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Arik Durfee
United States - Idaho - Iona
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4.0
1534 votes
"Those who don't read have no advantage over those who can't. - Mark Twain".
 
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4.0
A visually engaging pre-reading PREZI presentation for introducing background, characters, symbols, and themes in Suzanne Collins' THE HUNGER GAM...
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4.0
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A visually engaging PREZI presentation with several group and individual activities to accompany units on THE HUNGER GAMES, THE GIVER, 1984, UGLI...
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4.0
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A timely group activity and discussion that helps students analyze the connections they've made and reactions they've had to The Hunger Games as ...
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1534 total vote(s)
Ask Arik Durfee a question. They will receive an automated email and will return to answer you as soon as possible. Please Login to ask your question.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
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mporter9 re: Game Show Mania - Five Fun ELA PowerPoint Review Games
Just wanted to let you know I meant to click the highest rating and I accidentally clicked no opinion but I could not figure out how to go back and fix it. Thanks for your fantastic product!
May 7, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Oh, no problem. Thanks for letting me know, and I appreciate the feedback.
May 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

Dana M
Dana M  (TpT Seller)
Hello, I purchased your Ninjas PowerPoint and the sound isn't working. I know it's not my volume because I purchased the Knockout game and I could hear the sound and music in that just fine. Am I doing something wrong? I really would love to be able to use this tomorrow for a review game. Thanks!
May 7, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
The only thing I can think it might be is that you have to keep the PowerPoint file in the original file folder. If you save it or copy/paste it into a new place (like your Desktop, which is where I tend to keep everything) the sound won't work anymore because the PPT file and the sound clips need to stay in the same file folder.

If that isn't working, shoot me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com. I'll try to help you out before school this morning so you can use it today.
May 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Jaimee Harvey  (TpT Seller)
I am working on putting one of my larger units on TpT. I use some of your curriculum and I want to provide the necessary credit and access to your materials. Beyond simply providing your name and the curriculum I purchased from you, how would you like me to link the information? Note: I am not including your materials in my curriculum, rather I am referencing it, so that teachers who want my unit can obtain additional support materials from other TpT contributors.
May 6, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
That sounds great. I appreciate that you're not including any of my materials, but I'm more than happy to have you providing people with reinforcing products.

The best thing to do would be to include the title of any product you're referencing and a weblink to my TpT store in your teacher's guide as well as the product listing.

Thanks for using my products, and I really appreciate you asking permission for something like this.

I'd love to see what you're creating. Once you're finished, send me a link to your TpT listing and I'll check it out.
May 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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shel333 re: Pronoun Ninjas - Fun Test Prep Review Game
Hi Arik!

I have purchased many of your game show review power points, and I love them! I just have one little problem I can't figure out. The questions that have been chosen do not disappear from the screens after they are used. I keep track manually, so it is still usable, but it would be really cool if it worked automatically. Is there something I am doing wrong? Help please!
April 28, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
This is SO frustrating to me. I just discovered that PowerPoint 2010 has an obnoxious glitch that causes slide animations to reset themselves randomly. You would never notice it with a more linear use of PowerPoint--like just a standard slideshow. But with an interactive game show like this, it's really a pain. The question numbers will disappear on their own in every other version of PowerPoint, including the new 2013 and the older 2007 and 2003. So unfortunately the only two ways to deal with this are upgrade to 2013 or keep track manually (which is what I'm having to do right now since my school laptop has 2010 this year).

I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. I'll keep looking for a patch fix for PPT 2010 and if I find one that fixes this problem I'll share it with you and everyone else.
May 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Suzanne Cofresi  (TpT Seller) re: The Play by Play: Political Propaganda Analysis
Hello, my school blocks You Tube, so I cannot view the videos. Would it be possible for you to email the You Tube links that you have embedded in the presentation? I could then save the videos on a zip drive at home and then bring to school. thank you.
March 20, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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jjackson re: Epic Grammar FAIL - Fun Test Prep Review Game
Hi Arik, I received an email advertising "Epic Grammar FAIL - Fun Test Prep Review Game" as a free download. I was so excited because it was exactly what I was looking for at the time. However, when I got to the website it was $4.99! Bummer! Was the ad an error? Thanks, Jeanette J.
March 17, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Thanks for the question. No, the ad wasn't an error. I had this product posted for free for about six months, and the it became a paid product. I often offer full paid products like this for free for a limited time only. Right now, I have a similar game show and a couple of game show templates available for free. Just go to my store and search for free items and you'll find them.
April 6, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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shonacampbell
Hi Arik,

