Secondary students will get a task card and determine the text structure of a passage. Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Description, Problem-Solution, Sequence, and Chronology are the structures used in this NO PREP product. Twenty-one original reading selections are showcased. Focus: CCSS ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5, 6.6, 7.5, 7.6, 8.5, 8.6, 9-10.5, 9-10.6 Included: ---- 21 original text structure Task Cards ---- Answer keys ---- Answer sheets ---- optional “Your Turn” activity ---- 6 “Your Turn” Task Cards ---- Text Structure printable worksheet --- Lesson/ Notes Just print, copy, and distribute. It's that easy! Students read a selection on each card and decide if the text structure is: Cause-Effect, Compare-Contrast, Description, Problem-Solution, Sequence, or Chronology. These cards are an easy way to check student comprehension, but can be used in many more ways. Try them as Entrance Tickets, Exit Tickets, Differentiation, Comprehension Check, or Homework… They might also be used as a springboard for discussion of how the author accomplishes his/ her purpose. One of my favorite ways to use is as follows: Make copies of each slide, but do not cut apart. Each student will answer all four items on one page. The next day, as students enter the room, they will receive the next page. Continue until all answers are completed. On the fifth day, students pair up and check answers. Give students time to re-read any passages that received a different answer from their partner. Turn in for a grade. Have students write on the task cards- or the provided answer sheets.

This lesson for the short story “Anataeus” by Borden Deal includes an EATS lesson plan with an Essential Question, preview vocabulary (including ALLUSION), activating strategy, teaching strategies, and a summarizing strategy (Exit Ticket). The product includes a Powerpoint, a PALS worksheet, a 2-paged study guide, and the answer key. RL.7.3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot) is the Common Core focus. Best of all, this lesson splits the text into chunks so that the students can group to do an ever-popular “Jigsaw” activity. The product is editable in case you want to add or delete any section. The allusion to the “real” Antaeus is included. Instead of just reading a short story in class, use this product to teach flashback, plot, character- all tied to the COMMON CORE standard.

These exercises for learning how to determine an unknown word using context clues focuses on 4 categories: examples, definition, antonym, and details. Teaching these strategies will help your students’ reading comprehension with secondary texts. Context clues are so important; they are part of the Common Core Standards in grades TWO through TWELVE. This product includes: ---An EATS Lesson plan (with vocabulary, teaching strategies, etc.) ---A complete PowerPoint for this lesson ---Two worksheets ---Two activities ---A PowerPoint of printable TASK CARDS (8)- perfect for differentiated instruction This lesson focuses on grades 9 through 12. The lesson gives the definition for context and shows examples. A sample sentence without context clues is also shown. Students will be given an original picture of "clues" as a PowerPoint visual to connect with this concept. Students will learn the four main strategies that writers use to give context clues to their readers (telling, examples, antonyms, and picture-painting). As a class, students will practice with the examples on the PowerPoint- identifying which strategy the writer used. Later, students will pair up and work on TASK CARD examples (perfect for differentiating this lesson- or use them as homework slips!). Finally, students will work independently on a worksheet and create a context clue-filled sentence of their own for their peers to critique. Most of the students' unknown words come from my "Word of the Day: Preparing for the S.A.T." So, if they accidentally learn the meaning, it's a win!! This lesson has a lot of information and several strategies for students to learn. The second PowerPoint (the one with task cards) is intended to be printed. This lesson focuses on: CCSS Literacy .L9 -12.4.a. Thank you!

This lesson focuses on helping middle school students identify the different types of sentence. Students will notice that each structure signals differing relationships among ideas, as based on the Common Core Standard 7.1.b . This is a challenging topic. I have worked on this product to bring some fun to the lesson. I have included: # a PowerPoint, # a lesson plan (with activating strategy, vocabulary, exit ticket, etc.), # a graphic organizer # worksheets # FIVE activities, # a quick quiz, # a vocabulary list # answer keys and # a Your Turn exit ticket The lesson plan is detailed so that it is easy for the teacher to teach each structure with an activity (or two) without getting overwhelmed! The 66-slide PowerPoint is filled with information and is easy for students to follow- especially as they fill in their graphic organizer. There are visuals included. Plus, there is a silent activity where students guess by using sign language letter to show their choice! Fun! I have also included the worksheets in PDF in case that works best for you! CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1.b Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas. Thank you!

