Free, fun and useful Kindergarten - 1st Grade, Common Core aligned lesson plans, math games, calendars, behavior charts, materials and more!
Part way through some lesson last year, I said that my students should “let it go.” I don’t remember what “it” was, exactly, but I remember two or three students jumped up and threw their arms out and sang the line from Frozen. Then, one started making up new lyrics for the song based on my lesson. It was ridiculous and funny and it all happened so fast. See, the thing is that we connect with music, and we don’t have to be particularly musical to do it. Music gets inside our heads and makes us feel things, and some tunes and lyrics never leave us. That’s why I (a non-musical person, by the way) love using music in the secondary ELA classroom. I’ve found that in middle school and high school, music breaks up a bit of the routine and allows students to access information that they may otherwise struggle with or find boring. Music can be used strategically (or just for fun!) in the secondary ELA classroom to increase engagement and retention. Here are seven ways I use music in my English classroom. 1. Present music as an avenue of direct instruction The easiest and most obvious way to use music in secondary ELA is to find a resource that puts a new concept to music. My favorite resource for using music in direct instruction is Flocabulary. I’ve used these short hip-hop videos to review story elements, introduce public speaking, and solidify some research skills. I also LOVE sharing Schoolhouse Rock with my students. Y’all, Schoolhouse Rock was already looking dorky and dated when I was a kid, but just *lean in* to this with your students. Tell them that you KNOW it’s dorky, but that you’re going to embrace that together in your classroom. 2. Introduce Song Analysis Another way to use music as a tool for direct instruction is by presenting songs as texts to be explored, analyzed, and imitated. I use songs to teach plot, genre, and figurative language. They are a short and easily accessible text (3-5 min) that provide a lot of fodder for student discussion. I do a whole Song Analysis lesson as part of my Short Stories unit, and you can download that lesson for free HERE. On my blog, I share 15 Songs to Use in Secondary ELA and 15 (More!) Songs to Use in Secondary ELA. Be sure to check those out, since they include ideas for analyzing song lyrics. 3. Play music to encourage relaxation & focus People from surgeons to athletes have been tapping into music’s relaxing properties before tackling a stressful situation. Remember Michael Phelps’ omnipresent headphones? We can allow our students the same opportunities and play some music while they’re writing, studying, or taking a test. Along this same line, music can be used to inspire creative writing. Encourage students to develop playlists for a certain writing project they’re working on. I often share my writing playlists with students to give them some ideas – my playlist for a sappy YA romance novel is completely different from my dystopian fairy tale rewrite playlist. Students should be encouraged to choose music that moves them towards the end goal: being creative and productive and awesome! 4. Have students create songs to demonstrate learning Music also makes a great option for a final project. Students can demonstrate what they've learned by making a song about it (or rewriting lyrics to a known song). My students write Symbolism Songs after reading Lord of the Flies or The Pearl, showing their interpretation of a symbol through music. 5. Show students how to create study songs Anyone who learned “The Fifty Nifty United States” as a kid knows the power of music to help memorize information. I mean, that stuff really sticks! Students can use music to help them study hard facts or vocabulary and definitions. They don't have to be amazing musicians to find a tune to make it stick - just have them try out making a recording of an effort on their phones. There is a simple ioS app called Recorder for this, or you can get a more sophisticated piece of software like Audacity. Eventually, they'll choose what study methods work best for them, but you can at least show them this tool is available. 6. Encourage storytelling with operas & symphonies You can also use music that's already out there and available to get students writing. Operas and symphonies both provide excellent opportunities for this, since they are a vehicle for a story anyway. You could play a piece from an opera and have students imagine the story. What emotions do they hear from the characters? Who's singing? What conflicts come to mind? You could have students write or discuss the stories they come up with, or even act them out in a scene set to the music. Don't share the original plot with them -- let them explore many possible answers. This is a great way to get them to engage in some creative writing, as well as explore the storytelling devices of classical music. 7. Actually, you know… play some music Also, you could just play music. :) Whenever I want to give students a set time to finish an activity, I put on a song or a playlist. For example, if students need 3-4 minutes to cut out foldables and title the pages of an interactive notebook spread, I'll put on a song. I also used the song “Final Countdown” last year for the last minutes that students assembled their writer’s workshop portfolios. What are some creative ways that you use music in your classrooms? We'd love to hear from you in comments or on IG @secondaryenglishcoffeeshop. :) Check out these other resources for using music by Coffee Shop teachers: Grammar Activities: Musical Grammar Mistakes by Presto Plans Analyzing Music Videos (Volume 2) by Stacey Lloyd
Making anchor charts has always been hard work for me. In fact, I never liked making anchor charts for the classroom. I did it because it helps the kids, but I am not a fan of my handwriting, my drawing is even worse, and let’s not even talk about the time it takes to make […]
I know I seem to say this about every math concept I blog about but I LOVE FRACTIONS. Well, the first grade version of fractions :) ...
