December 2014 | Crafting Connections
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Linking Verbs Anchor Chart

Monday, December 29, 2014
Last week I shared an anchor chart for helping students differentiate between action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs (click here to check it out). 

This week, however, I decided to "zoom in" and focus on linking verbs in particular.  Before I started teaching 5th grade, when I thought of linking verbs, "the big 7" came to mind: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, and been.  In fact, I seem to remember memorizing that list when I was in high school.  Once I began teaching fifth grade grammar, though, I quickly realized that linking verbs go far beyond that initial list of seven.  Yes, I must admit that I did not understand that words like smell, taste, and look can be action verbs OR linking verbs, depending upon the context of the sentence!  (Or perhaps I learned it long ago, but then forgot that grammar rule somewhere along the way!)

I believe that there are three things to remember when it comes to identifying linking verbs:
1.  Linking verbs are used in sentences where the subject is being renamed or described.
2.  Some words are true linking verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, & been.  (This is a good list to memorize in the beginning.)
3.  Some verbs have multiple personalities and can act as a linking verb OR an action verb.  You must read the sentence in context to determine its use in a given sentence!

This anchor charts is my attempt to sum up those important concepts about linking verbs:
Linking Verbs Anchor Chart! Help students understand the function of linking verbs with this anchor chart and a free worksheet!
Clip art by Graphics Factory.

I created this FREE worksheet if you want your students to differentiate between linking verbs and action verbs in sentences.  Just click on the image to download it for free!
Help students understand the function of linking verbs with this anchor chart. Then give your students an opportunity to practice with this FREE worksheet!
Border by Kelly Benefield.

Finally, I created a PowerPoint to use while I was teaching students about action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. Click on the image below to check it out!


Types of Verbs Anchor Chart (with a freebie!)

Monday, December 22, 2014
A few weeks ago, Linda contacted me and asked me to consider creating a craftivity to reinforce the three types of verbs (action, helping, and linking) that could be used as a follow-up activity to my "A Closer Look at Verbs" PowerPoint. As many of you know, I tend to create craftivities that are based upon analogies. It is always my hope that these analogies will help students build connections and retain the overall meaning of a concept. Well, I thought of an idea almost immediately... only to discover that it was not going to work. (I could not find the right clip art, and my "vision" just wasn't going to be workable.) 

So, I went back to the drawing board, and thought..... and thought... and thought.  Then, just as I was about to concede and email Linda to tell her that I was going to have to put this on my maybe-someday-when-I-get-a-great-idea list, a light bulb switched on in my mind!  Would it work to make an analogy between the types of verbs and a rock band?  

How are the types of verbs like the members of a rock band? Check out this blog post that features a Types of Verbs anchor chart and a FREEBIE!

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me!  After all, the musicians in a rock band are constantly moving, or doing actions (whether it's singing, jamming on an instrument, or headbanging with the beat!)  The instruments... well, they are like helping verbs!  Without the help of instruments, a rock band wouldn't be much of a rock band.  And what about those troublesome linking verbs that had made all of my other analogy ideas stop in their tracks?  Well, linking verbs are like the speakers that link the music to the listeners!
Verb Anchor Chart: Action, Linking, and Helping Verbs. This blog post contains a FREE matching foldable, too!
Clip art by Scrappin Doodles.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked it, so I went ahead and created the matching craftivity/poster set.
Help your students understand the difference between action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs with this Types of Verbs craftivity. Three posters and a worksheet are also included!


If you like the analogy and think it might help your students, feel free to download the matching FREEBIE that you can have your students glue into their interactive notebooks.



FREE Types of Verbs Interactive Notebook Entry: Action, Linking, and Helping Verbs. This blog post contains a matching anchor chart, too!
Click HERE to download this for free!

FREE Types of Verbs Interactive Notebook Entry: Action, Linking, and Helping Verbs. This blog post contains a matching anchor chart, too!
Students write example sentences under each flap, underlining the target verbs.
How are the types of verbs like the members of a rock band? Check out this blog post that features a Types of Verbs anchor chart and a FREEBIE!



Adjectives Anchor Chart

Monday, December 8, 2014
My anchor chart today focuses on adjectives. This all came about as a result of a conversation that took place around our family dinner table last Tuesday evening.  It went like this:


Kayla (my fourth grader):  We are learning about adjectives in school this week.

Me:  So tell me what an adjective is.

Kayla:  (long pause)  A person, place or thing???

Brooke (my second grader):  No, that's a noun.  And I know that a verb is an action word.

