5th Grade English Language Arts English (UK)

This story is also available as part of an eight story ebook, "Young Voices: Eight Short Stories of Courage & Resilience."

Dive into the heartwarming tale of "Irene and Henry: Friendship Beyond the Frontlines," a poignant story set against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland Troubles. This narrative follows young Irene, whose resilience and quiet determination shine through the daily challenges of growing up in a conflict-ridden village. When she forms an unexpected friendship with Henry, a boy from the "other side" of the conflict, they embark on a journey of understanding that transcends the barriers erected by their community.

There are thought provoking questions (and possible answers) at the end of the story.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding Conflict: The material offers insights into the dynamics of territorial conflicts and their ramifications for those caught in the crossfire.

Effects of War or Conflict on Youth: The content underlines the deep-seated impact of hostilities on the mental and physical health of children and adolescents.

Resilience and Hope: Through character experiences, the narrative highlights the human capacity for endurance and the quest for collective healing amidst adversity.

Cultural Insight: The text provides a window into the complexities of a region's culture and the intense obstacles its inhabitants endure.

Human Rights: The narrative serves as a primer for dialogues concerning the safeguarding of civilians and the enforcement of human rights in times of strife.

Peacebuilding: The book promotes an investigation into the adoption of nonviolent strategies for mitigating disputes and fostering reconciliation at the community level.

Ignite the spirit of exploration and creativity with our Top Thwumps - DIY Edition! This free template empowers students to become researchers, designers, and gamers as they delve into the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest. With the freedom to craft their own cards, complete with researched facts and imaginative illustrations, students embark on a personalized learning adventure that goes beyond the ordinary. Foster a love for discovery and hands-on learning with Top Thwumps - DIY Edition!
Key Features:

1. Student-Created Learning:

• Say goodbye to traditional learning structures! Top Thwumps - DIY Edition invites students to take the reins of their education by researching, designing, and creating their own cards. It's an immersive and student-centric approach to learning.

1. Research and Fact-Finding:

• Transform your students into budding scientists and explorers. With the DIY template, they dive into research to uncover fascinating facts about their chosen Amazon Rainforest animals. It's a journey of discovery that encourages independent learning.

1. Personalized Cards:

• Every student becomes a designer! The DIY template allows students to bring their chosen animal to life with imaginative illustrations and details. It's an opportunity for self-expression and creativity within an educational context.

1. Endless Possibilities:

• The template is a blank canvas for learning. From the mighty jaguar to the colourful toucan, students can choose any Amazon Rainforest animal, expanding their knowledge while enjoying the creative process.

1. Student Engagement:

• Watch engagement soar as students take ownership of their learning. The process of researching, designing, and playing with their own cards transforms education into a dynamic and enjoyable experience.

1. Interactive Classroom Play:

• The DIY cards aren't just for show—they're meant to be played! Foster camaraderie and friendly competition as students pit their personally crafted cards against each other in a game that's as unique as they are.

1. Facilitates Group Projects:

• Take collaboration to the next level. Encourage students to work together on their cards, promoting teamwork, discussion, and the sharing of knowledge within the classroom community.

How to Use Top Thwumps - DIY Edition in Your Classroom:

• Project-Based Learning: Integrate the DIY template into project-based learning initiatives, allowing students to delve deep into research and creative expression.
• Cross-Curricular Connections: Extend the learning experience by incorporating elements of language arts, art, and science. The DIY Edition naturally lends itself to cross-curricular connections.
• Student Presentations: Elevate the project by having students present their researched facts and creative designs to the class, promoting public speaking skills and knowledge sharing.
• Classroom Gallery: Transform your classroom into a gallery of creativity. Display the completed Top Thwumps cards, turning your space into a celebration of student exploration and learning.
• Game Days: Dedicate special days to playing Top Thwumps - DIY Edition, fostering a sense of excitement and accomplishment as students engage with the game they've created.

Unleash the power of student-led learning with Top Thwumps - DIY Edition—a template that transforms the Amazon Rainforest into a canvas for exploration, research, and imaginative play!

Welcome to the ultimate Earth Poetree Education 2023 - 2024 Academic Bundle! This comprehensive bundle includes everything we've created and discussed, tailored for a variety of educational needs. As a Grade 2 teacher and with the collaboration of my partner, a kindergarten teacher, we have crafted resources that cater to elementary students, extra-curricular activities (ECAs), and younger learners. Enjoy a 20% discount on this extensive collection designed to enhance teaching and learning throughout the academic year.

Bundle Highlights:

1. SMART Goals Worksheet:

• Three-page worksheet guiding students to understand and set SMART goals in overall school life, math, and ELA.

