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Raising Rigor and Readers

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I am a middle grades ELA teacher who loves teaching! One of my favorite topics to blog about is providing access to a quality education to ALL students. Thanks for stopping by!

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I am a middle grades ELA teacher who loves teaching! One of my favorite topics to blog about is providing access to a quality education to ALL students. Thanks for stopping by!
Poetry Resource Pack: Mini-books, Templates, Graphic Organizers
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Poetry Resource Pack: Mini-books, Templates, Graphic Organizers

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This poetry resource includes 35 pages that are sure to supplement any poetry unity. There are templates for students to create poetry mini books, planning posters, publishing papers, and poem posters for each poem. Two versions of mini-book covers Full Page Graphic Organizer for Publishing Posters with poem definitions Common Core analysis for Haiku, Limerick, and Free Verse Editable template for you to add additional pages Poems in this Unit: • Haiku • Limerick • Cinquain • Free Verse • Acrostic • Couplet • Diamante Each type of poem includes: • Mini-book student copy of the definition and example of poem • Mini-book activity using the poem • Mini-book space for students to create a poem
A Year in Review: A Memory “mini” Book for Upper/Middle Grades
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A Year in Review: A Memory “mini” Book for Upper/Middle Grades

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This is a great resource to get students to reflect on their year and capture lots of memories. There are two different options for creating minibooks with students. Either provides an awesome and interactive way for students to engage with each other and make new memories! Included: ✰ School Information page ✰ All About Me ✰ Personal Reflections on the Year ✰ Comparing the Year ✰ Major Accomplishments ✰ Then vs. Now ✰ Class Awards ✰ Flashback and Forward ✰ My Favorite Class ✰ Best Moments and Funny Memories ✰ The Soundtrack of My Year ✰ Current Events ✰ Autograph Pages (2) ✰ Summer Plans ✰ Cover Page This resource is also included in my End of Year A to Z Activities: 34 Activities and Memory Book PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IF YOU HAVE BOUGHT THE END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES RESOURCE.
Writing Graphic Organizers - Common Core Aligned
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Writing Graphic Organizers - Common Core Aligned

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These organizers are included in my Argumentative, Informative, and Personal Narrative writing units. If you have those units, or purchased my writing bundle, please do not grab these. This resource includes 30 original graphic organizers that will assist your students with writing. These organizers are aligned to three types of writing noted in the Common Core State Standards, and will guide students with organizing their thoughts to the topic of your choice. Organizers included: ★ Argumentative (8) ★ Informative (15) ★ Personal Narrative (7)
End of Year A to Z Activities: 34 Activities and Memory Book
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End of Year A to Z Activities: 34 Activities and Memory Book

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This includes an activity (or two) for each letter of the alphabet. Advice Column All About Me Alternative Ending Buddy Biography Buddy Bookmarks Charm Bracelet Comic Strips Dear Next Year Letter Diary of… End of Year Poems Facebook Page Find a Friend Who Gratitude Notes Hollywood Ending How to Survive I AM Poem Interview a Classmate Kind Words Letter to My Future Self MEMORY BOOK Newspaper Overcoming Obstacles Postcards Portrait of the Year Quiz about Me Recipe for Success Reflect and Rewind Stay or Switch Timeline Trading Cards “U” Collage Vocabulary Bookmarks Written Reflection of the Year X Marks the Spot Yearbook Pages Zooming In There are so many activities to choose from.
Beginning of the Year A to Z: Activities, Minibooks, and More!
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Beginning of the Year A to Z: Activities, Minibooks, and More!

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This is an amazing beginning of the year resource pack that is LOADED with resources to kick off the school year and a strong class culture. This includes an activity (or two) for each letter of the alphabet. All Hands In Bingo Celebrity Interview Connection Creation Dreams and Aspirations Detectives Encouragement and Excellence Fact or Fib Free Throws Goals Galore Important Book a mini-book Kind Words Kind Notes Letter to My Future Self Mad Libs New Year Chronicle/Get Started Gazette ) Only the Strong Person of the Year Questions Reel of Summer Save the Date Student Dictionary Take as Much as You Like Unpacking Me: A Craftivity Venn Diagram Wanted (2 Versions) Would You Rather Task Cards Yearbook Pages Z-A about the Class There are so many activities to choose from.
Theme Unit - Common Core Aligned
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Theme Unit - Common Core Aligned

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This unit will help students and teachers take on the ever elusive theme, which is a difficult concept to teach. This unit also delves into students writing constructed responses to text, which is aligned to Common Core Standards. There are more than 65 pages in this unit, which include posters, graphic organizers, half page graphic organizers, and practice questions (spanning multiple common core standards). Literature Passages: • The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Aesop fable) • The Lion and the Mouse (Aesop fable) • The Tortoise and the Hare (Aesop fable) • The Princess and the Frog (Fairy Tale) • Rapunzel (Fairy Tale) • Marie and the Brilliant Fish (African fable) • The Helping Hand (Short Story) • Diamond in the Rough (Short Story) • the drum by Nikki Giovanni (poem) • Same Song by Pat Mora (poem) (5) Theme Posters (6) Graphic Organizers (16) Half Page Task cards
Common Core Aligned Reading Literature Graphic Organizers
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Common Core Aligned Reading Literature Graphic Organizers

