I am a licensed teacher with the NYC Board of Ed for 16 years. I have taught 5th and 6th grades for my entire career. I have extensive experience in ELA as that has been my primary grade taught for the past 9 years. I have 5 years experience with Math, SS, and Science. I also incorporate technology into many of my lessons. All of my products are Common Core aligned.
I am a licensed teacher with the NYC Board of Ed for 16 years. I have taught 5th and 6th grades for my entire career. I have extensive experience in ELA as that has been my primary grade taught for the past 9 years. I have 5 years experience with Math, SS, and Science. I also incorporate technology into many of my lessons. All of my products are Common Core aligned.
This is a thorough Common Core aligned overview of Gorilla Doctors Saving Endangered Great Apes by Pamela S. Turner. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter. The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students. All of the questions have complete answers provided in the answer key.
The following questions types and skills are used:
*Central Idea and Supporting Details
*Context Clues
*Author's Purpose
*Author's Point of View
*Evaluating Arguments
*Facts and Opinions
*Topic Specific Vocabulary
This is a thorough Common Core aligned overview of Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter.
There are three different levels of questions so you can differentiate with your students.
The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students. All of the questions have complete answers provided in the answer key.
After the discussion questions there is a list of many examples of figurative language found in the book.
The following questions types and skills are used:
*Analyze characters
*Identify major plot elements
*Explain cause and effect relationships
*Draw inferences
*Determine central ideas and details
*Determine theme
*Describe plot
*Identify conflict and resolution
*Assess author's purpose
The figurative language elements addressed are:
*Alliteration
*Hyperbole
*Imagery
*Metaphor
*Onomatopoeia
*Personification
*Simile
This is a thorough Common Core aligned overview of My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter. The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students. All of the questions have complete answers provided in the answer key.
The following questions types and skills are used:
*Analyze characters
*Identify major plot elements
*Explain cause and effect relationships
*Draw inferences
*Determine central ideas and details
*Determine theme
*Describe plot
*Identify conflict and resolution
*Assess author's purpose
*Inferencing
This is a thorough Common Core aligned overview of Dream On, Amber by Emma Shevah. The questions are Common Core aligned. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter. The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students. All of the questions have complete answers provided in the answer key.
Students will be asked to:
*Analyze characters
*Identify major plot elements
*Explain cause and effect relationships
*Draw inferences
*Determine central ideas and details
*Determine theme
*Describe plot
*Identify conflict and resolution
*Assess author's purpose
*Inferencing
This is a complete Common Core aligned Close Reading Unit focusing on endangered animals. It will take about a month to complete the entire unit. There is no prep required and all are Common Core aligned. There are 10 articles, each with 3 levels of differentiation (grades 4, 5, and 6). Each article has a set of Key Ideas and Details Questions, Craft And Structure Questions, Integration of Ideas and Knowledge Questions and an extension question. There are 3 graphic organizers as well: Note Taking, Main Idea, and Context Clues.
Included:
1. The Main Plan - how to use the articles in your classroom
2. Tag it Up - how to annotate texts
3. 10 articles with 3 levels of differentiation for each
4. All articles are based on endangered animals (tigers, elephants, polar bears, mountain gorillas, narwhals, axolotls, quokkas, komodo dragons, green sea turtles and macaws)
5. Key Ideas and Details Questions for each article
6. Craft and Structure Questions for each article
7. Integration of Ideas and Knowledge Questions for each article
8. Extension Question for each article
9. Note Taking graphic organizer
10. Main Idea graphic organizer
11. Context Clues graphic organizer
12. Answer Key for each article
If you are like me, you usually have 2 or 3 books going on in a class at the same time for differentiation. One of the biggest problems is trying to give tests to every group. Over the years, I have created general essay tasks that work well with a variety of books.
I have included two versions of each question. One is good for grades 3-5 and the other is good for grades 6-8.
The essays include the following topics:
Character
Conflict
Theme
Mood
Climax
Figurative Language
Setting
Lessons
Theme
This is a complete Common Core aligned novel study for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. You will find everything you need to completely teach and review the plot, characters, setting, themes, etc. with your class.
