Appositives and Appositive Phrases PowerPoint. Animated graphics and interactive slides helps students Identify appositives and appositive phrases, how to punctuate sentences with appositives, and how to use appositive phrases to combine sentences. Sentence combining is a skill that helps student correct short choppy sentences in their writing. Supports common core standards. - HappyEdugator

Funny Jokes and Puns for the Classroom. 60 school jokes! Fun for April Fools Day or anytime! Promotes critical thinking skills. Fun two minute activities. If you have two minutes, you can still get those brains working and have fun, too! Riddles, puns, and brain teasers that are sure to make everyone smile. Fun, humorous riddles about school that will crack you up! Enjoy these when class is not quite over, but the lesson is! You can also use as a fun filler at the end of the year! Or use before or after spring break, or after state testing for comic relief. Or use them as a daily warm up! 60 slides. Show slide to reveal the beginning...click to reveal the punchline. - HappyEdugator

ADHD tips, observation sheet, and reward tickets. If you have an ADHD child in your class this year, I hope this list of tips will be helpful. Use the observation sheet to write down and record problem areas. This will be helpful for parent conferences and for seeing what works and what doesn't. Use the reward tickets as an incentive for your student to stay on task. You can offer your student a choice of different activities to choose from (such as 10 minutes of computer time) if they complete a task you give them. This worked very well for my autistic students as well. I have included tickets for a boy or girl to give them if they cannot do the activity right away.

Editing Activity - What I Did on Spring Break! Great test prep! Find the mistakes in the sentences and make corrections in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. 25 sentences with common errors. Students have to become the "teacher" and correct the poorly written sentences they have found in their students' writing about their Spring Break vacation. These came from actual student mistakes. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Essay Writing - Open-Ended Introductions PowerPoint. How to start writing expository and persuasive essays. Writing essays with a starter. Students will learn how to write an interesting anecdote to introduce their essay and engage their reader. The introductory anecdote is made to be open-ended so it is not dependent on the topic of an essay prompt, so students can create a unique and personal hook to use on a state writing assessment. An example anecdote and how it can be related to different types of essay topics included. - HappyEdugator

Shades of Meaning Worksheet. Practice using connotation and multiple meaning words. Two sections. Practice A has students take a word with three meanings and match the meaning according to the context. Practice B has students match a sentence to the correct meaning of the word underlined. - HappyEdugator

Vocabulary - Mood Tone Words. Vocabulary Improvement Strategy Charts. Twelve vocabulary improvement strategy charts of commonly tested mood and tone words. Each chart has the student complete the synonym/antonym for the word, root, picture clue, definition, and sentence. Can be used as a weekly vocabulary assignment, which would cover twelve weeks. - HappyEdugator

Subject Verb Agreement PowerPoint. Interactive. 25 practice sentences for students to find the correct verb and then check. Includes sentences that have indefinite pronouns. A fun way to practice. Animated graphics and sound. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Persuasive Writing Prompt and Task with Standards Based Rubric. Writing an argument. Practice for students in middle school or beyond. Includes writing prompt and the standards-based rubric. Suggested lesson, Give out the rubric first and discuss, so students will know what is expected and strive for excellence. Then give them the writing prompt and let them work on the writing process. Supports common core standards. - HappyEdugator CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1a Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1b Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1d Establish and maintain a formal style. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1d Establish and maintain a formal style. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1d Establish and maintain a formal style. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Literary Terms for Fiction TEST. Elements of Literature multiple choice test on 33 critical literature terms or story elements of literature that are important to student understanding of fiction texts, such as plot, theme, conflict, setting, etc. 10 pages, including key. It is based on my literary terms for fiction handout which is also available to use as a study guide. - HappyEdugator

Strategies for Teaching Different Learning Styles PowerPoint. Useful strategies and activities for different learning styles. Animated and colorful slides. There are several theories related to learning styles and multiple intelligences. Effective teachers consider their students' learning styles and use strategies adapted to their students' individual needs. Here are many different strategies to use for the different learning styles and multiple intelligences. For example, includes specific strategies and a list of activities for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.

Reading Test Prep. Reading comprehension practice using an excerpt from the short story The Corrector of Destinies by Edward Wellen. Includes excerpt of story, vocabulary fill-in the blank activity, graphic organizer for story elements, and 12 multiple choice questions about the story setting, characters, plot, author's purpose, theme, and figurative language. Questions support standards tested on standardized tests. Supports the rigor required of common core. Can be done independently or as guided practice. Good for a substitute activity as well. Key included. Grades 7 - 12. - HappyEdugator

Word Families PowerPoint. 77 slides on this Literacy PowerPoint! Introduce word families. Print out as signs for literacy centers, make into reading phonics flashcards by printing out on index cards, or show on the projector to use when introducing a word family. Each slide has the word family as the title, an example of a word in that family, and a picture to represent it. Multiple uses...you can use these signs as word wall titles, for word sorting, reading practice flash cards, etc. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Allergies: Anaphylaxis PowerPoint describes a severe allergic reaction which is life threatening, causes, symptoms, and emergency treatment, including how to use and administer an epi-pen. When going back to school, teachers should know this in case of an emergency with a student who has a severe allergy. A good tool for a health class. Includes a sign that can be used to place on a peanut safe table in the cafeteria.

Noun Clauses PowerPoint. What is a noun clause? What is the differentce between a phrase and a clause? This is a short 8 slide practice Powerpoint on noun clauses. Students will learn how noun clauses are dependent or subordinate clauses, and signal words to look for when identifying noun clauses. Explains how noun clauses can act as a subject in a sentence, or as a direct object. Practice sentences for students to work with. Key is on the last slide. Updated July 2015. - HappyEdugator

Past verb tenses PowerPoint. More than 30 slides on the four past tenses students often get confused: the past, the past progressive, the past perfect, and the past perfect progressive. Grammar rules are given for each tense, with plenty of examples for positive statements, negative statements and questions. Sound and animation added to keep it lively. Best used in chunks.

Halloween Quiz. This simple and fun quiz about Halloween will test your students knowledge of some basic Halloween vocabulary and traditions. Students can fill in the blanks from the word bank. Pair and share, write a story with the words from the word bank, and color the Jack O Lantern afterwards. You can also cut out the word bank if you wish, and make a game for kids to "win" it! Included are word bank cards, a monster for early finishers to color, a key and a reward cut out for completing it correctly! - HappyEdugator

Following Directions TEST - A Tricky Following Directions Lesson. FREE Fun for April Fool's Day, too! Give this following directions test to your students, and try not to laugh too much when they are taking it. If they don't read the directions first and do what the directions say, they will be shocked at the end to find out they only had to do number one...write their name! Great test preparation activity to get kids ready for exams too! Enjoy! - HappyEdugator

Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem - Thankful. For Thanksgiving, students can use this festive template to write an acrostic poem using the letters in the word thankful. Lower grades can write one word answers, upper level students can write phrases or sentences. Adjustable for your grade level. Enjoy! Thank you for looking. While you are here, please check out my store. Happy Thanksgiving!

Organize for back to school with this free desk planner! Print on cardstock, laminate, and use dry erase markers (or wet erase) to write on and wipe off. Write in the month, dates, and days of the week. Calendar also has a place for Notes, Reminders, Daily To Do List,and Weekly To Do List. In color or ink friendly black and white. - HappyEdugator