Fractured Fairy Tales

This Fractured Fairy Tale Writing Set is one of my most popular items (with students and teachers).   This creative and narrative writing activity requires students to choose a traditional fairy tale to use as a springboard to compose a new "fractured" version of the story.  They will have to focus on one character's perspective and write the story from his/her point of view.  (So, it's really a great lesson for teacher character perspective or point of view also).  You can download it by clicking here or on any of the links or pictures.

This is very versatile, and can be used across several grade levels.  The set is easy to use.  You just print and go.  It includes:

- Teacher information
- Student directions
- Brainstorming organizers
- Student-friendly rubric
- Original teacher-created examples of brainstorming organizer and story
- Writing paper for final copies
- Pages to create a student or class book

I love creating a class book after all students are done with their final copies.  It goes in the class library for everyone to read throughout the year.  At the end of the year, I auction it off during a class celebration.  It's also fun to keep a copy from year-to-year and share those with students.

Thank you for visiting!

Simile and Metaphor Poetry Set

Simile and Metaphor Poetry Set

Studying similes and metaphors can be tricky, especially for students who have limited experience with figurative language or who are learning about it for the first time.  This resource is intended to support all students learning about figurative language.  Students will use similes and metaphors to create a poem about any topic they choose.  You can require very basic similes and metaphors or more detailed and descriptive ones.  You can get yours at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store or click on any of the links or the picture below.

  I've included the following resources in this product:

· Teacher Information and Directions

This includes a general overview, objectives, and directions.

· Posters for Simile and Metaphor

One poster for each with examples and graphics

· Writing Organizers/Idea Webs

There is a blank copy and a copy that tells what should go in each space.

· Examples of Organizer and Completed Poem

These are my examples that I use to model the process and final product.

· Student Rubric

You can use this of you want to grade the poem.  It includes areas for ideas, organization, imagery, and conventions.

· Writing Paper

 There are 5 pages of decorative paper if you want to have students write their poems on them.

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving... Activities and More

I admit... I have been a terrible blogger the past 6 months or so.  Being back at work and being mom to a 20 month old takes up most of my time.  However, I have been able to update and squeeze in a few Thanksgiving products this year.  For that, I am thankful!  I am also thankful to have found a few spare minutes to share these products.  Click on any of the picture or links to get your own or visit me at my Teachers Pay Teachers store to see more!

A Turkey's Troubles- A Persuasive Letter from a Turkey

Thanksgiving Taboo- an oral language game

Thanksgiving Scattergories Game

Thanksgiving Sticker Charts

Holiday Writing Paper

Decimal Place Value Game

WOW... I teach 5th grade, and with the new Common Core State Standards, my district got a new math curriculum.  WOW.  It's a lot more rigorous than what I used previously.  I was expecting this, but I wasn't prepared. 

Anyway, the firs topic I teach is decimal place value.  Here's a set of Decimal Place Value I Have, Who Has Games that I created to use for math centers, extra practice, and to strengthen skills.  It's definitely not just skill and drill stuff.  It requires students to:

- identify decimal numbers through thousandths when given a specific digit
- name decimal numbers through thousandths
- tell the values of digits in decimal numbers
- apply number sense when adding and subtracting decimal amounts
- use mental math

These are great for whole class, small group, centers, or homework practice.  Teacher notes, directions, and answer keys are all included.  I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine have!

Back to School Game: Scattergories

If you follow this blog at all or have spent even a few minutes here,  you know that I LOVE games.  I especially love incorporating them into the classroom.  It is back to school season, and I just created a Back-to-School edition of Scattergories.  It very much resembles my holiday versions of Scattergories.  I plan on using this little gem tomorrow, even though we have been in school for a couple of weeks.  It'll be a great way to get some teamwork going, especially since we will be starting literacy centers soon.  Here's a peek.  Click here or on the photo to check it out yourself.

