Colleen Gallivan

Enjoy teaching your students how to write using this interactive, hands-on packet. Each year, I begin ELA with this Step Up To Writing packet. It is amazing to see how much their writing improves after they develop a foundation for writing. This packet also includes a Step Up To Writing Reference Guide (which I laminated for my students to use all year) and a Two-Column Notes graphic organizer that can be used for a variety of writing activities. Happy Writing! FYI - I'm not sure why, but t

I have the students completed this quiz/assessment after presenting the Poetry Power Point presentation and packet with the students. We also read Love that Dog by Sharon Creech. It allows you to get a good understanding of which students understand the elements of poetry.

The Iroquois, The Six Nations Confederacy by Mary Englar is a book that is used in the Common Core, Grade 4, ELA Modules. This guided packet parallels the book. After teaching this Module, I felt the need to use additional materials that would improve students' reading comprehension skills. Within this packet, you will find various comprehension questions that specify which page the answers can be found, while focusing on specific reading skills, such as recalling facts and details, cause and

This is a guided packet for the novel, Eagle Song by Joseph Bruchac. This novel is used in the Common Core, grade 4, ELA Modules. After teaching this module in the past, I decided that it was necessary to add additional materials that would focus on critical skills to help students improve in reading and writing, while using student-friendly materials. This packet includes vocabulary, which is broken down by page number in the book and guided notes, genre review (also with guided notes), stor

This guided packet goes along with the 4th grade ELA Common Core Module 2A and is used with the picture book, If You Lived in Colonial Times book written by Ann McGovern. After teaching this Module, I felt that the students needed more practice and reading skills to answer comprehension questions. This guided packet includes various questions that assess the reading skills of main idea, details in the text, cause and effect, drawing conclusions, making inferences, vocabulary, fact and opinion,

I make packets of the PowerPoint (slides 1-7) (Slides 8-14 are the answers) for the students. I then have the students take notes on pages 1, 2, and 3. After a brief discussion, we provide the students with an imagery activity (which can be found on my TPT page for $1.00). After each slide, we have fun with poetry elements by completing several activities where students can better understand, using real-world experiences. I also have a poetry elements quiz that can be purchased on my TPT pag

I use this activity to pair with the Poetry Power Point that can be found on my TPT page for $3.00. You will need a piece of Double Bubble to complete this activity. The kids LOVED using bubblegum to show imagery. For homework, I have the students do the same activity that we did in class. They have to choose an object, and use descriptive words, without naming the object. The next day, students present their descriptive words to the class, while the rest of the class have to use inferencin

This packet on Colonial America parallels the Grade 4 Common Core ELA Module 2A, Unit 1. After teaching this Module in the past, I felt it was necessary to have an organized packet that was student friendly. As a special education teacher, I noticed many students were having trouble writing their answers in boxes, without lines. This packet is organized by lesson and includes pictures, guided notes, T-charts, short response questions, along with other vocabulary and additional Close Reading p

I love the book, Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson! While this activity can be used at any point within the school year, it is perfect with Halloween approaching. I will first read the book aloud to the class. We will then watch the video (about 25 minutes long and can be found on Netflix). Next, we will work from the packet. This includes a picture study that will take about 15 minutes, including independent work time and time to review the answers. The vocabulary section will follow.

Fall is the best time of year to apple pick. What do you do with all of those apples?!?! You use them in your classroom of course! This activity will focus on the skill of sequencing, while using real-world skills of following directions while making apple crisp with your students. The first worksheet is designed for your medium to high level writers who are able to legibly take notes from the Smart Board or Document Camera. The second document is for struggling writers who have a difficult

Bring theater into your classroom with this fun, reading activity that involves all students. Students will review dialogue, make inferences, improve comprehension as they use close reading techniques on scripts to fully understand the characters and what they are saying, develop fluency through repeated practice reading scripts, improve expression and inflection while reading aloud, show increased reading motivation and confidence, and learn to collaborate and compromise in order to assign rol

As a special education teacher in a co-taught classroom, I find it necessary to create visuals for my students to refer back to throughout the Module. My students have used this reference guide for daily lessons and assessments, based on individual needs. Parents love these reference guides too! :) FYI - In the thumbnail pictures, they show errors in the formatting. However, those errors are not in the actual download.

Most of use learned long multiplication using the traditional method. However, modern multiplication teaches kids methods, such as the area model, partial products, and standard algorithm. I have created this reference guide to help students see each method using examples and steps broken down. My students (and parents) have truly benefitted from this reference guide. The students refer back to the reference guide until they have memorized the process. FYI: There is an error in the thumbna

I think we can all agree that Math has changed dramatically throughout the years. As a special education teacher, I have witnessed kids struggle with memorizing all of the math vocabulary and it is my job to help them with this. I have created this reference guide to help students and parents understand the Math vocabulary for the Grade 4, Common Core, Math Module 4. This can also be a helpful reference guide for any teacher who is teaching any curriculum that entails geometry and angles. FY

I laminate these cards and cut them out. Whenever we have a spare moment, I pick one of the movement cards and a spelling word from our weekly list. Together, we say the spelling word, then spell it out while clapping, snapping, hopping, drawing, throwing, or marching. The kids love it!