About the store
I have taught for 30 years in a large, urban, public school district (I have taught in five different schools) and I LOVE it! I taught a self-contained, multi-aged gifted class for seven years. Prior to this assignment, I taught regular ed 4th and 5th grades. I am now in a wonderful STEM school teaching 4th and 5th grade! I love the STEM philosophy and it is really making my students problem solvers and critical thinkers! I am so lucky to have such great students, past and present!
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Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passages - Bundle of 4
This is a BUNDLE of 4 weeks worth of weekly reading passages related to the study of INSECTS! This set of insect focused weekly reading pages and includes the house fly, the lightning bug, the painted lady butterfly, and the praying mantis. These packs can be bought separately in my store.
3rd - 5th
Close Reading, English Language Arts, Reading
Praying Mantis - Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passage
My students do not want to read back through a reading passage. We do these weekly reading passages as a way to get students to get into the habit of rereading parts of a passage on a reading test, as well as learning to skim passages for the information they are looking for, and answering in complete sentences. There is a reading passage and five days of questions about the passage included for use throughout one week. The topics may be familiar or unfamiliar to students. During state reading t
4th - 6th
Close Reading, Informational Text, Reading Strategies
Also included in: Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passages - Bundle of 4
House Flies - Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passage
My students do not want to read back through a reading passage. We do these weekly reading passages as a way to get students to get into the habit of rereading parts of a passage on a reading test, as well as learning to skim passages for the information they are looking for, and answering in complete sentences. There is a reading passage and five days of questions about the passage included for use throughout one week. The topics may be familiar or unfamiliar to students. During state reading t
4th - 6th
Close Reading, Informational Text, Reading Strategies
Also included in: Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passages - Bundle of 4
Pool Noodles - 8 Quick One Minute STEM Engineering Challenges
Are you looking for a fun and engaging set of 8 quick STEM challenges using cut-up pool noodles? This pack includes 8 challenge sheets and a score sheet! Each challenge should be completed in just one minute! CHALLENGE #1Can your team create the longest pool noodle snake with pieces touching each other lengthwise? Materials (per team):-cut-up pool noodle pieces -tape measure -timer CHALLENGE #2How many different alphabet letters can your team make using pool noodle pieces? Materials (per team):-
2nd - 6th
Engineering
Lightning Bugs - Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passage
My students do not want to read back through a reading passage. We do these weekly reading passages as a way to get students to get into the habit of rereading parts of a passage on a reading test, as well as learning to skim passages for the information they are looking for, and answering in complete sentences. There is a reading passage and five days of questions about the passage included for use throughout one week. The topics may be familiar or unfamiliar to students. During state reading t
4th - 6th
Close Reading, Informational Text, Reading Strategies
Also included in: Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passages - Bundle of 4
Fossils - 22 Response Sheets
These come from an idea I have been using in my own 5th grade classroom. My students struggle at times to remember the information they are taught in science class and then to use that information to answer different types of questions.These response sheets can be used during instruction, as exit sheets, or even as quizzes. Figure out the way that works best for you and your classroom.*Download the PREVIEW FILE for a sample!22 Response Sheets Included:FossilSedimentPaleontologistPrehistoricExt
4th - 6th
Earth Sciences, General Science
Beach Balls - 8 Quick One Minute STEM Engineering Challenges
Are you looking for a fun and engaging set of 8 quick STEM challenges using beach balls? This pack includes 8 challenge sheets and a score sheet! Each challenge should be completed in just one minute!CHALLENGE #1Can your team hit the beach ball into the air the most times without having it hit the floor?Materials (per team):-1 beach ball-timerCHALLENGE #2How many times can your team pass the beach ball to each other without using any hands?Materials (per team):-1 beach ball-timerCHALLENGE #3Can
2nd - 6th
Engineering
Pizza Box BIOME Informational Report - Research and Writing Project
Getting my students writing right away is a priority in my intermediate classroom. This pack is interesting and engaging for students because it is ANY type of biome.This pack will provide all you need to get your kids researching and writing about ANY biome using a 12 x 12 x 2 pizza box.This pack includes:- teacher notes- prewriting sheet- final copy pages- informational report rubricThese look great displayed throughout your classroom or library!
