Happy New Year Activity - Making Resolutions and Setting Goals. Making New Years Resolutions is a fun New Year activity. Ring in the New Year by making new year resolutions and setting goals. Includes slides (or print them out as task cards) on making resolutions and goal setting. Can be used for whole class instruction, cooperative learning groups or in writing centers. Happy New Year! - HappyEdugator

Margaret Thatcher - The Iron Lady PowerPoint. A biography of some of the highlights of the life of Margaret Thatcher, her childhood, her schooling, her rise to leadership, and her accomplishments as the first woman to become British Prime Minister, her family, her friendship with Ronald Reagan, the Falklands War, and famous quotes. Good for Women's History Month. 27 slides. Print out the slides with quotes to also make nice posters for your room! - HappyEdugator

Joe DiMaggio - The Yankee Clipper PowerPoint. A Baseball Legend. This is a short biography of the famous Joe DiMaggio. Students will learn about this American baseball hero, who set a major league record of a 56 game hitting streak in 1941 that still stands today. Use it with books such as Becoming Joe DiMaggio by Maria Testa or Joe DiMaggio by Herb Dunn. Goes well with a baseball unit or theme. - HappyEdugator

100 Most Common Words in the English Language.Sight words. Hearts theme is fun for Valentine's Day. These sight words are essential to reading. Compiled by the Oxford English Corpus, these are great for English language learners, too. The 100 (+1 bonus word) most common words in the English language. Altogether they make up about 50% of all written language. Therefore, it is important that your students learn to recognize all the words in this list, and eventually learn how to read, write, and define them. Use on a projector, or print out on index cards and make flash cards with them! P.S. If you have never printed slides onto index cards, here is how: Go to file, print, click on properties, select postcard printing, paper size index card 4 x 6, then Okay. Then before you print, select print slides, check the box scale to fit paper. I always use print preview to make sure it is set up the way I want. Load index cards in your printer, and print them out and laminate for durability.

January Famous Author Birthdays PowerPoint. To engage your readers, show them the slides on these famous authors who had birthdays in January, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, A.A. Milne, Jack London and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, to name a few. Each slide tells a little about the classic author and their most famous works. This winter, when students return from Christmas break, engage them in reading and writing! Have them choose from three writing assignments about these authors and their works on the last slide. - HappyEdugator

St. Patrick's Day activity sheet. Print and go, On St. Patrick's Day, students can fill in the missing letters, match the words to the pictures, and color. Fun March activity for literacy centers. - HappyEdugator

Call Number Matching for the Dewey Decimal System. This is a handout for media center skills. Students match the call number to the book, and then put them in order, numerically and alphabetically. Useful for developing library and research skills. - HappyEdugator Common Core - Supports College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards.

Planners: 2015 - 2016 Teacher Planner and Calendar. Back to school! Includes 2015 and 2016 Calendar, Agenda, Schedule, Daily planners, Lesson plan sheets, Assignment sheet, Substitute information, Seating charts, and more. Especially useful for middle school teachers at the beginning of the year. 19 pages to help you get organized for the new year. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Diary of Anne Frank - Forget Me Not Video Quiz. This video quiz or viewer's guide goes with the 1996 movie "Forget Me Not - The Story of Anne Frank." The eight question quiz is doubled up on one sheet so it can be easily copied and save paper. Includes answer key

Becoming Naomi Leon Final Book Project. Students have to write a newspaper article about what happens in the courtroom. Includes a step by step outline handout with student directions, a list of transition words and phrases, and a rubric.

Barbara Frietchie by John Greenleaf Whittier Close Read and Study Guide. The poem is about the Confederate invasion of Frederick, Maryland during the Civil War. Includes background information sheet, vocabulary, close reading sheet, study guide, a copy of the poem, and answer key.

Summer Camp Award Certificates - Three summer camp awards for Participation, Achievement, and Excellence. This is an editable PDF...you can fill in the form fields with your own information before you print. Enjoy!

Halloween Imagery - Sensory word lists for Halloween writing. Students can use these lists to help them write spooky stories with imagery and more description. Great packet to put in a writing center or print them out for writing folders. First page explains how when a writer uses imagery, the reader is able to create a set of mental pictures produced by the memory or imagination. The images come from sensory and figurative language that the author uses to stimulate the mind of the reader. Words that wake up the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste help readers visualize. Includes What is Imagery? Halloween Sights Halloween Sounds Halloween Smells Halloween Tastes Halloween Touches Halloween Color Words Halloween Action Words

Thanksgiving Acrostic Poems - For Thanksgiving, Ten Thanksgiving Acrostic Poems. Students can use these festive templates to write an acrostic poem using the letters in several words that are related to Thanksgiving. Lower grades can write one word answers, upper level students can write phrases or sentences. Adjustable for your grade level. Great for differentiation. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

BATS Writing Paper - Lined Paper - Bats Theme. Eight different bat designs, two different sizes of lines for writing at different ability levels. Fun paper for Halloween or anytime. Students will have fun writing with some cute little bats to inspire them. - Enjoy!

The Hunger Games Book Preview PowerPoint. A short and simple PowerPoint introduction to the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 9 slides. Includes a plot summary (that is not a spoiler!), background on the setting and characters, and information on the author and her website.

Back to School - My Writer's Notebook Organizer. Back to school organizer for a writer's notebook. Owl Themed Dividers. Get your students writing at the beginning of the year, and help them organize their thoughts. Includes a cover page, dedication page, table of contents page, dividers for sections on Writing Ideas, My Writing, Writing Notes, and Writing Goals. Also includes several reference sheets to put in notebook. Print out, and have students use to set up their notebook. Works great with a small 1 inch loose-leaf notebook or binder. Put in page protectors so you don't have to punch holes and the pages will remain intact. You can also print out the cover page and students can put their name on it, and then slide it into the front of their binder. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Tabloid Myth Writing Assignment with Rubric. Studying mythology? Fun activity. Students will write a total of three illustrated and imaginative tabloid stories with mythological characters. The stories will have to have varied sentences and specific descriptive words. Final product will be evaluated according to the rubric included. Students will learn about tabloids and how they sensationalize stories to get attention. Assignment handout with student role and rubric included.

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

Likenesses - Similes and Metaphors Worksheet. Explains the difference between similes and metaphors, why they are used in writing, and gives examples. Students then have 10 practice sentences in which to identify similes and metaphors. Use as a quick review or assessment when students are studying figurative language. Key included. -Happyedugator