Hi there! It’s Deb Hanson from Crafting Connections , and I’m going to share a free character traits lesson with you today. This lesson is based on one I did a few years ago for a formal observation. My principal at the time loved the lesson… I hope you will, too! If you do decide that you want to try this activity with your students, be sure to click on the following image . Everything you need for this lesson is FREE! (Well, almost everything… you’ll have to provide your own anchor chart paper and cups!) Part 1: Anchor Chart I almost always start my ELA units with a PowerPoint presentation to introduce the topic . Therefore, the lesson I am describing would occur on Day 2 of our character traits study. Prior to class, I would create the base of my character traits anchor chart. To start the lesson, I would use the anchor chart to review how good readers analyze clues provided by the author in order to infer character traits. Next, I would read four short passa......

Before you start speaking or writing, you must consider your audience. We adults understand this and automatically do it without giving it a second thought. Students, on the other hand, sometimes don't realize that there is a formal register and an informal register in English. Therefore, teachers must explicitly teach students how and when to use the two registers. In this post, I'll be giving you some tips and sharing some freebies you can use when you introduce this topic to your students. Introduction to Formal/Informal Language I would begin this lesson by using my document camera to display the posters below. After students have read the two speech bubbles, I'd direct them to compare and contrast the two characters' speech with a partner. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THESE POSTERS FOR FREE! Following this partner discussion, I would state that there are two types of English: formal and informal. After defining formal and informal, I would ask stude......

When I attended classes to earn my ESL endorsement, one of the first ELL-friendly strategies I learned was to employ graphic organizers. However, teachers who use graphic organizers with their students will attest to the fact that graphic organizers are beneficial tools to use with ALL students, not just English language learners and students with disabilities.  Why are they such powerful tools? Graphic organizers provide visual representations of cognitive processes. These visual cues help students organize concepts in a way that will aid in retention. Students can actually SEE relationships and connections between facts and concepts. Graphic organizers improve comprehension. Students are able to break down bigger concepts into smaller, more understandable chunks of information.  Graphic organizers increase student engagement. When filling out a graphic organizer, students are actively participating and contributing to the learning process. Because of these benefi......

As teachers, we all have favorite topics to teach... and a few topics that aren't quite so enjoyable. For me, teaching figurative language is like sinking my teeth into a cream-filled donut topped with sprinkles. (How's that for a simile?) Introducing Similes When I began writing this blog post, my intention was to make it short and sweet (just like my experience eating that donut!), but my love for figurative language enveloped me, and I got sidetracked. I ended up making a 13-slide PowerPoint that introduces the topic of similes to students. After five introduction slides, I included 10 practice slides where students must determine whether the given sentence is a simile, a metaphor, or neither. This is available for FREE in my TpT store. Just click on the image below to download it to use with your students. Using Similes to Inspire Higher-Level Thinking The other idea I want to share involves using similes in order to prompt higher-level thinking ac......

Teaching the meanings of prefixes and suffixes is undoubtedly a skill that needs to be scaffolded over multiple grade levels. When I taught second grade, my main goal was to teach students how a prefix or a suffix affected the meaning of a word. We started with five basic prefixes and six basic suffixes. (Check out this affix blog post at my personal blog if you want to view my anchor chart, or read about my favorite way to introduce prefixes and suffixes to younger students.) Then, with each passing grade level, a few more prefixes and suffixes are added to the list. When I work with 4th and 5th grade students, I like to use concept circles to provide an opportunity for students to analyze affixed words in a more challenging way. (If you're interested in using these with your own upper elementary students, don't miss the free student worksheet version near the end of this blog post!) This activity involves four steps: Students read the four words written inside the......

Hi there! It’s Deb Hanson from  Crafting Connections , and I've decided to share an adverbs anchor chart and free printable with you today. First, however, allow me to express my dismay. Did you know that adverbs are specifically mentioned in the 2nd grade Common Core State Standards, but are not named in 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade standards?!? This puzzles me. To fully understand the purpose of adverbs, students must first have a firm grasp on nouns, verbs, and adjectives. I must admit, I don't know many second graders who possess that strong necessary foundation! In fact, I have found that most upper elementary and middle school students are easily tripped up by adverbs. Just a few weeks ago, I overheard my daughters (a 5th grader and a 7th grader) moaning about adverbs. My fifth grader was really struggling to complete her language assignment (that focused on adverbs), and my seventh grader stated how "bad at adverbs" she was, too. After helping Brooke comp......

The drill and kill of multiplication facts can get old very quickly for students.  Especially those that struggle memorizing them.  Adding games into your math block will not only excite them, but provide great learning opportunities.   Here is a list of 5 multiplication games that are super easy to implement and require very little prep.  A win for both the teacher and the students! Games with Dominoes Ordering Products Students choose five dominoes, turn them over, and multiply each side together.   Order the products from least to greatest or greatest to least. Want to make it a game?  Partners order their dominos then find the difference between their greatest number and least number.  The partner with the greatest (or least) difference wins. Multiplication War Students begin with dominoes face down.   Each student chooses a domino. On the count of three, students turn over their domino and multip......