3rd - 5th
Writing, Writing-Essays, Writing-Expository
Bouncy Balls - 8 Quick One Minute STEM Engineering Challenges
Are you looking for a fun and engaging set of 8 quick STEM challenges using bouncy balls? This pack includes 8 challenge sheets and a score sheet! Each challenge should be completed in just one minute!CHALLENGE #1Can your team catch the highest number of bouncy balls from a distance of 5 feet?Materials (per team):-10 bouncy balls-tape measure-timerCHALLENGE #2Can your team balance the highest number of bouncy balls on a ruler?Materials (per team):-20 bouncy balls-ruler-timerCHALLENGE #3Can your
2nd - 6th
Engineering
TOWERS Bundle - September STEM Focus
This is a BUNDLE of all of the resources I plan to use to teach TOWERS during the month of September in my classroom! There are 10 resources included in this bundle.Buying the Tower Bundle will save you $8.50! These items can be purchased separately as well.
4th - 6th
Engineering, General Science
Energy Sources Posters/Anchor Charts - Set of 11 Posters
Energy sources can be difficult to learn about since they require so much background knowledge. These posters/anchor charts help students remember information about each energy source.There are 10 energy sources included in this set, with one poster for each one.-Coal - Biomass-Natural Gas - Geothermal-Nuclear - Hydropower-Petroleum - Solar-Propane - WindLearn about those energy sources!
3rd - 5th
Earth Sciences, General Science
Interactions within Ecosystems - 38 Response Sheets
These come from an idea I have been using in my own 5th grade classroom. My students struggle at times to remember the information they are taught in science class and then to use that information to answer different types of questions.These response sheets can be used during instruction, as exit sheets, or even as quizzes. Figure out the way that works best for you and your classroom.*Download the PREVIEW FILE for a sample!38 Response Sheets Included:BiomeEcosystemPopulationCommunityNicheHabi
4th - 6th
Environment, General Science
NGSS
5-LS2-1
Sharks - 21 Vocabulary Cards
Sharks be fun to teach, but there is a lot of vocabulary that students have to learn! I print these in color, but there is a black and white version included as well. This pack includes these 21 vocabulary words: Ampullae of Lorenzini breach camouflage carnivore cartilage caudal fin countershading dorsal fin electroreception fins gills habitat lateral line migration pectoral fins predator prey pup shark species teeth These cards and posters are a great way to get that vocabulary displayed and ta
4th - 6th
Math, Vocabulary
Poetry - 24 Vocabulary Cards
Poetry can be fun to teach, but there is a lot of vocabulary that students have to learn! I print these in color, but there is a black and white version included as well. This pack includes these 24 vocabulary words: alliteration free verse haiku imagery line metaphor meter narrative poem onomatopoeia personification poetry repetition rhyme rhyming pattern rhythm simile speaker stanza theme tone word choice acrostic couplet shape poem These cards and posters are a great way to get that vocabula
4th - 6th
Math, Vocabulary
Rewriting Sentences and Writing Paragraphs - Fossils
THEME: Fossils (Paleontologists, Coprolite, Trace Fossils, Amber, and Fossilized Shark Teeth) Anchor Chart: Writing a Sentence (in color and black and white) My students really struggle to rewrite the information they find in their own words. It is a skill we always need to practice. We do one topic a week as part of our writing lessons. We keep a Writing Notebook in our classroom. It is a spiral notebook. On Monday we glue these two pages into our notebook, one on the left page and one on the
3rd - 5th
Balanced Literacy, Writing, Writing-Expository
Painted Lady Butterflies - Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passage
My students do not want to read back through a reading passage. We do these weekly reading passages as a way to get students to get into the habit of rereading parts of a passage on a reading test, as well as learning to skim passages for the information they are looking for, and answering in complete sentences. There is a reading passage and five days of questions about the passage included for use throughout one week. The topics may be familiar or unfamiliar to students. During state reading
4th - 6th
Close Reading, Informational Text, Reading Strategies
Also included in: Interesting Insects - Weekly Reading Passages - Bundle of 4
Dividing Fractions Pack - 5.NF.7 - 5th Grade
