Quick Lessons - Great for the End of the Year

This has been a unique year - to say the least! In class, distance learning, hybrid settings - exhausting! Some I've spoken with have no energy left to pull fillers, mini-lessons and engaging assignments out of their hats for those times when it is essential to work with some, but not all students, or when early finishers are pulling at our shirt strings or when end of the year activities are sped through by some and lollied by others. (Lollied is a word coined by a class of second graders a few years back - now all my classes use it to mean one who is slow finishing a task - usually one they don't want to do.

With all this in mind, and the end near - I decided to put together a list of free or moderately priced resources together - that students can do on their own. I've checked out ever resource and they are engaging and student-centered.

FREE

• Grades 2-4 - Spring Themed Early Finishers - NOT Print and Go
• Grades 3-5 FREE: Early Finishers Math Challenges - Print or Digital Grades 3-5
• Grades 5-8 Earlier Finisher Activities
• Grades 6-7 Early Finishers Math Activities and Puzzles
• Grades 7-12 Poetry Bellringers 
• Grades 5-12 Women in History Short Readings and Activities 
• FREE: Chadwick Boseman At Level Ready Reader Hybrid, Distance and Packet
• FREE: Chadwick Boseman At Level Ready Reader GOOGLE SLIDES

Mini-Units Under $2.00 - GRADES 4-12

• Kamala Harris High-Low Reader Reader & Kamala Harris Mini Unit
• Kamala Harris High Low Ready Reader & Kamala Harris At Level Mini Unit GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION
• Tulsa Race Riots - At Level and High - Low Mini Unit
• Tulsa Race Riots - At Level & High Low Mini Unit GOOGLE SLIDES

• Frederick Douglas - At Level & High-Low Mini Unit
• Frederick Douglas - At Level & High-Low Mini Unit GOOGLE SLIDES
• Marvel Universe High Low Mini Unit - Mini Unit GOOGLE SLIDES
• Marvel High Low Mini Unitt Informational Text for Grades 5-12
• Tuskegee Airmen - Low Level
• Maya Angelou High Low Ready Mini Unit GOOGLE SLIDES
• Maya Angelou High Low Ready Reader Mini Unit
• Mae Jamison Mini Unit
• Mae Jamison Mini Unit GOOGLE SLIDES

This list will continue to grow as I vet units - and freebies!

FREEBIE An Old West Cinderella Story, Book Unit and Classroom Game

49er CinderMiner - ebook 

49er_cinderminer_book_unit.pdf Novel Unit

Mystery Game - Classroom and Home Versions Directions

An old west take on the classic Cinderella story for children off all ages! Entire ebook and Book  Unit FREE!

Book Unit includes engaging standards-aligned activities and the Mystery Game fosters critical thinking and problem solving.

The gold rush is on and hoards of people are heading to California seeking their fortune - unfortunately for the people of Plymouth, California - most of those heading west are men, so when the new town's richest resident, Oliver Keyes, announces he's planning a huge shindig for his beautiful daughter to choose a husband - the mining town turns upside down.
Kindhearted, hardworking Luke wants a chance at her hand, but his nasty step-brothers and rattlesnake of a step-mother will stop at nothing to keep him from the party. With the help of a very special "godmother" - kindness may very well win in the end.
​
This fun take on the classic Cinderella story written and illustrated by Elizabeth Chapin-Pinotti - begs to be read over and over and over again.

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Classroom Games for the End of the Year

Classroom Games for Maximum Achievement

Games are a great way to introduce concepts, reinforce standards and engage students in learning. There are whole class games, quiz games, projectable PowerPoint games, board games and so many more.

Games can be excellent informal assessments, project culminations, and center activities. 

There are 100s of studies regarding the benefits of games in the classroom.These studies showed that, on average, using academic games in the classroom is associated with a 20 percentile point gain in student achievement. This is a relatively strong finding (Robert Marzano, 2008).

How to get the most out of games:  

• Don't make the stakes too high. Students like to compete but don't like to be embarrassed. Create teams to ensure equality in answers. 
• Switch teams up during the year so that everyone experiences their share of winning and losing.
• Target academic content - like the games below - from literacy to social studies to math - make sure the games you use are learning opportunities.
• Debrief after play. Since the whole point of games in the classroom is to provide students the opportunity to examine content in an engaging environment - don't forget to recap - allowing students to highlight what they've learned. Take the time to reinforce important elements.
• Have students journal after gameplay. This provides them with meaningful opportunities to reexamine knowledge.

Games are a powerful tool to examine difficult content - any content - while engaging students and raising achievement.

Know more great classroom games - share them in the comments below.

10 Answers - 20 Questions Only Better US Colonial History - Board and PowerPoint

Fast-paced quiz game - 2 versions: paper "board game" for groups, center or whole class play.

Students are given 10 answers - one at a time. With each clue students have the opportunity to guess the person, place or thing related to the topic. Gameplay generates maximum participation for students at all levels. 10 Answers is engaging and super fun with learning happening almost by accident.