This 2- day, comprehensive lesson includes a PowerPoint, (EATS) lesson plan, and 3 worksheets. Complete with essential question, vocabulary, teaching strategies, and an exit ticket, students learn 3 strategies to correct vague pronouns. Once students are shown several examples, they will practice with slides on the PowerPoint. Students will work as a class, with partners, and finally, on individual worksheets. If you teach sixth-grade, this is for you. No prep. Print and go! CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1.d Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).* This standard falls under the umbrella standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Thanks!

Twenty-Three (23!) different task cards are formatted (four to a page) and are EDITABLE. Just add your questions in text boxes! --OR print the task cards and add your content in your own handwriting. You must have PowerPoint to use this product. These templates are ready for you to create TASK CARDS in math, science, Language Arts, or any subject. Customize your content as you like. Use as exit tickets, entrance tickets, comprehension checks, sponge activities, brain breaks, Scoots, Center activities, Station activities, and so much more. An EDITABLE Answer Sheet/ Answer Key is included. Terms of Use If you use as a commercial product, you must flatten the final product into a PDF. All content in this product is the copyrighted property of Kim Kroll Use in your personal classroom and/or commercially to create task card products that you flatten and secured with questions that you have added. You may not post to a blog. You may not share with other teachers. Please give credit by stating “graphics by ©Kim Kroll” in your product package. You may not sell, trade, share or redistribute this product

Theme task cards are great practice BEFORE, DURING, or AFTER a lesson on theme! Based on Common Core. RI.6.2, 7.2, 8.2, and 9-10.2, these task cards present students with a reading selection and 3 multiple choice options. Students select the correct theme! Students can then pair and discuss- or continue until all 20 are completed. Included are: SET of 20 original Task Cards Answer Sheets Answer Keys Optional Activity Students read a selection on each card and decide which is the best theme. These cards are an easy way to check student understanding of theme, but can be used in many more ways: Entrance Tickets, Exit Tickets, Differentiation, Comprehension Check, Homework… They might also be used as a springboard for discussion on how the author accomplishes his/ her theme. Theme Task Cards are included in: Kroll Task Card Bundle One of my favorite ways to use is as follows: Make copies of each slide, but do not cut apart. Each student will answer all four items on one page (on the answer sheet provided). The next day, as students enter the room, they will receive the next page. Continue until all answers are completed. On the fifth day, students pair up and check answers. Give students time to re-read any that are different from their partners. Turn in for a grade. Have students write on task cards – or laminate and use the task cards year after year. Focus: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Cootie Catchers are also called fortune tellers. This is a fun FOLDABLE and great interactive activity for studying multiplication! Just print and pass out! Students will cut off the bottom strip, fold, and begin studying! Included in this product are 20 different BLACK AND WHITE cootie catchers, each with 8 different multiplication equations (answers included). Instructions are also included. Partners will use these cootie catchers to practice and review the multiplication tables between 2 and 12! Print all Cootie Catchers and randomly pass out- for maximum variability- or focus on the specific multiples: Slide 3 Equations using 3 ( 6 x 3, 8 X 3…) Slide 4 Equations using 4 Slide 5 Equations using 5 Slide 6 Equations using 6 Slide 7 Equations using 7 Slide 8 Equations using 8 Slide 9 Equations using 9 Slide 10 Equations using 10 Slide 11 Equations using 11 Slide 12 Equations using 3 Slide 15 Mixture of equations using 3 and 4 Slide 16 Mixture of equations using 3 and 4 Slide 17 Mixture of equations using 5 and 6 Slide 18 Mixture of equations using 5 and 6 Slide 19 Mixture of equations using 7 and 8 Slide 20 Mixture of equations using 7 and 8 Slide 21 Mixture of equations using 9 and 10 Slide 22 Mixture of equations using 9 and 10 Slide 23 Mixture of equations using 11 and 12 Slide 24 Mixture of equations using 11 and 12 These cootie catchers really grab students’ enthusiasm! Learning and fun! This bundle of cootie catchers are in BLACK and WHITE. Enjoy!