Love your stuff. I downloaded your Prezi on AdLogic, but couldn't get it to run. I then went to Prezi to see if I could find it there, and people have made copies of it, but they don't run either! I think the links are broken or???

If you have any suggestions... I've unzipped it, etc. but no luck.

thanks for making teaching grammar so much better,
shona
March 5, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Shoot me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll either send you a file or help you find the right link.
March 10, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

Erin Danielle
Erin Danielle  (TpT Seller)
Hi There,
First, I would like to say thank you for the awesome materials that you have provided in this community. I just love the 10 Minute Grammar for my bell ringer. I have a question for you. Last year I purchased each lesson from your Trimester 2 10 Minute Grammar series separately. I bought one for commas and really like it, which led me to another and before I knew it, I had bought them all. From an economic standpoint, I know I should have just bought the Trimester 2 package, but it didn't work out that way. Upon further inspection of what the Trimester 2 package contains, I see that there is a review week and final at the end. With the end of the year approaching and my students finishing the second trimester, I would love to get my hands on the review and final that goes with those lessons. Is there a way for me to get this? Thank you again with any information you can provide regarding this!

Sincerely,
Erin Mahoney
March 5, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Shoot me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll see what I can do.
March 10, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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elliottcsh re: Limericks! Fun Poetry Activity
Could not download or open. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
February 26, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I'm not sure how to help because I don't understand the problem. What do you mean you can't download it? Let me know and I'll see if I can help.
March 3, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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ktdid30 re: Creating a Dystopia PREZI Lesson Plan
Thanks for this great resource! I had the same problem as Askewr so just used the link you provided. I did unzip the whole file, but when Flash tried to open the Prezi, it kept coming up with an error message.
February 24, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
That's interesting. I'll try updating the product to see if I can fix that glitch.
March 3, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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jstick23
Do you have a copy of your course mapping for the year? 8th or 9th grade is what I would like to see.
February 22, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I actually don't have a course map for the year because I've never done the same thing long enough. I've been thinking that I should put one together for people using my products on TpT. I'll try to get some work done on that soon.
March 3, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Askewr re: Creating a Dystopia PREZI Lesson Plan
Hey Arik-- I am once again using one of your fabulous "inventions". I am beginning a dystopian lit. unit and want to use your prezi presentation and it is not working. Are there any special steps that I should be following? I am going to teach Uglies and Life as we knew it.... our county won't allow Hunger Games--you are so lucky!
February 19, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
The only thing I can think is maybe it's not working because you haven't unzipped the download folder yet. It comes in a compressed "zip" file, and you can't access the Prezi without extracting the files. On a PC, this is easy: just right click on the zipped file folder and click "Extract all."

If this doesn't work, or if you already unzipped the file, try just visiting the presentation on the web here:
http://prezi.com/ixrnzojjcuyp/dystopian-literature/?kw=view-ixrnzojjcuyp&rc=ref-4478623

If that still doesn't work, shoot me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll see what I can do.

And by the way, I'm sorry that you can't get permission to teach Hunger Games. However, Uglies and Life As We Knew It are both fantastic. Those are both novels I've thought a lot about teaching. I think they will make for a great unit.
February 19, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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vlhginy
Hi,

I just purchased your Ten minute grammar, Part 2. I can't get the zipfile to download on my Macintosh 0sx10 Snowleopard. Can you help me?

