Plot Summary Guide. Summarize the plot elements of any fiction short story or novel with this handy sheet. Based on the common core standards of analyzing how particular story elements interact, like how the setting shapes the plot. Students will list the characters, determine the protagonist and antagonist, describe the setting and its relationship to the plot, describe the conflict, complications and rising action, the climax, falling action, and resolution of the story. - HappyEdugator

Martin Luther King Jr. Activities. NO PREP Activity packet includes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fill-in with key, Dr. Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Graphic Organizer, Two Writing Response Sheets for I Have a Dream Speech, Three MLK themed bookmarks, a Word Scramble with key, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. biography sheet with constructed response questions, Word Problem (multiplication) sheet with key, and daily grammar practice with key. Activities you can use for MLK day or during Black History Month. 14 pages. Print and go. - 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

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

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

Adjective and Adverb Clauses Test or Worksheet. This grammar test has 20 questions on identifying adverb and adjective clauses in sentences. There are four parts to each question. Students will underline the clause, identify it as adjective or adverb, identify the relative pronoun or subordinating conjunction, and show the word that is modified. This can also be used as a worksheet for practice and test prep. Key included. - HappyEdugator Common Core Standards L.7.1a, L.7.1c

Exit Slip - Cell Phone Ticket Out. Use this exit slip summarizer sheet as a summarizing activity. Have students write you a text message on the phone screen to summarize what they learned from the lesson or ask any questions they still have. Can be used as a quick informal assessment of student learning. - 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

Teaching expository writing? Everything you need to assign a successful how-to project and oral presentation. Includes: Parent informed consent letter with three possible topics requiring parental approval, Student Handout with list of topics they may choose, Rubric for teacher evaluation of project, Oral presentation rubric, and peer evaluation rubric. Students can complete this project at any time of the school year, but it is a good beginning of the year or end of the year activity. - HappyEdugator

Vocabulary Builder - Pump Up Your Vocabulary in Ten Easy Steps PowerPoint. Going back to school? Give students vocabulary strategies that will help them build a strong vocabulary for reading and writing. Interactive PowerPoint lesson. Ten vocabulary builders. The ten steps for building vocabulary include: Pronounce words correctly Use a dictionary Use a thesaurus Make word cards Use mnemonics Use context clues Distinguish between multiple-meaning words Learn word origins Study word parts and Distinguish connotation and denotation 33 slides with activities for practise and answers. Materials required: a dictionary for each student or group of students, and 4 index cards for each student. - HappyEdugator

EDITABLE Teacher Binder Covers - 50 Different Ready Made Binder Covers and 50 Spines. Choose which ones you wish to use, print out and slip into your binder front and spine. Also includes an editable cover and an editable spine, so you can add your own words if you need to! These can also be used as dividers in a larger teacher binder (cover for that included) and the spines can double as page tabs. Just print out the pages you need and put in page protectors. Print out the tabs on card stock and attach with clear packing tape to protect and make durable. Clouds and sky background. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator With the EDITABLE BLANK covers and spines, you can create your own binders for anything you wish. Also includes ready made covers for: 504's Art Assessments Benchmarks Calendar Class Rosters Common Core Standards Conferences Curriculum Maps Cursive Data Department Duties ELL English Language Arts Evaluations Extracurricular Activities Field Trip Information Foreign Language Geography Gradebook HIstory IEP's Lesson Plans Mathematics Meeting Notes Modifications Music Newsletters Parent Guardian Contacts Passwords/Tech Information Professional Development Reading Schedule Science Social Studies Spelling Standards STEM STEAM Student Information Substitute Syllabus Teacher Binder Transportation Website Information Work Samples Writing

Use this sheet on Veterans Day to reinforce your lessons on fact and opinion. Students have to read the eight sentences and then decide if they are facts or opinions. - HappyEdugator

Martin Luther King Jr. PowerPoint and MLK Writing Assignment. This PowerPoint presentation (with a writing assignment) has 30 slides depicting the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from birth to his death, and his legacy. There are many photographs and some audio from his "I have a dream" speech. Students will learn about the life of MLK, his influence, and how he dreamed of a brotherhood of man. There is a writing assignment for the last slide, which is a prompt that can be used for any grade level with expectations of the complexity of the writing the difference between a lower grade answer and a higher grade answer. There are four options for student choice. Editable for your own class and may be customized for your class only. Technology note- If you are using a PowerPoint Viewer instead of the full PowerPoint program, I have discovered that some of the text will disappear. Please make sure you have a full version of PowerPoint before you download.