Context clues are so important; they are part of the Common Core Standards in grades TWO through TWELVE! This lesson focuses on grades 6 through 8. This product includes: ---An EATS Lesson plan (with activating strategy, teaching strategies, etc.) ---A complete PowerPoint for this lesson ---Two worksheets ---Two activities ---A PowerPoint of printable task cards (8)- perfect for differentiated instruction The lesson gives the definition for context and shows examples. A sample sentence without context clues is also shown. Students will be given an original picture of "clues" as a PowerPoint visual to connect with this concept. Students will learn the four main strategies that writers use to give context clues to their readers (telling, examples, antonyms, and picture-painting). As a class, students will practice with the examples on the PowerPoint- identifying which strategy the writer used. Later, students will pair up and work on TASK CARD examples (perfect for differentiating this lesson- or use them as homework slips!). Finally, students will work independently on a worksheet and create a context clue-filled sentence of their own for their peers to critique. Most of the students' unknown words come from my "Word of the Day: Preparing for the S.A.T." So, if they accidentally learn the meaning, it's a win!! :) This lesson has a lot of information and several strategies for students to learn. The second PowerPoint (the one with task cards) is intended to be printed. This lesson focuses on: CCSS Literacy .L.6.4.a, 7.4.a, and 8-12.4.a. Thank you so much!

Teaching Parallel Structure to 9th and 10th graders CAN be enjoyable! This resource was created to make teaching this Common Core Standard easy! I have included: -an EATS lesson plan -the content standard -essential question -vocabulary: Parallel and Structure -an activating strategy -collaborative activities -individual activities -a printable exit ticket -POWERPOINT -WORKSHEETS TASK CARDS -challenge activity -optional homework practice and answer keys This works really well with my 9th graders! You can also use with grades: 7, 8, 11 or 12th grade, but it was built specifically for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.a (Use parallel structure). The Essential Question is: How can I create and correct sentences that have parallel structure? This lesson is accompanied by a PowerPoint (included) that goes with the EATS lesson plan- and makes teaching very easy. I hope you enjoy this lesson! Thanks!- Kim Kroll

This Punctuation Lesson, PowerPoint, two worksheets and Answer Key teaches the Common Core standard addressed in L 9-10. 2b : using Colons for introducing a list and quote. Teachers will be able to use this resource to completely teach the concept. With the PowerPoint, a lecture unfolds to include an activating strategy, teaching strategies and a summarizing strategy. The worksheet allows students to follow along with the PPT smoothly, while taking notes. Included are examples and activities for the entire class, partners, and individuals. Answer keys are provided for each activity.

This printable requires no prep; print- and students to fill in. Different versions can be used in subjects ranging from literature to history to culinary arts to musical composition! Includes One extra large colored Two-Circle Venn Diagram One extra large Two-Circle Venn Diagram, black and white One Colored Three-Circle Venn Diagram One Three-Circle Venn Diagram, black and white One BLOCK Venn- easy to fill out! All Venn Diagrams are lined- so students can easily write inside! I have found the extra large Venn Diagram to be very successful! Some students prefer the BLOCK version. This five-slide PowerPoint in pdf is ready to print! Thanks! Great for novels, non-fiction, autobiography life lines, history and more!

