5th Grade Resources

Text Structure Task Cards {Scientific Concepts}

$4.00

Why you and your students will LOVE this product...

Are you struggling to fit it all in? As an intermediate teacher, this is my constant struggle. At a time when standardized testing can seem to dominate the curriculum, I am always trying to find a way to integrate Science and Social Studies into my ELA Block. My 4th graders love learning about Science and we can't seem to get enough of it throughout the year with such a heavy push for the Reading, Writing, and Math. My students also LOVE task cards because they are not simply another worksheet or passage with comprehension questions. They are short and quick to help them practice a skill. This resource marries these two loves and creates a cross-curricular activity. As a busy teacher, you get more bang for your buck! Science and Reading? Win-win.

These task cards are perfect for a literacy center, small group activities, or review. Each task card contains 2-3 sentences that uses the words in context.

What does this resource include?

*36 Text Structure Task Cards with a short paragraph that explains a scientific concept. Students determine the text structure used in the paragraph

*Answer Sheet & Answer Key: The Answer Key provides the word that was used on the card as well as the answer.

*Text Structure Notebook Anchor Charts- Additionally, I have included 5 charts for students' notebooks for Text Structure. These charts come from my Reading Notebook Anchor Charts (Nonfiction) resource. Students can use the charts to help them identify the Text Structure.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please email us or leave your comments below :)

Let’s connect!

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Informational}

Happy Teaching!

-Jessica

Text Structure Task Cards {Scientific Concepts}

Christmas Persuasive Writing {Candy Cane Mix-Up}

$5.00

About this product:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CC.RA.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

This product is a fun way to get your students excited about persuasive writing. Your students will write this piece from the point of view of an elf working in Santa’s Candy Cane factory. They are an elf who is put in charge of the factory when things take a turn for the worst. Your elves really want to keep their jobs (it is getting close to Christmas!)

This set includes the following items:
- Teacher Lesson Outline
- Student Scenario Page
- Three Planning Pages
- Transition Words Sheet
(plain and holiday versions)
- Hook Santa In Printable
- Endings Printable
- Two Letter Outline Printables

We hope you enjoy Candy Cane Mix-Up!
*Butterflies and Daydreams
*Teaching with Coffee

Christmas Persuasive Writing {Candy Cane Mix-Up}

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Literature}

$10.00

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts for skills and strategies at your students' fingertips.

**Updated on 9/28/2017 to add two additional notebook charts for writing a summary.***

This product includes anchor charts for each Reading Literature Standard for Grades 3-5. You might also like anchor charts for each Reading Informational Standard for Grades 3-5 here:

**This product has been updated as of 8/20/2017 to include full page anchor charts.**

**Buy BUNDLED and SAVE!**

This resource is now part of a Reading & Writing Bundle!

Click below to see what else is included!

Reading & Writing Bundle #1

Why Reading Notebook Anchor Charts?

The charts in this product are meant to be used inside students’ reading or writing notebooks. This is why they are shown two on a page. I don’t know about you, but we have copy budgeting issues at my school and I am always trying to find ways to save paper and copies! Plus, my students use composition notebooks for every subject and we have a special section for Notes and Teaching Charts where we glue these in.

More importantly, I use a lot of anchor charts in my classroom. With the amount of charts I make- it would be impossible to keep all of them up throughout the year and sometimes students forget they are there. Having them right in their notebooks allows easy accessibility to help during independent Reading or Writing. You might also find these useful for parents to use at home.

Since I began using anchor charts inside our Reading and Writing Notebooks, I have noticed my students are able to work better independently. They have the tools they need to support their learning. The charts have also been helpful in planning and presenting my lessons. For example, when we are talking about “theme,” I have examples and ways to find it by using the chart. This helps to bring a large and broad topic down to a concrete idea.

This set also includes a variety of graphic organizers for both fiction and nonfiction. I would love to hear your feedback on this product and requests for any other anchor charts you might feel would be useful to you and your students!

What is included?

The following charts are included aligned to the 3 clusters of the Reading Literature Standards for Grades 3-5.

Key Ideas & Details

*Wise Readers ask Questions Who… What…When…Where…Why…How

*Using Text Evidence

*Inference

*Character Feelings

*Character Traits

*Recount Stories (Somebody Wanted But So Then)

*Recount Stories (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?)

*Summarize Stories (Somebody Wanted But So)

*Think FAST about the Characters

*FAST Chart (3 Versions)

*5 Elements of a Story

*Story Mountain

*Crafting a Theme Statement

*Theme

*Themessage

*Common Themes

Craft & Structure

*Literal vs. Nonliteral Language

*Figurative Language

*Idioms 1 (blank)

*Idioms 2 (blank)

*Idioms 1

*Idioms 2

*Allusion

*Poetry, Drama, & Prose

*Point of View

*Point of View (blank)

Integration of Knowledge & Ideas

*The Quest

*Movie vs. Text (Blank)

*Movie vs. Text (Filled in)

*Comparing Themes, Topics, & Patterns of Events

*Good vs. Evil

*Thinking about Theme

*Revealing the Theme

Extra Reading Charts & Tools

*The Story in a Nutshell Graphic Organizer (1 per page)

