4th Grade Tools for Common Core Lesson

A fun way to introduce compare and contrast writing through collaborative learning and peerworkshopping for elementary, ELL, and emergent writers. Includes: Group exercise for working with compare and contrast Interactive comparing/contrasting essay writing assignment Handouts for group/individual listings (graphic organizer) Slide by Slide writing guide: intro, bodies, conclusion Easy to follow examples Thesis Intoduction Relationship Words handout Peer workshopping component Scoring rubric for grading Diploma for mastery of compare and contrast essay Great way to get students to discuss concepts and skills. Easy introduction for lower level learners. Also, great icebreaker activity! Students will be excited about compare and contrast writing Meets CCSS.

Are commas alien to your students? Are there not enough or too many commas? This 31 slide presentation uses a color-coded approach combined with peer workshopping and comprehension checks. The mini-lesson presentation addresses and includes: Research slide Extra Resources with practices Comma Comprehension Checks Commas in a List and Series FANBOYS Appositives Directly Speaking to a Person Dependent Clauses Adverbs and Transitions Parenthetical Expressions Adjectives Dates Cities/States Can be used as individual mini-lessons or as review. Provides peer workshopping component and comprehension checks to increase comma skills and usage. Interactive approach is easy to follow and is self-explanatory. Meets Common Core Standards.

What is multigenre writing, and how can you use it in your classroom? This Common Core, across-curriculum, interactive presentation includes: Fact-based/non-fiction or fictional Defining: "Multi" and "Genre" Student examples of multigenre projects Interactive small group activity for introducing multigenre Research and extra resources on multigenres 2 levels of assignments: lower and upper Brainstorming Topics chart Find Your Topic graphic organizer Multigenre list for choosing types of writings Peer Workshopping guide Supplemental Resources Works Cited Ready to use with students, and a great way to re-visit an old topic or to revive research essays, whether using non-fiction or fiction. Can be used to introduce topics or as assessment for unit or research for any discipline.. Multigenre activities are engaging, educational, meaningful, and fun.

What is a rough draft? How do you find a topic? How do you get started? How does it work as part of the writing process? All this and more answered as students work through the easy-to-follow guide for the rough draft process of writing. Includes: Rough drafts are bad caption/image Writers compose in different ways Writing process and overview Reflection activity Methods for starting: Chunk writing,Cluster/Map, Free writing, Outline Let's Practice activity Taking a risk with rough drafts Tips: Using your writing toolbox, taking a break between drafts, and Can you read this? Rough draft strategy slide and begin your rough draft Reminder of writing process for peer workshopping Everything needed to help students understand and begin their first rough drafts! Excellent for flipped classrooms and writing centers!

Introduce Semi-Colons, Colons, Dashes, and Hyphens with this 14 slide presentation. Includes: definitions examples practice sentences peer workshopping component comprehension checkpoint & answers extra resources This PowerPoint gives students everything they need to successfully use each of the "Other Punctuation Marks" within their essays! Easy to read and follow with color-coded examples. Can be used for ELL/GT/AP and flipped classrooms. Meets CCSS guidelines.

Simple, to the point 5 slide presentation that walks students through using For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So (FANBOYS) in their writings. Includes: Rules Tips Practice Exercises Peer Workshopping Component Meets Common Core Standards for grammar usage.

Revised to include social media rules along with academic, creative, journalism. Help students categorize essays to determine what kind of guidelines to use. The 10 slide handout/presentation includes: Breakdown of 4 kinds of writing: academic, creative, journalism, and Texting When and How to use specific guidelines Easy Categorizing of essays Comparison of rules Printable Handout of Categories and Rules Activities Peer Workshopping Component Easy to understand and follow, great for standardized assessment strategies, and perfect for upper level/college bound students.

An interactive introduction to writing beginnings/endings and conclusions/introductions. The presentation uses a peer workshopping approach to writing beginnings and endings. Includes: Techniques to "hook" readers: Action Description Dialog Emotion Quotation Setting Examples of each Techniques to write successful conclusions. Ambiguous Circular Humor Moral Quote Restate thesis: Examples of all techniques Word Search that includes all terminologies (project and solve as a group or use as individual handouts) Uses peer workshopping and group read-arounds to complete the activites. Easy for students to follow and easy to implement in the classroom.

Connect fact based, real life writing to process/patterned writing by having students "Write an Award Winning Business Letter". The 16 slide presentation includes: Parts of a business letter: date, inside address, greeting/salutation, body, closing, signature line Examples of 6 parts Checklist Extra resources Easy to follow and can be used with individuals,small or whole groups. Easily guides students through the process of writing business letters. Be sure to send letters once they are finished!

An overview of Galveston as the Gateway to America during 1845-1924. Follow immigrants from Europe to Galveston in dangerous conditions over rough seas as they enter the Port of Galveston to start their new lives. 23 pages of comic book style coloring frames; 11 of these pages are blank for students to write their immigration stories. Includes "Fact" box on each of the pages. Fun, engaging, and educational approach to learning about immigration through the Port of Galveston in 1845. Use for introducing skills or for assessment of knowledge.

16 Halloween coloring images with holiday word banks that include: Cats Bats Dracula Frankenstein Ghosts Pirate Pumpkins Trick or Treat Witches Zombies and more... Includes Suggestions For Use sheet and template to create your own vocabulary word bank. Upper levels can use for poetry and contest writing. Fun way to assess writing skills in an ELA classroom. Grab a blanket and flashlight, turn on the lighted pumpkin, and have a classroom read-around of Halloween stories!