Crocodiles and Alligators are intriguing subject matter! This product contains a lesson plan, 2 Powerpoints, a two-page worksheet, and a graphic organizer. Also included is an activity for students to draw what Crocs might look like in 200 million years. Students will discuss: What do Crocodiles eat? What characteristics have helped them survive while other species have become extinct? What would you name a crocodile? (although this is more of a creative "brain break," I've included names of crocs at our Texas zoo- in 2014.) How can a crocodile breathe and look around while submerged? How many species are there? and much more. Many crocodile body parts are discussed (teeth, eyes, tail, etc) as well as habits (inability to sweat, sounds, buoyancy, etc.) This 2 day lesson gives the option of allowing to use the graphic organizer to further research certain species and note findings. Teachers in grades 4-7 may choose to delete some of the more academic slides and keep the presentation simple. The PowerPoints are editable for that reason. (Originally, this lesson was created for an 8th grade class.) Thanks!!

Use this PowerPoint in its entirety - or add and delete to create a unit on animal habitats and biomes. Plenty of information and pictures are already here for you to use. Birds, Marine animals, Tundra, Dessert, Scorpion, Grassland, Forest, Armadillo, Porcupine, Sloth, Tiger, Ecosystem, Giraffe, and Recycling are all mentioned in this presentation. If your students are studying habitats, grab this resource today!

Secondary Word of the Day S.A.T. Bracelets S.A.T.-level vocabulary for your secondary students! These paper bracelets are ready-to-go! Simply print, cut, and tape them on students’ wrists. Add a bit of whimsy to education! Don’t think for a minute that your secondary students are too mature for paper bracelets; they LOVE them! Use these Word of the Day bracelets to help reinforce long-term learning. (Eradicate the “remember-for-the-test, then forget” strategy.) Students will be reminded of their vocabulary word throughout the day. Assign one word to each student per period- and watch them find students with the same word throughout the day. Watch students between classes discuss each other’s words. Hooray! These bracelets create a ripple effect, too. Students report that family members learn their words, too (especially their younger siblings– your future students)! At the end of the week, ask students to use the bracelets to create links for a Vocabulary Word Chain in their locker for year-long reinforcement. Included are “Don’t Forget,” “Test tomorrow,” and some blank bracelets for you to customize as study reminders for students (and parents)! This product includes: - 45 slips with (45) S.A.T.-level vocabulary words and definitions - notes/ directions - 1 free Cootie Catcher - 15 Reminder Bracelets (5 “Test Tomorrow”, 5 “Don’t Forget”, and 5 blanks for you to write on) This product is in PDF form and is not editable. Thanks! Kim Kroll

Middle School Exit Slips are based on Common Core Literature Standards and can be used with any selection, any day! Just print, cut, and distribute! CCSS Aligned You can use each of the twenty-one tickets several times throughout the year with different literature selections. Although these are titled “Exit Tickets,” they can be used as activating strategies, homework slips, prompts for extemporaneous speeches, task cards… The uses are MANY. I have found these cards to be very successful with collaborative pairs as an informal assessment. Each of the 21 printable pages has four Exit Tickets. If you need 40 exit tickets, simply make 10 copies. Print, then cut along the lines. You may choose to laminate and keep them in a Ziplock bag to use more than once. (Since they work with any selection, students will benefit from repeated practice!) Two Exit Tickets that are included in this product: *How did the main character change during the story? (based on CCSS) *How might the story change if the ending was different? (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) Each card will be the same size (easy collecting and stacking!). A box at the bottom of each card is provided for the score (easy grading!). I have also added 14 Bonus Exit Ticket ideas (common core aligned) that are more specific- PLUS a blank Exit Ticket page. Write in your own idea! These bonus tickets might not work well with every story, but when you find one that works for your selection, simply: cut, paste, and print! Exit Slips are the tickets to get out of the door. They help students process what they've learned by allowing them to reflect and summarize. Thank you!

