Strong Verb List. Use strong verbs to enhance writing. A great revision strategy is to look for ways to make verbs more descriptive. This list of strong action verbs is a handy reference to use when a better word is needed. Students can keep these sheets in their writer's journal or notebook. These words can also make a great word wall. - 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

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

Christmas Story Starters. 50 Christmas writing prompts that you can use to help your students get writing creatively around the holidays. A winter creative writing handout or resource that will help students find something to write about! Quick and easy December printable handout. 2 pages. Have fun with writing! - HappyEdugator

Literary Terms for Fiction Handout. This handout has 47 essential literary terms defined in easy to understand language that students should be familiar with when taking standardized tests. Great for test prep! Some of the litereature terms include elements of a short story, such as exposition, climax, resolution; elements of plot, conflict and theme. Supports common core standards. Goes with my Literary Terms for Fiction TEST. - HappyEdugator

Seventh Grade by Gary Soto Multiple Choice Test. Quick assessment. Ten multiple choice questions on the short story to check comprehension, making inferences, and some story elements. Short and simple to grade. Key included. Includes a constructed response (essay) portion if you wish to have your students write and use text evidence to support their answers. - HappyEdugator

Multiple Intelligences Book Review. Multiple intelligence assignment menu for reviewing a book or story. Great differentiation. Students choose 5 boxes from the assignment menu and are also required to complete one reading response. Students may choose from verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial, musical-rhythmic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, or naturalistic intelligences. - 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.

Halloween Poems and Fun Halloween Poem Writing Activities. Includes seven of my original Halloween poems for reading aloud and just for fun, in color and black and white. Each poem has an activity associated with it. Two craftivites. Includes a figurative language sheet and activity, and two Halloween poetry writing activities to complete after you are all in the mood to create! Stimulate imaginations! You can project the colorized poems on a whiteboard to practice choral reading. You can also print them out and use in literacy centers or for student copies to read along. Examples of various types of sound devices and figurative language found in the poems, such as alliteration, simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, and imagery. - HappyEdugator

St. Patrick's Day Writing with Sentence Writing Checklist. 5 different writing prompts with drawing boxes and a simple writing checklist for students to use when writing basic sentences. Students evaluate their writing by checking neatness, capitalization, punctuation, completeness, and ideas. Includes 4 steps to the writng process. The clover graphic organizer makes it a useful checklist for around St. Patrick's Day! - HappyEdugator

ne Hundred Essential Questions for Language Arts TEST. Back to school...It can be used at the beginning of the year as a pre-test for Language Arts knowledge. It can also be used at the end of the year as a final exam. My students knew those essential questions were really "essential." 10 pages plus key included. This multiple choice scantron ready test goes with my One Hundered Essential Questions for Language Arts which can be used as a study guide, - HappyEdugator

Punctuation Using Commas PowerPoint. Supports Common Core! PowerPoint presentation on comma rules and using comma punctuation correctly in writing elements and sentence structure. The presentation covers using commas with lists, dates, addresses, titles, joining independent and subordinate clauses in compound and complex sentences, nonessential clauses, phrases and words, introductory clauses, and separating adjectives. Animated clips. Use in small chunks as there is a lot of information here! There is a short 10 question multiple choice quiz at the end, with questions similar to what students would see on a standardized test. Recently revised and updated. Common Core Language Standards L 4.2b, L4.2c,,L.5.2c

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

Shades of Meaning Verb Cards - RUN. Cut out and laminate these 16 different cards illustrating different synonyms of the verb "run." 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. 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

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

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

Homophone Match Worksheet. This is a challenging homophone matching activity for upper grades. Have students work in individually or in groups with a dictionary to look up unknown words. Words and definitions are chunked into groups of six. - HappyEdugator

Who Wants to Win a Million Dollars Language Arts Review PowerPoint. Interactive. Animated with themed music. A review game for Language Arts mechanics and usage set up like the game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Students have to get the right answers to move up and win more money. There are questions on verb tenses, subject and predicate, sentence type and sentence structure, capitalization, etc. Good review for standardized test preparation, and the kids will have fun, too! Updated March 2014 with additional sounds and graphics! - HappyEdugator

Drama Play Knowledge Extensions Menu. Great for differentiated instruction. Differentiation means no more bored students! Students who have already read a play that you are teaching in class can choose one (or more) activities from the menu and extend their learning, reporting back to the class to enrich everyone's experience. Excellent for gifted learners or students who need independent study or an alternative assignment. . - HappyEdugator

Reading Strategies - Active Reading Strategies Concept Map. Graphic organizer can be blown up into a poster, used as a transparency, or projected on your LCD. The six active reading strategies on the map are Connect, Predict, Visualize, Question, Clarify, and Evaluate. Students learn what active reading strategies good readers use. Based on a beetle or bug theme. Includes a motivational poster with a BEETLE theme. Color and black and white versions. Here is my BEETLE acronym - BE EDUCATED EXPECT TO LEARN EAGERLY! :) - HappyEdugator