Ginny Hamilton
February 17, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Hey Ginny,

I've been trying to do some research on this. It looks like Mac's previous OS dealt with zip files very easily, but a lot of people are having problems with unzipping files with Snowleopard. A lot of the forums I'm finding about this suggest that you download this or that unzipping software. I don't know about these software pieces for Mac, but I've had nothing but bad luck with PC unzipping software apps. Snowleopard is supposed to have a built-in app that unzips files automatically. If it's not doing that, I'd take this to your building's computer tech and ask what he/she would suggest you do. Like I said, a lot of these 2nd party unzipping apps end up causing more problems than they solve.

Honestly, the simplest solution would be to download the file again on a PC, unzip it there (which is very quick and easy) and then transfer the files to your Mac. Hopefully Mac will get this unzipping glitch in Snowleopard fixed soon. Let me know if you find an easy solution on the Mac so I can pass it on to other people that are having problems unzipping on their Macs.

Thanks,
Arik
February 19, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

Kelly Grus
Kelly Grus  (TpT Seller) re: Ten-Minute Grammar: FULL YEAR
Hello--
I was just wondering if you do anything with sentence diagramming...I love your ten minute grammar, but I'm wondering if pairing it with sentence diagramming would help grammar click with more students. Or, for the few students who still struggle with grammar, what techniques do you use? Right now, I try to squeeze in as much 1-on-1 time, but that's difficult!
February 14, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Thanks for the question! I love sentence diagramming, but I don't teach it a lot. In my first year as a 7th grade teacher, I taught sentence diagramming. The problem I found was that I was spending more time teaching the rules of diagramming than I was teaching the rules of language and grammar (what kind of line to make for a gerund phrase vs. a prepositional phrase, etc.) But I think a simplified version of diagramming (maybe that focuses on subjects and predicates) could be a great match with Ten-Minute Grammar.

Thanks for the question!
February 19, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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ejenn42 re: Ad Logic: Analyzing TV Commercials - PREZI Lesson Plan
Thank you for the list of videos. We are on total lock down from Youtube and many other sites at my school, too. I may have to use two separate windows and play the Prezi in one and the videos in the other. Thanks again for creating some of the best resources I've ever used! :)
February 11, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I know. Dealing with web blockers is a huge pain that we all share. I feel like we're making some great in-roads at my school. I told my principal that YouTube is so ubiquitous at this point that blocking it is almost like blocking Google--it's kind of absurd.

I tried at one point to actually upload the videos straight to Prezi so you wouldn't have to go to YouTube at all, but the presentation file was so huge that it overloaded my Prezi account so I couldn't keep it like that.

One step at a time, I suppose. Is there any way your district can just unblock these specific YouTube URLs? Hopefully you can find a good work around that works for you.

Thanks. Hope you can get it to work.
Arik
February 12, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Bernieh
Hi I purchased the hunger games and one of the files will not open, the others have. You have not answered this I put it up on the feedback.
February 5, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I'm sorry. I've been swamped at school and I forgot to respond to this. Send me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll try to figure out how to help you with this. In the email, tell me which file won't open and tell me what it's saying when you try to open it.

Thanks,
Arik
February 5, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Rachel Sylvester  (TpT Seller)
Would you mind sharing some of your Random Tasks? I really struggle to fill these up!
February 3, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Sure. Um... Trade shoes with someone. Pick something out of the garbage can. Make a sound like a (insert animal here). Shout your middle name. Act like a ninja. Pantomime being on fire. Slap yourself in the forehead. Do a jumping jack. Cockadoodledoo like a rooster. Burp loudly. Beat someone else at Rock Paper Scissors. Draw a picture of a donkey. Do a somersault. Whistle. Yodel. Click your heels... I'm drawing a blank now. Hopefully those help.

Have fun!
February 5, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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juliemurphy26 re: Review Anything PACK ONE - Customizable PowerPoint Review Games
On the ninja one (the only one I have looked at) it does not let me change titles.. I have to add a text box to cover up title..is this right?
January 30, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
That's strange. You should be able to just click on the box that says "Enter Title Here" and type over those words to add your own title. Try that and let me know if it's still a problem.
January 30, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Bernieh
Hi I have downloaded the Hunger Games and cannot open the PreReading into zip folder it just keeps creating another zip file. The others have work fine.
Thanks Bernie
January 25, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
In Windows, you should be able to just right-click on the zipped folder and select "Extract All" from the drop down menu. That will create a new folder that isn't zipped.