*The Story in a Nutshell Graphic Organizer (2 per page)

*Main Idea & Details Boxes & Bullets (2 per page)

*What's the Big Idea?! Boxes & Bullets Graphic Organizer for Text

*Writing a Summary (1 per page)

*Let's Talk Genre! (Genre Notebook Chart)

*Traditional Literature Notebook Chart

*My Reading Log (2 per page)

*Words We Should All Spell Correctly

*Transitions

*Responding to Fiction 1

*Responding to Fiction 2

*Responding to Nonfiction

*Readers Choose Just Right Books

*My New Year's Reading Resolutions

*Ways I Can Help Myself Grow as a Reader

*Parts of Speech

*Reading is Thinking (boy)

*Reading is Thinking (girl)

If you ever find that you are looking for a specific chart that is not included, please let me know at jessica@theliteracyloft.com. I am ALWAYS looking for ways to improve the quality of my resources.

Let’s connect!

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Literature}

Grammar & Vocabulary Notebook Charts

$6.00

This resource includes 44 Notebook Anchor Charts & Word Lists to support your students in developing their Language and Vocabulary Skills in Reading and Writing. Some charts are simply word lists, while others are used to teach a particular skill. Please note that a few charts have interactive components, but not all. The charts come two on a page so that they can be glued into an interactive notebook. Hopefully, this saves you in copies as well! We are always looking for ways to improve our resources to be the best quality and meet your needs. We take pride in our work and are open to suggestions, requests, and feedback on ways to improve the quality of our work. If you find that something is missing or you are looking for a specific chart that is not included, please email us at Jessica@theliteracyloft.com. We will always try our best to meet your needs.

Ideas for Classroom Use
I created this product for my 4th Graders to use in their Language and Vocabulary Notebook. We use this chart to support our Reading and Writing. Below are some ideas about how I used the charts.

Reading Centers Support: One of our Reading Centers is Language and Vocabulary. If students are practicing a specific skill using a practice sheet or task cards, they can use the chart to help them remember how to use the specific part of speech, punctuation, etc.

Writing Workshop: I used the charts to teach a mini grammar lesson at the beginning of Writer's Workshop or at the end to help students revise and edit their work. If you do not use a Vocabulary Notebook, students could glue some of the charts in their Writing Notebook to help revise and edit for sentence structure, language, and conventions.

Small Group Reading and Writing: If I noticed all of my students were having difficulty with a particular skill such as Verb Tenses. I used the chart for Verb Tenses to pull a small group and teach this lesson. They used the chart to help them complete an activity independently to identify the correct verb tenses.

Quick Vocabulary & Grammar Lessons: If your day is anything like mine, it is jam-packed! I am forever looking for ways to tuck in language, grammar, and vocabulary lessons. By providing students with a chart, I can quickly teach a short lesson and they have the chart in front of them to practice independently. I have also started to create PowerPoints and practice pages that align to these charts to provide an additional resource for whole group lessons. These are NOT in my store yet, but keep an eye out! :)

These are just a few ideas of how to use this resource in your classroom! I would love to see or hear how this resource works for you! As always, please let me know if you are still looking for something else in this resource. Thank you!

Charts Included
Perfect Punctuation
Relative and Demonstrative Pronouns
A or An?
Relative Pronouns
Relative Adverbs
Adverbs
Ordering Adjectives
Who or Whom?
Prepositions (with a dog for an example)
Prepositions (with a cat for an example)
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositions List
Types of Nouns
Plural Nouns
Modal Auxiliaries
Contractions
Types of Verbs
Irregular Verbs 1
Irregular Verbs 2
Verb Tenses
Coordinating Conjunctions
What makes a complete sentence?
Types of Sentences
Complete Sentences, Fragments, and Run-Ons
Compound and Complex Sentences
Tackle Tricky Words Tips Page
Commonly Confused Words 1
Commonly Confused Words 2
Commonly Confused Words 3
Homophones Word List
High Frequency Word List
Multiple Meaning Word List
4 square organizer (meaning, synonyms, antonyms, picture and sentence
4 Square Vocab (meaning, picture, synonym, antonym)
4 Square Vocab (meaning, picture, sentence, part of speech
Prefixes (Word List Chart)
Suffixes (Word List Chart)
Suffix Sort
Suffix Sort (Blank)
Prefix Sort
Prefix Sort (Blank)
Latin Roots (Word List Chart)
Greek Roots (Word List Chart)
Shades of Meaning (Feeling Words)

Let’s connect!

Looking for something else? Let us know!

Prefixes and Suffixes Task Cards

$4.00

These task cards are a great practice for students to practice using prefixes and suffixes within context to determine word meanings. Many of these words are drawn from Science or Social Studies topics to help integrate content areas into your ELA Block. I created these task cards for my 4th Graders, but they could be used in Grades 3-5. Check out the preview to see more information and a picture of how I used them in my classroom.

What's included?

*36 Task Cards to Practice Prefixes and Suffixes- These task cards are perfect for a literacy center, small group activities, or review. Each task card contains 2-3 sentences that uses the words in context. Though there are context clues for each word, the question requires students to understand the meaning of the prefix or suffix. I chose many of the words based on words that 3rd-5th graders may see in not only common literature, but also words from Science and some Social Studies topics.

