Home
Mission
Blog
Professional Development
Launchpad
Plans
Community
Help
By Beth Hammett
Fall Halloween Bundle
Over 150+ activities included in 9 packets for Fall and Halloween fun!
Descriptions:
Activity Packet 1: Halloween Coloring Sheets
40 pages
Halloween fun with 40 coloring sheets (nothing scary!) of:
pumpkins
scarecrows
friendly ghosts
haunted trees
haunted house
Dracula
Frankenstein
and more...
Non-controversial and with lesson plan ideas to encourage coordination, multi-tasking skills, writing, listening, reading, storytelling, puppet theater, and more. Great for introducing Halloween as a friendly holiday.
Activity Packet 2: Eerie Writing Prompts
21 pages
Eerie story starters to get your students in the mood for writing scary stories! Great visuals with one liner story starters. Colorful and imaginative prompts for creative writing practice and peer workshopping.
Includes:
Perhaps we could become friends...
Two eyes peered back at me...
I've had a very interesting life!
Come closer...
Let me tell you how I ended up here...
C'mon out...there's nothing to be afraid of!
Meet my new friend
The eerie glow of the pumpkin...
I know what you did!
Have a seat and let me tell you my story!
The howl of the wolf scared me.
Something went bump in the night
I started up the winding road...
The blaze lit up the night's sky...
Let me show you my castle!
"Help!" screamed the principal.
We found the shipwrecked boat...
Great Halloween writing prompts for practicing creative writing, storytelling, and peer workshopping skills!
Activity Packet 3: Get Fit Action Story: Frank N. Stein’s Haunted Horse
15 pages
Get students exercising and moving as they follow along with Frank N. Stein's move to a new neighborhood, where he finds new friends to help make his house a home. Action words include:
looked around
moped
juggled
skipped rope
frown
blow
shivered and shook
dropped to the ground
ran
slammed
quiver
danced
stood still
knock
jump
shook hands
waved
stepped to the right
boogied to the Monster Mash
shouted,
“Happy Halloween!”
Practice/assess coordination, comprehension, fitness, following directions, listening, and sight words with Get Fit Action Stories. Use for daily warm-ups, rainy day indoor activities, PE, reading, and learning styles. Fun and enjoyable for all!
Activity Packet 4: Write a Scary Story with Word Banks and Coloring Images
16 pages
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.
Activity Packet 5: Wacky Wayne’s Halloween I-Spy
11 pages
10 I-Spy Halloween pictures and items to help students with basic letters, hand-eye coordination, and matching skills. Can be colored and displayed. Includes:
Ghost
Frankenstein (2)
Bat
Haunted House
Mummy
Dracula
Scary Tree
and more...
Fun matching activities for early elementary students.
Activity Packet 6: Wacky Wayne’s Fall I-Spy
11 pages
10 I-Spy handouts with fall themes. Find and match basic letters and shapes. Includes:
Scarecrows
Farm
Farmer
Pumpkins
Squirrels
Leaves
Shapes
Basic Letters
and many more...
Handouts can be colored and displayed.
Activity Packet 7: Halloween Color, Count and Match Activities
22 pages
22 Halloween themed handouts for early learners to practice math skills, such as:
coloring/motor skills
counting
holiday
matching
numbers 1-10
sight words
themes
(No controversial or scary images!)
Find the correct Halloween symbol sheet to match the handout then cut, color, and paste. Practice basic numbers and sight words recognition, as well as matching symbols. Can be used for assessment. Includes extra activities and ideas for use of handouts.
Activity Packet 8: Fabulous Fall Activities
26 pages
25 fall themed creative writing handouts, poetry sheets, coloring activities, and more for elementary grades:
Includes:
Fall Scavenger Hunt
Classmate Scarecrow (Facebook page with Scarecrow)
"F is for"
My Pumpkin Poem (writing & craft activity)
Fall Acrostic Poem
What I love about fall
Create a Fall Feast party invitation
Write a Fall Story (with fall vocabulary word bank)
Write a tongue twister (with fall vocabulary word bank)
Draw a fall scene in the camera's lens
How many words can you make from "corn and oats"
Quack! Quack! If I were a duck...
Design a sign to sell your veggies/photos
My Fall Message for You
My Favorite thing to do in Fall
Fall interview
Fall newspaper
Fabulous Fall Recipe
Fall word search
& more...
Lots of creative and engaging handouts and activities for fall fun!
Activity Packet 9: Falling Leaf Spelling Activities
18 pages
15 Fall themed scenes that provide sight word/consonant and vowel practice. Falling leaves contain letters which can be written on the lines to make as many words as possible using consonants and vowels. Color the scenes, put together letters to make words, compare answers, small team game included.
Includes:
Fall scenes: trees, scarecrows, farm, farmer, pumpkins, squirrels, and more...