Me:  Kayla, you learned about adjectives way back in second grade.  You remember what they are, don't you?

Kayla:  Hmmm... I can't remember...adjectives are hard!

Me:  An adjective is a describing word, it describes a noun...


Parts of speech.. so difficult for so many kids! As a teacher who has worked with all elementary grade levels, I know that most kids have trouble retaining what they learn about parts of speech. Fourth and fifth grade teachers, don't you find that you always have to start over and review (a lot) all parts of speech before you can get to the new ones introduced at your grade level?? I can tell you that there was a point when Kayla was in second grade and in third grade when she could tell you exactly what an adjective was, and identify an adjective in a sentence! But... time passed and she obviously forgot what she learned!

So... I spent a lot of time thinking about this issue this week, trying to think of a clever connection that would help students recall what an adjective does in a sentence.  Here's what I came up with:

Adjectives Anchor Chart- Adjectives are like magnets... they are attracted to nouns (and pronouns)!
Clip art by Educasong.
When I teach this lesson in a classroom, I plan to create the above anchor chart prior to the beginning of class.  I will tape it to the board, and then tape up the bottom so that only the question is displayed at the beginning of the lesson.  I think it would be interesting to have students answer this question themselves. They may come up with some connections that I hadn't considered!
Adjectives Anchor Chart- Adjectives are like magnets... they are attracted to nouns (and pronouns)!

After a brief brainstorming session, I would remove the tape from the anchor chart and reveal the rest of the information, and discuss the connection that I came up with.

Then, I would have students help me find the adjectives and the nouns/pronouns they are attracted to in the example sentences on the chart.  

Adjectives Anchor Chart- Adjectives are like magnets... they are attracted to nouns (and pronouns)!

Now is a time when I wish I had a classroom so that I could teach this lesson and find out if the connection will be meaningful for students, and help them with long-term retention. What do you think? Will the mental connection of an adjective being comparable to a magnet work? If any of you try this approach with your students, please let me know how it goes!  

In fact, I created a matching craftivity!  If you don't want to recreate the anchor chart, you can use the teaching poster that I created for the craftivity file.

Adjectives Craftivity- includes worksheets and a teaching poster! How are adjectives like magnets? Adjectives are attracted to nouns!


Adjectives Craftivity- includes worksheets and a teaching poster! How are adjectives like magnets? Adjectives are attracted to nouns!
Students complete the above worksheet (the file includes another worksheet page, too), and then use their answers to assemble the craftivity.


Adjective Craftivity: Adjectives are like magnets- they are attracted to nouns! This resource includes a poster and a 2-page worksheet.

Thanks for dropping by today!


Save for future reference:
How are adjectives like magnets? This is an analogy that you'll want to use with your students! Check out the matching adjectives anchor chart in this blog post, too!

Anchors Away Monday: Greek Gods and Goddesses

Monday, December 1, 2014
My anchor chart today focuses on 
Greek gods and goddesses.

I have loved Greek mythology ever since eighth grade when my language arts teacher conducted a nine-week-long Greek mythology unit.  I was fascinated with the gods and their antics!  A man who eats his own children and then regurgitates them years later?  (Cronus)  Siblings who marry?  (Zeus & Hera and Aphrodite & Hephaestus are just a couple!)  A daughter who is born by springing forth from her father's forehead fully clad with armor?  (Athena)  These ancient stories were unlike anything I had ever read before and I was enthralled.  Fast forward thirty-ish years... and I'm still captivated by Greek mythology!

I have found that students still really enjoy mythology!  However, keeping all the gods and goddesses straight can be challenging.  
Enter... my anchor chart for this week!
Greek Mythology Anchor Chart- the post includes a FREE partner play about Aphrodite!

A few months ago, I combined my love for Greek mythology with my new found love with writing partner plays, and I created the following two sets:
Greek Mythology Partner Plays! Such an engaging way to work on fluency!
Click HERE to take a closer look at the Greek Mythology Partner Plays.
To take a closer look at the Modern Day Mythology Partner Plays, click HERE.  

Last week I decided to write a brand-new FREE partner play script to accompany this blog post!  Please feel free to download it and use it with your students!  
FREE Partner Play script! Greek Mythology

 For those of you who facilitate a large Greek mythology unit, I encourage you to check out my friend, Dawn's, TpT store (Purple Palmetto)!  She has created 27 different Greek mythology items, including Bingo, "I have... Who has...?", trading cards, task cards, tests, and more!

Nicole Shelby also has created four fantastic Greek mythology resources!
  
Thanks for dropping by today!

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