Included in the Novel Study:
*Introduction to the Book
*Suggested Pacing Calendar
*Author Information with links to videos about the book and author
*Puzzles and Solutions section with suggested rebus, pictogram and anagram puzzles with solutions
*Alliteration Summary and Examples to help introduce the idea. Also included is an Alliteration Prezi and graphic organizers for kids to record examples in the story
*2 sets of Vocabulary Words in a test format with answers
*Character List
*Discussion Questions and Answers broken down by chapter
*4 Wrap Up Activities with rubrics
*2 Essay Tasks with rubrics
A great way to show administrators, students and parents what your class has accomplished. Here is a set of posters to showcase Common Core Standards that students have met and are still working toward for 6th Grade Reading Literature, Reading Informational Texts, and Writing.
Each set of Standards has:
* A complete set of 5 1/2 by 4 1/2 task cards of "I am able to....." statements, perfect for student work.
* A complete set of 5 1/2 by 4 1/2 task cards of "I am working to....." statements, perfect for student work.
Each Standard is in a different border so it's easy to distinguish Reading from Informational Texts from Writing. Each poster has an animal or a child on it!
This is an Common Core aligned add on resource to the study of conflict types in your classroom. After students are introduced to the 7 types of Character vs. _________ conflict types, this resource can be used as a review or for remedial support.
There is a PowerPoint to use on the Smartboard for a whole class activity.
There are the same slides in flash card form to use for extra support.
There are 8 story summaries for students to practice on.
This is a great Common Core aligned resource for general conflict and resolution work in middle school. There is a PowerPoint to introduce the terms, 7 types of Character vs. _______ conflicts and internal and external conflicts. There are also several graphic organizers that can be used with any book.
In the PowerPoint:
* Intro to the words conflict and resolution
* Character vs. Character
* Character vs. Fate/Gods
* Character vs. Nature
* Character vs. Self
* Character vs. Society
* Character vs. Supernatural
* Character vs. Technology
* Internal Conflict
*External Conflict
There are graphic organizers for:
* Identifying types of conflict (3 levels for differentiation)
* Listing all conflicts in a story
* Weighing arguments to see which characters' is stronger
* C.O.R.E./C.A.R.E. ( Conflict Obstacles Resolution Extend and Conflict Actions Resolution Explain)
* Seeing how small problems lead to the major conflict
This is a thorough Common Core aligned overview of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter. The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students. All of the questions have complete answers provided in the answer key.
The following questions types and skills are used:
*Analyze characters
*Identify major plot elements
*Explain cause and effect relationships
*Draw inferences
*Determine central ideas and details
*Determine theme
*Describe plot
*Identify conflict and resolution
*Assess author's purpose
Need to introduce key terms for an endangered animal unit? Don't do the work, I've already done it for you! This Prezi includes 10 key terms that will help your students understand a study of endangered animals. Each term is accompanied by a photo to help students master the idea. I use these terms with my study of chimps and Jane Goodall.
Terms include:
Alpha male
Extinct
Endangered
Captivity
Communicate
Gombe
Habitat
Habits
Primate
Zoologist
There are also slides for Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey.
This is a bundle of my Expository/Informative Essay, my Narrative and my Persuasive Essay with a Counterclaim. In each resource you get a teacher's guide, student guide and a PowerPoint to introduce the writing genre.