Try that, and then let me know if there are still problems.
Thanks!
January 30, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Kristy Sagan  (TpT Seller) re: Ten-Minute Grammar: FULL YEAR
I see in your preview that you use Fahrenheit 451 -- what other novels or stories do you use?
January 25, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
The novels used in this big unit are all listed in the product descriptions for the three separate trimester units:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ten-Minute-Grammar-Trimester-One
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ten-Minute-Grammar-Trimester-Two
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ten-Minute-Grammar-Trimester-Three

I included a lot of my favorites: Ender's Game, Uglies, The Hunger Games, Speak, and others.

Thanks for the question!
January 30, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Marnie Doyle  (TpT Seller) re: "One Paragraph at a Time" Essay Posters
Hi! Do you have any customizable posters for essay writing? I love your essay posters but at my school we use some different terminology.

-Marnie
January 24, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Send me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll see what I can do to help you out.

Thanks!
January 30, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Marnie Doyle  (TpT Seller) re: Animal Farm - Twelve Novel Posters
Hi! I've been looking all over for Animal Farm character posters to put up in my classroom as we study the book. Do you have any plans to make something along those lines?

-Marnie
January 24, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I hadn't thought of doing something like that. That's a great idea. I'll see what I can come up with. Stay tuned.
January 30, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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michellestratton re: "Who Are You?" - Classmate Wikipedia Biographies
Arik, disregard my prior questions. I was able to search Prezi for your presentation. Thanks.
January 14, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Great! Glad you got it to work.
January 14, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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michellestratton re: "Who Are You?" - Classmate Wikipedia Biographies
I guess I should have elaborated. I don't see a zipped folder, and I cannot locate the option to "expand all." I do have the latest Java installation. Thanks.
January 14, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
The file comes as one large zipped folder. So if you go to your downloads folder (or wherever your computer stores downloaded files), the file called "WhoAreYouClassmateWikipediaBiographies" should show up as a zipped folder. If you right-click on that root folder, it should give you the "Extract All" option.

Try that and let me know if it works.
January 14, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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5kids1dog re: Black History Month Unit: "In Their Own Words" - Civil Rights Leaders
Hi Arik, I absolutely love your products and purchased your Civil Rights Leaders unit "In Their Own Words". Do you think I could tweak it to get my kids to write argumentative/persuasive papers? (I have a common core template I am forced to use in my district - 8th grade ELA -- and need to find a way to tie in the argumentative piece). Thanks! Amy
January 12, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Absolutely! I think it would be so great for them to study the philosophies and social tactics of King and Malcolm X and then argue why one or the other is more effective. The unit comes with materials for a research essay or a compare and contrast essay. I think it would be really easy to tweak the resources to fit the needs of a persuasive paper. It would end up very similar to the compare contrast essay, except that instead of just comparing the two men in several specific aspects they would we arguing that one leader or one philosophy was better or more effective than the other in several specific ways.
January 12, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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brianpatt2002 re: Psychotic Short Stories TWO -- Literary Analysis Mini-Unit
Ok I installed the font and it worked. Thanks. I didn't realize I had to do that in order to see the powerpoint properly.
January 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Oh, good. I'm glad you got it to look right.

Thanks!
January 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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brianpatt2002 re: Psychotic Short Stories TWO -- Literary Analysis Mini-Unit
Hi there. I just bought your product a month ago and have been having an issue with your PowerPoint in the story the judges house. When I open it there seem to be letters and images missing from some of the slides. Just wondering if this has happened in the past and if so is there something I can do to correct it? Thanks.

Brian Patterson
January 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
That's very strange. I just downloaded it on my school computer and there weren't any glitches. What platform (Mac or PC) are you running and what version of PowerPoint do you have?

