Oh, Snap, It's Almost September!

I am finding it particularly hard to believe that I am already preparing for September.  While school has not started in our household, it is right around the corner-Tuesday, August 19th, in fact!  We are trading our swimsuits and pool bags for school clothes and backpacks.  Where have the last 10 weeks gone?  While jam-packed with fun, it has flown by!

In order to keep up with all that the fast-paced school year brings, I am teaming up with my teacher friends and and sharing some teaching resources for September.  While this month tends to be loaded up with establishing routines and assessing student ability levels, it is also a time when we take time to remember a HUGE event from our American history-September 11th.

I struggled to find a resource to share what that day was like four years into my teaching career, so I created a reader's theater and reading literature toolkit in order to help my students best understand the events of that day and the impact it had on Americans.  Your students will LOVE performing this reader's theater script and then having the opportunity to compare it to a nonfiction selection.  The discussion that this resource generates it priceless.

Included in this 23-page toolkit:

• clear directions for easy implementation
• CCSS covering both ELA: RL& RI and History:R.H.4-8.4
• 7-page, 12-character reader's theater script
• reader response questions
• context clue word work
• an informational text with reader response questions for Close Reading and compare and contrast work
• a Venn diagram for compare and contrast between the two texts
• interview questions
• research sites for student research
• research bubbles, an interactive tool for recording research 

Click either image to grab this 23-page resource for $2...

Best of luck navigating the start of school, the month of September, and everything in between. Check out these other great September resources...

Teaching about Memorial Day!

If you have been an educator for any amount of time, Memorial Day is a word you quickly associate with the END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR!  It is a time for the school year to come to a close, pools to open, parades to liven communities, and the unofficial beginning of summer for most Americans. 

However, if you are a veteran of the armed forces or a family member of a serviceman or woman killed in the line of duty, Memorial Day takes on a whole new meaning.  It is not just a day off from work, but a time to reflect on the memory of a loved one that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  This is truly a federal holiday that I feel my students need to be given the time to learn about.

I didn't want this school year to end without sharing some insight with my students about Memorial Day, so I created this Memorial Day resource to share with them.  If you, too are looking to keep your students engaged until the very last day of the school year and learning more about the history of Memorial Day, this reader's theater and close reading toolkit is the perfect resource to keep your students inspired!

The students at Monroe Street School are challenged by the town's mayor. This leads to them realizing that Memorial Day is more than just the end of the school year and a day for the community pool to open. This reader's theater will have your students reflecting and considering projects to complete way beyond the last day of school!

This reader's theater toolkit includes:
-a 5-page and 10-character reader's theater script
-close reading strategies for students and teacher
-reader response questions
-a Memorial Day organizer
-a summary organizer
-context clue word work
-a journal prompt for post-reading writing
-a Memorial Day Parade Float Design page
-an answer key
Estimated Lexile Measure is 670L.

Your students will LOVE learning about Memorial Day through this high-interest toolkit!  I would love to hear about any Memorial Day resources you share with your students.

If you are looking to snag a few more patriotic and All-American resources, grab this...

Lucky You! Blog Hop!

The reasons why I am lucky...
I have an AMAZING FAMILY and I have had experiences in my life that have made me the not overly sensitive person I am!  I feel lucky to be able to laugh about things, myself included, and not take myself or others so seriously!

For example...When I think of St. Patrick's Day I have a few memories of this LUCKY & GREEN day...

In elementary school it was a BIG deal to wear green.  I specifically remember in 5th and 6th grade, our teachers would walk around and observe all  of the green we were wearing.  The individual that wore the most green on this particular day always won some prize.  I never won, so I have no idea what the cool prize even was.  Green was NEVER my favorite color!  I believe the only green I ever wore was my Boston Celtics t-shirt.  As I think back, it makes me laugh!  As a 6th grade teacher today, I am just glad my students are dressed appropriately-any sort of seasonal or holiday spirit is a bonus, right?!

My second memory is the cleverness of "Erin Go Braugh!"  The meaning of this phrase is, "Ireland Forever!"  An extra special thanks to all of the thoughtful companies that made t-shirts and buttons with this spirited mantra.  For an elementary and middle schooler with the name Erin, there were so many creative phrases made-up by my kind peers with my name that had nothing to do with Ireland, but more to do with my wearing female undergarments!  AWESOME!

I hope your memories of this Irish holiday make you laugh a bit as well.  I have come around on the color green and I still giggle when I see "Erin Go Braugh!"

Onto my green-inspired FREEBIE!  Growing up in New England we were HUGE Boston Celtics fans.  The Celtics played four games a year at the Hartford Civic Center and we always had those 4-game season tickets.  I have always loved basketball and still think about the AMAZING basketball legends that I got to see in person competing for and against the Celtics: Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Robert Parrish, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Charles Barkley, Spud Webb, Minute Boll, Carl Malone, John Stockton, Dominique Wilkins, etc.

