Topic: ELA

  • Works Cited Activities- Mini-lessons and Station Work

    Works Cited Activities- Mini-lessons and Station Work

    Learning how to cite sources is important for students even at a young age. This activity pack includes a mini-lesson and templates for students to use to cite different sources at six stations.

    This follows the MLA format guidelines for citing a variety of sources including:

    ✔ Books

    ✔ Magazines

    ✔ Internet Sources

    ✔ Encyclopedia

    This pack includes:

    ✔ Mini-lesson to teach how to cite

    ✔ Bibliography Builder

    ✔ Templates

    ✔ Teacher Directions & Notes

    Six Stations include:

    Station One: a novel

    Station Two: a magazine article

    Station Three: an article from a reputable internet site

    Station Four: an encyclopedia article

    Station Five: a children’s picture book

    Station Six: a non-fiction book

  • The Runaway Pumpkin Literacy and Activity Pack for Halloween Activities

    The Runaway Pumpkin Literacy and Activity Pack for Halloween Activities

    The Runaway Pumpkin is one of my favorite Halloween books to read to the class. During Halloween week, I read a new Halloween themed book each day. For that week during centers, we do fun literacy activities related to each book. What a fun way to celebrate and learn about Halloween!

    The Runaway Pumpkin is a delightful book that describes the journey of a runaway giant pumpkin as it bumps and thumps its way through the Baxter farm, only to end up as a family feast that night.

    This unit includes several literacy activities related to the story that highlight:

    ✔ Character Traits (Granny and Little Lil)

    ✔ The Setting

    ✔ The Plot

    ✔ The Plot Thickens (sequencing activity)

    ✔ Problem, Solution, and Theme

    ✔ Find all the Action Verbs

    ✔ Pumpkin Adjectives

    ✔ Comprehension Questions

    ✔ Spotlight on Vocabulary

    ✔ Runaway Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt

    ✔ Pumpkin Poem compare and contrast

    ✔ Write your own Personal Narrative Runaway Pumpkin Story

    ✔ Writing Rubric

    ✔ Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Activity

    ✔ Quiz and Answer Key

    These activities work well for reading groups, centers, or as extended activities after reading the book.

  • The Signs of Spring Activity Pack

    The Signs of Spring Activity Pack

    Welcome Spring with this creative and fun activity pack! There are informational articles and activities all about everything Spring! These articles and activities are great hands-on activities for centers too!

    This activity pack has kid-friendly informational articles with comprehension questions, real-life photos, and scenes for students to color and connect to the topic. Students will learn all about Spring with articles about:
    ✔ Spring Equinox
    ✔ Buds and Blooms
    ✔ All About Robins
    ✔ Daffodils
    ✔ Tulips
    ✔ April Showers Brings May Flowers
    ✔ Cycle of Life
    ✔ Spring Fever
    ✔ Spring Cleaning

    This unit includes many interactive activities and learning opportunities for students including:
    ✔ Mystery Board
    ✔ Organizer/Poster Activity
    ✔ Scavenger Hunt
    ✔ Venn Diagram to compare Tulips to Daffodils
    ✔ Cycle of Life Diagrams for a chicken and a lamb
    ✔ Cut out pop-up Flowers
    ✔ Writing Prompts (2)
    ✔ Vocabulary Posters
    ✔ Vocabulary Flip Flaps
    PLUS…
    ✔ 6 Page Flip-up Book
    ✔ For Elementary Grades

    There are 3 main Spring-tastic Activities:
    Vocabulary:
    Introduce the vocabulary words with the real-life photo posters included relating to each section. You could post these posters around the classroom and have students travel around to match up and define the words in their flip flaps or use as a center activity. These posters are excellent for a bulletin board display too.

    Reading:
    Next, have students read the informational articles all about Spring. Have students complete the comprehension and connection questions, mystery flaps, organizer, and other activities. Go for a walk and complete the Spring Scavenger Hunt. Students could work with a partner, in small groups, or even as a center/station activity to read and complete the activities.

    Hands-on Activities:
    Have students complete the Flip-Up Booklet. Students can build the flip-up book page by page. I usually have them do one page at each center or station. They can use the articles as a reference source to help them complete the pages of the flip-up. Lastly, they cut, color, and assemble the booklet. Flip-up books can be glued or stapled inside their interactive notebooks, file folder, or a 12×18 piece of construction paper folded like a book cover.

  • The Places You’ll Go Activities: Hot Air Ballon Flip Up

    The Places You’ll Go Activities: Hot Air Ballon Flip Up

    Students will love creating this Hot Air Balloon Flip Up Craft after reading the book “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. Simply, print pages on different colored cardstock and let the students mix and match to create a one of a kind hot air balloon.