Answer Sheet & Answer Key: The Answer Key provides the word that was used on the card as well as the answer. This will help you see not just an answer on the answer key, but which word was used. This can help you identify words that students might have struggled with or organizational purposes.

Prefixes and Suffixes Notebook Anchor Charts - Additionally, I have included 2 charts for students' notebooks for Prefixes and Suffixes. These charts come from my Grammar & Vocabulary Notebook Charts resource. Students can use the charts to help them identify the meaning of the prefix or suffix. You can find this resource by clicking HERE!

I hope you enjoy this resource as much as we did! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email me at Jessica@theliteracyloft.com.

Let’s connect!

Reading Tic Tac Toe (Monthly Reading Response)

$3.00

This thematic monthly Reading Tic-Tac-Toe Response helps students engage with their book and do something FUN, while also practicing standards-based reading skills. Plus, they have a choice. The directions require students to do 3 of the activities per month, but they can earn extra credit by completing additional activities. Seeing what your students create each month is most of the fun! This is a great way to give your students a creative outlet.

June and July will be added later this 2018-2019 school year for teachers and students that continue through the summer months OR you just want some fun summer reading practice for your students!

Examples of Skills Practiced:

Character Sketch
Point of View (Write from a different POV)
Sketch a Scene
#Booksmakefriends (recommend the book to a friend)
Elements of a Story
Context Clues
Figurative Language
AND MORE!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, contacts, or concerns.

Let’s connect!

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Literature}

Reading Tic Tac Toe (Monthly Reading Response)

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Nonfiction}

$10.00

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts for skills and strategies at your students' fingertips.

This product includes anchor charts for each Reading Informational Standard for Grades 3-5. You might also like anchor charts for each Reading Literature Standard for Grades 3-5 here:

**This product has been updated on 8/20/2017 to include FULL PAGE anchor charts.**

Why Reading Notebook Anchor Charts?

The charts in this product are meant to be used inside students’ reading or writing notebooks. This is why they are shown two on a page. I don’t know about you, but we have copy budgeting issues at my school and I am always trying to find ways to save paper and copies! Plus, my students use composition notebooks for every subject and we have a special section for Notes and Teaching Charts where we glue these in.

More importantly, I use a lot of anchor charts in my classroom. With the amount of charts I make- it would be impossible to keep all of them up throughout the year and sometimes students forget they are there. Having them right in their notebooks allows easy accessibility to help during independent Reading. You might also find these useful for parents to use at home.

Since I began using anchor charts inside our Reading and Writing Notebooks, I have noticed my students are able to work better independently. They have the tools they need to support their learning. The charts have also been helpful in planning and presenting my lessons. For example, when we are talking about “theme,” I have examples and ways to find it by using the chart. This helps to bring a large and broad topic down to a concrete idea.

If you have purchased my Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Reading Literature}, then you are familiar with how these charts work. Throughout the past couple of years, I have worked to better align my resources to the standards. The charts contained in this set are organized by the 3 big Anchor Standards in the Reading Informational Text Strand. The charts are intended to be versatile enough for grades 3-5. If you are looking for something specific to be included in this resource, please email me at butterfliesanddaydreams1@gmail.com. I am always looking for ways to enhance the quality of my products. The sister product Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Reading Literature} is also undergoing some changes to be organized by the anchor standards for Reading Literature with more charts to be added soon.

I hope you and your students find this resource as useful as we do! Happy Teaching!

-Jessica

Reader's Notebook Anchor Charts Included

Key Ideas & Details

*Super Star Partnerships

*Wise Readers Ask Questions

*Using Text Evidence

*Types of Informational Texts

*Main Ideas and Supporting Details

*Inference

*Talking about the Text

*Main Idea and Key Details (Graphic Organizer)

*Summarizing Nonfiction (Somebody Wanted But So)

*Summarizing Nonfiction (Notes with Example)

*Summarizing Nonfiction (Notes with Example) cursive font

*Determining Importance

*Determining Importance (Interesting or Important)

*Sentence Starters for Main Idea

*See, Think, Wonder (Blank)

Craft & Structure

*Alpha Boxes

*Context Clues

*Firsthand vs. Secondhand Account

*Primary vs. Secondary Sources

*Description

*Sequence

*Compare & Contrast

*Cause & Effect

*Problem & Solution

*Cause & Effect Graphic Organizer

*Nonfiction Signal Words 1

*Nonfiction Signal Words 2

Integration of Knowledge & Ideas

*Reasons & Evidence

*Text Features 1

*Text Features 2

*Text Features 3

*Combining Texts

*Combining Texts (Graphic Organizer)

*Bonus* Readers Gonna Read (My To-Read List)

Let’s connect!

Reader’s Notebook Anchor Charts

Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Nonfiction}

Biography Project {Grades 2-5}

$4.50

About this Product

This product came as a result of my students’ love of the biography series “Who Was…?” If you have not looked into this series, I recommend that you do! They are a fun, easy read that offers an engaging way for students to learn about historical figures and important people. Although this product is based on this series, this product could be used for any biography book or project. This is a nice way to integrate Reading, Writing, and Social Studies.

