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articles to motivate, educate & differentiate
Get Ready for an Amazing Year of Writing!
Prepare Your Classroom 1. Writing Process with clothespins 2. Million Dollar Word Bulletin Board- I put up the FAAVS (Figurative Language, Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbs, and Sense Words) As students use... Read More
HOW TO CREATE INTERACTIVE WRITING NOTEBOOKS and PORTFOLIOS
Click HERE for an updated post! Related Post Writing Mini Lesson #30- Jammin Conclusion of a Na... Writing Mini Lesson #17- Writing the Body Section ... Strategies to Teach Text-Dependent... Read More
10 Steps to Prepare for Writing Workshop
Are you ready for writing this year? This post will take you through ten steps to prepare your classroom for writing workshop. If your room or writing center is ready... Read More
Notice, Think, and Wonder!
Are you looking for a great way to encourage a critical thinking conversation? This activity works well on the smart board for class discussion or printed off for group discussion.... Read More
Keeping a Memory Book of Students
So much has happened since my last day of school a week ago! Where do I even start? You would think I would have all the time in the world... Read More
10 Simple Steps to Making Chocolate Bars
Who loves chocolate? Me me me me me me!!!!!! Did I say me? Believe it or not but I am sitting in the dentist office with my daughter and what... Read More
Effective Way to Teach Students How to Give Book Report Presentations!
Do you have trouble keeping students’ attention during book report presentations? Are your students ever so excited to present that it takes every ounce of energy from YOU to keep... Read More
Headbandz Social Studies Review
We had so much fun today! We all needed to get up and moving around, so why not get the students engaged? Studying and reviewing can get very boring. I... Read More
Examples of Going West Journals
Not only are the covers of these journals creative, but my students’ writing blew me away! They really jumped into the 1840’s and wrote with incredible feelings. I actually found... Read More
Valentine’s Day Sweet Parts of Speech
Here is a cute way to have your students practice parts of speech around Valentine’s Day! There are 68 words to sort into nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives. One of... Read More
The Best Ways to Teach Revising and Editing
Click HERE for an updated post! Related Post Writing Mini Lesson #18- Building Suspense and Cli... How to Get Your Students Writing! Martin Luther King Jr. Activity Writing Mini Lesson... Read More
Martin Luther King Jr. Activity
Since we were gone for two weeks and it is a new year, I wanted to put up a new bulletin board. I thought I would put up a Martin... Read More
More Writing Lessons for Narrative Writing
Click HERE for an updated Prewriting blog post! Related Post Writing Mini Lesson #26- Revising a Narrative Essa... Graphic Organizer Writing Mini Lesson #40- Narrative Writing Homewor... Writing Mini Lesson... Read More
Native American Unit
This Native American Unit is one of my favorite units! It motivates students to want to learn about the history of Native Americans of North America (Eastern Woodlands, Great Plains,... Read More
Guest Post with Rachel Lynette
I am so excited to see my post on Rachel Lynette’s site! Go to Rachel’s website: Minds In Bloom to learn more about high-level thinking activities and freebies!!!!!! Related Post 7... Read More
Native American Dream Catchers
Oki Ni-Kso-Ko-Wa (Hello my relatives)! What better way to teach Native American culture than to make a dream catcher! Whenever I want to motivate my fourth graders for a writing... Read More
Topic Sentences and Relevant Details
Click here for an updated post on TOPIC SENTENCES! Click here for an updated post on RELEVANT DETAILS! Related Post Writing Mini Lesson #15- Plot Writing Mini Lesson #18- Building... Read More
Fragments and Run-ons for Interactive Notebooks
Click here for an updated post on FRAGMENTS! Click here for an updated post on RUN-ONS! Related Post Writing Mini Lesson #37 on Peer Reflections Writing Mini Lesson #13- Setting... Read More
Archaeology Dig- Fun!!!
Before I tell you about this motivating project, I have to tell you about the amazing woman who planned this activity for our fourth graders. Yes, our one and only... Read More
Writing Process Using Narrative Writing
Click here for an updated post: WRITING PROCESS! Related Post Writing Mini Lesson #35 on Punctuation Writing Mini Lesson #29- Variety of Sentences Writing Mini Lesson #38 on Final Copies... Read More