Research based teaching strategies you can use today with a free printable chart.
I mean...why WOULDN'T you use cootie catchers in your reading block? It makes perfect sense. Ok - remember last week how I was talk...
We revisited character traits and combined it with a lesson on inferring this past week. Our class novel, Tuck Everlasting , is filled with vivid descriptions of the various characters that lend themselves to deep inferences. So I asked the students to think about a character that they connected with, and list 10 character traits that could be used to describe the character. (They used this chart that we had previously glued into our journals from Read, Write, Think) Once they had the list of character traits, the students had to list text evidence from the novel that supported their character trait inference, AND their own schema that led them to the inference. After the list was complete, the students did two things. First, they wrote a paragraph describing the character from the story using the character traits and the inferences. I had them use this form (which is from my Character Traits in 5 Days pack, but you can download for free here) to help them really keep organized. They also had to work to reference the text, direct quote, and list the schema to create a cohesive paragraph that adequately described the character. Then, each student was given a little man cut out. On it, they had to write the character trait in big letters. Under that, the direct quote and the background knowledge schema was written. This formed a visual representation of the paragraph.....that the kids really enjoyed making! The final product was pretty neat looking, and made a nice, standards-based bulletin board! How have you taught/reviewed character traits and inferring?
Learn how to use the paper-sized layout feature of Storyboard, a platform for customizable student creations. Enhance your students' capabilities with this tool's new feature.
Looking for unique post-reading activities to inspire students and provide a sample of their analytical skills? Find high-interest strategies for secondary.
Two fun activities to teach children strong sentence writing skills in a way that is fun and engaging.
This blog post lists ten must-dos for the first day of school! I want to share some actions you may know (or may not know) to ensure you have a great first
Read about how to effectively use this strategy in your classroom from the 2 Peas and a Dog blog.
Active Students? Try Scoot! The game, Scoot, can be played a number of ways for a variety of reasons. Here are the basics of the game, a few suggestions, and a freebie!
Most classrooms I've taught in have at least one or two early finishers that grasp the lesson quickly, speed through the independent work, and then do one of two things; ask you for something else to do or start to cause trouble. No matter what I was teaching, when a student finished early, I always gave them the same option of what to do while they waited for their classmates to finish: "Go read any book you'd like! Aaaand you can go read in the reading center on the pillows! Yay!" I cringe when I think about that now. Even if it was a math lesson, I still only offered for them to go read a book. Extension menus changed the way I teach and the way those students were learning. Just because they got things quickly, didn't mean that I should have easily dismissed them to go do something else. I know now that they should continue working on the same concept or skill that was introduced, just on a deeper level. They deserve to be challenged and allowed to be creative with the content they so easily mastered. Coming up with extension menus prior to my lessons were a game changer! They're now just a part of my planning. I began to come up with between 3 and 9 different options for my early finishers to choose from. They were free to choose any one they'd like. If two or three students finished early, and one of the menu options seemed like it could be a great group project, I definitely allowed that if they suggested it. Here's a sample extension menu I made for students that finished early work during a story elements lessons with a fiction story. The two 1st grade students that quickly and easily grasped the concepts of identifying the characters, setting, problem, solution, and events in the story, were given these choices to choose from. They were so excited to be working on something that challenged them in a fun way. They were still doing work that involved elements of the story we just read, but they were able to work on a deeper level to show a higher level of comprehension. Some menus I create are more specific depending on the lesson, some are more general (like the one above) and can be used more than once, which is a great time saver. Here is a list of questions I like to keep in mind when making my extension menus to challenge my early finishers in literacy and math. Thinking about your lessons, and planing these menus in advance could be really helpful in your classroom. Making sure my students knew where to find the extension menus and to continue working when they finished early is something that I felt helped with classroom management. My kids were excited to choose their own activities to work on! They weren't goofing off and getting themselves or others in trouble. These menus even motivated some sluggish workers to pick up the pace because they wanted the chance to move on to the extension menus. These menus maximized the learning potential for my students, and helped me to be a better teacher. Have you used extension menus in your classroom? I always love learning from other teachers about how these work in their classrooms! Have fun teaching! - Naomi
We all know and love Kahoot, right? If you do not know about Kahoot then we have a few blog posts with tips and ideas to get you up to sp...