How I Used this Product

In my 3rd Grade classroom, I used multiple copies of the same book or books and paired students in partnerships. In my school, we have a 30 minute Reading Intervention Block. I began this project with students who were not pulled out or working with me in small groups during this time. This was a nice way for students to work independently or in partnerships. It also created an extension for what they could already do as readers. Plus, they had so much fun! I let them work on this project in their partnerships. This held several benefits. Many students who were not pulled out or working in small groups tend to be higher level students OR students who have untapped potential. Allowing them to work on a project like this can extend their learning, as well as find new ways to enjoy reading. While other students had special groups or went to see other teachers, it was nice for these students to have their own project too.

The Poster Page is a template that you could use for students to turn in with the essay or you could use this as a planning page and then have students create a larger poster on their own. I assigned it as homework and was pleasantly surprised at what my students turned in. I saw a wonderful increase in engagement by students who had shown little motivation or enthusiasm for reading. You can see the photos in the preview or in the product itself. Please know I updated the pages after the photos were taken with more detail and provided the poster template. Good luck to you with this project! If you have any questions, please contact me!

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Story Elements {Posters + Bookmark}

$1.50

Keep your kids grounded in the basics!

This resource includes 5 Posters + a bookmark for the 5 Elements of a Story.

Story Element Posters:
*Characters
*Setting
*Conflict
*Theme
*Plot

Happy Teaching!

Jessica

Let’s connect!

The Literacy Loft on Facebook

Email: Jessica@theliteracyloft.com

Informational Writing-Animal Research Project

$2.00

What this Product Includes:

1. Teaching Points for the Unit - These are suggested teaching points you could use to teach this project. They do not need to be taught in this order and you may find your students need different teaching points. Please note this does NOT include full lessons, only teaching points aligned to standards

2. What Should my Field Guide Include? - a Content Guide for students (and teachers) to help guide the research and the content of the field guide

3. My Research Notes - a graphic organizer to help students record what they learn about the animal. This will also help students to organize their research, thus organize their writing.

4.My Research Notes with Guiding Questions - This version of the graphic organizer includes questions from the Content Guide to help students think about what to include in each section.

5. My Research Notes BLANK - This version allows students to think more critically and could be used with other projects. Students would determine what that category would be.

6. Field Guide Template - This is a template you can use for the rough draft of the Field Guide. You could also use this as the students’ actual field guides if you wanted to. In our classrooms, we used this as a template for the rough draft and then used large 11 x 18 in manila paper to recreate the template in a larger format.

7.Field Guide Pictures - Classroom photos to help you and your students see the end product.

8.My Field Guide Rubric - This is included to make your grading life easier!!! Writing can be so subjective sometimes- hopefully, this rubric will help you zip through grading students’ final projects!

9.Writers Celebrate! 3-2-1 Style - These cards can be used at the end of the unit as part of a gallery walk. Students can lay out their final masterpieces on top of desks or in a display area. Students walk around leaving comments for other classmates.

This is a resource to help you integrate Writing into the content area of Science or vice versa. Additionally, you might be able to integrate technology by using websites and videos to support your students’ research. Another possible way to use this resource is by having students create their final product in a power point presentation. There are NOT supplemental resources included in the product, but this may give you some ideas on how you can suit this resource to best fit your classroom‘s needs.

In order to implement this into your classroom, students will need to choose an animal to research. You may choose to limit the choices your students’ can make or limit to only wild animals or limit to animals found only in your state. One teacher tip I have for you is that if you do not want your students to choose pets, state that at the beginning of the unit. I gave my students a little too much freedom and some of the field guides became about pets. You might be okay with this if you are using this unit to get your kids writing! In my 4th grade classroom, we aligned this to various animals we discussed in class. As we began this unit, I noticed my students needed more guidance with topics an informational writer might discuss when writing about an animal. The questions we came up with are included in the “What should my field guide include?” page.

This is also meant to be a research project. Students will need to have access to books, articles, or websites about their particular animals. Whenever we begin any type of unit in my classroom, I head to our school library and fill baskets with that type of text. For this unit, you might want to choose two types of texts:
1)Texts based on the topics your students are writing about
2) Texts that students can use as a mentor text. I also suggest you choose a Mentor Informational Text to teach the lessons and model the writing techniques.

On Day 1 of the Unit, you might collect brochures, field guides, magazines, and other informational texts to help define the characteristics of Informational Text. Through your class discussion or minilesson create a classroom chart. Doing this simple study together will help set the foundation for the rest of the unit and create a point of reference for you and your students.

Another thought about implementing this into your Informational Writing curriculum is using the research to create an Informational Essay. In this way, you are still meeting the writing standards, in a fun and innovative way! Your students will have fun teaching their others all about their topic! If you use 11x18 paper to fold into the field guide as shown in the pictures, there is a spot for a sheet of paper 8.5 x 11 or notebook paper.

Let’s connect!

Please know the there is a blank template for notes and the field guide. This might allow you to use the field guide and teaching points for other informational writing topics. Have fun and Happy Writing!!

