Patrick Johnson

Kids love the silly samples in this practice sheet for working with dependent and independent clauses. The prompts are non-sequitor like, and really require a kid to think creatively. They'll be entertained practicing what would normally be a very tedious task. Students will practice finishing sentences with independent clauses as well as beginning sentences with dependent clauses. There is also a section for independent practice to make their own complete sentences. I know your kids will e

(answer key included)(FREE post assessment available too!) ** To increase contextual comprehension, the pre-assessment is written in narrative. The FREE post-assessment is the narrative conclusion to the story. It is highly recommended teachers use both the Pre and Post assessment. Teaching Parts of Speech is so important as it creates common language for reading and writing between a teacher and student. I've successfully used a pre/post assessment in my Parts of Speech unit that doesn't

(Spanish and Learning Disabled* versions included) * Appropriate for students with an IEP including mid/high functioning Autistic students. My Weekly Study Skill Survey has been an invaluable tool in my classroom when teaching kids the important study skill of self-reflection. At the end of each week, kids spend 8-10 minutes carefully reflecting on their academic behavior and habits that week over topics including listening, attention, cooperation, and productivity. They use a scoring scale (5=

(answer key included) ** To increase contextual comprehension, the pre-assessment is written in narrative. The post-assessment is the narrative conclusion to the story. It is highly recommended teachers use both the Pre and Post assessment. Teaching Parts of Speech is so important as it creates common language for reading and writing between a teacher and student. I've successfully used a pre/post assessment in my Parts of Speech unit that doesn't involve drill and kill. Rather, I've wri

It's hard for a kid to learn when s/he can't see past frustrations with "the rules". This activity asks students to think reflectively on WHY rules exist and gives him/her a chance to put him/herself in the shoes of the one who makes the rules. It's a rare opportunity for students to experience taking the perspective of someone else. Many of my products are interactive, and you'll find numerous other useful teaching tools from Patrick Johnson. Feel free to check out my other products.

The Flowers for Algernon essay questions are critical thinking questions. They can be used either as a pre-read thinking strategy or a post assessment of comprehension and connections. My students were intrigued with the questions. Many passionate discussions ensued after students spent time peer reviewing classmates ideas. The questions (and student answers) provide a great "script" for teacher lead questioning sessions. This product gets students thinking. Feel free to check out my other

(Answer keys included) This 12 page document includes two versions of the pre-test, and one copy of the post-test. Two pre-test versions allows students more practice and uses a range of skill level questions much like Bloom's Taxonomy. The pre-assessments are meant to be formative and serve as a tool to identify areas of weakness. The post assessment is written to be summative and to provide a quantifiable grade book score. You'll find other quality assessments and activities from Patrick

(Reflection questions included) Kids have difficulty identifying and properly labeling figurative language. But we've had a lot of fun in class with this Figures of Speech activity in a dialogue format. Kids get to write and perform their dialogue through role play; a fun technique for all, but an especially useful tool for tactile learners and hyperactive children. I've found a two page dialogue sufficient to teach the concept. Feel free to have students do this writing/thinking activity m

(Answer Key Included) This assessment worksheet on commas focuses on clauses and equal adjectives. The sentences are silly, and kids really enjoy the light humor. While kids were silently taking the assessment, I would hear snickers and giggles; along with the occasional, "Mr. Johnson, you write weird stuff". Although the worksheet is fun, the content is serious stuff. You'll be able to quickly assess all students level of sophistication with these kinds of commas. Feel free to check out m

Self/Peer scoring sheets are a great way for students to rehearse without risking a "bad grade". Students use a common assessment and scoring rubric which allows focused feedback from the most influential group of people a student knows; their peers! If you like this product by Patrick Johnson, check out one of my other products.

Need a short and easy sample of "personification"? This short writing sample illustrates the concept in a small bite for students. It comes with two open-ended thinking questions for student reflection. It's a great little activity to start the class period or as a reflective homework assignment. You'll enjoy this time saving product as well as my other products from Patrick Johnson.

This is a simple way for students to think about their own speaking performance. The questions focus their thinking on specifics on both content and technique. Open-ended questions like, "How do you think you did on your speech" aren't helpful for a student as they give no parameters. Inevitably the answer you'll receive to this question is simply, "pretty bad" or "pretty good". This sheet forces them to address WHAT was "bad" or "good". Many of my products put the student in the thinking

(Answer key included) This quiz assesses a student's comprehension and skill level on using commas to separate descriptive terms, using commas to separate items in a series, and differentiating between dependent and independent clauses. If you enjoy the convenience of not having to create your own assessment, feel free to check out the other products I've created to save you time. Patrick Johnson's assessment tools are a great resource!

(Great for all students, particularly for low motivated, low skilled, or TAG!) Teacher directions: Each student is free to choose one item from each column to begin writing his/her story. Every teacher knows the frustration of trying to help a student think of writing ideas on the spot. Coming up with your own ideas for them usually brings a response like, "That's boring". Besides, the teacher is doing all the thinking. I have used this writing prompt with great success. I don't have to th

This parts of speech reference guide is a quick reference sheet kids can keep in their binder. Blow it up and have it posted in your classroom, too. The guide includes kid friendly definitions as well as a few examples. This is a useful resource, and I invite you to check out my other products by Patrick Johnson on Teachers pay Teachers.

Distracted student in class? Kids are human. Classroom management improves when you acknowledge that distractions happen and teach kids attention and noise. My "noise" lesson helps kids see the different kinds of distractions as well as an assessment (with answer key) of their comprehension. The outcome is that both teacher and student have the same words to discuss the issue of distraction. It helps me explain to kids why I need their attention and reduces their feelings of being told what

The 5 Paragraph Essay is a fundamental tool. Students cannot become proficient essay writers without the basic outline/content skills of a 5 paragraph essay. My student's essay skills have skyrocketed with multiple opportunities to master the 5 paragraph format. This document includes: • 1 essay scoring rubric (gradebook friendly) • 1 essay outline format • 1 summative content assessment If you like this product by Patrick Johnson, check out one of my other products.

This is not your usual "madlib". This Sillylib exercise is written from a farcical style. Boys tend to especially appreciate the crazy, non-sequitor humor. If you've done this kind of activity with kids before, you know it's always a good idea to remind students that "school appropriate" is the expectation. I have found kids respectful of that rule. They even come back the next day swapping stories they wrote from the day before.

Kids love this activity! It's great for classroom management or an ice breaker as it gives kids an opportunity for movement and interaction. Students pair up with a partner of the same gender, and need a yardstick. They stand 3 feet apart, toe-to-toe and record their comfort level using a 1-5 scoring rubric. They repeat this procedure moving closer in 1 inch increments. They stop when they get to their "1" comfort level. The guys posture and laugh, and the girls giggle. Everyone has fun!

Ever had to struggle to get a kid to begin informative/expository writing because s/he "can't think of a topic"? And when they do, do they often have overly generic topics that are doomed from the beginning? This guide helps a student narrow their choices and think in detail. It includes a sample, a practice sample, and starter topics. This document is a time saver and may help you avoid conflict. Feel free to enjoy my other documents created by Patrick Johnson.