Drama - Abbott and Costello. This is a version of the famous Abbott and Costello skit "Who's on First?" When doing a drama unit, students love to perform this skit. Some of the words have been modernized from the original. Includes directions. Have students practice in pairs, reversing roles, so that each partner gets a chance to be the straight man. Make sure you give them time to practice. They love this and will want to perform for the class. Often they will bring in their own props from home. Have them watch the actual version, too, which is available on the internet. Includes link to video, teacher directions, follow up, a shortened one page version, and ideas for a baseball themed classroom. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

One Hundred Essential Questions for Language Arts. Vitally Important questions for students in critical areas of reading, writing, and grammar. Not open-ended questions as named in some specific curriculum programs, just essential questions for learning the content. This list of one hundred essential questions can be used to drive lesson plans in an English Language Arts classroom. Good for back to school. You can give it as a handout at the beginning of the year and focus students on what is essential to know and what they will learn. This is also a useful tool at the end of the year for review for state standardized testing. It will help you focus on learning what is really important in the areas of grammar and writing.

Adverbs Hunt Worksheet. Parts of Speech fun. Find the adverb or adverbs in each sentence and identify them. Key is included. This is a one page worksheet with 25 sentences. This is a worksheet version of my Finding Adverbs in Sentences Interactive PowerPoint. Can also be used as a short assessment. - HappyEdugator CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1a Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.

Vocabulary Practice Tic-Tac-Think. Having trouble getting your students to practice their vocabulary words? This menu gives students some choice, but also makes them accountable for producing some creative ways to practice their vocabulary! Students choose to do three activities in a row: vertically, horizontally, or diagonally by the end of the week. (You can also assign the activities for differentiation) I have left it in Word format so you can adapt it as necessary for your classroom. I like to change out the squares sometimes and have them make a crossword instead of chaining, or make a word scramble instead of bubble letters. - HappyEdugator

Christmas - Winter Holiday Wordsearch. A challenging Christmas word find or word search puzzle with holiday words hidden in the letters. Nearly 100 words are disguised in the puzzle. Words can be forwards and backwards, and either horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. Bonus drawing frame included. No prep. Print and go. Key included. - HappyEdugator

Fables. Introduce fables with fun original fable on PowerPoint! Use this to introduce a unit on fables, or to supplement a unit on fables. The fable is about an alligator who talks too much, and never listens. Animated clips bring the story to life. After the fable, the last slide has the characteristics of fables, and students can try to identify characteristics they saw. They are then challenged to write their own fable. - HappyEdugator

Idioms Interactive PowerPoint. Match the idioms to their meaning. Definition of an idiom, examples, and 20 idioms with four possible meanings. Students can decide on the correct answer, then check. This PowerPoint can be used at a computer station or interactively with the whole class. Students have to be exposed to idioms in order to achieve greater comprehension. Supports common core standards! Fun! - HappyEdugator Common Core Standard L4.5: Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs Common Core Standard L 5.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Common Core Standards L 5.5 Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. - HappyEdugator

Idioms Matching with Color Coding. Print and go. Printable activity - students match idioms to their meanings by coloring the matching boxes the same color with either colored pencils or crayons. A fun activity that helps students develop their understanding of idioms as figurative language. You get four different worksheets and answer keys. Common Core Standard L4.5: Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs Common Core Standard L 5.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Common Core Standards L 5.5 Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. - HappyEdugator

Rikki Tikki TaviPlot Diagram Activity. A hands-on activity for the story Rikki Tikki Tavi. 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 to cut and paste this list of 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. The story is not included...but is available free online.

Tall Tales Story Pattern. How to write tall tales! This is a simple story pattern that can be used to help students write their own tall tale. They can fill in the blanks to create a story sketch, which they can then elaborate and expand on to create their own personal tall tale. Good to use as a follow up to a unit on tall tales, or after reading a tall tale such as Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill. Helps students avoid writer's block by scaffolding and gives them the confidence to comlete their own story. Writing practice is essential to the CCSS (common core state standards ) in Language Arts. - HappyEdugator

Theme Graphic Organizer for Any Novel or Short Story. Helps students understand how to identify theme in a novel or a short story by looking at dialogue, conflict, and endings. Includes examples of each from literature, and uses a mnemonic device to remember what theme is. (THEME = THE MEssage) Supports Common Core Standard for reading Literature #2, Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text Includes a blank copy for students. - HappyEdugator

Fall Leaves Digital Paper - Fall Colors and Black and White. 24 different styles. 12 X 12, 300 dpi. JPEG file format. High quality digital papers for your creations. Personal or commercial use. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Digital Paper - Background Textures 3. High quality digital papers for your creations. 12 different styles of textured backgrounds.12 X 12, 300 dpi. JPEG file format. Personal or commercial use. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Digital Paper - Background Crystals. High quality digital papers for your creations. 12 different styles of textured backgrounds.12 X 12, 300 dpi. JPEG file format. Personal or commercial use. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Digital Paper - Background Textures 5. High quality digital papers for your creations. 12 different styles of textured backgrounds.12 X 12, 300 dpi. JPEG file format. Personal or commercial use. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Chevron Digital Paper - Fall Colors. 23 different styles. 12 X 12, 300 dpi. High quality digital papers for your creations. Personal or commercial use. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

RTI or Response to Intervention Documentation forms. Includes pyramid of intervention team recommendation form, tier 2 and tier 3 strategies response form, tier 2 and tier 3 documentation of intervention strategies, reading, math and written expression referral forms. These are RTI forms teachers or intervention specialists fill out to document interventions. - HappyEdugator

Thanksgiving Play - A Joyful Harvest. A short Thanksgiving play or skit that is quick and easy to perform, and fun! Set on the first Thanksgiving. Four characters - a pilgrim boy and girl, and a native American boy and girl. A fun way to act out the preparations for the first Thanksgiving. Backdrop is forest on one side and grass on the other. The Pilgrim and Indian children talk about the upcoming harvest feast with excitement, play a game of pins, and end up naming the holiday. Based on actual history of Thanksgiving. Fun Thanksgiving activity! Print and go...can be done without props or backdrop as a reader's theater.

Prefixes and Suffixes Flashcard PowerPoint. Greek and Latin roots of prefixes and suffixes. Animated and interactive flashcards. Use as interactive flashcards or as an interactive quiz to study the following prefixes and suffixes: PREFIXES un-, dis-, non- re- super- sub- fore- post- uni- anti- mal- bene- semi- micro- SUFFIXES -ship -hood -ness -er, -ist, -ian -ish -al -able -ism -ology Directions included. Enjoy. - HappyEdugator

Short Story Writing Project Rubric. Have your students write a short story. They can use PowerPoint slides to get creative, using this rubric as a guide for including the literary elements, and making it easy for you to grade. This rubric specifies the requirements needed, and addresses the writing process, introduction, organization, problem or conflict, characters, setting, resolution/solution, and spelling and punctuation. UPDATED OCTOBER 2014 - HappyEdugator