Informational Writing-Animal Research Project

Math Task Cards for the Year Bundle (4th Grade)

$60.00 $25.00 Save $35.00

Product Description

This resource is a Growing Bundle that will include Math Task Cards for the entire year. Each set of task cards is aligned to the Common Core Standards so that you can integrate this with your current curriculum. By purchasing the bundle, you save 30% than if you were to purchase the task card sets individually.

Each set of task Cards includes:

36 Task Cards
Answer Sheet
Answer Key

This Bundle includes:

Place Value, Addition, & Subtraction - DONE!

Multi-Digit Multiplication - DONE!

Dividing by 1-Digit Numbers - DONE!

Equations & Expressions - DONE!

Mixed Problem-Solving - DONE!

Multi-Step Problem Solving - DONE!

Factors, Multiples, and Patterns - DONE!

Fraction Equivalence and Comparison - DONE!

Add and Subtract Fractions - DONE!

Relate Fractions and Decimals - DONE!

Multiply Fractions by Whole Numbers - DONE!

Convert Measurements - DONE!
Line Plots - DONE!
Distance, Time, & Money - DONE!
Angles - DONE!
Perimeter and Area - DONE!
Two-Dimensional Figures - DONE!

These task cards are part of a year long series that covers the 5th Grade Math Standards.
✔︎ 4.NBT.1.1, 4.NBT.1.2, 4.NBT.1.3, 4.NBT.2.4 - Place Value, Addition, & Subtraction
✔︎ 4.NBT.2.5, 4.OA.1.2, 4.0A.1.3 - Multi-Digit Multiplication
✔︎ 4.NBT.2.6 - Dividing by 1-Digit Numbers
✔︎ 4.OA.1.a, 4.OA.1.1 - Equations & Expressions
✔︎ 4.OA.1.2 - Mixed Problem-Solving
✔︎ 4.0A.1.3 - Multi-Step Problem Solving
✔︎ 4.OA.2.4, 4.OA.3.5 - Factors, Multiples, and Patterns
✔︎ 4.NF.1.1, 4.NF.1.2 - Fraction Equivalence and Comparison
✔︎ 4.NF.2.3 - Add and Subtract Fractions
✔︎ 4.NF.2.4 - Multiply Fractions by Whole Numbers
✔︎ 4.NF.3.5, 4.NF.3.6, 4.NF.3.7 - Relate Fractions and Decimals
✔︎ 4.MD.1.1 - Convert Measurement
✔︎ 4.MD.2.4 - Line Plots
✔︎ 4.MD.1.2 - Distance, Time, & Money
✔︎ MD.3.5, MD.3.6, MD.3.7 - Angles
✔︎ 4.MD.1.3 - Perimeter and Area
✔︎ 4.G.1.1, 4.G.1.2, 4.G.1.3 - Two-Dimensional Figures

Math Task Cards for the Year Freebies

5th Grade
http://theliteracyloft.co/5thMathTCFreebie

4th Grade
http://theliteracyloft.co/4thMathTCFreebie

3rd Grade
http://theliteracyloft.co/3rdMathTCFreebie

8 Ways to use Math Task Cards in Your Classroom:

I recommend printing these on card stock and/or laminating them so that you can continuously use them year after year.

1. Math Center
2. Journal Problems
3. Small Group Instruction
4. End of Unit Review
5. Test Prep
6. Early Finisher Task
7. Write and Wipe Answers (if laminated)
8. Walk and Solve: Many teachers like to place these around the classroom to get their kids moving by "walking and solving." You can put them on desks, paste them on your whiteboard, and in various places around the room.

Let’s connect!

Email: Jessica@theliteracyloft.com

Math Task Cards for the Year Bundle (4th Grade)

Bookagram - Book Recommendation/Reading Response

$1.00

About this Product:

This product is a fun activity for students after they finish a book. I don’t know about you, but I always cringe when I see my students finish the last page of a book, immediately close it, announce they are done, and put it back on the shelf. I am constantly looking for ways to get them to linger with their books just a little bit longer…

Besides just writing a response or taking a Reading Counts quiz, it is nice to mix it up with fun stuff when they finish. Hence, the creation of this product. If you are anything like me, you enjoy social media. Not just any social media, but specifically Instagram! I am a fan and sometimes slightly addicted. What I love about Instagram is that you can share your experiences with others instantly. Moments or experiences you might not normally share with people, but Instagram makes it possible to share it with more people outside of your usual social circle. With this activity, your students can share their reading experience and recommend books to their classmates in a fun and social way.

How to Use this Product

Anyway you choose! See the Guide Sheet for suggestions. The small circle at the top is a place to draw a picture of themselves. The big picture area, students draw a picture of the cover of the book. Below the picture, they can recommend/tag the book to 3 of their friends. The student who created the Bookagram can make comments about the book as well. Next to the heart, those same 3 students can “like” the book OR others in your classroom who might have read the book can “like” the post by leaving their name. Having an area to display students’ Bookagrams is a nice way to build community in your classroom and build community with your readers!

Please note there are 3 different versions , based on your student needs. One also includes a place for students to rate the book. As always, please let me know if you have any questions about the product. :) Jessica@theliteracyloft.com

Happy Reading!

Bookagram - Book Recommendation/Reading Response

Rubrics, Charts, & Checklists, OH MY!