Building vocabulary with word analogies. Free mini-book to help your students identify some of the most common types of word analogies.
If you want to see me plan a GREAT lesson, don’t come find me on a Sunday afternoon when I’ve deliberately set aside a chunk of time for some hardcore planning. I’ll be priming my…
Understanding the difference between inference and prediction is one of classic challenges in literacy instruction.
Circle time, morning meeting, calendar, morning message, carpet time, whatever you choose to call it in your classroom or home...it is one of the most important times of the day for learning with your little ones. Are you making the most of it? If your learners are sitting on the carpet for 30 minutes...probably not. Or,
When I looked at my last post and realized it was Christmas themed, I realized I was long overdo for a blog post. This new year has brought...
So, my sweet friend Carmen asked if I had blogged about my writing conferences and I realized that I NEEDED to do that! So, this one is for you, Carmen! Because I do Daily 5, I like to check their writing folders once a week and have a writing conference with my students. You might do something like this for writer's workshop. I'm doing guided reading during Daily 5, so I don't have writing conferences right then. I have writing conferences during their morning work (which is journals in my classroom), I meet with 5 students each day (2 minutes each). I like to do it QUICK and make their writing conference more about celebrating their writing than telling them what to work on. I use this form {click the picture to download}: And I keep them in {this} binder: Here's a pretend example of what the sheet looks like: So.. basically my students write during work on writing and when they are finished, they put their finished page in the side of their 2-pocket folder that says "finished" (then they start a new one). If the bell rings before they finish, they stick it in the side pocket that says "unfinished". Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy! When I'm ready to have a writing conference with them, I call them to my back table during morning work and I quickly read their pages. I remind them what goal they should have been working on and I make a new goal with them. I ALWAYS celebrate lots and lots. I really want to build confident writers!
Hey everyone, it's Susan from Thank God it's First Grade (TGIF) and I am here to share some of my favorite free math centers with you! At the beginning of the year there can be A LOT to prepare and ge
After reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio, students worked in small collaborative groups to create character posters about each of the characte...
Friday was one of those fun, engaging, awesome days of learning. It was play-based, rigorous, and had my operating room of 1st grader doctors begging for more. Today I wanted to share with you more about Contraction Surgery – a morning filled with hands-on contraction fun! Setting the Stage Like Compound Construction, part of creating...
This time-saving resource is an amazing set of tasks for learning about physical and chemical changes! Add interactive templates to the fun activities.
When I think about my experiences in school, I remember being bored during reading class. The stories in our reading book were always so boring. I remember rushing through my work so I could read the things that I wanted, which were books about sports! My best memories of school came during the Scholastic Book … Continue reading Paired Texts That Will Have Your Students Begging for More
Fonts play a big role in creating classroom worksheets, activities and many teachers love making their own! Here are 42 free fonts that were created by teachers and will help make your classroom activities bright, whimsical and add just the right touch.