1. First Day | Soft Start | Get To Know Your Class | Welcome Packet | Bundle:

• Includes baseline tests, Euro 2024 football worksheet, "Walk Me Through the Life of You" worksheet, getting to know you workpacket, welcome packet template, magical meet the teacher template, design your own planet activity, getting to know the class bingo, and a space-themed registration guide.

1. Magical Meet The Teacher Template Editable | Meet the Teacher Co-teacher Letter:

• Enchanting editable template to introduce teachers and co-teachers with a cover page, introduction, and fun facts.

1. Get To Know You Bingo | Meet the Class | Ice Breakers | Back to School | Summer:

• Interactive 5x5 bingo grid to encourage students to find classmates who match specific prompts.

1. Doctor Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Doctor Pretend Play | My Pretend Hospital Bundle:

• Includes play doctor checklist, tray labels, poster and printables, DIY first aid box, and doctor/nurse ID cards with a fake credit card.

1. Restaurant Dramatic Play Roleplay - Waiter Pretend Play | My Pretend Restaurant Bundle:

• Features station posters, DIY pizza kit, pizza order checklist, pizza shop tray labels, chef/waiter ID cards, and a comprehensive menu with interactive check marks.

1. Restaurant Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Waiter Pretend Restaurant Bunting Italian:

• Vibrant bunting spelling "RISTORANTE" with Italian restaurant symbols.

1. Earth Day Activities:

• Includes a speaking and listening activity where students design their own planet, Earth Day bunting craftivity, and Earth Day escape room.

1. Morning Book:

• A 20-page (one month) morning book with weekly check-in pages, mindful coloring, community activities, word boggle pages, and more.

1. Writing Portfolio Workbook:

• Focused on fable writing, covering narrative standards with activities like idea development, mindmapping, fable structure analysis, and more.

1. Reading Workbook:

• Eight-week workpack covering RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.6, and RL.2.9 standards with diverse fables and folktales.

1. Classrooms & Chimeras Resources:

• Includes the Student's Handbook, Chimera Compendium, Classroom Master Guide, interactive presentation for the Portals of Possibilities campaign, character creation templates, premades, and bonus Gorbhash the Feathered Fury card.

1. Classrooms & Chimeras - Monster Card Probability Games:

• Probability dice game trial with 8 monster cards and engaging attributes.

1. Teacher Toolbox Labels:

• Boho pastel and vibrant color labels for organizing classroom supplies.

1. 4th of July Crafts:

• Includes toilet roll streamers, collaborative flag poster, butterfly puppets, and patriotic wind catchers.

1. Juneteenth Coloring Page:

• Features a lively street festival scene with space for students to draw their own interpretation of Juneteenth.

1. Interactive Reading Story Game:

• A Twine-based story game where students solve puzzles to escape a hotel room, promoting reading comprehension and problem-solving skills.

1. Alphabet Flashcards:

• A-Z flashcards with letters on one side and pictures, phrases, and words on the other, including an American 'k' option.

1. Jolly Phonics Roll and Write Printout Centers:

• Worksheets for Groups 1-7, helping students practice phonics through engaging roll and write activities.

1. Create Your Own Pokémon Activity:

• A four-step process for students to design their own Pokémon, including quizzes, drawing, and writing activities.

1. Zones of Regulation Inside Out & Inside Out 2 Poster:

• Teaches emotions through mood monsters, an emotions rollercoaster, and a volcano-themed zones of regulation chart.

1. Earth Poetree Education Blogpost:

• Provides an overview of the resources and their benefits for teachers, parents, and students.

1. Doctor Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Doctor Pretend Play | Hospital Bunting:

• Includes 8 letters spelling out "HOSPITAL" and 2 hospital symbols to enhance the dramatic play environment.

1. Restaurant Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Waiter Pretend Play | My Restaurant Menu:

• Comprehensive menu with drinks, food items, and desserts, each with a picture, flavor text, and check mark circles for interactive play.

1. Restaurant Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Waiter Pretend Play | My Chef Waiter ID Card:

• Includes male and female chef ID cards, waiter and waitress ID cards, and a fake credit card for roleplay transactions.

1. Thank You Tags:

• Black and white and color tags with customizable spaces for teachers to write personalized messages.

1. St. Patrick's Day Crafts:

• Includes four festive crafts: toilet roll streamers, collaborative flag poster, butterfly puppets, and patriotic wind catchers.

1. April Fools Test:

• Fun and engaging test where the answers spell out "HAPPY APRIL FOOLS," with a trick to only complete the first question and then draw on the back.

1. Aquarium | Terrarium Design Planning Template:

• Planning template for students to design their own aquarium or terrarium, fostering creativity and environmental awareness.

1. Radio Workpack for ECAs:

• Comprehensive workpack for setting up and running a classroom radio station, perfect for ECAs and enhancing speaking and listening skills.