Make using and working with symbolism collaborative, fun and educational (Meets CCSS) with this interactive writing project that focuses on 850 B.C. and the discovery of the Snake Circle: Includes: 1. KWL Chart 2. Extra Resources: Take a tour of Ancient Greece, learn about the lives of adults and children, and watch videos to understand the time period of 850 B.C. 3. Uncover its origin: The Snake Circle object came from the days of Homer, so explore its meaning with the use of two symbolism sheets. 4. Discuss and interpret the Snake Circle shield handout. 5. Write stories: choose a genre; then Peer Workshop essays 6. Color the shields--review students' colorful examples 7. Display for all to enjoy! Comes with: handouts to complete writings, students' samples, and class project photos. Everything needed for writing fun! Excellent for teaching how to interpret and use symbolism, reinforce concepts and skills, and working with multigenres. Combination of historical technology resources with writing and using literal concepts.

13 color-coded, figurative language Santa-themed activities that include definitions, examples, and writings. Fun for learning and using figurative language! Includes: Alliteration Hyperbole Idioms Imagery Internal Rhyme Metaphor Onomatopoeia Personification Simile Symbolism Writing Activity Word Search Activity Mix and Match Activity Answer Keys to Activities Use individually, small/whole group, as competitive activities and for Common Core Standards review or assessment of figurative language. Colorful Santa images to spark creativity!

Interactive, peer workshopping approach to teaching Descriptive Writing. The PowerPoint has 21 slides and includes: Includes: Interactive Activities Descriptive Assignments Frequent checks for comprehension Crossword Puzzle Examples Figurative Language/Senses Peer Workshopping Resources Slide It defines, explains, introduces, and encourages descriptive writing through figurative language, five senses, tone, mood, show not tell, and visualization. Writing activities and handouts for scaffodling, assessment and comprehension of descriptive writing are included.

Help student writers understand and read their essays from readers' perspectives with this nine page presentation. The analogy of learning to drive is used to help writers understand that reading punctuation is like obeying road signs. Includes: Many roles of a writer Visually stimulating graphics Defining Writer as Reader Practicing Writer as Reader slides (indiividual/group activity) Peer Workshopping Following the steps of reading, listening, and correcting Excellent for introducing writers' roles, peer workshopping, and understanding punctuation.

The 20 slide PowerPoint with peer workshopping activities introduces: Sentences: beginnings, dialogues Proper Nouns: people, I, my Specific Places and Dates: General vs. Specific, Days of Week/Month, Holidays Everyday Life: Organizations, Companies, Institutions, Specific Products, Aircrafts, Ships, Spaceships, Ethnic Names, Languages, Nationalizations, Religions Extra Resources Examples are given so students can follow authors' imitations. Easy explanations of color-coded rules and guidelines for using capital letters sentences and essays. Peer workshopping activities help reinforce capital letter rules.

Students make their own fact based or fictional Thanksgiving Storybooks then bind and share. These ready to use handout sheets are loaded with holiday graphics that include:

4 Title pages to color

4 The End pages to color

6 Coloring Frames with Speech Bubbles

16 Coloring Frames with Writing Spaces

Instructions for Use and binding with Optional Extensions (media)

32 slides of Thanksgiving fun that allows students to create their own books to share with classmates, families, and friends. Can be used as assessment for grammar/writing skills, as fact-based only stories, or as creative writing assignments.

Students produce personal narratives from memories with this 21 page guide that used the writing process. Includes: Attributes/Characteristics of Narrative Essay Overview of Writing Process Creating life maps (with student examples) Narrowing topics--prewriting stage with examples Narrative writing examples Online Reading: Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge Peer workshopping with guided questions: Revision and Editing Final Essay Stage Publishing/Sharing Scoring Rubric Extra Resources The 21 page guide is self-explanatory. It includes interactive writing activities along with using the writing process and peer workshopping strategies to teach narrative writing. Weblink to the online narrative book Gordon Wilfred McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox (by Screen Actors Guild) is excellent! Engaging and fun lesson that meets CCSS.

Homographs can be confusing, so try this interactive 26 slide presentation that comes with:

Introduction to homographs

Definition

Examples

32 homograph sentences with visuals for group learning activities

30 Homograph Bingo sheets with Definitions sheet and Sentences

Homograph passage practice

Writing activity

Peer Workshopping component

Media Resources

Meets ELA CCSS and state guidelines. Great fun for ELL/ESL, introduction or assessment, mini-lesson, flipped classrooms, and active learning, project based classes.

Do you know how Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month begin? This 25 page comic book explains the history behind the celebrated month, and it offers students the opportunity to review information then fill in their own comic speech bubbles and facts using the comic templates.

Includes:

Immigration of the first Japanese to America

Number of Japanese who left their homeland for U.S.

Transcontinental Railroad

Map of Railroad Line

Golden/Last Spike

Asian-Pacific Continents & Islands (partial list)

Commemorative Bill made into Law

White House Fact about Visitors

Timeline of Congressional Bill into Law

Public Law 102-458

Hawaiian Words List and Activity

Famous Asian-Pacific Americans and Their Info: Amy Tan, Steven Chu, Michelle Kwan, Jerry Yang

Interesting facts, great coloring images, and follows CCSS guidelines. Use for assessment, introduction, and/or refresher. Fun, educational way to learn facts about Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month!