Yes, I know you REALLY want to know how to put your worksheet into Google Classroom! But, let’s take a step back and take a deeper look at the purpose of your assignment, the power of G Suite, and how you can go BEYOND substitution and a static worksheet.
The past couple weeks we have been discussing themes of stories we’ve been reading. This is one of the neatest ways I’ve seen to help students remember what the theme is: THEME = THE MEssage Isn’t that neat? I found it from Angela Bunyi and it really clicks with the students. I also found some […]
Go beyond think-pair-share with ten discussion strategies that will engage your students in meaningful paired and small group discussions.
Foster a growth mindset in your upper elementary and middle school students this year with these four FREE learning activities! They can be set up as stations around your upper elementary classroom! Topics include the brain, positive self-talk, dealing with mistakes, and accepting feedback.
This is a set of two different Powerpoints (both are sold separately in my store) that will help with Internet Research: Internet Research for Grades 3-5: This Powerpoint is geared towards upper elementary students who are learning how to research. This is a skill that needs to be taught or else kids will just "Google" any topic and take notes. They need to be taught about what makes a website reliable or not. Also, there are a few tricks offered in this Powerpoint that will help students narrow their search and find what they are looking for! Using Key Words for Internet Research: This PowerPoint is for beginners who are learning how to research using the internet. Correlates with Virginia SOL technology/research standards. What is included? ♦Powerpoint explaining how to use key words when conducting internet research as well as many examples. You can make this section into a "game" in which your students respond in any way you wish (dry erase boards, ActivExpressions, virtual rooms such as Todaysmeet.com, etc.) ♦Two different worksheet practices with answer keys included (you can use one as an exit card and one for homework) ♦Internet scavenger hunt in which students have to use their skills acquired from this lesson to search for specific answers using the child friendly search engine: kidrex.org *This is a SAVINGS BUNDLE!!!* Other products you might like: Email 101 in Google Slides (also available in PowerPoint) Digital Citizenship Reading Passages Digital Citizenship Activity in Google Slides ************************************************************************** Follow Me so you can be notified about my latest products! (Click the star near The Techie Teacher icon) You can also follow me on: FACEBOOK Pinterest Instagram Twitter YouTube The Techie Teacher
One of the keys to writing is using appropriate transitional words and phrases. For students who struggle with writing a cohesive essay or paper, it is essential that they use words that not only create a natural flow or progression, but link each point together. Using transitions is also a key aspect in each type of writing in the Common Core State Standards. For example, read the following writing standards for grades 9-10: For Writing Arguments CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. For Writing Informative/Explanatory Texts CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2c Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. For Writing Narratives CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. (source: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/9-10) Each type of writing piece will require certain types of transitions. The narrative transitions will vary from the types of transitions used for clarifying the relationship between claims and counterclaims in argumentatives. The transitions for conveying a sequence and building suspense differ in a narrative from the counterpoints (or counterclaims) transitions in the argumentative chart. To make it easier for you and your students, I've created anchor charts of example transitions that are aligned with the writing standards for transitions for grades 6-12. You can download a free PDF copy in my teacher store here: Common Core Transitional Words Anchor Charts The free download has charts in black/white and in plain text worksheet format, as well. In my news writing expository presentation (shown below), I give examples of unbiased transitions to use in objective writing pieces. Writing objective summaries is a staple in the Common Core State Standards for writing. I will be posting a bundle of Common Core writing resources soon, which will include graphic organizers and various exercises. In the meantime, I already have several excellent writing resources that help students through critical phases of the writing process, such as the news writing bundle above and the following resources: Narrative Writing, Short Stories: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Short-Story-How-To-for-Students-Presentation-Handouts Informative Writing, News Writing: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Expository-News-Writing-Tutorial-Activities http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/News-Writing-Story-Planning-Handout-Pre-Interview Writing Style Rules: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Style-Rules-Rubric-Self-Peer-Editing-Checklist-Journalism Creative Writing, Poetry: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Like-Poets-Teach-Your-Students-to-Write-Presentation-PPT Informative/Explanatory and Argumentative Writing: FREE: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Writing-PEEL-Anchor-Chart Thanks for stopping by my blog. If you find these helpful, feel free to "pin" them and pass them along to other teachers. :)
Hey guys! I am excited to have a guest blogger today: Sara from Mrs. V's Busy Bees. She has been kind enough to share some awesome ideas wi...
