Best used in chunks.
All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury PowerPoint. Slides are set up for an after reading cooperative learning activity or learning centers for small groups. May also be used instead on a projector as 9 different assignments for the short story. Common core standards based activities for the following skills: identify prepositional phrases, figurative language, context clues, vivid verbs, sentence structure, sensory language, implicit and explicit details and inferences, characterization and setting.
Directions for group activity:
Print out and laminate the following slides to use as posters.
Place each poster on a wall above a sheet of chart paper.
Divide class into small groups. (There are 9 stations to visit, so groups of three will work well with a class of 27 students.)
Each group gets a different colored marker to use.
Allow groups to rotate through the charts. You may wish to set a timer and have them change at regular intervals.
Provide additional chart paper if needed.
Summarize the activity when finished by discussing the student answers with the whole group. - HappyEdugator
Malcolm X Biography PowerPoint. Compare his life to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 12 animated slides about the life and influence of Malcolm X. Students will learn about his childhood, his life in prison, his conversion to Islam, his role in civil rights, and his assassination. Useful during Black History month, when reading about the civil rights movement, or when studying MLK ( Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) for comparison. - HappyEdugator
The Hobbit Author J.R.R. Tolkien Biography PowerPoint. Slides give the story of Tolkien's life from his birth in South Africa, through his childhood, schooling, love, war, writing and friendships, fame, and ultimately his death. Useful background information and photos of the author to use when teaching The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, or The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien. - HappyEdugator
Rikki Tikki Tavi Vocabulary Activities. Vocabulary for the short story Rikki Tikki Tavi by Rudyard Kipling. Includes: Study Sheet with 15 vocabulary words, their part of speech and definition; Two page Vocabulary Practice Sheet, Study Cards, Fiction Literature Terms Sheet, Hot Seat Vocabulary Review Game, Vocabulary Matching Test, and Key. - HappyEdugator
In this pack you will get 12 editable character awards for the end of the year. You may choose 4 different styles of boys and girls, and also if you want color or black and white. You may choose to use one of the ready made awards, or create your own since the character words are editable. You may move text around to where you like it as well. The character traits included for the awards are:
Respect
Responsibility
Trustworthiness
Compassion
Friendship
Perseverance
Cooperation
Patience
Honesty
Citizenship
Kindness
Sense of Humor
These are easy to use...just type in student name, your name and date. Then print and you are ready to go. 96 pages. Enjoy! - 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
Context Clues - Analyzing Context Clues PowerPoint. Help students figure out unknown words in text. Build vocabulary and reading comprehension by teaching common context clues. This PowerPoint has explains five different context clues: definition, synonym, antonym, example, and inference. Practice activity at the end with answers. 15 slides. Updated August 2015. Good for test prep! -
Easter Creative Writing Activity - The Very Large Egg. Especially fun for Easter, but enjoyable anytime. Sightings of giant eggs have been reported in various parks in the country. Students will look at the different photographs of the eggs, and then choose one picture to write about. Encourages students to use their imagination as they answer the questions and write a story that really engages readers. This activity can be done as a whole group, by projecting the photos on a whiteboard, and having the students write individually. Activities can be printed for differentiation. Also can be used in centers and for cooperatvie learning groups. - HappyEdugator
Seventh Grade by Gary Soto Preview PowerPoint. Introduce the short story 7th grade by the author Gary Soto. Develops background knowledge. Information about the author. Images compare Fresno, California to Paris, France. Vocabulary connection includes words like tortilla, fiesta, and siesta. Students are reminded to think about the author's purpose and the theme of the story as they read. There are several slides with images of different Gary Soto books for students who might be interested in reading books by this author. I use this presentation to introduce the story to my students. Includes a graphic organizer of the elements of fiction which you can print out for your students. Story is about the going back to school experience of a middle grades boy who wishes to impress a certain girl.
- HappyEdugator
Appositives and Appositive Phrases PowerPoint. Animated graphics and interactive slides helps students Identify appositives and appositive phrases, how to punctuate sentences with appositives, and how to use appositive phrases to combine sentences. Sentence combining is a skill that helps student correct short choppy sentences in their writing. Supports common core standards. - HappyEdugator
End of the Year - Good-bye Cards. Send your students off with this cute little poem that will show how much you care! Personalize these good-bye cards with each student’s name and your name, then print out. Make great gift labels, or use by themselves. Ladybug theme. Business card size...can be printed out on business cards from Avery. Ten cards per sheet. Editing allowed for your classroom use only. You can type in student name and teacher name. You can also remove those fields. The poem itself is not editable, but you can remove the poem and write your own instead. Happy summer! - HappyEdugator