1. Noun Hunt Scavenger Activity:

• Follow-up activity to a 60-second grammar YouTube video, where students hunt for and identify nouns in their environment.

1. Report Card Comment Cheat Sheet:

• Uses ChatGPT 3.5 to generate whole class comments in minutes, covering homeroom, ELA, math, health, science, and social studies.

1. Geometric Maths Sprints:

• Fast-paced and engaging math sprints focusing on geometric concepts to boost students' math skills.

1. Homophone Heartbreaks:

• Match the hearts with the correct homophones in this fun and educational activity with 14 different pairs.

1. Whole Class Human-Sized Monopoly:

• Based on America for International Day, with poster templates for various states and research pages to help students learn about each state.

1. Fallout 4 - Create Your Own Vault Dweller Character:

• Creative writing workbook where students build their character with SPECIAL attributes and write their backstory and adventure.

1. Classrooms & Chimeras Daily Planner:

• Themed daily planner with reminders for meals and water, a lesson plan page with sections for objectives, vocabulary, activities, and assessments.

1. Parts of Speech Posters | Adventure Classroom Decor:

• Includes Article Airport, Adjective Energy, Noun Town, Verb Suburb, Adverb Attractions, and Conjunction Junction, with a map theme to aid in teaching grammar.

1. Juneteenth Coloring Page:

• Lively street festival scene with musical performances, a barbecue area, and flags, with space for students to draw their interpretation of Juneteenth.

1. Get to Know You Football:

• Euro 2024-themed activity where students draw their favorite color, animal, food, football team, film/TV show, game, subject, and their name inside a football.

1. Meditation Video and Rainbow Breathing Activity:

• 2-minute 28-second video with a calm soundtrack, square breathing exercise, and rainbow coloring activity to help students focus and calm down.

1. Create Your Own Fable Project:

• Guides students through crafting their own fables with embedded morals and rules, including a wanted poster in Chinese for their animal character.

1. Quarter 1 Writing Portfolio Workbook:

• Focused on fable writing, covering narrative standards with activities like idea development, mindmapping, fable structure analysis, and more.

1. Blank Fable Template:

• Ready-to-use template for students to plan and write their own fables.

1. Triphase Fable Assessment Rubric:

• A standards-based rubric for assessing students' fable writing at three critical stages: emergence, development, and performance.

1. Earth Day Acrostic Poem Worksheet:

• Features examples of summer acrostic poems and space for students to write and illustrate their own poems.

1. Design Your Own Pokémon Activity:

• A four-step process for students to design their own Pokémon, including quizzes, drawing, and writing activities.

1. Meditation Video and Rainbow Breathing Activity:

• 2-minute 28-second video with a calm soundtrack, square breathing exercise, and rainbow coloring activity to help students focus and calm down.

1. Zones of Regulation Inside Out & Inside Out 2 Poster:

• Teaches emotions through mood monsters, an emotions rollercoaster, and a volcano-themed zones of regulation chart.

1. Alphabet Flashcards:

• A-Z flashcards with letters on one side and pictures, phrases, and words on the other, including an American 'k' option.

1. Get to Know You Football:

• Euro 2024-themed activity where students draw their favorite color, animal, food, football team, film/TV show, game, subject, and their name inside a football.

1. Juneteenth Coloring Page:

• Lively street festival scene with musical performances, a barbecue area, and flags, with space for students to draw their interpretation of Juneteenth.

1. Pizza Checklist Worksheet:

• Students ask customers about their preferred pizza base and toppings, and rate their pizza.

1. Pizza Shop Tray Labels:

• Eight different labels for pizza toppings: peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, bacon, pepperoni, basil, and pineapple.

1. Restaurant Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Waiter Pretend Play | My Chef Waiter ID Card:

• Includes male and female chef ID cards, waiter and waitress ID cards, and a fake credit card for roleplay transactions.

1. Restaurant Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Waiter Pretend Play | My Pretend Restaurant Bundle:

• Comprehensive bundle of all restaurant-related roleplay items, including station posters, DIY pizza kit, pizza order checklist, tray labels, and a menu.

1. Restaurant Dramatic Play | Roleplay - Waiter Pretend Restaurant Bunting Italian:

• Vibrant bunting spelling "RISTORANTE" with Italian restaurant symbols.

1. Earth Day Escape Room:

• Interactive escape room where students solve riddles and puzzles related to the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.

1. Earth Day Speaking and Listening Activity:

• Students design their own planet and present it to the class, enhancing creativity and public speaking skills.

1. Earth Day Bunting Craftivity:

• Printable craft where students write "Recycle, Reduce, Reuse" on a stem with leaves and create a bunting for classroom decoration.

1. St. Patrick's Day Crafts:

• Includes four festive crafts: toilet roll streamers, collaborative flag poster, butterfly puppets, and patriotic wind catchers.