$6.00

This mini-bundle of resources includes:
Informational Writing Student/Peer Checklist
Informational Writing Teacher Rubric for grading purposes (2 versions)
Narrative Writing Student/Peer Checklist
Narrative Writing Rubric for grading purposes (2 versions)
Opinion Writing Student/Peer Checklist
Opinion Writing Rubric for grading purposes (2 versions)
Language Arts Short Response Rubric
Character Feelings and Traits Notebook Charts
Transitional Words and Phrases Notebook Chart
Words We All Should Spell Correctly Chart
Writing an Opinion Essay Chart
Writer’s Celebrate! 3-2-1 Style

This product is one that I see myself continuously updating and adding new material. hope you enjoy and I would love to hear your feedback about this product! I am always open to ways I can improve my products:)

How to use the Checklists:
The checklists are used to help students understand what is expected of them as they move through the writing process. In addition, the checklist requires them to reflect on themselves as a writer. In my classroom, I introduce the checklist shortly after we have started the unit so they can monitor themselves as we go along. As we move towards publishing our final draft, the “I’m done” declarations dwindle. I have found the checklist reiterates specific things students can work on as a writer. Furthermore, they are required to consult one another through peer editing and revising.

The Rubrics
Reading and Writing grades are not so quick and easy anymore. Although I have the abstract mind of a Language Arts Teacher, when it comes time for grades and assessments- the “measurement” of my student’s progress can be a bit gray and I have struggled with giving my students’ a fair grade. The Writing rubrics included in this product are aligned to the checklists and allow you as the teacher to attach a grade to their final writing piece in an objective manner.

The Language Arts Short Response Rubric is a new one I am trying out this year and am very excited about!!! No longer are our assessments simply multiple choice-you got it or you don’t, a quick and easy grade. Questions and tasks are open-ended, which requires students’ to think more critically. In many standardized district or state assessments, students are required to respond to a task in an essay form AND ALSO a short response. As a teacher, assigning grades isn’t so easy anymore. I have often wondered how my classroom assessments are aligning to the district and state assessments as well as the standards overall. Alas, this product was born.

I don’t know about your students, but when my kiddos get a short response it is…definitely short!! They either answer in 2-3 words or a sentence or two that may or may not answer the question.  No more! This rubric will help you get students in the habit of answering short responses in complete sentences and require them to efficiently and quickly reflect on their work. Because after all, it is a SHORT response I use these at least once a week with a question about the current text or Read Aloud we are using in the classroom. They respond in their Reading Response Journal (or Reading Notebook). An added bonus is that throughout the year you can watch your students grow and become not only better readers, but also better writers

The Charts
Charts, charts, charts-I Love Charts. The problem is that we run out of wall space in our classrooms. I have found that students are sometimes more likely to use charts when they are at their fingertips- in their notebooks. I try to create the charts that they can continually refer to in their Reading and Writing work into half sheet versions they can simply glue into their notebooks. This product includes charts students can use in both Reading and Writing as well as a sample of charts found in the product My Opinion Matters!

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Reading Strategies Bookmark

$2.00

A bookmark to use at home or during Independent Reading. Parents can use as a guide to support students. Fiction reading strategies on one side and nonfiction reading strategies on the other. Print and glue on cardstock or construction paper. Laminate and add ribbon for a side of cuteness!

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Email: Jessica@theliteracyloft.com

Self-Assessment Scales {Superhero Theme}

$1.00

These 4 posters will have your kids feeling like super learners! The posters follow the Marzano self-assessment scale with hand signals to help engage your lessons.

The posters say:

1: I need help. I don't understand.
2: Where's my sidekick? I can do it with some help.
3: I got it! I can do it all by myself.
4: I'm an expert! I can teach a friend!

I hope this resource helps your students reflect on their own learning WHILE having fun at the same time!

Let’s connect!

My Opinion Matters! {An Opinion Writing Unit}

Please email me at Jessica@theliteracyloft.com with any concerns or questions.

- Jessica

Self-Assessment Scales {Superhero Theme}

Proverbs and Adages Task Cards L.4.5b & L.5.4b

$4.00

These task cards are a great practice for students to understand the meaning of common proverbs and adages. These task cards are perfect for a literacy center, small group activities, or review.

What's included?

36 Task Cards for Proverbs and Adages - Each task card contains a paragraph that uses a proverb or adage in context. These task cards support the Common Core Standards L. 4.5b and L.5.5b and are appropriate for Grades 4-6.

PowerPoint pdf (1 Slide to Use as an Anchor Chart)
Notebook Anchor Chart (matches the PowerPoint)
Answer Sheet
Answer Key

These task cards are perfect for a literacy center, small group activities, or review.

I hope you enjoy this resource as much as we did! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email me at Jessica@theliteracyloft.com.

Proverbs and Adages Task Cards L.4.5b & L.5.4b

Comic Strip Book Response

$3.00

This resource is a fun and interactive way to have your students respond to a book they have read. You might use this after finishing a Read Aloud or when students finish their Book Club or Independent Reading Book. This resource leaves a lot of room for creativity and individual response. I used this project in my classroom after we finished the book The Landry News by Andrew Clements. Students used their Reader’s Response Journal to take notes throughout the book. Once we finished the book, students jotted ideas in their notebooks about which characters changed (how and why). The theme charts included in this product are charts my students keep in their Reader’s Response Journals. You can find more charts like this here. These charts were especially helpful in planning for this project.