Most teachers would agree that classroom jobs are important. The challenge is how to make the jobs meaningful and how to get students to take responsibility for them. Throughout my years as a classroom teacher, I tried so many different systems. Some were okay, but most of them ended up being more of a chore for me. I got so tired of giving reminders to students about their job. Much of the time, students had jobs in name only. I ended up doing all the work myself. As with most things, the simpler, the better. A good friend of mine has one of the best job systems I’ve ever seen. It’s simple and the kids really do their jobs! The system has four class jobs; Teacher Assistant, Classroom Clerk, Public Relations, and Health & Safety. Each job has several responsibilities. Now, here's how this system is unique and effective. Each week there are two people assigned to the job. One is the Expert and the other is the Apprentice. The Expert is in their second week of having that job and the Apprentice is new that week. The teacher doesn't have to train the students for their new jobs every week, that's up to the Expert! The Expert is responsible for making sure the job responsibilities are completed as well as training the Apprentice. The next week the Apprentice moves up to be the Expert and a new Apprentice is assigned to the job. With two students responsible for the job, things get done! She also has a fun way to give recognition to the eight job holders for the week. The expert gets the lanyard with the job description and the apprentice gets the name tag that also fits into a little holder that can be placed on top of his/her desk. You can download an editable version of these job cards here. (Just click on the image.)
This resource includes everything you need to teach students how to use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots to determine the meaning of a word. What’s Included: PowerPoint Lesson (Monday) Practice Printable – Digital Version Included (Tuesday) 30 Task Cards – Digital Version Included (Wednesday) Sketch Notes (Thursday) Assessment – Digital Version Included (Friday) BONUS: Interactive Notebook Activity Download the preview for a detailed overview of the resource. NOTE: This resource was written based on fifth-grade content standards. However, none of the student materials are labeled with a grade level. This will allow teachers to use this resource across grade levels. CLICK HERE for the entire Fifth-Grade Grammar Bundle! Other Fifth Grade Grammar Units: Parts of Speech Review Subject and Predicate Coordinating Conjunctions Compound Sentences Subordinating Conjunctions Complex Sentences Simple, Compound, or Complex Sentences Prepositions Prepositional Phrases Interjections Perfect Verb Tenses Using Verb Tenses Shifts in Verb Tense Correlative Conjunctions Commas in a Series Commas and Introductory Elements Commas for Yes/No, Tag Questions & Direct Address Titles of Works: Quotations, Underlines & Italics Expand Sentences Combine Sentences Reduce Sentences Compare Registers and Dialects Context Clues Roots and Affixes Use Reference Materials Figurative Language Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs Signal Words BYOB! Build Your Own Bundle Pick and choose the grammar units you want and receive a bundle discount. You can select grammar units from any grade level! The more you buy, the more you save. The discount will appear in your cart for all qualifying quantities. Grade level bundles are not included. 5+ units = 10% off 10+ units = 15% off 15+ units = 20% off 20+ units = 25% off 25+ units = 30% off 30+ units = 35% off Stay Connected with Teacher Thrive! ➜SIGN UP for my email newsletters. ➜VISIT me on TeacherThrive.com. ➜FOLLOW me on Facebook. ➜FOLLOW me on Pinterest. ➜FOLLOW me on Instagram. Please read: This is a nonrefundable digital download. Please read the description carefully and examine the preview file before purchasing. © Copyright 2018 M. Tallman. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by the original purchaser or licensee. This is intended to be used by one teacher unless additional licenses have been purchased. The reproduction of any other part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and placing it on the Internet in any form (even a personal/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so makes it possible for an Internet search to make the document available on the Internet, free of charge, and is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Find your favorite classroom read alouds for upper elementary and middle school students