There aren't a lot of images in this particular presentation, so I don't know if it's a matter of missing images. I wonder if it could also be a font issue. The titles are in a font called Misfits, which you can install from the unit folder. The main text font is Garamond. That's a pretty common font, but if it isn't installed on your computer, that could cause some problems.
January 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Amy Sampson  (TpT Seller)
Hi Arik,
I downloaded your Play by Play unit (which is awesome!) and I cannot get to the prezi. Can you send me the URL? Thank you so much!
~Amy
asampson@monett.k12.mo.us
January 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Sure! Here it is:
http://prezi.com/rjrpqwsspe3i/the-play-by-play-political-propaganda-analysis/?kw=view-rjrpqwsspe3i&rc=ref-4478623

Thanks for downloading!
January 8, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

V Lee
V Lee
Hi Arik, I love the concept of a reversal poem. I am just finishing an activity book. Part of it looks at negative and positive thinking and would really like to include your poem to accompany an activity. Would you grant me permission to use it in my book? You can learn more about what I do at www.smileinside.com.au. thanks!
January 3, 2013 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I would love to have my poem included in your activity book. I'd be very honored. Just keep me updated about development of the book--my email is arikdurfee58@yahoo.com.

Thank you for asking permission, and thank for boosting my writer self-esteem.

Best of luck with the development of your book.

Arik
January 3, 2013 Report inappropriate comment

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Audrey Stephens  (TpT Seller) re: Ten-Minute Grammar: Trimester One
Will there be a high school version of ten minute grammar?
December 24, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
That's my plan. I'm hoping to have the first few mini-units out during this school year and then finish the whole program over the summer. Unfortunately, I'm so busy with a new school, grade, and curriculum this year to do anything that extensive while school is in session, so it will have to wait just a bit.

I'll keep followers updated, and hopefully I'll have some news on that front soon.

Thanks for your interest!
December 25, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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carolblaisdell re: Holiday Wordplay - PowerPoint Game Show
Arik, I purchased a Holiday game show last December, but I can't find it in your listings. Is this the same thing?
December 13, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Hey Carol,

It is basically an updated version of the one from last year. The one I made last year was kind of glitchy--It was one of the first of these games I made, and I've learned a lot since then. So I got rid of that one and started from scratch. The new version is designed better--and the navigation buttons are set up more effectively. But this new one has a lot of the same words in it. So if the one from last year works for you, I wouldn't recommend downloading this one as well as a lot of it would be redundant.

Thanks for the question and for your ongoing support.

And happy holidays!
December 13, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

Julie Faulkner
Julie Faulkner  (TpT Seller)
I noticed that you are sending out new product messages through email quite frequently (which is okay and helpful). But I was wondering, when I go in to send out messages to my followers, I get a limited to one-per-month message. How are you sending the emails more often?
December 13, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Great question. The new product messages are actually automated. You don't have to do anything--TpT sends those automatically every time you post something new. From a seller's viewpoint, I think it's the greatest benefit to getting more followers. It allows you to connect to all of your followers every time you create something new.

Thanks, and good luck selling!
December 13, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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bbidne re: Ad Logic: Analyzing TV Commercials - PREZI Lesson Plan
Hello Arik,

This is an amazing lesson and would help my students learn how photography can be used in other forms.

But it's too bad I can't use this presentation because of the section with the video and guns. This is not school appropriate. If you could make a version without that video it would be usable in my district.

Also you have a typo in the Teenager section. Teenager is spelled wrong you forgot the "r".

Thanks for your time.
December 6, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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Dawn Naylor  (TpT Seller) re: Ten-Minute Grammar: FULL YEAR
On the Trimester Review, Word version, the font is not quite right and a lot of characters are showing as blank rectangles. I needed to edit the exam as we did not get to the last unit...any suggestions? Otherwise, love it and my students LOVE learning grammar this way. I hope you do come out with another level of this!
December 4, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
The folder you downloaded included three font files. In order to get the Word versions to look right, you have to install those three fonts. Depending on your school computer's administrative settings, you may need to have your school tech aide install them for you. But it only takes a few seconds, and then everything should look right.