In the Expository/Informative Essay, you will receive:
1. A file with the student writing guide
2. A file with the teacher's how to and pacing calendar
3. A PowerPoint to introduce the persuasive genre to your class
The student guide includes:
1. Outline of what's expected
2. Helping Hands for the intro and conclusion
3. Writing Reminders
4. Fact/Supporting Details List
5. Graphic Organizers for each of the 5 paragraphs
6. Rough Draft section
7. Bibliography section
8. 3 Writer's Checklists for Wonderful Writing, Revising, and Editing and Proofreading
The teacher's guide includes:
1. Suggested Pacing Calendar
2. Page by page overview of how to use the student guide
The PowerPoint includes:
1. Introduction to the genre
2. Fact and Supporting Details explanation
3. Review of essay parts
4. Explanation of what to include in each section of an expository/informative essay
In the Persuasive Essay you will receive:
You will receive:
1. A file with the student writing guide
2. A file with the teacher's how to and pacing calendar
3. A PowerPoint to introduce the persuasive genre to your class
The student guide includes:
1. Outline of what's expected
2. Helping Hands for the intro and conclusion
3. Writing Reminders
4. Fact/Supporting Details List
5. Graphic Organizers for each of the 5 paragraphs
6. Rough Draft section
7. Bibliography section
8. 3 Writer's Checklists for Wonderful Writing, Revising, and Editing and Proofreading
The teacher's guide includes:
1. Suggested Pacing Calendar
2. Page by page overview of how to use the student guide
The PowerPoint includes:
1. Introduction to the genre
2. Fact and Supporting Details explanation
3. Review of essay parts
4.. Explanation of what to include in each section of a persuasive essay
In the Narrative, you will receive:
1. A file with the student writing guide
2. A file with the teacher's how to and pacing calendar
3. A PowerPoint to introduce the narrative genre to your class
The student guide includes:
1. Outline of what's expected
2. Helping Hands for the intro and conclusion
3. Writing Reminders
4. Brainstorming Matrix
5. Character Matrix
6. Timeline of Events
7. Graphic Organizers for each of the 5 paragraphs
8. Rough Draft section
9. 3 Writer's Checklists for Wonderful Writing, Revising, and Editing and Proofreading
The teacher's guide includes:
1. Suggested Pacing Calendar
2. Page by page overview of how to use the student guide
The PowerPoint includes:
1. Introduction to the genre
2. Brainstorming Matrix explanation
3. Character Matrix explanation
4. Timeline explanation
5. Review of essay parts
6. Explanation of what to include in each section of an narrative
This is a thorough overview of Warriors by Erin Hunter. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter. Most chapters are further broken down into several sections to make reading the text easier for your kids. The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students.
*Analyze characters
*Identify major plot elements
*Explain cause and effect relationships
*Draw inferences
*Determine central ideas and details
*Determine theme
*Describe plot
*Identify conflict and resolution
*Determine author's purpose
*Make text to self connections
This is a thorough Common Core aligned overview of Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter. Most chapters are further broken down into several sections to make reading the text easier for your kids. The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students.
*Analyze characters
*Identify major plot elements
*Explain cause and effect relationships
*Draw inferences
*Determine central ideas and details
*Determine theme
*Describe plot
*Identify conflict and resolution
This is a handy Common Core aligned guide to help you complete a close reading activity with your students. I have included an article about tigers and all of the materials needed to conduct a close reading lesson.
Included in this resource:
1. Introduction of how to complete a close reading lesson.
2. The Main Plan printable to help you and your students go through the close reading steps.
3. Tag it Up printable to help your students understand how to annotate the text.
4. 3 versions of the Terrific Tigers article for differentiation. (4th, 5th, and 6th grade levels) Lexile Levels and Word Counts can be found on each version.
5. Text Dependent Questions broken down for use after each reading, with a bonus extension writing activity and answer keys.
6. Graphic organizers for note taking, main idea, and context clues to be used with or in stead of the text questions.
Need a quick way to review or introduce genres to your class? Don't do the work, I've done it for you! This Prezi is set up like a Guess Who game. A slide with 2 pictures illustrating the genre is shown with a question mark. Children can guess which genre is being illustrated out loud, in a small group or on paper or dry erase boards. Then show the next screen which gives the genre, a definition and examples to be copied into notebooks.
Fiction Genres Included:
Realistic Fiction
Drama
Historical Fiction
Fairy Tales, Folktales, Myths and Legends
Mystery
Science Fiction
Poetry
Fantasy
Non-Fiction
Social Studies
Autobiography/Biography
Science
This is a thorough Common Core aligned overview of The Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale. There are group or whole class questions and homework questions broken down by each chapter. Most chapters are further broken down into several sections to make reading the text easier for your kids. The questions could be placed on the board or handed out to different groups of students.
*Analyze characters
*Identify major plot elements
*Explain cause and effect relationships
*Draw inferences
*Determine central ideas and details
*Determine theme
*Describe plot
*Identify conflict and resolution
Need to present alliteration to your class? This is a quick and easy Prezi to explain what alliteration is and several examples to help your students understand the literary device.
Need to explain what story elements are to your class? This handy Prezi will help explain the 5 parts of fiction stories. There are pictures to help describe each part as well.
Story Elements Explained:
Introduction or Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
