0 Presidents Day Close Reading Passages, Text-Dependent Questions & More

I'm back with my next Close Reading resource! I posted my Winter Close Reading Passages, Text-Dependent Questions & More, and if you want to see more, click HERE or the "Purchase Here" button at the bottom of this post. 

In addition to my Winter pack, I also posted my Presidents Day Close Reading Passages, Text-Dependent Questions & More! 

I am SO in love with this resource for a number of reasons. First, I wrote these passages with social studies topics in mind. So, not only can you use them for Presidents Day, but you can also use them all year to tie into your social studies curriculum. Plus, the topics are so interesting. I had such a fun time researching them.

The information below is just a sample of what's included! Click HERE to check out the preview to see more!

I created this seasonal close reading resource to help students read complex texts independently and for a specific purpose.

It contains everything you need to implement close reading in your classroom! 

Leveled Passages

Included in this resource are four president-themed reading passages. There are three levels of each passage so you can easily differentiate for your students! The levels are based on word count and Lexile levels which can be found in the top left corner of each passage. 

Each passage contains text features and bolded vocabulary words for your students to analyze.  

Implementation Printables
I've also included a step-by-step implementation guide. I've researched several strategies for close reading and have developed a process that will make your life easier, and help your students develop skills to read for deeper meaning.

In addition to the step-by-step implementation guide, I've included an Understanding the Standards Teacher Guide. This printable helps teachers understand the purpose of each reading, and how each reading ties into specific Common Core Anchor Standards. I've outlined what each student should focus on and the learning targets for each read.

Annotation Guides

These printable annotation guides are a resource to help students quickly annotate or mark up the text using symbols. I've included two different levels of the printables.

Close Reader Poster
This Close Reader Poster is a great visual reminder to help students understand their role as a close reader.

Text-Dependent Questions, Writing Prompts, and Graphic Organizers
Each passage includes text-dependent questions for each of the three themes or categories in the Common Core Anchor Standards (Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas). The questions require students to cite evidence from the text to support their answers.

In addition to the text-dependent questions, I've also included graphic organizers for key ideas and details, vocabulary, main idea, and more!

In addition to the text-dependent questions, I've also included graphic organizers for key ideas and details, vocabulary, main idea, and more!

Each passage also includes one writing prompt that is to be completed after the third read. This writing prompt requires students to synthesize or make connections by combining their thinking and knowledge with evidence from the text.

Detailed answer keys are also included.

Like I said above, this is only a small preview of what's included!

Click the button below to check it out!

Looking for more close reading resources to use in your classroom? Click the "Purchase Here" button to check them out in my store!

  

Interested in learning more about WHAT close reading is? Check out my blog series on Understanding Close Reading by clicking HERE or the picture below. 

Detail: Presidents Day Close Reading Passages, Text-Dependent Questions & More

0 Role Playing with the American Revolution {Freebies Included}!

Social studies has always been one of my absolute favorite subjects to teach. I get so excited about United States history, and I do my best to make a potentially boring topic come alive for my students! There are a lot of opportunities for hands-on, get out of your seat lessons and projects in the classroom (especially on those hot and extra wiggly days)!

So, on this particular day, I decided to throw out my original lesson, and get my students up and moving instead for one of my favorite lessons, The King's M & M's (or our version of it at least)! This lesson is not my original idea, but it is most definitely one of my all-time favorites!

The object of the activity is to get students to understand why American colonists were upset with British tax laws, like the Stamp Act, after the French and Indian War. The activity will also help students understand the idea of Taxation Without Representation. Since this activity involves role play, students will have the opportunity to simulate a scenario of what happened when the colonists were being taxed by Great Britain. It definitely gives them a better understanding of what the colonists felt during that time.

Here's what you need to do to prep for the activity:

{Side note: Since this was not a planned lesson, of course I forgot my nice camera and had to use my phone, and I scribbled all the role card signs together during my lunch break. It's what we do, right?! I have made some prettier signs for you all to use, and you can grab all of the freebies at the bottom of this post!}

1.) Choose one person to be the King.

2.) Choose two people as parliament members/tax collectors. 

3.) Print out the role cards/signs that say King and Tax Collectors. Hole punch them, and tie string around the signs for students to wear the signs around their necks.

4.) Print and cut out the tax cards.

5.) Give each student a paper plate (or cup!) with 10 pieces of candy, and instruct students not to touch them. 