The Clickable PowerPoint version is great for assessment or to team up your students and have a fast-paced quiz round. Perfect for bell-ringers, filler, assessments, to learn facts, to reinforce content, as a center activity, for distance learning practice and more.

This unique game is ideal for any age students who study US History – from 5th to 12th grade.

It is fun, engaging, provides fact-testing and reading practice. Critical thinking is a must as students use clues to determine answers.

Group play and individual play instructions are included.

End of the Year Activity Mystery Game for the Whole Class

The end of the year is the perfect time to pull out this mystery activity game. Students use the detective skills of listening and the process of elimination to solve the mystery of who took the test. Perfect whole class game, let the fun begin.

Games 4 Learning

Games 4 Learning has 100s of games for all ages - from math to brain teasers to puzzles to board games  - there is something for everyone.

Multiplication Freebie

Free End of Year Math and Literacy Games: Summer Activities Packet

Summer Freebies 

1  Haystead, M. W., & Marzano, R. J. (2009). Meta-Analytic Synthesis of Studies Conducted at Marzano Research Laboratory on Instructional Strategies. Englewood, CO: Marzano Research Laboratory.

Elizabeth Chapin-Pinotti

Ready Readers - 2 Readers In One - For Maximum Differentiation - Tulsa Race Riots Edition

Ready Reader Informational Text readers are perfect for grades 4-12. They are differentiated and include 2 levels of reader for whole class access. This "Tulsa Race Riots" Edition takes your students on the tragic, but engaging journey through on of our nations worst massacres - The Tulsa Race Riots.

Available in form fillable PDF, printable and Google Slide Version - this resource works for in class, hybrid and distance learning. 

This is a Non-Fiction/ Informational Text, print-and-go Ready Reader at two levels for turnkey differentiation. Each reader has multiple reading passages and 24 pages of activities that include close reading, fluency, comprehension, word work, conventions, informational text skills practice, writing and more.

This resource is standards-based, engaging and may be used for classroom, take-home packets, online, or a hybrid of any and all combinations. It is perfect for whole class, early finishers, centers and more. The "Below Level Reader" may be used for intervention, ESL or coupled with the "At Level Reader" - for all students in your class to access important standards-based activities at their level.

Ready Readers are written at two levels – grade level and below grade level. Each reading passage, article, or story in Ready Readers is leveled - so you know exactly which reader to assign to each student. Be sure to check out the preview. 

Take students on an engaging journey through informational text standards with Ready Readers.

In this Resource 

In this resource, you will find:

• 24-page Form Fillable PDFs of the Tulsa Race Riots Reader Reader at two levels
• 24-page PDF of the Tulsa Race Riots Reader Reader at two levels
• 2 - 24-page PowerPoint of the Tulsa Race Riots Reader Reader at two levels
• Instructions and Information
• Standards Alignment Chart

Tulsa Race Riots - At Level and High - Low Ready Readers

Tulsa Race Riots - At Level & High Low Ready Readers GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

Also available:

FREE: Chadwick Boseman At Level Ready Reader Hybrid, Distance and Packet

FREE: Chadwick Boseman At Level Ready Reader GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

Kamala Harris High-Low Reader Reader & Kamala Harris At Level Ready Reader

Kamala Harris High Low Ready Reader & Kamala Harris At Level Ready Reader GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

Frederick Douglas - At Level & High-Low Ready Reader

Frederick Douglas - At Level & High-Low Ready Reader GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

READER: Stephen Curry: 5 High-Low Passages & Standards Activities: Grades 5-12

GOOGLE READER: Stephen Curry: 5 High-Low Passages & Standards Wksts: Gr 4-12

READER: Mae Jamison: 5 High-Low Passages & Standards Activities: Grades 5-12

GOOGLE READER: Tuskegee Airmen: 6 High-Low Passages & Standards Wksts: Gr 4-12

Cinderella Stories from Around the World - Book Units - FREEBIES

Students LOVE Cinderella stories, and there are so many versions out there - it boggles the mind. It is so fun to teach the elements of Cinderella along with the elements of fiction through the numerous Cinderella picture books available. 

My favorite way to teach the different stories are in groups - I have five copies of about 10 different Cinderella stories from around the world. I break students into groups, have them read and complete the version they are assigned. They read aloud and complete the activities in their clusters. They work on interactive notebook pages after the group work is finished. I allow students to self group for the interactive notebook pages.

The next day, I assign the same groups a different version of Cinderella. I do this until all of the books are complete. We take a poll and tally favorites. Then I group by favorites and assign these new groups the task of creating a reader's theater based on their chosen version. This is a  little difficult with COVID protocol - so I'll keep you posted as to how it goes.

I like to wrap up the unit with a cultural lesson or two around that sameness of this stories in different cultures. A mindfulness lesson around the Cinderella theme. 

Great resources for Cinderella around the world.

Here are more I found on TeachersPayTeachers. There are tons more out there - these are ones I have used.