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This resource is a compilation of reading literature graphic organizers that I have created for my students through the years. They are perfect for any fictional text and focus on students digging into the text to find specific details and deeper meaning for the Reading Literature Common Core standards. There are 43 original organizers that can be used with students in grades 4-6 and Common Core alignment is discretely noted on each organizer. This resource also includes six sample completed organizers aligned with the short story “Thank You Ma’am” and suggested implementation for these organizers. These organizers can be used in whole group lessons, literature circles, novel studies, homework assignments, and/or small groups. My personal favorite includes using these organizers to hold students accountable for their independent reading books.
Beginning of the Year: Camera Craftivity
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Beginning of the Year: Camera Craftivity

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This craftivity is perfect for the beginning of the year to get students writing about their summer, but also has the flexible to be used in conjunction with other units. Camera template and interactive accordion book templates are EDITABLE using textboxes in PowerPoint. This resource includes: • Teacher Guide • Step by Step Instructions with Pictures • Camera Template • Camera lens and flash template • Accordion Book templates • 3 Planning Templates • 3 Writing Templates
FREEBIE - Halloween Story Starters
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FREEBIE - Halloween Story Starters

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This is a fun freebie to get writing juices flowing with students. There are 24 different story starters and a few bonus goodies to assist students with Halloween themed writing. Enjoy!
FREEBIE - End of the Year Activities
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FREEBIE - End of the Year Activities

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This is a sample from my End of Year A to Z resource pack. It includes one activity for the letters D,E,N, O, P. If you like this resource, please check my store for more the full resource!
FREEBIE - Cinquain Poetry
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FREEBIE - Cinquain Poetry

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This is a sample from my Poetry Resource Pack: Mini-books, Templates, Graphic Organizers resource. It teaches students about cinquain poetry.
FREEBIE - Main Idea Lesson Plan
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FREEBIE - Main Idea Lesson Plan

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This resource demonstrates how I use graphic organizers in my classroom. It includes: - Informational Text - Lesson Plan/Overview - Prereading Graphic Organizer - Main Idea Graphic Organizer w/ Response Guide - Common Core Aligned Comprehension Questions w/ Response Guide
FREEBIE - The Dinner Party
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FREEBIE - The Dinner Party

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“The Dinner Party” by Mona Gardner is a short story about making generalizations, and perfect for teaching or reinforcing the elements of plot. The story centers on an argument that occurs at a dinner party while events happening during the argument counter claims being made. This resource is aligned to Common Core Standards and provides opportunities for students to critically evaluate vocabulary, steps to solving problems, how characters approach challenge, and theme using evidence from the text! One of the most amazing components is the inclusion of FOUR original graphic organizers with answer keys. These organizers can be used with other texts! This is a jam packed short story evaluation that includes: - Suggested Lesson Plan - Rigorous Questions - Original Graphic Organizers - Description of how to implement Graphic Organizers - Comprehension Questions
FREEBIE - Something Told the Wild Geese
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FREEBIE - Something Told the Wild Geese

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This lesson focuses on Common Core Standards RL.5.1 and RL.5.2. The file uses the poem "Something Told the Wild Geese" by Rachel Field (obtained on a free public domain) to help students make inferences about the meaning of the poem and analyze how the speaker feels about a topic. This resource can be used as review, homework, or a supplemental component for the aligned standard.
FREEBIE - Beginning of the Year Activities
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FREEBIE - Beginning of the Year Activities

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This is a sample from my Beginning of the Year A to Z resource pack. It includes one activity for the letters B, G, H, N. Please note there are additional resources for these letters should you decided to purchase the full unit. If you like this resource, please check out the full resource with over 100 pages.
FREEBIE - Poetry in your Pocket Day
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FREEBIE - Poetry in your Pocket Day

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I love teaching poetry and this includes the poems that are included in all my resources and many more!This resource is just a list of poems from various poets. Share them on National Poem in Your Pocket Day by folding them up and putting them in your pocket. Enjoy!
FREEBIE - Valentine's Day
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FREEBIE - Valentine's Day

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This is a fun freebie to get writing juices flowing with students. This freebie assists students with creating the “perfect pair” and is great to assist students with Valentine’s Day writing. Enjoy!
FREEBIE - Emmett Till and the 16th Street Bombing
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FREEBIE - Emmett Till and the 16th Street Bombing

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This is an activity that can either be used as a homework activity, in class independent activity, or used with a small group of students. The passages are taken from npr.org and biography.com and are both easily accessible. Links to the article are included in the packet. The entire file is in Word so that it can be edited to your needs and the answers are included in the file as text boxes that can be easily deleted when sharing with your students. I am in the process of completely revamping my store to include more Common Core aligned resources that focus on the strategies of close reading and using evidence from the text.
FREEBIE - My "SEED"sational Summer
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FREEBIE - My "SEED"sational Summer

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This beginning of the year FREEBIE is focused on summer reflection through writing and goal setting. The watermelon templates are EDITABLE using textboxes in PowerPoint. Enjoy!