 

I'd love for you to visit my Teacher Pay Teachers store!  There's lots more for elementary and middle school. 

Polygon Game for Analyzing, Identifying, and Classifying Polygons

I love games, and I really love to incorporate them into my classroom.  It's tough to make them engaging and really packed with learning potential.  However, I think I have accomplished that with this newest Math Game.

Guess the Polygon PowerPoint Game

This Polygon Guessing Game is a wonderful way to get the entire class involved in math. Students take turns being Clue Givers and Guessers with each new PowerPoint slide. With students participating in two different roles, it requires them to analyze polygons (triangles, quadrilaterals, and more) in different ways. This game can flexibly be used with the whole class, in small groups, in pairs, or as a math center.

The teacher or a student can control the slides by simply clicking through the slide show. It’s very easy to use. Slides 1-9 are teacher slides (printable too), and slides 10-28 are the actual game. If you play often, you can rearrange the game slides so students don’t memorize the order.

Polygons included are:
Acute Triangle, Right Triangle, Obtuse Triangle, Isosceles Triangle, Scalene Triangle, Equilateral Triangle, Parallelogram, Trapezoid, Rectangle, Rhombus, Square, Pentagon, Hexagon, and Octagon.

Here’s what is included:
- Teacher Information with directions, suggestions for use, and more
- Student Directions
- Student Roles Explanation
- Examples for Clue Givers
- Polygon Charts to assist students
- Clue Giving Help Sheet
- One Animated Slide for each included polygon with two example of that polygon and the answer

Here are a few example slides.  Click on any of them to get your own and to see the complete product.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Poetry Unit for Elementary and Middle School

April is National Poetry Month.  I now say that with a huge smile and a tingle of excitement.  If I'm going to be completely honest, and I am, I loathed having anything to do with poetry throughout my own education and teaching it my first few years.  That's because up until the past 6 years or so, the only experiences I had with poetry were:

1. having to memorize and recite Shakespeare in front of an entire class (as a teacher, I still don't see the educational value in that)

2. being forced to write poetry with minimal support or understanding of what I was doing

3. having to decode and analyze poetry

So, why the smile and tingle of excitement now?  Well, a wonderful friend and colleague turned me onto students writing their own poetry in fun and meaningful ways.  At first I was apprehensive because my students didn't want anything to do with poetry either.  They thought it was boring and confusing.  It was my job to prove them otherwise, and I was going to do it by allowing them to be the poets for a change.

It took me a lot of research and tons of time, but what I created I just have to share.  It's a complete unit that takes students through several stages.  First they learn about different poems, then practicing writing poems, and finally turn their poetry into an amazing book that includes an About the Author Page, a Table of Contents page, a Cover page, and much more.  There is even a rubric to keep your students on track and for you to grade student work.  My Poetry Do-It-Yourself Book does the following:

1. Introduces students to 9 different types of popular poetry
2. Provides my original examples of the 9 types of poetry
3. Provides directions for how to write these poems
4. Includes (printable) templates for students to write their own poems
5. Includes all of the materials for students to build their own book with Author, Cover, and Table of Contents Pages


Click here or on any of the images below to get yours.  I posted the product cover and some actual pages from the resource.  I'd love to hear your experience with this.  Happy Poetry Month!

Graduate Level Course for Teachers- Literature Circles for K-12 Classrooms

If you're a teacher who is looking for graduate level courses, MTI may be a great option for you.
Midwest Teachers Institute is national provider of inexpensive and university-accredited K-12 teacher professional development.  It was founded by teachers,who strive to provide exceptional learning opportunities at very reasonable prices.

I'm teaching an online class called Best Practice Reading Strategy: Literature Circles in the K-12 Classroom.  It begins on April 13, and there is still time to sign up.  Everything is run and turned in online, so you have the flexibility to work from home within a schedule that works for you.

Click to view the syllabus for this class-MTI 516or to view the MTI lineup of online classes.