So with this GREEN holiday and MARCH MADNESS, I wrote a few CLOSE Reading passages for you to share with your upper elementary students.  My students LOVE to read about athletes, so I try to keep as many of these high-interest passages on hand for test prep, morning work, "I'm finished, now what?", etc.  Grab them below and use them how you see fit!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Now head to my friend Ali's blog to find another incredible FREE upper elementary resource.

 

Sports Of All Sorts and a Super Bowl Sunday FREEBIE

I don't know about you, but I LOVE sports.  I am not necessarily the biggest fan of WATCHING them on TV, but as an athlete myself, I have gained a new love for sports by watching my own children participate.  My oldest plays football, basketball, and baseball.  My daughter does cheerleading and plays soccer.  My littlest boy is in swimming lessons, but just chases the big kids around while they do what they do.  As their mom, I could watch them play all day! Here is a peek!

With this going on in my home, I realize this is what is taking place in so many homes ALL over.  Our children and students are engaged in all kinds of activities to keep them healthy, active, confident, competitive, and interacting positively with others.  My son seems to come home with a sports-related text from his school library each week, and he wants to talk sports...So I started doing my research and creating resources to match this enthusiasm for athletics.

With the Super Bowl this weekend, I know that my oldest couldn't be more excited.  He is a Patriots fan, and is really hoping that Tom Brady takes down cornerback Richard Sherman and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks.  If you have no idea who these two players are, your students do, so grab this FREEBIE!  They will think you are the best teacher ever...

If you are looking for more close reading passages or task cards for whole class work, literacy centers, intervention, enrichment, or morning starters, grab these...

Your students will wonder when you got so cool!  If you are wanting to grab these-my whole store is on sale TODAY!  I hope your team wins!

Teaching about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Upper Elementary to Middle School Resources

Every year the return to school in January is C-R-A-Z-Y!  Despite state testing not taking place until May, it seems like it is a time where we go into uber TEST PREP mode.  In addition to lots of test prep work, I begin a writing piece, start a novel unit, administer DRAs, students are DIBELed, and the list of goes on and on.

One thing I have struggled to focus on minus a You Tube video snippet or a showing of My Friend, Martin, is a true sharing with my students about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  My lack of focus is unintentional, and with some writing time, this year I vowed to not ever let that happen with my instruction.  Because I don't want to slight my students from learning about a significant individual in our American history, I created two separate resources.

The first is a set of 20-informational text task cards spanning his life.  The task cards are common core aligned and cover grades 4-6 RI. 1 and RI 3.  They can be used in a literacy center, as a class scoot, or in small groups.  These are an ideal tool to share with students to learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while helping students navigate informational text effectively.  Click the image to grab them from my TpT store!

Another resource I created is this reader's theater script.  The text focuses on a group of students doing research in order to present information to the class about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Your upper elementary to middle school students will love performing this script and will be able to complete reader response questions, context clue word work, journal writing, and an interactive notebook page based on information shared in the selection.  This resource is also common core aligned and covers both reading literature and writing standards-RL.1-4 and W.4 and L.5 for grades 4-8.  Click the image to grab it!

Both of these resources are on sale for $1 each!  I would love for you to incorporate them into your instruction.  Your students will LOVE them!

Keep me posted on any great resources you use when teaching about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Christmas Sales Linky: Day 2!

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, the best two dollar close reads.

If you are planning on doing test prep after the holidays or could use some resources to spruce up student reading homework, grab this today at $2.

 

Get your students thinking, problem-solving, and writing!

This bundle is ideal for a classroom scoot, independent or small group work, or in a literacy center.

These resources are also perfect gifts for colleagues that teach ELA. Also be sure to check out my holiday reader's theater for just $1.  A great resource to share with rambunctious students that are excited for the holidays.  Keep them working, focused. and engaged this week.

Supermarket Saturday Linky Party: Fall Resources

I have the perfect learning resource to share with you this week if you are in need of high-interest reads for CLOSE READING.  While this is not FALL-only, it is the perfect tool to utilize during this time of year, especially if you have students that are obsessed with sports and learning about athletes.

Every year one of the questions that I ask students on our first days of school Interest Inventory is "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  I can honestly say that a solid 75% of my boys say they want to be "a professional football player or NBA star."  I am not a dream dasher, and I refuse to tell them they won't become what they are dreaming about, however, it is essential for them to understand that one does not become an NFL superstar on a whim!  ...and so I created this resource.

This All About Athletes: Informational Close Reading Fun Pack is crammed with passages that your student-athletes will love tackling.  This 35-page NO PREP Close Reading Informational Text BUNDLE is the perfect reading tool for your upper elementary or middle school students working to enhance comprehension with high-interest informational passages about current athletes. Inspired by my son-who is obsessed with all things NFL and NBA, this BUNDLE is sure to motivate your male hard-to-inspire readers!!!

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