Ending Sounds Matching Game. Teach phonemic awareness and build vocabulary. This is a Literacy Center that is fun for your emergent readers! Students match the ending sound of the picture on their game card to one of 6 pictures on their game boards. Included materials: Game Sign for Center (Slide 1) Directions for Center (Slide 2) Game boards: 8 for variation of play (Slides 4-12) Game cards: 60 (Slides 13-23) Manage Your Literacy Center: Print out materials on cardstock. Laminate materials for durability. Materials can be stored in large gallon zip lock freezer bags. Model the game for students and emphasize ending sounds by stretching them out. Demonstrate how to clean up the center when the game is over. State Standards: Supports Phoneme matching: Final sounds. Builds vocabulary and phonemic awareness. •Game Board 1 - stop, bed, sock, shell, ear, elf •Game Board 2 – dog, key, cave, crib, broom, bag •Game Board 3 – penguin, bus, nose, worm, bib, tent •Game Board 4 – lollipop, turtle, box, lemon, carrot, goose •Game Board 5 – school, chick, knife, car, pig, hose •Game Board 6 – shoe, sun, ram, truck, fish, giraffe •Game Board 7 – chair, ship, eye, badge, yellow, nickel •Game Board 8 – fruit, brush, mouth, match, cry, five Students (non-readers) may name their pictures with similar items. ( for example, lamb = sheep) Apple Sled Kite Deer Elephant Fan Tire Crab Violin Watch Frog Zoo Gum Harp Lion Jet Kitten Lamp Map Nut Ostrich Paint Brush Rat Flag Abacus Cake Exit Tooth Thumb Butterfly Fox Guitar Horse Jug Fridge Mop Pie Olive Pumpkin Rose Scarf Wolf Umpire Magnet Vet Yard Web Avocado Tomato Wood Piano Yogurt House Tree Watermelon Train Drum Camel Scissors Tack Rake Brush Bridge Ball Cash Radish

Reading Response Activity - What's Your Two Cents Worth? Helps students with close reading and writing a response to literature. An active reading activity you can do with a a picture book, short story or even a poem. After reading a story, students have to give their two cents about different parts of a story. Print out sheets for each student. You may choose to print out on card stock and laminate for durability. You may do the same with the sheet of pennies, or you may choose to use real pennies for the activity or have students draw pennines in the boxes. Give each student a copy of the What's Your Two Cents Worth? Explain that you are going to read a story, and during the story you will pause five times for them to reflect and think about how that part just read affected them personally. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is perfect for this activity. This book has multiple levels of interpretation which help students analyze and react to the themes in the book. At each stopping point, students can decide if the story is causing them to think (head), touching their emotions (heart), or making them want to laugh (funny bone). Students can then give their two cents worth by placing zero, one, or two pennies in the boxes across from the number of each stopping point. They may split up the pennies into different columns if more than one body part is affected. They do not have to use all their pennies, or none if the story is not having an impact on them individually at that point. Stop at five predetermined points while reading the book or story aloud so that students can give their two cents' worth each time. Use the after reading questions as a guide for students to write a literature response. Step by step instructions for the teacher for whole class and group instruction. Includes Reading Response Sheet, Sheet of pennies, After-reading questions, and teacher directions, along with activating strategy, summarizing, and extension. - HappyEdugator

Try this fun Getting-to-Know-You activity for Back to School All. It's an All About Me Graphic Organizer. This is a great way to learn your students’ names at the beginning of the year, and your students will love making their special graphic organizer about themselves. Make enough copies for everyone in your class. Card Stock is best. Take photos of your students and attach them to the center of the graphic organizer. Your students can then fill it out with their best attributes, family, friends, interests, etc. There is a Character Traits list included so students can have a reference for their writing. These make a great display, but don’t stop there. You can have students present them to the class, create a writing assignment based on their graphic organizer, use them to create lessons based on their interests. You can do this activity as a whole group, giving an example to the class of your own personal graphic organizer to introduce your students to who you are. You can also have them complete them in groups or use them in centers. - HappyEdugator

Spider Alphabet Letters. Fun printable spider themed cards that can be used in many ways. Perfect to project on whiteboards to use as whole class flashcards. Great for Halloween or anytime. You can also: Print them out in full size and laminate for classroom décor. Use for alphabet practice. Print them out smaller and use as desk labels and edit the names for your own class. Use as bulletin board or door decorations and edit the names for your own class. Print them out on cardstock using 6 or 9 slides per page to make cards and use them for games like concentration (memory game where you take turns to turn them over and find a matching card) or war ( a = lowest, z = highest...see who wins most of the cards Use print outs in Centers - Students pick a card out of a cute container (plastic pumpkin, cauldron, etc. ) and practice writing that letter. Older students can try to write as many words they can think of that begin with the letter. Some may wish to draw and name their own spiders or write their name. Included in this set: 1 set of non-gender specific spider alphabet cards 1 set of girl spider alphabet cards – with girl names 1 set of boy spider alphabet cards - with boy names Editable for classroom use! - HappyEdugator

Shades of Meaning Verb Cards - SAID. Cut out and laminate these 16 different cards illustrating different synonyms of the verb "SAID" 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 Standards L.K.5d, L.1.5d, L.2.5b, L.3.5c

Nonfiction Bundle - Grades 4 - 8. I have bundled several of my best selling nonfiction products so you can save! This bundle includes: Text Structure of Nonfiction PowerPoint Nonfiction Vocabulary You Should Know PowerPoint Nonfiction Vocabulary You Should Know Test Nonfiction Vocabulary You Should Know Game Show PowerPoint Finding the Main Idea in Nonfiction PowerPoint 100 Points Book Report for Nonfiction Nonfiction Graphic Organizer ©2016 HappyEdugator.

Characterization PowerPoint - Character Development in Short Stories. Shows students how to develop characters when writing short stories by analyzing author strategies, like using sensory details, gestures, and interior monologue. Demonstrates different strategies to use in developing a character in a short story, helping students write better by making their characters come to life! Animated graphics and sound. 18 slides. Includes a handout for students to put in their writer's notebook. Supports common core state standards. - HappyEdugator CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3a Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3b Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3a Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.