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.
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.
Narrative Elements Graphic Organizer. This fiction reading guide or graphic organizer will help students with identifying literary elements when they read fiction selections.
Prepositional Phrases PowerPoint. Don't Let Them Confuse You! Animated and interactive. Defines prepositions and prepositional phrases, gives examples of prepositional phrases with nouns, pronouns, gerunds, and noun clauses, discusses problems with subject-verb agreement and intervening prepositional phrases, has a short quiz on identifying prepositional phrases in sentences and not confusing them with infinitives, and finally, presents five questions on common usage problems with typical prepositional phrases. 18 slides.
- HappyEdugator
Five Paragraph Essay PowerPoint - How to write a five paragraph essay. Information for students on the structure of a five paragraph essay. including introductory paragraph, 3 detail paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
Fairy Tale Homophones. Fun practice sheet identifying homophones in famous fairy tales. Sheet includes ten sentence that have incorrect homophones for students to find and fix. Supports common core. - HappyEdugator
TEST PREP : Language Arts Practice for State Test. Usage and mechanics. This interactive PowerPoint is a good test prep review or study guide for any state test. It has 25 questions similar to the type students might find on a standardized test in Language Arts. Slides are set up so that students can first attempt the question on their own, and then use the next slide to check their answer and discuss. Designed for middle grades. Supports common core standards. - HappyEdugator
This word wall book also makes a great ABC Book - alphabet book for students to create their own. Fun for back to school or at the end of the year. Use with a word wall and many other vocabulary activities. Younger students can draw pictures to represent each letter, while older students can use the books as a review of a story, social studies or science unit, vocabulary activity, etc. Each page has an uppercase and lowercase letter at the top, a picture to represent the beginning sound, and a drawing box to write the letter. Lines for writing 12 different words. You can also use as a summarizing activity and have students find words that begins with each letter for their lesson, unit, novel, or even the whole year in review! Enjoy!
The Monsters are Due on Maple Street Plot Diagram Activity. A hands-on activity for the story The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. After learning that the plot is the sequence of events, and having been introduced to a plot diagram with the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, have your students work in small groups or individually to cut and paste this list of 11 events from the story onto their own plot diagram and label what part of the story they belong to. Blank plot diagram included, or have them create their own on a large piece of colored construction paper using the blank diagram as a guide.
You can also use the larger event cards (included) and challenge your students to do a human plot line.
1. Print out the 11 separate plot event cards. Laminate for durability.
2. Have some students hold up the cards and put themselves in the correct order in a kinesthetic activity.
3. Allow the rest of the class to help decide which is the correct sequence of events.
They will have to think critically to put the events in the correct order. I liked to do this before my students went to small groups, so that everyone could have a good understanding of the sequence of events before doing it on their own.
The story is not included...but is available free online. I have included links to the story and the video.
The short story The Treasure of Lemon Brown by Walter Dean Myers has many literary elements for students to study. This packet addresses vocabulary, comprehension, character, theme, symbolism, internal conflict and external conflict, author's purpose, and tone. Requires critical thinking and analyzing the text to find evidence to support answers. Graphic organizers included. - HappyEdugator
Includes a guide for writing expository paragraphs that explains the structure of expository text, several writing prompts, and a writing assignment sheet with illustration box. - HappyEdugator
Context Clues Word Study Worksheet. This context clues sheet can be used as students read. They can chart the unknown word, the sentence in which it appears, make a prediction on the meaning, and record the actual meaning of the new word. Supports common core!
- HappyEdugator
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
PowerPoint Timer! Classroom Management PowerPoint Timer. Set for any time up to 1 hour. Keep students on task with this countdown clock. The PowerPoint slides count down from 60 minutes all the way to "None." Set it for any time up to 60 minutes. It has a 2 minute warning (with a sound effect) as well to give students advance notice that time will be up soon. It can be used for timing students for many different activities including cooperative learning time, group work, independent work, timed tests, etc. A great visual aid for teaching students how to pace themselves for state tests. Just project it up on the Smartboard for all students to see. It doesn't have to be set always at 60 minutes: it can be set at any interval between 1 and 60 minutes and transitions slides each minute. Good classroom management technique to keep students on task.
Nonfiction Text Structure PowerPoint. Describes organizational patterns for informational text structure in easy to understand terms. Explains 6 different text structures, including cause and effect, comparison/contrast, and sequence, question and answer, problem and solution, and description. The first slide is a graphic organizer, and the remaining slides discuss each structure separately and offer what signal words to look for in each type of text. A graphic organizer accompanies each type of structure as well. Supports Common Score Standards for Reading Informational Text. Selections for practice included (along with a recipe you are sure to enjoy) Animated graphics and animations to engage your learners. Helps students recognize different text structure when reading and provides a foundation for expository writing. 22 slides. - HappyEdugator
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.5 Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
Figurative Language. Figurative Language Practice Sheets. This figurative language pack includes: types of figurative language, and a handout that first defines metaphors and similes, and gives an example of each. Students then have to tell whether the following ten sentences use metaphors or similes, and underline what is being compared. Secondly, the handout defines hyperbole, and personificaton, and gives examples of each of these. Students then have to tell whether the following ten sentences is an example of hyperbole or personification. Then there are three additional practice sheets with figurative examples from literature. Students have to identify and give their reason for how they know. These are good practice sheets when introducing figurative language. You can have students work in small groups or with partners to try to figure out the figurative language. No prep. Print and go. Keys included. Can be used to supplement a poetry unit, writing unit, or literature unit.
Supports these Common Core Standards, which also need to be reinforced in higher grades as well:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5a Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5b Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5a Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.
- HappyEdugator
Punctuation - Hyphens, Dashes, and Semicolons PowerPoint. Interactive PowerPoint presentation with animation and sound. Explains the usage of hyphens, dashes, and semicolons, and then students can practise punctuating the sentences that follow, and checking their answers. At the end there is an answer key to check their work. This can also be played as a game by dividing the class into teams and teams submit their answers-the team with them most correct answers wins! 53 slides. - HappyEdugator