Our math series often needs additional support pages to help my students understand the concepts that are being taught. I post the anchor charts onto our math bulletin board and then print copies for the students’ math journals. We refer to them often throughout the math lessons. Interactive notebook pages are also placed into our math journals. These give kids a chance to take notes, write definitions, etc. We use the practice pages after instruction so students can practice the skill that has
5th
Fractions, Math
CCSS
5.NF.B.7
, 5.NF.B.7a
, 5.NF.B.7b
+1
Zombie Peeps - 4 Writing Activities
This is a fun project to do after the Easter holiday! There are four writing prompts included. Students can do all of them, or just one! We make our own zombie peep on paper and paint them with watercolors. You can also color them with crayons or colored pencils. We add stitches and bite marks to our peeps! We display our writing on a piece of 12 x 18 colored construction paper, with the picture of the zombie peep on one side, or top, and the writing next to, or below, it depending on whether t
3rd - 5th
Creative Writing, Writing, Writing-Essays
Cryptid Posters - Set of 14 Posters
Cryptids are always a hit in my classroom! We do a whole unit on them in the spring each year. My students love learning about different cryptids. It is a great topic to study that keeps kids engaged. We hang these posters up on a bulletin board in our classroom. The kids love reading the different facts about these 14 cryptids. There are colored and black & white versions of these posters. These posters include: Bigfoot Chupacabra Dover Demon Flatwoods Monster Fresno Nightcrawler Hopkinsville
3rd - 5th
Writing, Writing-Essays, Writing-Expository
Cryptid Informational Report
Cryptids are always a hit in my classroom! We do a whole unit on them in the spring each year. I copy the report pages together onto an 11 x 17 sheet of paper for each student. Then we glue the final copy onto a sheet of 12 x 18 construction paper. You can also copy them on 8.5 x 11 sheets of copy paper and glue those pages onto a colored sheet of 12 x 18 construction paper. There are quite a few cryptid related resources available as well. These include vocabulary cards, a scavenger hunt, week
3rd - 5th
Writing, Writing-Essays, Writing-Expository
Showing 1-20 of 2,711 results
About the store
Experience
I have taught for 30 years in a large, urban, public school district (I have taught in five different schools) and I LOVE it! I taught a self-contained, multi-aged gifted class for seven years. Prior to this assignment, I taught regular ed 4th and 5th grades. I am now in a wonderful STEM school teaching 4th and 5th grade! I love the STEM philosophy and it is really making my students problem solvers and critical thinkers! I am so lucky to have such great students, past and present!
Teaching style
I have a progressive and eclectic, a "whatever works" approach to teaching. I always want to keep kids engaged and interested in what we are doing. I do a lot of hands-on, project-based activities in all subject areas. I believe in always teaching at a high level with high expectations for both myself and my students.
Awards & shining teacher moments
Received a First Year Teacher Award in 1997
Nominated for the Disney Teacher of the Year three times
WalMart Teacher of the Year 2006
PTA Teacher of the Year 2017
My own education history
Bachelor Of Science in Education 1996
Masters of the Arts in Education 2004
Gifted/Talented Certification 2005
Additional biographical information
Check me out on Facebook: Smart Chick Teaching Resources
OR on my recently created blog:
http://smartchickteacher.wordpress.com/
http://growingastemclassroom.blogspot.com/
Higher level materials in all subject areas designed to increase student engagement and achievement. I have been a teacher of diverse student groups, like gifted students, for many years and have designed and used these items in my own classroom with much success! I also believe that any child will benefit from highly engaging and interesting activities and projects. It is so important to make learning as authentic as possible for all learners, irregardless of their level. All students have gifts and talents and it is important that we, as teachers, find and recognize these in every child. These materials give students the opportunity to increase skills they will need in the real world, not just skills they will need to do well on tests!
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