Nelson Mandela's "Long Walk to Freedom" and Rita Dove's "An Interview: I Was Not Alone" (an essay on Rosa Parks) are perfect short non-fiction selections for Black History Month. Focus on heroes, cause and effect, black history, and more! This resource includes: --one-page lesson plan, --three worksheets, --a basic PowerPoint for Rosa Parks, ---a PALS instruction and example, and --answer keys. The PowerPoint is editable for your convenience. Using the Common Core Standards and Learning Focused, I have included an EATS lesson plan with an Essential Question, preview vocabulary (including CAUSE and EFFECT), activating strategy, teaching strategies and a summarizing strategy (Exit Ticket). Further, this lesson pairs students to work on cause and effect together. The texts of "An Interview: I Was Not Alone" and "The Long Walk to Freedom" are NOT included due to copyright laws. Please make sure you have access to the texts before purchasing this resource. The lesson plan, worksheets, and PPT are time-saving and effective. Thank you!

Author's Purpose Task Cards for High School and Middle School (two sets of 20 each) Based on Common Core.RI.6.6 , 7.6, 8.6, and 9-10.6, these task cards present a reading selection for which students select the correct author’s purpose. Included are: 2 SETS of 20 original Task Cards (There are 40 cards total- both sets use the same 20 cards strong>, but have different multiple choice selections. The second set is more rigorous- and most closely resembles the selections found on standardized tests.) Answer sheets Answer Keys Set 1: Students read a selection on each card and decide if the author's purpose is to: Persuade, Inform, or Entertain. Set 2: Students read a selection on each card and determine the author's purpose from more rigorous options, such as: A) to present an argument using facts, B) to narrate a scene using sensory details, etc. These cards are an easy way to check student comprehension, but can be used in many more ways: Entrance Tickets, Exit Tickets, Differentiation, Comprehension Check, Homework… They might also be used as a springboard for discussion of how the author accomplishes his/ her purpose. One of my favorite ways to use is as follows: Make copies of each slide, but do not cut apart. Each student will answer all four items on one page. The next day, as students enter the room, they will receive the next page. Continue until all answers are completed. On the fifth day, students pair up and check answers. Give students time to re-read any that are different from their partners. Turn in for a grade. Have students write on – or laminate and use them more than once. Focus: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

This 9th- 10th grade resource consists of a PowerPoint, a Lesson plan, 3 worksheets and an answer key- everything you need to teach euphemisms and oxymora, based on the Common Core Standards L.9-10.5 and L.9-10.5a. The PowerPoint discusses euphemisms and oxymora, giving several examples and opportunities for students to participate in discussions. The class will follow along with the lesson by filling in the first two worksheets. The class will begin with an Activating Strategy and move into a discussion on the obstacles people face while learning English and encountering euphemisms. Students will pair up and brainstorm euphemisms and oxymora- as well as guess what the illustration on the PowerPoint represents. Students will be challenged to answer the Essential Questions: How can I uncover the meanings of euphemism and oxymoron? AND How do I analyze the role of euphemism and oxymorons inside of a text? Differentiated instruction is offered with extra challenges- such as providing the definition of the opposite of euphemism (dysphemism). Students will be given a chance to review before completing an Exit Ticket. A third optional worksheet is included for fun- or for extra differentiation, if there is a need for extra practice. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.

This is a set of ROOTS for your Word Wall. Included are 80 Root Words with meaning and examples, AND illustrations -plus extra pages of the same Root words with meaning, examples, and blank spaces so students can draw. These printable pages are excellent to display on your word wall- or for students to study. Four Root "cards" are formatted on a single page. Simply print, cut, and pin! You may also want to print on stock paper and place on a ring for students to clip to their bookbags. All pages are in Black and White. Learning to identify root words is a valuable lesson that will assist students when they decode unfamiliar words – throughout life! Although the CCSS specifically assigns roots and affixes to grades 6, 7, and 8, every grade from 1 to 12 is expected to “determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words” Language Standard 2.4, 3.4, 5.4, 6.4, 7.4, 8.4, 9-10.4, and 11-12.4. Thanks!