Professional Development Class- Vocabulary for The Modern Day Classroom

Midwest Teachers Institute

Graduate Level Professional Development Courses for Teachers

Midwest Teachers Institute is national provider of inexpensive and university-accredited K-12 teacher professional development.  It was founded by teachers,who strive to provide exceptional learning opportunities at very reasonable prices.

I am so, so, so excited to be checking off another item on my professional bucket list.  I wrote a graduate course for teachers that got approved and will be teaching the online version.  It's called Vocabulary for the Modern Day Classroom: K-12 Strategies for ELL/ESL, Content Areas, and Beyond.  It begins on March 30, and there is still time to sign up.  Everything is run and turned in online, so you have the flexibility to work from home within a schedule that works for you.

Teaching vocabulary is my passion.  My intention with this class is to provide teachers and school staff at all levels and in all areas with quick and easy strategies they can use to motivate and encourage students to work with words and build their vocabulary.  There are games and activities for introducing words, practicing with words, and assessments.  I've also included several of my own examples and templates from activities that I have successfully used in my own classroom.

This is not a "read the text, answer questions, and write a 10-page paper" class.  It's purpose is to get you creating and developing real, engaging, and meaningful vocabulary and language experiences for your students.  These activities have transformed my teaching and my students' attitudes about learning vocabulary and working with words.  Click to view the syllabus for this class-MTI 595 or to view the MTI lineup of online classes.

St. Patrick's Day Activities: Persuasive Writing, Math, Language Games and More

I'm not Irish, but I love St. Patrick's Day!  There are so many fun traditions that I bring into the classroom each year.  The kids and I always have a blast.  Here are some of the resources that I have used.  A couple of them have just recently been updated.  Click on any of the links or pictures below to get your own or head to my TpT store.  Happy St. Patrick's Day.  (Now, I'm off to find a new corned beef and cabbage recipe...)

St. Patrick's Day Writing: A Persuasive Letter to a Leprechaun

Students try to convince a leprechaun to share his gold

Organizer, Rubric, & Stationary included

 St. Patrick's Day Scattergories Game

Students use their vocabulary knowledge to determine specific words that are related to St. Patrick's day categories

St. Patrick's Day Taboo Game

Student take turns using their oral language skills to get their team to guess the St. Patrick's Day themed Taboo words

St. Patrick's Day Math with Shamrocks

Students convert fractions, decimals, and percent using the included colored shamrocks

Valentine's Day Activities: Games, Writing, Math

Valentine's Day can be a wacky day and a fun one for sure!  Here are some resources that can help teachers get some academic work done on Valentine's Day.  Click here to go to the complete set of resources or click on any of the product images below to go directly to those items. 

This is one of two Valentine's Day Math activities for students in grades 3-6. 

 

 Valentine's Day Word Games

 

Click here for a Valentine's Day Letter Writing Assignment. 

It includes a rubric and decorative writing paper!

5th Grade Reading Street Vocabulary Resources

I've been teaching 5th grade for quite some time, and vocabulary instruction is one of my favorite times of the day.  About 5 years ago, I got a Masters Degree in Reading Instruction, and it changed the way that I approached teaching vocabulary.   Students don't learn and use new words by doing basic skill and drill vocabulary worksheets or "write the definition."  They have to interact with words, make connections with them, and want to use them.  I have created sets of activities and games to use with all 30 5th Grade Reading Street stories.  They are highly rated (by students and teachers).  Feel free to check out the feedback.  If you're looking for activities to supplement your curriculum, give these a shot.  If you do, I'd love to hear what you and your students thought.

Here's how things are set up:

* Each story has an individual listing.  They are named by the story's title.
* There is a set for each of the 6 units that includes all 5 individual stories.
* There is a complete set of all 30 stories from all 6 units.

Homepage for Reading Street Resources 

Click here to go to the homepage that has all of the materials.

Links for Complete Units (5 Stories for each of the 6 Units)

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Unit 6