Students used their notes (although you could do this any way that works for you:) ) to answer the questions. Then, they created a rough draft sketch of their comic strip. Finally, students illustrated a colorful comic strip demonstrating their understanding of the text. This product lends itself to much creativity and is wonderful for an end of the year, keep-your-students-engaged activity!
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please contact us at Jessica@theliteracyloft.com.

Happy Reading!

Text Structure Anchor Charts

$3.00

What this Product Includes:

Anchor Chart Classroom Posters with the 5 Text Structures
*Black and White NO Graphic Organizer (pages 3-7)
*Black and White with Graphic Organizer (pages 8-12)
*Black and Pink NO Graphic Organizer (pages 13-17)
*Black and Pink with Graphic Organizer (pages 18-22)

*Notebook Anchor Chart with all 5 Text Structures (Half Page)
*Large Anchor Chart with all 5 Text Structures (Full Page)

The Posters include 4 different versions of the 5 Text Structures, Characteristics, and Signal Words, and Graphic Organizers. There is a poster for each of the following Text Structures:

*Description
*Sequence
*Compare and Contrast
*Cause and Effect
*Problem and Solution

If you have any questions about this product or a request for another color scheme in the posters, please email me.

Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Bundle

$43.00

***This bundle has been updated as of 1/11/2016 with the new Opinion Writing Charts***

This bundle contains our Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Units. Click the links below or inside the preview to check out the individual units.

My Life is A Story {A Personal Narrative Writing Unit}

I'm the Expert! {Informational Writing Unit}

Each unit contains ...

*Writing Notebook Anchor Charts (you may see some overlapping, but each have been tweaked to suit that particular genre.

*Anchor Charts for the Classroom or Writing Center

*Rubrics

*Checklists

*Writing Planners

These units will continue to be revised and updated over time. You will continue to have access to any updates from your My Purchases tab.

Are you looking for something else?

If these units do not include something particular you are looking for, please email us. We are always looking for ways to improve the quality of our products!

Let’s connect!

Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Bundle

ELA Morning Work (5th Grade) Bundle

$52.00 $40.00 Save $12.00

This resource is a unique way to get your students warmed up in the morning that helps incorporate the 5th Grade Language Standards, Vocabulary Practice, and Reading Comprehension skills.

Each month contains 4-5 weeks of ELA morning work, which will have a theme around the season, national holidays, or events associated with that particular month. The morning work is focused on ELA 5th Grade Common Core Standards. Each day has a thematic structure to cover those Language Standards as well as enhance Vocabulary and Comprehension skills.

Meaningful Monday: Monday is focused on making meaning. Tasks will focus on synonyms, antonyms, vocabulary words, context clues, and making meaning in a short amount of text. Some tasks may require students to make meaning in the text (inference, message, adages, proverbs, etc) or build vocabulary skills.

Text Structure Tuesday: Tuesdays will have a paragraph that requires students to identify the text structure, signal words, and a question or two related to main idea, author's perspective, or vocabulary.

Wordy Wednesday: Wednesday is all about working with words. Tasks include working with shades of meaning, homophones, or a short writing task using pictures or a word bank.

Throwback Thursday: Thursday is all about grammar usage and conventions.

Figurative Friday: Figurative Friday tasks include working with various types of figurative language including similes, metaphors, idioms, and more!

This ELA + Math Morning Work is available for the following grade levels:

ELA + Math Bundles

ELA Bundles

ELA Weekly Assessments

Math Bundles

Let’s connect!

Christmas Around the World Newspaper Bingo {Informational Text}

- Jessica

Veterans Day (FREEBIE!)

$0.00

This is an informational newspaper-style text perfect to teach your students about Veterans Day and may be used over a few days. The questions are offered in two versions: a bingo game and traditional multiple-choice/short response format

Bingo
Bingo sheets are included, which have questions from the article. Students read the informational text about Veterans Day. Then, they answer questions on the bingo grid. The grid comes in 26 different versions. Having each student use a different version of the answer grid will allow you to reinforce the content of the informational text by playing a game of bingo possibly on Veterans Day or at the end of the week. The questions range from vocabulary, finding the main idea, using text features, as well as finding key details.

How to Play:
The first page is an answer key, which can be used to play the game of bingo. Cut up each square, place in a Ziploc bag or container of your choice and call out questions. Students must answer the question correctly and have 5 in a row. Up, down, or diagonally. Students can use counters or any treats to keep track of the questions called.

Reading Comprehension Questions: The questions are also in a traditional multiple choice and short answer format. Not all answers are included from the Bingo grid and the questions may be slightly different. You would not need to use BOTH formats – pick one or the other.

Thank You Letter: Paper for students to write a Thank You Letter to a veteran is also included.

You might also enjoy these other Reading Comprehension Bingos:

History of Earth Day Reading

History of Halloween Newspaper Bingo {Informational Text}

Memorial Day & Fourth of July Informational Text {Newspaper Style Bingo}

MLK Day Reading Bingo

Thanksgiving Informational Text (Newspaper-Style Bingo)

Valentine's Day Informational Text

Let’s connect!