Luckily, I had some red plastic cups in a cupboard, and a huge batch of gumdrops from a science experiment we did the week before! ;) 

Before you start the activity, you may want to pull your King and tax collectors to the side and explain their roles:

When the tax collectors go around the room to collect the candy pieces, I typically divide the room in half and let each tax collector collect the candy from their side of the room only. I have the tax collectors collect the candy from each student in an individual cup. Then, once they collect the candy in their individual cup, they pour all of the pieces out on a plate so students can see all of the candy that accumulates throughout the activity. 

Once you have all of your materials ready, invite the King and his/her tax collectors to the front of the room. Introduce them to the class as the King and his tax collectors, and then tell the rest of your class that they are the colonists. I typically make a big fuss over the difference between the two groups.

Have the King explain to the class that he/she will be taxing everyone for various reasons. 

*The man above is actually my dad! :) He would come in to my class to help every once in awhile, and my kids adored him! What better person to play the king, right!? They all got such a kick out of it! 

Once the class is ready, the King can start reading the tax cards, and the parliament members can start collecting the taxes. Watch how upset your students get! It's kind of hilarious!

Make sure the King points out all of the tax money (or candy) that is piling up!

I typically only read about four or five tax cards. This seems to be the perfect number that leaves many students with no candy pieces, and some students with just two or three of their original candy pieces. 

Once all of the taxes have been collected, have the King tell the colonists that the tax money now needs to be dispersed! For their work, each of the tax collectors will get 10% of the tax money (or candy), and the King will get the rest for him/herself. Now your students will probably go bonkers! Typically my students show some definite feelings of displeasure, and the students that are the King and parliament start gloating a bit. 

At this crucial point in the lesson (and to calm them all down!), I talk to students and get them to understand how the colonists reacted to the tax collectors and the various tax laws from the different acts. In small groups, I had students discuss these questions:

It's amazing how many lightbulbs go off during this activity, and how many big smiles will be plastered on their faces! 

Then, to finish out the activity, I found this awesome video on TeacherTube called, Too Late to Apologize - King George. 

The video is hilarious, educational, and very relevant. Your students will love it! Mine even shared with me that as soon as they went home, they got online to watch it and show all of their family members! Score! And of course (the most important part), hand out the leftover candy pieces for them to eat!

Side note: If your students are going to be handling food, and later eating it, make sure they use gloves or some type of utensil. Because this lesson was done last minute, I did not have gloves or utensils to use. So, we did not eat any of the candy pieces that were touched by students. Instead, since I had an abundance of gumdrops to get rid of, I opened up a new container of gum drops for the students to eat at the end of the lesson.

Click HERE to grab all of the freebies to use in your own classroom! Enjoy! 

Detail: Role Playing with the American Revolution {Freebies Included}!

0 Social Studies Freebies and Ideas

I don't know about you, but my FAVORITE subject to teach is social studies. Something about the Revolutionary War and Colonization makes this girl sing! Sick, I know! ;)

One of the big topics we cover in 5th grade is the Columbian Exchange. Per usual, our textbooks provide us with literally one sentence on this massive event. So, over the years I have found some pretty phenomenal resources that I want to share with you today!

My absolute favorite resource is a freebie from the website Guest Hollow. Click HERE to go directly to the 4 page PDF:

It's such a simple and fun activity. The students cut out each individual square: 

Use the chart to decide where the product/crop/animal originated from, then students glue the squares onto a world map. Super easy, hands on and it drives the topic home.

Great for my hands on/visual learners!

Some other things I have used to teach the Columbian Exchange are:

BRAINPOP! My favorite video website for obvious reasons. Our school has a subscription, but you can sign up for a free trial to check out all the features. Click HERE to check out the resources on the Columbian Exchange.

Last but not least, I love to use PowerPoints when teaching social studies simply for the visual aspect they provide. If the content is boring and dry, you show them a battle scene from the French and Indian War, and they are HOOKED!

Click HERE to grab the PowerPoint I used below with my class to teach The Columbian Exchange: 

Click the images below to find a few more examples that are a bit higher level:

I love to cut and paste different slides to make my own. Unfortunately, I want to pay credit where credit is due. If you happen to know where these PowerPoints originate, PLEASE let me know. They are too awesome to not pay credit to the owners!

Have a great day!

Detail: Social Studies Freebies and Ideas