Powerful Words Editing Game for Writing

Need help motivating students to use higher level vocabulary in their writing?

This editing game can be played during or after a writing assignment. As it’s being played, it challenges them to add better vocabulary by looking for more opportunities to improve their wording and gain points.

The game sheets include a verb sheet and an adjective/adverb sheet. The words found at the top of each section on the sheets are common words students use in their writing. The “powerful words”, which are next to the stars, are given as substitutions and are as close in meaning to the original word as possible.
The challenge is for the student to use the words with the most point values in their writing. The game can be played for overall winners or trying to top their last score (personal best).

Game includes:
Instructions
Adjective/Adverb Game Sheet
Verbs (present tense) Game Sheet
Verbs (past tense) Game Sheet

As you can see, I have created a sheet for past verb tenses and a sheet for present verb tenses. I found this to be easier for the students when editing their work. Before the student begins editing, determine which tense they have used in their writing. After determining the tense, simply give the student the correct tense sheet.

There will be, of course, some instances where one of the substitutions may not be able to be used correctly based on the context of the sentence. In that case, the student can choose another “powerful word” choice for their substitute word.

Because the game sheets have a basic look, they can be used easily with older and younger students in grades 3-12.

Perfect for individuals, small groups, whole classrooms, or tutoring.

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Haunted House Art Activity-Build a Miniature Haunted House Replica

This item contains the graphics and visual instructions you need to make your very own haunted house replica!

This activity allows you to make a haunted house and all the decor you would find in the yard of a haunted house.
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MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THIS PROJECT:Cardboard box (sides no longer than 18”) or a shoebox, scissors, glue (stick and liquid), scotch tape, paperclips, crayons or colored pencils, file folder (optional),construction paper or poster board for base, wire, and any extras you may want to add.
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These sets of graphics are black and white and are ready to be colored with crayons or colored pencils.

This product does not come with colored graphics.

Graphic designs include:
Wood Siding
Roofing
Spooky Animals (Spiders,owls, bats, and cats)
Haunted Trees
Skeletons
Haunted House Decor (Doors, porch stairs,windows, shutters, fencing, pumpkins, and tombstones)

These graphics include one set proportioned for a shoebox size box and one set for a regular cardboard box with sides no longer than 18”.

This item also comes with visual step-by-step instructions of one way to construct your haunted house. There is also a sheet of useful tips.

These graphics are intended to be used on the exterior of the box. No specific interior graphics or interior instructions included.
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This activity is perfect for individuals, small groups, or as a class activity.

Duration of project: 3-4 hours depending on age of child.

Perfect for book reports, class themed activities, home activity…or just for fun!
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If you have any questions about this item, please ask in the “Question Section” of my store! I’ll be glad to answer them!

Like this item? Watch for the following model activities coming out in 2013:

Gingerbread house
Log cabin
Alphabet house
Castle

Invasion of the Fractions!-A Halloween Fractions Card Game

Need a fun fraction game?

Two players draw the Halloween themed cards and form fractions. The person with the larger fraction wins a point. First player to get to ten points wins!

This game is for two players.

Fraction skills include:
Writing simple fractions
Comparing simple fractions
Finding common denominators
Identifying and correctly using fractions up to twelfths
Writing mixed fractions
Comparing mixed fractions
Identifying equivalent fractions

This game can also be played as a review activity with one person. Simply have the student draw 4 cards and arrange them into two fractions. They write down the fractions, find the common denominator, and decide which one is bigger.

Owl – 3-D Art Activity

This owl 3-D art project is simple and looks great when finished!

Materials needed: Crayons/colored pencils, glue, scissors, and a small piece of thick cardboard

Simple directions with photos included.

Measures 10″ x 4″ when completed.

Perfect for Halloween, nature studies…or fun!

Gingerbread Man Wristband Craft Activity

Love reading “The Gingerbread Man” with your students?

Here’s a cute and easy craft to go along with that story!

Students color and cut out the candy (peppermints and gumdrops) and gingerbread man pictures and glue them onto a “frosting” wristband.

Perfect for the holidays!

**Please note*** The “frosting” graphic is in grayscale. Be sure your printer can print in grayscale before purchasing.

Barn Art Activity-Build a Miniature Barn and Farmyard Replica

This item contains the graphics and visual instructions you need to make your very own farmyard replica!

This activity allows you to make a barn, silo, farm animals, farm decor, and a garden.
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MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THIS PROJECT:Cardboard box (sides no longer than 18”) or a shoebox, scissors, glue (stick and liquid), scotch tape, paperclips, crayons or colored pencils, file folder (optional),construction paper or poster board for base, cylinder shaped container(s) for silo (chip can, coffee can, oatmeal container, etc), and any extras you may want to add.
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These sets of graphics are black and white and are ready to be colored with crayons or colored pencils.

This product does not come with colored graphics.

