Less than $5 7th Grade Tools for Common Core Centers (by date, latest first)

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.

22 story maps for illustrating storytelling to writing activities. These hobby and life maps are excellent as first week icebreakers, using oral narratives to start the writing process, and learning more about students. Use as individual/small/whole group activities. Meets CCSS. Includes: Directions Example 2 Teacher Maps Singer Traveler (Local, State, US, World) Artist Baseball Softball Basketball Soccer Football Reader Writer Technology Music Dancers (Male & Female) Science My Life Story 3 Blank Story Map Templates Students will have fun while being engaged as they learn about their classmates, draw symbols for life events, write captions, and use storytelling as part of their writing process.

Where did Rudolph get his red nose? How did it come about? When did it happen? Why is it red? Become a reporter and uncover the facts! Students get the opportunity to create facts and/or interview others about Rudolph's red nose. Then, students compile a report using proper dialogue. The 7 page lesson can be used with early learners as well as middle school learners. Packet includes: Directions with optional activities Media/Video Links Working with Dialogue and Facts sheet Rudolph's Red Nose: The Facts (handout for higher level learners) Lined, themed paper for writing Reindeer handout for lower level writers Introduces use of dialogue and quotations for future fact-based assessment writing. Meets Common Core Standards.

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.

A 15 page resource for student publishing of essays and written works includes: Guideline checklist Author Tips Cover Sheet/Query Letter Publishing Tips Where to Send Work: Online, local, regional, national... Books for Publishing Help Blogging Self-Publishing Publishing Checklist to Guide Students through the Process Publishing Summary List (Keep up with correspondence) Can be used individually, small/whole group, with flipped classrooms, homework, assessment of writing processes, for peer workshopping, grammar reinforcements, and as real life writing assignment. Easy to follow and implement in ELA/Journalism classrooms.

Do your students need help defining,understanding, and identifying academic, scholarly research sources? This 16 page easy-to-follow lesson includes:

Discussion/Reflection on where students search for sources

What is scholarly research? (An Overview)

Table of Other Kinds of Sources: Popular, Trade, News & Opinion

Activity for Kinds of Resources

Types of Research Resources: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary

Activity for Types of Research Resources

Where to Locate Scholarly Research

How to Know if Your Research can be Used

Using Wikipedia--Yes or No?

Evaluating Wikipedia Bibliographies

Research Sources Checklist

Great for learning how to categorize and define scholarly research sources! Use with upper level, AP, dual credit, homeschool, college level students, and flipped classrooms.

A simple introduction to parallelism and how to use it in writing. Includes: Explanation Color-coded slides Why writers use parallelism Three activities: Define "parallel" and how it is used in writing, Finding Parallelism, Using Parallelism Peer workshopping component Excellent for mini-lessons, assessment writing, learning basic skills, enhancing writing, and progression of skills. Can be used individually or small/whole group.

Reinforce word origins by having students come up with their own made-up words! Use compound words, foreign words, prefixes/suffixes, shortened words, sound words, rhyming words, etc...for this fun, visual activity. Includes: Directions Definition Example from Classic Poem Student Examples Application Activity Publishing Activities Meets CCSS, improves vocabulary, uses decoding skills, and visualization. Use for individual or group activity.

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.

Make learning prepositions and prepositional phrases fun and easy with this visual writing presentation. 13 pages/slides of active learning strategies for understanding and using prepositions and prepositional phrases along with commas. Includes: Definitions Poem Preposition List Preposition Chair Activity Preposition Walk around the School Campus Easy to use tips Prepositional Phrases Commas and Prepositions Lots of color coded, visual writing examples Practice activities for individual/small/whole group Peer Workshopping Easy for students to follow and use. Great for fllipped classrooms and homeschools. Activities can be used individually or in small or whole group settings. A stimulating visual learning approach to help students understand prepositions and phrases.

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.

Students create movies of their lives by working through the writing process. Includes: 5 elements of stories: Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution. 2 Credits Sheets Basic Short Story/Writing Terminologies Chronological Order Frame by Frame Mapping Mind Mapping Plot Line Lined Paper Optional Active Learning Activities and Writing Options Peer Workshopping Component Writing Process Your students will enjoy coming up with stars, co-stars, director, makeup, lighting, camera, music, setting, time and wardrobe. Follows a plot line, short story writing concept.

Help students understand literary criticism and what it is and is not. Includes: group/individual activity to define literary criticism examples of literary criticism journals compare and contract of "critic" definitions links to literary criticism journals where not to find literary criticism types and definitions of literary criticism Simple overview of literary criticism and where to find proper information for academic essays.

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.

Students learn to write a thesis statement with this interactive presentation. Comes with: Handouts Examples Individual and group writing activities Peer Workshopping Answer Key Supplemental Resources Easy to understand, implement, and use as introduction, reinforcement, or assessment. Meets CCSS.

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.

Using journal writing in the classroom takes know-how. This 41-page booklet takes teachers through the basics and introduces a model for successful journal writing. The how-to journal writing guide includes seven chapters: Just the Facts, How to Start Writing, Prompts, Student Examples, Assessing and Grading, What if..., and Resources. It makes journal writing enjoyable and easy for teachers and students. A great resource with student examples for teachers who want to use journal writing but are not sure where to begin or what to do. Beth Hammett's other works include: Natalie: Diary of a Senior Year, Developmental Writing Workshop, and educational articles for NADE, TCTELA, NCTE, and more. Join Beth at: www.bethhammett.blogspot.com

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.

An easy to understand presentation to help students with mood and tone. Includes: Definitions Quotes Examples Group/Individual Activities with word banks Whole class reviews (Poetry and Prose) Great for literature classes and writing reviews! Meets CCSS.

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!