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.
Sentence Structure Bundle – Sentence Structure Teaching Resources Grades 6 - 8. This 299 page mega unit is a super resource for teaching simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences that includes:
Sentences- Complex Sentence Worksheet and Handout
Sentence Structure: 4 Kinds PowerPoint
Sentence Structure Activity - Simple Compound Complex Compound -Complex.
Sentence Structure PowerPoint for a FlipBook
Sentence Structure - Beat the Clock
Sentences - Writing Correct Sentences PowerPoint
Sentences - Understanding and Combining Sentences PowerPoint
Sentences - Identifying Sentence Structure PowerPoint
Independent Clauses and Dependent Clauses Handout
Who Wants to Win a Million Dollars Language Arts Reveiw PowerPoint
Punctuation Using Commas PowerPoint
Language Arts Grammar and Mechanics PowerPoint
Language Arts Standardized Test Practice PowerPoint
and more!
HappyEdugator
Word Families - Common English Phonograms PowerPoint. Using word families, teach phonics to emergent readers. Make flowers with the word families and put on your bulletin board. Students can make their flowers using the word family cards. Templates included. Some of the most common word families or phonograms (and the symbol representing the sound of the key vowel) in English. Includes CVC words, CVC-e words, and CVVC words. A word family or phonogram is a series of letters that is consistently used to form words. Students should study these slides in order to learn the many different words derived from the same sounds. Animated graphics. 30 word families. Color slides and slides with white background for easier printing. Use on a projector, or print out on index cards and make flash cards with them! Sunflowers and butterflies theme. Teachers can also use the slides for centers. Supports common core standards.
P.S. If you have never printed PowerPoint 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. - HappyEdugator
Shades of Meaning Verb Cards - LAUGH. Cut out and laminate these 16 different cards illustrating different synonyms of the verb "LAUGH." 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.
Idioms Search - Find the Idioms in the Story. This handout is a short story filled with 20 idioms. Students must first answer questions about idioms and figurative language, and then use a highlighter or colored pencils to find the idioms embedded in the story. The story is about a man at a job interview. Excellent for an end of the year activity. Includes a glossary and a quiz. Key included.
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
Back to School Activities Grades 4 - 6 booklet contains many types of fun beginning of the year activities! When they go back to school, students will learn about each other, learn cooperation, and share in a variety of activities and word puzzles that will stimulate their brains. Includes a secret code sheet, a find someone who activity, several writing activities, a homework calendar for organization and more! Great activities for back to school to break the ice and make the new year a positive experience
Earth Day Vocabulary CARDS and Activities. Print these out on cardstock, and laminate if you desire for durability.
Keep the sheets intact for this LEARNING ACTIVITY:
Print out 2 sets of EARTH SHEETS. Divide class into groups. Give each group an EARTH activity sheet. Each group will work together and find three (or you decide how many) facts for each square. Give them adequate time to do this. (Try out my PowerPoint timer!) Have the groups report back to the class. You can also assign the rows on the cards to different groups.
OR
Cut cards out for these LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
1. Pull cards out of a hat (or other container) and assign to students for research activities.
2. Attach to Popsicle sticks and have students pull one when they are finished with other work. Require them to find out five facts about the word that relates it to Earth Day.
3. Put cards inside plastic Easter eggs and have students find them. When they return, have them earn a jelly bean for every word they can define or describe what it means to the planet.
You can come up with other games to use with these, too! If you blow them up to poster size, you have Earth Day word wall words, too. Enjoy!
-HappyEdugator
Nursery Rhymes - Poetry You Should Know PowerPoint. 25 nursery rhymes from Mother Goose to teach students of all ages who may not be familiar with them. Promotes cultural literacy. This can be a great introduction to a poetry unit, and students can research some of the history and meanings of the old rhymes. Some of the poems had religious and other historical meanings. The slides have illustrations, and some of the rhymes have tunes associated with the slides. I have read aloud some of the rhymes. Younger students will enjoy the rhymes, and this projected on your whiteboard can supplement your nursery rhyme unit. Also use with older students to teach alliteration, repetition, and other sound devices and figurative language used in poetry. Updated July 2015.
