Heather Fleming

This is a template to get students started writing a more complete summary of a piece of nonfiction without retelling it like they often do. It was modeled after the AVID strategy of providing a template for a rhetorical precis. This is, however, on a more basic level than that because my students weren't to that point yet.

Designed for targeted writing practice to focus on writing a solid introduction with a hook and clear thesis statement, a detailed ToSEEC body paragraph, and a clear & concise conclusion. Great for grades 5-8.

Designed to help students visualize and discuss as they read the first chapters of the historical novel "Blood on the River." Great for grades 5-8 but designed to supplement Wit&Wisdom Grade 6 Module 3 Lesson 2.

Designed as a group anticipatory activity for the historical novel "Blood on the River." Great for grades 5-8, but designed to go with Wit&Wisdom Grade 6 Module 3 text.

Designed for targeted writing practice to focus on writing a solid conclusion using the Restate-Review-Reflect method. Great for grades 5-8

Designed for targeted writing practice to focus on writing a detailed body paragraph that follows the ToSEEC structure used with Wit & Wisdom. Great for grades 5-8

Designed for targeted writing practice to focus on writing a solid introduction with a hook and clear thesis statement. Great for grades 5-8

This is a template to get students started writing a more complete summary of a piece of fiction without retelling it like they often do. It was modeled after the AVID strategy of providing a template for a rhetorical precis. This is, however, on a more basic level than that because my students weren't to that point yet.

This is a graphic organizer that I created based off of the methods of characterization. The stair step design was built the way it was to show the importance of these methods (ex: physical traits are at the bottom because they contribute the least to showing us what the character's truly like - what they think, say, and do shows us the most about what they're like). Students are then instructed to find three words to describe the character. As an extension of this, you may have them apply th

This is a homework assignment I created to have students find figurative language in their every day lives. It requires them to find figurative language in media (tv, songs, etc) or daily conversations, identify what type of figurative language it is, and explain what it means (or why it's used). At the end is a section where they have to create three examples of figurative language (they could also use three from the list if need be) and show the written (figurative) example as well as the vi

This active requires students to create posters based off of one of the strategies for being an active reader. It utilizes our classroom textbook but could be used along with many other textbooks and handouts that cover these same strategies. It corresponded really well with our AVID reading strategies that our school implements because the activity required students to mark a sample text in order to visually show how to do the strategy that they were assigned. Was designed to be a group proj

This could be used with any short video (or text, for that matter) when having students identify figurative language and/or theme. I have used this as a differentiated activity so that my advanced students who had mastered identifying figurative language could have extra practice finding the theme of a story. I happen to use this with the Grinch every year right before Christmas, but it could be modified and adapted for any text.

Fun poetry writing activity! Students will create a short poem and must use three examples of figurative language that they have learned about in class (preferably three different types, not all of one). This will then be made into a poem bookmark either on a paper copy or done on Microsoft Publisher by the student. The right side of the page is for assessment purposes; students will defend their poem in a way by explaining what lines used figurative language and what type of figurative langu

Students will write about certain elements of their lives as specified by the teacher. They must practice using certain text features, also as specified by teacher. Subheadings and sidebar is marked (can be unmarked), but other text features may also be required (picture, caption, boldfaced words for key vocab, etc).