Graphic designs include:
Wood Siding
Roofing
Farm Animals (Horse, sheep, pig, chicken, dog, and cow)
Trees
Farm Decor (Barn doors, windows, basket, pail, chicken hutch, haystack, firewood stack, and wheelbarrow)
Garden plants (corn, cabbage, and pumpkins)

These graphics include one set proportioned for a shoebox size box and one set for a regular cardboard box with sides no longer than 18”.

This item also comes with visual step-by-step instructions of one way to construct your farm. There is also a sheet of useful tips.

These graphics are intended to be used on the exterior of the box. No specific interior graphics or interior instructions included.
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This activity is perfect for individual, small group, or class.

Duration of project: 3-4 hours depending on age of child.

Perfect for book reports, class themed activities, home activity…or just for fun!
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If you have any questions about this item, please ask in the “Question Section” of my store! I’ll be glad to answer them!

If your students like projects like this, they might also like:

Create Your Own Mini Haunted House Make a 3-D Bald Eagle Picture

Like this item? Watch for the following model activities coming out in 2013:

Gingerbread house
Log cabin
Alphabet house
Castle

Bat Bands-Nature and Halloween Craft Activity

Do your students love bats?

Have them make a “Bat Band”!

Perfect for Halloween, science units on bats, or fictional books on bats!

Students color, cut, and glue the band around their wrist.

There are two different bands and both are just one, long piece to cut out. One is a little easier (the full moon pattern) for students who may have difficulty cutting around small objects.

Activity duration: 20-30 minutes

“I Need a Silly Answer!” Language Arts Card Game for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade

Now you can tell your class….”I Need a Silly Answer!”

This fun card game has the players asking silly questions and figuring out which silly answer can answer it. The player who gets rid of all of their silly answer cards first wins!

Because of the humor, the students have to slow down to read and choose the best answer card. This helps them pick out the elements that are needed in choosing a correct answer like subject-verb agreement and verb tense. They also get practice answering “Who,What, Where, How, and Why?” questions correctly.

This is a great way to reinforce test question skills.

Sample Question #1: What do you have on your head?
ONE of the answers that could work: It is pudding.

Sample Question #2: Where are my new crayons?
ONE of the answers that could work: They are in the refrigerator.

Sample Question #3: How did you win the new television?
ONE of the answers that could work: I ate it.

Game includes:
40 Silly Question Cards
40 Silly Answer Cards
Directions
Teacher Instructions

Question and answer cards can be printed on white paper or colored paper to differentiate the two stacks.

Perfect for centers, small groups, or rainy days!

2-4 players
Game duration:Approximately 30 minutes.

If your students like silly games, they might also like:

High School Vocabulary Activity- 30 Word Challenge

High School Vocabulary Activity-The 30-Word Challenge

Teaching students to write and speak with a more advanced vocabulary can prove challenging. However, this simple but effective activity can make it more meaningful and enjoyable for your students!

The 30-Day Challenge is designed to bring thirty high-level vocabulary words to your students in an accessible way. Specifically, these are high-level synonyms of words that your students commonly use in their writing and speaking. Your students’ written work will improve in skill and confidence by getting in the habit of replacing their words with higher-level ones.

Most importantly, the example sentences involve humor. Humor is an altogether excellent way to build a connection to the words and soften the “formalness” that can inhibit their use in writing or speaking.

The 30-Day Challenge introduces a new word each day on a Powerpoint slide. This activity can project onto a whiteboard or be shown on a laptop. Also, slides can be printed out for smaller groups or as visual aids in the classroom.

Tips for making this activity successful:

*Introduce only one word a day. Have a discussion about the word with the class and have them practice saying it with classmates.
*Have the students write the word, meaning, and sentence in their notes or journal.
*Encourage students to use the new words in their writing and speaking.
*Acknowledge when words are used in writing or speaking.
*As often as possible, use the words yourself to reinforce their meanings.

Suggestions on using the list of words:

*They can practice writing words in their own sentences.
*The students can find high-level antonyms of the words and begin to use those.
*Students can practice speaking the words by doing a “conversation game”. Each person has to keep the conversation going while using the words from the list.
*They can write a story or essay using as many words as they can from the list.
*Award points to students who use the words when answering a question or talking to you informally.

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‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Poem Activity

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Poem Rhyming Activity

Get your students into the holiday spirit with this Christmas poem activity!

Using Clement Moore’s famous ” ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” poem, students fill in the ending blanks to each of the couplets with their own rhyming words.

This activity also comes with a list of 10 different ways you can do this activity to make it even more fun or challenging. You can even turn it into a game!

A copy of the original poem with all the words is also included.

Perfect activity to do before holiday break!

** Please note: This poem has been written exactly as it was originally. There are some “poetic liberties” that were taken with the grammar and punctuation which may need to be addressed to the students. These were not errors or typos on my part.

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This activity gives students experience with poetry, rhythm, and rhyming! These skills are important for students starting to analyze poetic works.

The activity is perfect to play around the holidays! You can introduce your students to the classic poem in a fun and educational way! Also, the activity gets students to express their creative side and create poetry!

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