Includes the following rhymes:
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Banbury Cross
Diddle Diddle Dumpling
Georgy Porgy
Hey Diddle Diddle
Humpty Dumpty
Jack and Jill
Jack Sprat
Little Boy Blue
Little Bo Peep
Little Polly Flinders
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
One Misty Moisty Morning
Polly Put the Kettle On
Pussy-Cat and the Queen
Rain Rain
Rock-a-bye Baby
Simple Simon
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Solomon Grundy
Three Blind Mice
To Market To Market
Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee
Wee Willie Winkie
Verb Tense Shifts Paragraph Revising Worksheet. This grammar worksheet has a paragraph with the verb tenses all mixed up. The story is about a summer canoe trip. The students' job is to rewrite and revise the paragraph, correcting the shifts in tense so the paragraph reads clearly. (This is a common grammar mistake, and this practice will help students recognize the problem.) Then students should also underline all the verbs they found in the paragraph. 2 per page for saving paper copies. Supports common core standards for Language Grade 5* and up. Can be used in centers and then students can self check the key. Great end of the year activity -or the beginning of the year when students are returning from summer vacations.
L.5.1.D recognize and correct inappropriate changes in verb tense
*Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
CCSS.ELA - Literacy L.5.1d Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
Shiplap, Chalkboard and Burlap Alphabet Posters and Bunting. Decorate your classroom this school year with these shiplap chalkboard and burlap alphabet posters and bunting. With the blue trim, they will go with a nautical theme or shabby chic, too! You can also use the letters to make welcome signs, or create other messages with the pennants.
Includes:
26 chalkboard and burlap alphabet posters
26 chalkboard and burlap alphabet bunting
Christmas Folktale Craft and Story - The Golden Cobwebs. Christmas Around the World. A German Christmas legend to read about the spiders who wanted to see the Christmas tree, but who had been chased out of the house by mother's cleaning and dusting. A Christmas fairy comes to their rescue, but when they go see the tree, they leave a mess of cobwebs behind, which has to be fixed before Christmas arrives.
After reading the story, you may have a choice of two different crafts to do with your students. In the first craft, students can make their own golden cobwebs to make as decorations to hang on a Christmas tree. Directions for the craft included. Younger students will need help from adults to do this activity, while older ones may be able to do this independently. In the second craft, geared toward younger students, students cut out the spiders and glue onto a Christmas tree pattern, adding yellow yarn and stars to complete the project.Enjoy! - HappyEdugator
Shades of Meaning Verb Cards - SEE. Cut out and laminate these 16 different cards illustrating different synonyms of the verb "SEE" 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
Thanksgiving: History of Thanksgiving. Presents how the American holiday of Thanksgiving got started from the Pilgrims to how it is celebrated today. What is Thanksgiving? Who were the Pilgrims? Covers the voyage of the Mayflower, the landing at Plymouth, the Mayflower Compact, the menu of the first Thanksgiving, how Thanksgiving became a holiday, traditions of the feast and Black Friday, Thanksgiving parades and football. - HappyEdugator
Writing Activities - 21 Writing prompts for engaging narrative, expository, and even poetry about trash. Reduce, reuse, recycle writing ideas. Fun to use anytime, but also a good Earth Day project or when studying ecology or conservation. Differentiated writing activities that can be used in various ways for whole group, cooperative learning, or as a literacy center. You can show the individual slides to a whole group as a class writing activity. Also, you might prefer to print the slides and divide the activities between small groups, and give students a selection of cards to choose from. In addition, the slides can be printed out on index cards and laminated to be used in a literary writing center. If you make a center, consider putting a trash can in it filled with interesting junk to inspire writing ideas. However, you decide to use them, I hope you will enjoy the wonderful writing your students will create, and that they will enjoy writing and be proud of their accomplishments. A rubric is included on the last slide. Enjoy!
- HappyEdugator
What’s in the Sack" by Shel Silverstein PowerPoint Beginning of the Year. Goes well with Beginning of the Year “Me” Bag Activity. Animated graphics will make this poem fun to read and engage your students. 12 slides.
What’s in the Sack" by Shel Silverstein PowerPoint Beginning of the Year. Goes well with Beginning of the Year “Me” Bag Activity. Animated graphics will make this poem fun to read and engage your students. 12 slides. Revised July 2014
100 Book Projects and Activities you can have your students do to accompany the books they have read and to foster a love of reading. A list of ideas to get you started on having a fun year sharing about fiction and nonfiction books.
100 Points Book Report Rubric for Fiction. A detailed book report guide that is easy to grade! This rubric for a book project on fiction will help students write a book review that is well-developed and thoughtful. Each section is detailed as to what is required, and the total points possible equals 100, making it easy to grade. The rubric is divided into 9 sections: the introduction, characters, plot, setting, theme, conclusion, composition structure, and paper format. Each section defines what is required in that section of the report, including the total points possible. Promote independent reading, critical thinking and organizational skills all at once. You can print out the picture and caption on the cover page and use as a poster in your room, too.
This rubric is included in my Middle School Writing Rubrics BUNDLE
100 Book Projects and Activities you can have your students do to accompany the books they have read and to foster a love of reading. A list of ideas to get you started on having a fun year sharing about fiction and nonfiction books.