About the store
I am a Nationally Board Certified Mid-Level Generalist and have been a teacher for 20+ years. I have always taught the sixth grade and just LOVE them! Prior to teaching I worked in the health insurance industry as a Marketing Representative. I love integrating technology into the curriculum as much as possible. My blog: yoursmarticles.com focuses on strategies for technology integration. Through conferences, seminars and training sessions I share my experience with other teachers as much as possible!
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Foreshadowing Definition and Practice Worksheet (Distance Learning)
Help Your Students Better Understand Foreshadowing with This COMPLETE Lesson Plan!Help your students unlock the power of foreshadowing with this comprehensive lesson plan! Designed to support students' understanding of this key literary device, this resource combines interactive presentations, practice activities, and exit tickets to ensure that students grasp and apply the concept of foreshadowing in their reading and writing. What’s Included:Interactive Slide Show:A complete instructional slid
4th - 8th
English Language Arts, Reading
CCSS
RL.6.3
, CCRA.R.3
, CCRA.R.5
Socratic Seminar Packet
Product Description This Socratic Seminar Packet includes: -Student directions and descriptions of a socratic seminar and how it is conducted. -Teacher directions -Socratic Seminar Prep Sheet for students -During the seminar notesheet -Post seminar exit slip -Teacher assessment guide -Teacher assessment rubric -Poster with stem/guide questions TECH TIP: (How to enlarge 8 1/2 x 11 sheets for printing: In the event you have a high resolution sheet, go to www.blockposters.com. This site will allow
5th - 9th
English Language Arts, Reading
Inferring is Priceless
Unleash the Detective Skills of Your Students with "Inferring is Priceless"! Looking for a fun, hands-on way to teach inference? This engaging activity turns your students into detectives as they analyze 14 unique store receipts to draw conclusions and make inferences. Inferring is Priceless combines critical thinking with real-world scenarios, helping students master the skill of inferring while enjoying the process. What's Included: 14 Receipts: Each receipt provides clues for students to expl
2nd - 8th
English Language Arts, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RL.4.1
, RL.5.1
, RL.6.1
Also included in: Inferring Skills BUNDLE
Inferring with Alma
This product is a companion sheet for the video Alma . https://youtu.be/irbFBgI0jhM. Your students will be RIVETED by this film!! This video features an adorably animated little girl strolling through the city on a winter day. Oddly, she spots a doll in a window of a shop, and the doll looks exactly like HER!! As the story unfolds, students are provided with 'stop' points featuring a variety of inferring skills: ✨Inferring Author's Purpose ✨Inferring Tone ✨Inferring Character Behavior ✨Infer
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Instructional Technology, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RL.6.1
, RL.6.2
, RL.6.3
+1
Also included in: Animated Shorts for Reading Instruction - BUNDLE!! Distance Learning
Etymology (Word Origin) Lesson
This is an instructional tool to introduce students to the concept of etymology (word origin). Students will learn that 60% of the words in the English Language come from Greek/Latin roots and that there are powerful decoding skills that come from knowledge of these roots and word derivation. Students will practice using a resource to explore word derivation (origins). How base words, prefixes, suffixes and root words enter into the picture and contribute to word meanings is also provided. S
5th - 9th
English Language Arts, Vocabulary
CCSS
L.5.4b
, L.5.4c
, L.6.4b
+5
Crime Scene
This crime scene activity involves a crime, suspects, evidence and an evidence collection packet for students. Students have an opportunity to exercise those important CCLS skills of evaluating evidence with this engaging lesson. Included in this 44 page packet is everything you need to get started. Includes: The scenario, the suspects and suspect biographies, the evidence collected at the scene, transcripts for suspect statements (you can podcast them if you wish) as well as all of the evid
4th - 7th
Creative Writing, English Language Arts, Writing-Expository
Minecraft Bulletin Board Set - Student Work Display
Mind Craft Bulletin Board Set – Inspired by Minecraft! Bright • Bold • Student-Approved Looking for a classroom display that’s as fun as it is functional? This Mind Craft Bulletin Board Set brings the pixelated charm of Minecraft into your room—with an educational twist! Featuring the phrase “Our Minds Craft Fabulous Work,” this vibrant, full-color display is perfect for showcasing student work while tying into a theme your students already love. What’s Included: ✅ Full-color printable letters
