Miss Ramsey's Room

A simple, one-page informational writing rubric to be used within your own lessons. It is created for teacher use in upper elementary. However, it could also be used for peer review. If you have any questions or concerns, please use the “Ask Question” option! (c) Miss Ramsey's Room 2019

Everything you need to set up a biographical research project of a historical figure! This project will promote student-driven inquiry. It is designed to be utilized as a group project & it could function as an anchor project during literacy stations. This product consists of three pages: * A scaffolded planning sheet for students to identify their questions & project goals * A Challenge/Rules/Expectations sheet further describing the project for students * A rubric of expectations If you have

This literature project engages students in analyzing Leo Tolstoy's short story "Three Questions". My advanced fourth graders loved it! The story works well across upper elementary because it offers multiple layers (like an onion, as I tell my students) for readers to access the complexity. For copyright reasons, this product does not include the short story, but it is easy to find online. The project moves through four steps of analysis, including independent & self-guided group work. It could

Students work towards fulfilling, "I can translate multiplication comparisons from words to math sentences." This product includes both an on-grade level AND extension handout for your students who need a bit of an additional challenge. Ideally, students would receive either one or the other - not both handouts. The sample shown in the thumbnail above is the on-grade level handout. Each page consists of six short math stories (or word problems, if you choose to call them that). Students are req

My students were thrilled to plan a dinner party for their favorite book characters! This activity is designed as a long-term, literature anchor or PBL project for upper elementary school students. It works very well for enrichment by encouraging creative & critical thinking. The project is designed to be completed individually, but students could easily work in pairs or a small group. It includes a student check list to track the requirements & a rubric for evaluation. This activity could fun

This professional, colorful 25-page presentation is designed for K-4 general education teachers or administrators. Perfect for both faculty meetings & individual planning! The first part of the presentation offers an overview of the importance of cultivating a growth mindset in gifted & talented students in order to avoid disengagement & the impostor syndrome. Teacher talking turns, YouTube videos, & sample posters are provided. Resources cited include Mary Cay Ricci, Dr. Carol Dweck, & Dr. Do

Encourage students to engage with their texts through the "Questioning the Author" (QtA) strategy with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" about his famous Midnight Ride. This page offers seven direct quotes from the poem with prompting QtA questions to consider for each. This activity could function for: * Literacy stations or centers * Collaborative contemplation (partner or small group work) * Whole class discussion, mini-lesson, or activity * Homework * Assessment If you have

Students practice comparing decimals using a flyer from the grocery store. My students loved flipping through the colorful flyer to select their favorite foods to compare! Please note, you will have to pick up your own flyers for free at your local grocery store in order to complete this activity. This lesson could be used to focus on comparing decimals and/or extending understanding of money. This handout could function for: * Math centers * Independent work after a mini-lesson * Homework I

This literature project engages students in analyzing Oscar Wilde's short story "The Happy Prince." My advanced fourth graders loved it! The story works well across upper elementary because it offers multiple layers (like an onion, as I tell my students) for readers to access the complexity. For copyright reasons, this product does not include the short story, but it is easy to find online. The project moves through eight steps of analysis, including inferencing & personification. It includes t

Students work towards translating math stories into multistep math sentences in order to solve for the solution. This product includes both an on-grade level AND scaffolded handout for your students who need a bit of support. Ideally, students would receive either one or the other - not both handouts. The sample shown in the thumbnail above is the on-grade level handout. The scaffolded handout provides less complex stories with the operation for each step identified. The on-grade level handout

Encourage students to engage with their texts through the "Questioning the Author" (QtA) strategy with T.S. Eliot's "The Old Gumbie Cat". This page offers several direct quotes from the poem with prompting QtA questions to consider for each. The poem is short & can be found online. This activity could function for: * Literacy stations or centers * Collaborative contemplation (partner or small group work) * Whole class discussion, mini-lesson, or activity * Homework * Assessment If you have any

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of area & perimeter of rectangles on this simple, one-page assessment. It requires students to describe area & perimeter in words, draw & label rectangles, & determine the unknown side of a rectangle in a word problem. This handout could function for: * A pre- or post-assessment (test or quiz) * Independent work after a mini-lesson * A longer exit ticket * Homework If you have any questions or concerns, please use the “Ask Question” option & I will get

Everything you need to set up a quick informational poster project! This project will promote student-driven inquiry, particularly in one of your literacy stations. Students ideally self-select a topic of interest in science or history, then conduct research with books or computers. This would work well as an extension for gifted & talented students. It can be used as either an individual or group project. This product consists of two pages: * A scaffolded planning sheet for students to identif

Creative writing + naturally differentiated math! Students work towards writing their own creative stories, with a little math woven in. These are not your typical math word problems. These are creative stories that happen to include fractions, money, or simple numbers. Once the story is complete, students generate questions that their story could answer. Sample question stems are provided. Ideally, students would swap their stories & questions to solve. Students can create their own answer key

Students work towards converting math stories into math sentences with an unknown (example: 5 x 10 = A). The two pages consist of six short math stories (or word problems, if you choose to call them that) that build on each other. Students are required to translate the math story into a multiplication sentence, illustrate it with an array, and then solve for the unknown answer. The sample shown is only the first page. This handout could function for: * Collaborative math centers or stations * I

Encourage students to engage with their texts through the "Questioning the Author" (QtA) strategy with T.S. Eliot's "The Naming of Cats". This page offers several direct quotes from the poem with prompting QtA questions to consider for each. The poem is short & can be found online. This activity could function for: * Literacy stations or centers * Collaborative contemplation (partner or small group work) * Whole class discussion, mini-lesson, or activity * Homework * Assessment If you have any

Use this one-page guiding sheet in your literacy stations to support a pair of students through generating & alphabetizing vocabulary words. It is naturally differentiated as students are responsible for generating their own words to alphabetize (such as "sit" or "similar"). It clearly lists the five steps of the activity & provides the empty dictionary page for students to alphabetize their combined list. This activity was originally explained in "Understanding Reading Problems: Assessment & I

A quick one-page reading & writing inventory for students. It is designed for use with first through fourth grade students. Use your students' answers to tailor your instruction or plan check-ins! Sample Questions: * Is reading hard for you? * Do you like to read long stories? * I like to write for fun (yes/no) & I think I feel this way because... If you have any questions or concerns, please use the “Ask Question” option & I will get back to you ASAMBCA (As Soon As My Busy Classroom Allows)!

Encourage students to engage with their texts through the "Questioning the Author" (QtA) strategy with Ernest Hemingway's short story "The Good Lion". This two-page, ten-question analysis offers multiple direct quotes from the story with prompting QtA questions to consider for each. The story can be found online. Includes answer key! This activity could function for: * Literacy stations or centers * Collaborative contemplation (partner or small group work) * Whole class discussion, mini-less

In one of Chekhov's plays, a character states, “I guessed their thoughts, and suffered terribly.” Students consider: Have you ever tried to guess someone’s thoughts? What happened? Did you have a good result or did you “[suffer] terribly” like Chekhov’s character? This reference page guides students through the three steps of the project, including group discussion, partner research/writing, and a debate. It is designed to be completed in partners. However, it could be adapted for independent or