Email: Jessica@theliteracyloft.com

Opinion Text Set {MLK Day}

$6.00

Reading and Writing from 1 text set!

What are monthly text sets?
The monthly text sets are two or more texts based on the same topic. Each monthly text set can be used for both reading and writing. The topic of each text set is high-engaging nonfiction topics. Each text set supports opinion or informational based writing in response to reading.

What is included in each text set?

2 (or more) related informational articles
Reading Comprehension Questions
Writing Prompt to be used with the texts in an essay format
Writing Plan Example
Teacher Example Essay (editable)
Differentiated for Grades 3-5

MLK Day
Students read articles about MLK Day. Using the texts, they write an informational essay about the topic.
Standard-based reading comprehension questions help you integrate reading while using the same text you are using in writing.

Try the free text set here:
https://theliteracyloft.co/FREETextSet

These text sets go perfectly with the Informational and Opinion Writing Units:

Check out the Monthly Text Set Bundle and save up! The bundle includes ALL of the text sets that are currently available.

What topics are included for each month?
The topics included are thematically related to that month. However, the text sets can be used at any time of the year based on your needs.

January - MLK (Opinion Text Set)

February - Equality in Education: Thurgood Marshall & Mary Mcleoud Bethune (Informational Text Set)

March - Ants: Perk or Pest (Opinion Text Set)

April - The Benefits of Bees (Informational Text Set)

May - Sea Turtles (Informational Text Set)

June - Sharks Text Set (Try for FREE here!)

July- Hurricanes Text Set (Informational Text Set)

August - Video Games: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

September - Homework: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

October- Bats (Informational Text Set)

November - Paid to Play: Should College Athletes be Paid?

December - Polar Bear Problems (Informational Text Set)

Let’s connect!

Email: Jessica@theliteracyloft.com

Christmas Writing {Rudolph's Missing!}

$5.00

About this product:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

This product is a fun way to get your students excited about writing details, as well as writing for a specific purpose and audience.

Your students will use good details in order to make a missing poster for a lost Rudolph. Then, they will need to use their good details to write an article that will appear in the North Pole Times!

This set includes the following items:
- Teacher Lesson Outline
- Student Scenario Page
- Planning Pages
- Poster Printable
- Paper Outline Printable

We hope you enjoy this festive writing activity!
*Teaching with Coffee

Conversation Heart Math

$3.00

Fractions & Decimals...Valentine's Day Style! This resource offers 3 activities for you to use on or around Valentine’s Day. You will need conversation hearts for two of these activities. These activities are appropriate for grades 3-5, but align to 4th Grade Common Core Standards listed below.

MACC.4.NF.A.1 Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n × a)/(n × b) by using visual fraction models, with attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though the two fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate equivalent fractions

MACC.4.NF.3.6 Use decimal notation for fractions with denominators 10 or 100.

1) Find Your Sweetheart!

In the first activity, Find Your Sweetheart!, students will find the fractional amounts of a set by using tally marks and creating a table.

2) My Fraction, My Decimal

In the second activity, My Fraction, My Decimal, students will use only 10 conversation hearts to demonstrate the relationship between fractions and decimals. Then, they will plot the decimals and fractions on a number line. This is a wonderful activity to use when introducing decimal/fraction relationships. For my students, it was a hands-on way to reinforce these concepts.

3) Our Hearts Belong Together!

The third activity, Our Hearts Belong Together, reinforces the concept of equivalent fractions. Students will use a key to color in equivalent fraction hearts for 1/2 , 1/4, 1/3, 2/4. *Answer Key Included*

Reading Guide for Independent, Partnership,Book Clubs {any fiction novel}

$3.00

This resource is a tool for your students to use when reading independently, in Reading Partnerships, or in a Book Club. The guide comes in three versions, which are all the same except to state Independent, Book Club, Reading Partnership.

These 6 pages can be copied front and back, then stapled together to give students a purposeful task when reading their novel. The document guides students through their novel and asks questions about the characters, setting, plot, etc. The guide could be used with any book and could be shortened to only using the first 3 pages.

The guide can be used with any fiction novel and could be shortened to only the first 3 pages, depending on your students. I created this resource to give structure to some of my struggling students as well as students who are ESE or ESOL. However, the packet works with any and all students! The guide helps students pay attention to the important stuff in books such as:

characters
point of view
theme
new words
secondary characters
finding evidence
asking questions
retelling events

In addition, students are required to set goals for finishing their book. This will help students and YOU monitor how long it takes them to finish books.

This packet can also be a great resource for assessing your students’ understanding of independent reading books. You might use this for grading purposes and/or to help facilitate reading conferences or Book Club and Partnership Conversations. In my classroom, this was a great way for students to read in Partnerships. Students would read the same book independently, answering the questions. Then, they would meet together to discuss their responses.

This might also be helpful for parents to help their child reading independently at home.

You might also enjoy my Book Club Unit and Resources which is packed full of resources to help you implement Book Clubs and Reading Partnerships in your classroom!

Let’s connect!