If that still doesn't work, send me a message at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll see if there's anything else I can do.
December 4, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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larisoja re: "Dissecting the Dream" - Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech
This is an awesome lesson and I will definitely be using it very soon! Thank you for posting it. Is there any sort of key or guide to help keep the students on track during their analysis of the speech?
November 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I haven't made a suggested answer key as I wanted to leave the activity as open-ended as possible. But maybe I could find some student examples and include them in the unit. I'll see what I can dig up, and thanks for the suggestion.
November 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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kimlegacyh re: Ender's Game - Full Novel Unit
What grade level do you normally teach this novel to?
November 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
This is actually my first year teaching it, and I'm teaching ninth graders. I've had eighth graders read it before in book clubs / lit circles, but it was mostly my advanced readers that chose to read it in eighth.
November 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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judytata
Arik, I like your Blown up Holiday Essay but I can't find the link to your Prezi
November 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Thanks for downloading. The Prezi file should be included in the zipped folder you downloaded. If you can't find it there, you can always access the online version here:

http://prezi.com/8lqcd6gqc3gv/holiday-blown-up-essay/
November 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

Poetgrl78
Poetgrl78  (TpT Seller) re: Ten-Minute Grammar: Trimester One
I have two questions. Is there an answer key included and are these editable?
November 27, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Yes for both. Each unit has a full teacher's guide and answer key, and the files come as both PDF files and Microsoft Word files for easy editing.

Thanks for the question!
November 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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katiewri
having trouble using the unzip program you want us to use. downloaded and installed both versions but file not opening. getting caught in a never-ending cycle of installation. even tried going through the 7-zip file manager. nothing. getting very frustrated. please advise.
November 26, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I never use outside unzipping programs. Windows has one built in--unless you have Vista. You should be able to just right-click on the zip file and click "Extract All" and that's all it takes. If you do have Vista, you might need to put the zip file on a USB drive and transfer it to a computer with Windows 7. Then you can extract the files, put them back onto your USB drive, and transfer them back to your computer. If you have installed an outside unzip program, I would uninstall it right away. They're almost always more trouble than they're worth.

Hope that helps.

If there are still issues, shoot me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll see what I can do to get it resolved.

Arik
November 26, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

Poetgrl78
Poetgrl78  (TpT Seller) re: Ten-Minute Grammar T-One Final Review - Fun PowerPoint Game Show
I'm having issues opening the questions on the ppt. I'm going to try it again later on my home computer.
November 26, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
If you still can't get it to open, just shoot me an email at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com and I'll figure out how to help you.

Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience.
Arik
November 26, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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alikat5544
Thank you for the great lessons! I was wondering if you all could do a wordplay for Fever 1793?
Thanks!
Alicia Plavsic
November 26, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Sure, I'll look into it.
December 3, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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catpeters re: Psychotic Short Stories TWO -- Literary Analysis Mini-Unit
Thank you for sharing your lesson plans! Do you or your wife teach Speech / Oral Communication? I teach 9th grade Speech and 11th grade World History and would love to see more products geared toward Oral Comm. I am a new teacher and have looked everywhere for speech products but there really isn't much out there. Thanks, Cat Peters.
November 25, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Unfortunately neither of us teach Speech. My wife plans on gaining that endorsement soon, but neither of us currently teaches it. What kinds of things are you looking for?
December 3, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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reneeofa re: Insanity Plea -- "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
I purchased your insanity plea project a while ago. I just used it this week. My students absolutely loved it. I have never seen them so excited about a project. We actually went a step further and held a trial. Thank you so much.
November 7, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
That's awesome! I'm glad the kids got so into it. Thanks for the feedback!
November 7, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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Jill Goodman  (TpT Seller) re: Catch That Word - Customizable PowerPoint Review Game
I am having difficulty converting the power point... I have adobe, but it keeps sending me to buy it...Is there a "dummy" version how to get this up & running? thanks.
jill
November 3, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I'm confused about what you're asking. You shouldn't need any Adobe software to use this PowerPoint game show--you only need Microsoft PowerPoint. Try opening it with PPT and let me know if there is still a problem.
November 7, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

Mrs Burditt
Mrs Burditt  (TpT Seller)
Would it help if I sent you the file that I'm working with? Maybe I'm messing something up when I edit it?