Basic alphabet letters: vowels and consonants
Directions with Optional Play and Use
Great for consonants, vowels, spelling, vocabulary, and writing practice, as well as assessments.
Fall Halloween Bundle includes over 150+ fun activities!
Asian-Pacific Month (Comic Book)
By Beth Hammett
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!
By Beth Hammett
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.
By Beth Hammett
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.
By Beth Hammett
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.
Galveston Immigration (Texas History Comic Coloring Book)
By Beth Hammett
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.
By Beth Hammett
45 pages of critical thinking activities and lesson plans for ELA or history classes that focus on Benjamin Franklin's life and accomplishments. Includes: Directions for all projects Franklin's Life: Early, Middle, Late Years Quick Facts Timeline Project (Prior Knowledge) Quotable Quotes and Analysis Activity Activities (Analysis) A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words Newspaper Activity(Description) How Franklin Changed (Compare/Contrast with Venn Diagram) Franklin's Inventions (Persuasive with format) Franklin's World (Research/Poetry) Eulogy (writing) Epitaph Word Search Crossword Puzzle with Answers Maze Acrostic Poem Writing a Ballad Writing a Myth Party Invitation Creation with Guest List & Menu Decorate a Birthday Cake Matching Activity Phases of Life (Symbolism) Links to more resources: videos, handouts, vocabulary, etc... Links to free public domain works to download/preview Uses CCSS and NWP guidelines for fiction and non-fiction writing. Can be used for introducing Franklin and time period, for comprehension, and as assessment. Great for GT, Pre-AP, homeschool, literacy centers, ELA, ELL/ESL, social studies, and history.
Presidents Day and Presidents Fact-Based Writing Activities
By Beth Hammett
Get students thinking about presidential elections and political campaign promises with 16 handouts that generate higher level learning.The journal-like prompts include historical facts that will have students wondering, "What if.I was president..?" Social issues to write about include:
family issues
government growth
importing goods
internet issues
laws and rules
leadership style
national debt
national security
social security
space exploration
succession
transportation problems
war
world peace
There are sixteen famous presidents, with their greatest accomplishments. Included are: Adams, Bush, Clinton, Cleveland, Coolidge, Eisenhower, Jackson, Johnson, Kennedy, Lincoln, Nixon, Reagan, Roosevelt,Washington
Includes Extra Resources (videos, web-links) and Ideas for Use in the classroom.
Can be used with English, Government, History classes.
Semi-Colons, Colons, Dashes, Hyphens (Writing)
By Beth Hammett
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.
Introductions and Conclusions Writing
By Beth Hammett
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.
Write a Halloween Story with Word Bank/Coloring Images (Gr. 3 and up)
By Beth Hammett
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!
By Beth Hammett
16 page presentation to help students define and understand what a ballad is, how it changed over time, its historical importance, Dand how to write a ballad. Includes: Definition with individual/group activity Examples of ballads throughout time periods Patterns/Rhyme scheme with example Critical thinking & fact based Individual/group activities Write your own ballad individual/group activity Research project with scoring rubric Extra Resources Complete interactive unit for defining, recognizing, teaching and writing ballads. Meets Common Core State Standards.
By Beth Hammett
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.
By Beth Hammett
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.
By Beth Hammett
Common Core approach to Persuasive writing using step-by-step instructions for students. Includes 20 pages of: Definition Persuasive vs. Argumentative Whole/small group and individual activities Ethical Writers Examples of Thesis/Topic Sentences/Details/Facts... Using Figurative Language Outlines Peer Workshopping Persuasive Scoring Rubric (Revision friendly to master skills) Extra Resources: video presentations, handouts, and ESL links Easy to follow and use with students in grades 4 and up. Meets CCSS Opinion and Argument Writing requirements.
Dairy Month (June) Activities and Handouts
By Beth Hammett
June is Dairy Month, so get students learning about cows with these fourteen activities for group or individuals that use critical thinking skills. Includes: Coloring handouts (2) KWL chart Calendar to fill in with dates & dairy items; star the items Maze Poem or Story writing Milkman United States' map activity Cow or Dairy Facts Decorate the Cow Skull List as many dairy items as possible Graph to chart Cow Confusion true or false activity Thumbprint cows (to use with inkpad) Know and label the parts of a cow For use with science or social studies units. Can be used for assessment and with differentiated classes. Meets CCSS.
Symbolism Writing and History Activity
By Beth Hammett
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.
By Beth Hammett
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.
By Beth Hammett
An easy-to-follow guide to using and writing effective titles: what to capitalize, what to italicize, plus includes examples of effective titles, and discussion slides of famous novels and their alternate titles: 1984 Gone With the Wind The Great Gatsby Treasure Island Vanity Fair Also, includes an activity slide for writing titles with articles, pictures, and essays. There are 12 slides.
Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Assignment
By Beth Hammett
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.