Cinderella Around the World Fairy Tale Unit - This unit was created for second graders but augments teaching all of the above units - to fourth and fifth combo students.

Cinderella Around the World Paper Bag Unit  This unit incorporates Cinderella, Yeh-Shen and The Rough Face Girl.

The Salmon Princess - I love this Alaskan version of the classic Cinderella story.

Korean Cinderella - This contains interactive notebook pages like the ones above.

Thanks for stopping by.

FREEBIE: Giant Word Seek Pack– Boggle Word Search Game – 101 Unique Boards!

Students love this fast-paced game for work student and spelling and reading reinforcement. 

Word Seek -- Boggle is great for whole class or partner play, early finishers, literacy centers, bell ringers and warm-ups. Boggle can even be given as homework.

The rules are easy:
• Players have three minutes to find as many words as they can on a 3 x 3 
• grid. 
• Players have four minutes to find as many words as they can on 3 x 4 and 4 x 4 grids. Players have five minutes to find as many words on a 5 x 5 grid

Word letters must be adjoining in a chain. (Letters in the chain may be adjacent horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Words must contain at least three letters.

Scoring: The first two letters of each word do not count for score. Each player gets 1 point for each letter after the second. 

For example:
• won = 1 point
• come = 2 points
• change = 3 points
Word Seek is great for partner play, early finishers, literacy centers, bell ringers and warm-ups.

High Interest Low Level - Print-and-Go Reader: Marvel Universe Themed

 High Interest Low Level - Ready Reader Informational Text: Marvel - Grades 5-12

Reading Levels 2-4

Each reader has MULTIPLE reading passages and over 20 pages of activities that include close reading, fluency, comprehension, word work, conventions, informational text skills, writing and more. 

This resource is standards-based, engaging and may be used for classroom, take-home packets, online, or a hybrid of any and all combinations. It is perfect for whole class, early finishers, centers and more. The "Below Level Reader" may be used for intervention, ESL or coupled with the "At Level Reader" - for all students in your class to access important standards-based activities at their level.

In this resource, you will find: 

• A Form Fillable PDF of the High Low Marvel Reader Reader
• PDF for printable packets or classwork
• Instructions and Information
• Ready Reader PowerPoint

On Level Ready Reader:

•Passage 1: THE HISTORY OF MARVEL COMICS: Lexile Level: 410L-600L

•Passage 2: Facts– 210L-400L

•Passage 3: Eternals – Lexile Level 410L-600L

•Passage 4: The Marvel Universe– Lexile Level 210L-400L

•Passage 5: Analyzing a Screenplay- Lexile Level 610L-800L

Other High Interest Low Level Readers Available:

FREE: Chadwick Boseman At Level Ready Reader Hybrid, Distance and Packet

FREE: Chadwick Boseman At Level Ready Reader GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

Kamala Harris High-Low Reader Reader & Kamala Harris At Level Ready Reader

Kamala Harris High Low Ready Reader & Kamala Harris At Level Ready Reader GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

Tulsa Race Riots - At Level and High - Low Ready Readers

Tulsa Race Riots - At Level & High Low Ready Readers GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

Frederick Douglas - At Level & High-Low Ready Reader

Frederick Douglas - At Level & High-Low Ready Reader GOOGLE SLIDE VERSION

FREEBIE: Creation of Yosemite Science Lab and Interactive Reader

NGSS How Yosemite Was Formed Lab

This is a full turn-key lesson - FREE of charge. With a complete lesson plan, a PowerPointPresentation of how Yosemite was formed (in PPT and PDF), student interactive notebook pages, Yosemite Picture Identification lab, assessments and more - there is no prep - just review and go!

This interactive engaging NGSS STEM unit covers NGSS Standards: 5-ESS2-1 Develop a model that demonstrates how the environment, earthquakes, volcanic action and glaciers influenced the formation of Yosemite Valley.

Specifically, ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems: How the earth’s systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth’s surface materials and processes – glaciers, volcanic activity and fault block mountains.

Cross-cutting concepts: A system can be described in terms of its components and interactions. (5-ESS2-1), (5-ESS3-1) – as well as cross curricular standards.
STEM included.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will understand how Yosemite Valley formed over 10 million years.
2. Students will understand what fault block mountains are and how faults contributed to the formation of Yosemite.
3. Students will understand what a glaciated landscape is.
4. Students will display their knowledge using an interactive notebook.
5. Students will create a model of one of the phases of the formation of Yosemite.
6. Students will use research to predict what Yosemite will look like a million years from now.
7. Two fun alternative assessments are also included

5th Grade NGSS Earth Science - Creation of Yosemite STEM and Differentiated
This engaging 101-page NGSS STEM unit contains all of the teacher tools, presentations and student pages to make teaching it a breeze.

Print and go Reader

This is a 26-page turnkey, print and go unit for early finishers, literacy centers or whole class instruction. It is differentiated and color coded. Students will practice CCSS for Informational Text and: NGSS 4.4 and 5.5

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https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/yosemite-ela-ngss-mini-unit-or-early-finisher-11879988