Raina
November 2, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Sure. Email it to me at arikdurfee58@yahoo.com. I'll take a look at it and see if I can figure out what's going on with it.
November 2, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

Mrs Burditt
Mrs Burditt  (TpT Seller)
Hi Again,
I re-downloaded the Frankenstein PowerPoint and still have the issue with some of the number choices not disappearing after they have been selected. Some of them turn red and whiz away, but then when I go back into the category, all of the numbers are suddenly restored. I also just downloaded one of your awesome review packs, and I'm having the same issue with those PowerPoints as well. Is there a setting that I need to check for - I would guess something that should be applied to the "Done" box that is clicked after a question has been answered? I'd like there to be something I can adjust on my end instead of a new download (since I have already customized them with questions). I use a Mac if that sheds any light on the problem.

Thanks for your help!

Raina
November 2, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Thanks for the question. This is such a weird glitch, and I'm having a hard time pinpointing what's causing it. Let me take some time this weekend to see if I can figure it out and I'll get back to you.
November 2, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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Lauren Coffey  (TpT Seller) re: The Play by Play: Political Propaganda Analysis
I can't view any of the videos in the Prezi either. It says that it can't load the YouTube videos. The rest of the presentation is awesome, but I'd love to show the videos as well! Thanks for your help!
November 1, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
If it isn't loading the YouTube videos, It might be that your school's web filter is blocking YouTube. If that's the case, it might not be possible to show them. Since I don't own the original files, I can only include web links to YouTube.

Ask you district web administrator if that's the case. Sometimes, depending on your district, you can wrangle permission to get something unblocked for a specific purpose.
November 1, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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Melissa Beltrami  (TpT Seller) re: The Play by Play: Political Propaganda Analysis
I can't view any of the videos in the Prezi. Any chance you have the links to the video?
Otherwise I love this and all other your other products that I've purchased!
October 31, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Here's the link:
http://prezi.com/rjrpqwsspe3i/the-play-by-play-political-propaganda-analysis/

Hopefully that helps.

Thanks for the feedback!
November 1, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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Ashley Marquez  (TpT Seller) re: The Play by Play: Political Propaganda Analysis
I'm also having an issue in that I cannot open the Prezi (everything else works). Do you have a link to the actual Prezi on the Prezi site?

This is an awesome lesson, and I really want to access the presentation!!
October 29, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
Here's the link:

http://prezi.com/rjrpqwsspe3i/the-play-by-play-political-propaganda-analysis/

Thanks for your interest. Hope this helps.
October 29, 2012 Report inappropriate comment

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Robert Hrabluk  (TpT Seller) re: Ad Logic: Analyzing TV Commercials - PREZI Lesson Plan
Hi thanks for the updated links and thanks for your time. There is a clip to the right of the presentation that states "cannot be played" - the embedded issue again. This could just be an old clip that was missed when deleting the old ones. Just thought I would let you know that one is still popping up but all the presentation clips now work thanks again.
October 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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Arik Durfee  (TpT Seller)
I can't believe I didn't notice that. Thanks for letting me know. I've fixed that and re-posted it.
October 28, 2012 Report inappropriate comment
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE

I taught English at the junior high level for five years. I now teach 9th grade English in an English/physical science combo class at an innovative new school that focuses on cross-curricular classes and project-based learning. I'm also an aspiring novelist.

MY TEACHING STYLE

My teaching style is very high energy and goofy, and my lessons are fun and engaging while stile being real-world applicable and tied to the Common Core Standards.

HONORS/AWARDS/SHINING TEACHER MOMENT

Yet to be added

MY OWN EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

I graduated from Brigham Young University - Idaho in 2006 with a major in English Ed and a minor in Spanish.

ADDITIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

I'm a father of four: six-year-old and four-year-old daughters and two-year-old twin boys. I love rock climbing, playing guitar, reading books, and going to movies. Oh, and teaching!