3rd - 8th
For All Subjects
Cereal Box Book Report & Commercial
Working on persuasive techniques? Need a creative book report project? Use these instructions and templates to have your students create a book report out of a cereal box. Students can then record a commercial advertisement for their cereal. This packet includes COMPLETE student directions, formatted templates for students to cut out and glue onto the cereal box, directions for recording a commercial and a rubric for grading. As always, thanks for ✨Using Your Smarticles✨ Looking for Lessons/T
3rd - 7th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
Flashback/Foreshadowing with an Animated Short Film
Introducing BIBO! This print and go lesson provides links and stop points for the award winning movie titled Bibo about a loyal and devoted robot that has found himself in unimaginable circumstances. (Video is on both Vimeo and YouTube) This well written story integrates critical reading skills for Middle Schoolers. In seven minutes, the authors of this wordless film take the viewer on a journey that embeds inferring, flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism, irony and MANY more higher level crit
5th - 9th
Instructional Technology, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RL.6.1
, RL.6.2
, RL.6.3
+1
Also included in: Animated Shorts for Reading Instruction - BUNDLE!! Distance Learning
Plot Diagram Practice with an Animated Short
This product is a companion sheet for the video Lighthouse: http://vimeo.com/21910518. This charming video features a tiny village on an island watched over by the protective beacon of a lighthouse when suddenly a problem arises. This 3 minute video features an IDEAL plot structure: Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Resolution. In this worksheet, students are provided a definition and explanation of all of the elements of plot. Students are then provided video "stop point
4th - 6th
English Language Arts, Reading Strategies, Short Stories
CCSS
RL.6.1
, RL.6.2
, RL.6.3
+1
Also included in: Animated Shorts for Reading Instruction - BUNDLE!! Distance Learning
Animated Shorts for Reading Instruction - BUNDLE!! Distance Learning
Transform Your Reading Lessons with This Engaging Animated Short Film Bundle!Looking for a highly engaging, no-prep way to teach critical reading skills? This Animated Short Films Super Bundle features six best-selling instructional lessons that use riveting animated short films to capture student attention while reinforcing essential literacy skills. Perfect for whole-class discussions, small groups, or independent practice, this bundle is designed to help students analyze, infer, and th
4th - 7th
English Language Arts, Reading Strategies
Ordeal by Check
This activity is a fantastic and engaging way to have your kids infer story events...especially at the end of the year! Using a series of 21 checks written by a variety of people, students will sequence the checks and see if they can unravel the mystery that is embedded within the checks. Students will work cooperatively and unceasingly to solve this mystery. Its great inferring practice!! You'll LOVE the ease of this print-and-go resource. Answer key is included. As always, thanks for ✨Usin
4th - 9th
English Language Arts
Also included in: Inferring Skills BUNDLE
Cause and Effect with an Animated Short
Cause and Effect with Ormie – An Animated Short Film LessonEngaging | Standards-Aligned | No-Prep RequiredLooking for a high-interest, low-prep way to teach cause and effect? This lesson uses the hilarious and heartwarming animated short film Ormie to help students identify and write cause and effect relationships using clear signal words. Trust us—your students will be hooked! Ormie is a determined pig with one goal: get the cookies on top of the fridge. As students watch his over-the-top attem
3rd - 7th
English Language Arts, Reading Strategies, Writing-Expository
Also included in: Animated Shorts for Reading Instruction - BUNDLE!! Distance Learning
Argumentative Writing - Toulmin Model
This product provides a complete step by step guide for students on argumentative writing.
Each page is a worksheet and practice examples on the following terms as coined by Toulmin:
Claim
Qualifier
Grounds
Warrant
Backing
Rebuttals
Conclusion
This pack also includes project description materials, essay organizer and links to supplemental materials to guide students through the writing of a 5 paragraph argumentative essay.