    What’s included:
    ►Templates to create a 4-page Hot Air Balloon Flip Up Craft
    ►Different questions and options for each page
    ►Colorful Poster with a quote from the book
    ►A separate page with additional Comprehension Questions
    ►Directions and sample photos

    For each page of the craft, there are two options to mix and match questions.
    Here are the questions that are included:
    ►Where do you want to go or see in the future? Name five places below.
    ►What do you think is the theme of the story?
    ►What do you want to do when you grow up?
    ►Name three new things you want to learn how to do
    ►Would you ever want to go in a hot air balloon? What do you think it would be like?
    ►What is the most exciting place that you’ve ever been to?
    ►What does it mean by “Kid, you’ll move mountains”?

    Directions:
    ►Read the story, Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss.
    ►Print out the Hot Air Balloon pages on colored card stock pages. I like to use different colored card stock and let the students mix and match as desired.
    ►Have the students answer the questions on each page (circle) and share their answers with the class.
    ►Build the flip up balloon so that each circle overlaps at the top and staple it at the top of the balloon.
    ►Tape 4 strings, twine, or ribbons to the back of the basket and to the back of the largest circle so that the word “GO!” is in the middle.
    ►Add a second basket on the backside to hide the strings and give it added support.
    ►Display your hot air balloons around the classroom or on a bulletin board if desired. You can use the poster with the quote from the book as part of the display.

    What a fun activity to accompany such an inspirational book.

  • Christmas Activities with Scavenger Hunt and Letter to Santa

    Christmas Activities with Scavenger Hunt and Letter to Santa

    Christmas is a holiday about the joy of giving and sharing. It is also a time to come together with family and friends. Modern Christmas includes many traditions such as decorating Christmas trees, baking cookies, exchanging gifts and cards, and the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Students will love learning all about Christmas traditions, symbols, and Saint Nicholas with this fun and creative unit.

    This unit includes many interactive activities and learning opportunities for students including several reading passages:
    ✔ Santa Claus is Coming
    ✔ Christmas Traditions
    ✔ O Christmas Tree
    ✔ Symbols of Christmas

    There are two fun character studies where students will meet:
    ✔ Saint Nicholas
    ✔ Rudolph

    This unit is packed full of activities that work well for morning work, in holiday centers, and after reading your favorite Christmas story:
    ✔ Biography Organizers for Saint Nicholas and Rudolph
    ✔ Several Writing Prompts
    ✔ A Letter to Santa (with example)
    ✔ Just the Facts Please!
    ✔ Christmas Scavenger Hunt Organizers
    ✔ Fact or Fiction Activity
    ✔ Plus a 5-page Christmas Flip Book

    This unit includes reading passages, scavenger hunt organizers, acrostic fact chart, and vocabulary posters with real-life photos to post in the classroom. Using the scavenger hunt organizer and a clipboard students act as detectives to track down the answers to the questions.

    There are three main activities:
    Vocabulary:
    Introduce the 6 vocabulary words with the real-life photo posters included. You could post these posters around the classroom and have students travel around to define the words. These posters are excellent for a bulletin board display too.

    Reading:
    Next, have students read the passages the history and traditions of Christmas. There are questions and scenes for students to color and connect to the information. After reading the passages, have students answer the scavenger hunt organizers. These work well in centers, learning stations, and as partner work.

    Activities:
    There are many activities for students to complete to show what they know:
    ✔ Scavenger Hunt Organizers
    ✔ Biography Organizers (2)
    ✔ In The Spirit of Giving
    ✔ Symbols of Christmas Summarizing Activity
    ✔ Fact or Fiction Activity
    ✔ Just the Facts about Christmas
    ✔ Writing Prompts
    ✔ Letter to Santa Template and Sample Letter
    ✔ Plus a Christmas 5-page Flip Book

    I usually have them do one page of the flip book at each center or station. They can use the articles as a reference source to help them complete the pages of the booklet. Lastly, they cut, color, and assemble the booklet. Flip up books can be glued or stapled inside their interactive notebooks, file folder, or a 12×18 piece of construction paper folded like a book cover.

    This can also be used as an activity to get the kiddos moving around the room. It could also be used as a holiday centers activity. The holiday posters with real-life photos make a beautiful bulletin board display too.

    Scavenger Hunt Steps:
    1. Place the reading passages and holiday photo posters in six spots around the classroom.
    2. Students read the passage about each holiday and travel around the room to answer the questions on the scavenger hunt organizers.
    3. For an extra challenge, copy the holiday acrostic fact charts on the backside of each organizer and have students write one fact beside each letter for that holiday.
    4. Come back together as a class to discuss their answers.
    5. You could also set it up as a learning station or center activity where students read about each holiday, respond to questions on the organizers, and then complete the flip books.

    This is a wonderful way to get students actively involved with the information literally by getting them up and out of their seats. It’s perfect for partners or group work.

    Little prep work to save you time:
    Print posters and organizers
    Copy the scavenger hunt organizers and acrostic fact charts (back-to-back)
    Post posters around the classroom (or at stations/centers)
    Assign partners or groups
    Hand out scavenger hunt organizers and clipboards
    Set timer (about 5-10)
    Have students rotate to the next spot

    Merry Christmas!