Supports CCLS:
RL.6.7 RI.5.1 RI.5.2 RI.5.10 W.5.1 RL.5.2a
RL.6
5th - 7th
English Language Arts, Writing-Essays, Writing-Expository
Escape Room - Students Create Their Own
Students create their OWN themed escape room in this terrific editable Google Slide product.....and NO LOCKS ARE NEEDED!!!!! This is a print and go Escape Room concept for ANY content area. Have students edit the template to include a theme, a mystery letter and 5 different puzzles/riddles that lead to a solution for the ESCAPE!!! When finished, students print and exchange their escape challenges for an engaging classroom ADVENTURE!! Every step is guided with video tutorials (if needed) to he
3rd - 10th
For All Subjects
Teaching the CER Game
Are you trying to get your students more effective at writing a CER for Science? This FUN and ENGAGING activity really helps! In this printable are 9 complete CER examples, except, they’ve been cut apart into Claims... Evidence… and Reasoning cards. Students first sort to identify the claims in their sets. Then, they sort for evidence statements. Finally, they locate the reasoning cards. Once all the cards are sorted, you can challenge them to match up the cards to create 9 complete CER re
4th - 8th
General Science, Physical Science, Science
Comparing a story to a video - The Monkey's Paw
This Monkey's Paw Pack really packs a CCSS punch!
This lesson provides a link to an engaging and compelling 29 minute video of The Monkey's Paw story by W. W. Jacobs. http://vimeo.com/20009303 The companion worksheet focuses on the mood of the video and how the producer develops that mood at the outset of the story.
In addition to the video, students are given a link to an abridged version of the story. After reading the story, students are asked to compare the story events, the setting
5th - 7th
English Language Arts, Literature, Reading
CCSS
RL.5.3
, RL.5.9
, RL.6.1
+2
Context Clue Scavenger Hunt
Boost Reading Skills with the Fun and Interactive Context Clue Scavenger Hunt!Looking for an engaging way to reinforce your students' understanding of context clues? This Context Clue Scavenger Hunt is a hands-on activity that gets students up and moving while enhancing their ability to identify and use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words. Perfect for independent work or partner activities, this scavenger hunt will have your students thinking critically and having fun at the
4th - 8th
ELA Test Prep, English Language Arts
CCSS
RL.4.4
, RL.5.4
, RL.6.4
+1
Elements of a Story (Plot Structure)
Master the Elements of Plot with this Engaging and Comprehensive Lesson Plan!Take the guesswork out of teaching plot structure with this Elements of Plot Complete Lesson Plan! This all-in-one resource is designed to help students fully understand the five key elements of plot—Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution—through guided instruction, hands-on practice, and interactive activities. What’s Included:Interactive Slide Deck:A visually engaging presentation walks stud
4th - 6th
Literature, Reading, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RL.5.5
, RL.6.3
Latin Word Root Practice (Create a CREATURE!)
Unleash Creativity with the Create-A-Creature: Latin Word Stems Project!Looking for an engaging way to combine vocabulary building with creativity? This Create-A-Creature Project challenges students to dive into the world of Latin word stems by blending them together to invent their own mythical creatures with extraordinary powers. Not only will students strengthen their understanding of word roots, but they’ll also have fun expressing their imagination through art and storytelling! What’s Incl
5th - 8th
English Language Arts, Latin, Vocabulary
Showing 1-20 of 279 results
About the store
Experience
I am a Nationally Board Certified Mid-Level Generalist and have been a teacher for 20+ years. I have always taught the sixth grade and just LOVE them! Prior to teaching I worked in the health insurance industry as a Marketing Representative. I love integrating technology into the curriculum as much as possible. My blog: yoursmarticles.com focuses on strategies for technology integration. Through conferences, seminars and training sessions I share my experience with other teachers as much as possible!
Teaching style
Unquestionably my teaching style is student-centered. Student inquiry and project based activities are my strengths coupled with technology integration.
Awards & shining teacher moments
FInd me on TikTok!! @MaryHoward118
Author: Artificial Intelligence to Streamline Your Teacher Life
National Board Certified Teacher
2018 and 2020 NYS Teacher of the Year Finalist
Certified BrainPop Educator
Apple Teacher
Google Certified Teacher Level 2
Lee Bryant Outstanding Technology
Teacher of the year 2014-2015
Published in 2013 NYSMSA'S In Transitions journal
Published in AMLE Magazine
Published iBook on Student ENgagement
Presenter at ISTE, NYSMA, NYSCATE and many other conferences on technology integration
Author of Yoursmarticles.blogspot.com and yoursmarticles.com
My own education history
1991 Graduated from Michigan State University
2001 Obtained Masters Degree
and teaching certificate PRE-K through 6
60+ hours above masters credit
Additional biographical information
Mother of 3 sons (and a charming cavalier spaniel), runner and ice hockey player. I love my job and put all of my energy into doing what's best for students.
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