1. St. Patrick's Day Wordsearch:

• Engaging word search activity featuring words related to St. Patrick's Day.

1. St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold Counting Activity:

• Printable activity where students count coins and place them in a pot of gold.

1. St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt:

• Fun scavenger hunt with six icons related to St. Patrick's Day.

1. Meditation Video and Rainbow Breathing Activity:

• 2-minute 28-second video with a calm soundtrack, square breathing exercise, and rainbow coloring activity to help students focus and calm down.

1. Zones of Regulation Inside Out & Inside Out 2 Poster:

• Teaches emotions through mood monsters, an emotions rollercoaster, and a volcano-themed zones of regulation chart.

1. Alphabet Flashcards:

• A-Z flashcards with letters on one side and pictures, phrases, and words on the other, including an American 'k' option.

1. Get to Know You Football:

• Euro 2024-themed activity where students draw their favorite color, animal, food, football team, film/TV show, game, subject, and their name inside a football.

1. Juneteenth Coloring Page:

• Lively street festival scene with musical performances, a barbecue area, and flags, with space for students to draw their interpretation of Juneteenth.

1. Teacher Toolbox Labels:

• Boho pastel and vibrant color labels for organizing classroom supplies.

1. April Fools Test:

• Fun and engaging test where the answers spell out "HAPPY APRIL FOOLS," with a trick to only complete the first question and then draw on the back.

1. Aquarium | Terrarium Design Planning Template:

• Planning template for students to design their own aquarium or terrarium, fostering creativity and environmental awareness.

1. Radio Workpack for ECAs:

• Comprehensive workpack for setting up and running a classroom radio station, perfect for ECAs and enhancing speaking and listening skills.

1. Noun Hunt Scavenger Activity:

• Follow-up activity to a 60-second grammar YouTube video, where students hunt for and identify nouns in their environment.

1. Report Card Comment Cheat Sheet:

• Uses ChatGPT 3.5 to generate whole class comments in minutes, covering homeroom, ELA, math, health, science, and social studies.

1. Geometric Maths Sprints:

• Fast-paced and engaging math sprints focusing on geometric concepts to boost students' math skills.

1. Homophone Heartbreaks:

• Match the hearts with the correct homophones in this fun and educational activity with 14 different pairs.

1. Whole Class Human-Sized Monopoly:

• Based on America for International Day, with poster templates for various states and research pages to help students learn about each state.

1. Fallout 4 - Create Your Own Vault Dweller Character:

• Creative writing workbook where students build their character with SPECIAL attributes and write their backstory and adventure.

1. Classrooms & Chimeras Daily Planner:

• Themed daily planner with reminders for meals and water, a lesson plan page with sections for objectives, vocabulary, activities, and assessments.

1. Parts of Speech Posters | Adventure Classroom Decor:

• Includes Article Airport, Adjective Energy, Noun Town, Verb Suburb, Adverb Attractions, and Conjunction Junction, with a map theme to aid in teaching grammar.

1. Juneteenth Coloring Page:

• Lively street festival scene with musical performances, a barbecue area, and flags, with space for students to draw their interpretation of Juneteenth.

1. Get to Know You Football:

• Euro 2024-themed activity where students draw their favorite color, animal, food, football team, film/TV show, game, subject, and their name inside a football.

1. Create Your Own Fable Project:

• Guides students through crafting their own fables with embedded morals and rules, including a wanted poster in Chinese for their animal character.

1. Earth Poetree Education Blogpost:

• Provides an overview of the resources and their benefits for teachers, parents, and students.

1. Classrooms & Chimeras - Monster Card Probability Games:

• Probability dice game trial with 8 monster cards and engaging attributes.

1. Teacher Toolbox Labels:

• Boho pastel and vibrant color labels for organizing classroom supplies.

1. Geometric Maths Sprints:

• Fast-paced and engaging math sprints focusing on geometric concepts to boost students' math skills.

1. Jolly Phonics Roll and Write Printout Centers:

• Worksheets for Groups 1-7, helping students practice phonics through engaging roll and write activities.

1. St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold Counting Activity:

• Printable activity where students count coins and place them in a pot of gold.

1. St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt:

• Fun scavenger hunt with six icons related to St. Patrick's Day.

1. SMART Goals Worksheet:

• Three-page worksheet guiding students to understand and set SMART goals in overall school life, math, and ELA.

1. Create Your Own Pokémon Activity:

• A four-step process for students to design their own Pokémon, including quizzes, drawing, and writing activities.

1. Thank You Tags:

• Black and white and color tags with customizable spaces for teachers to write personalized messages.

1. Fallout 4 - Create Your Own Vault Dweller Character:

• Creative writing workbook where students build their character with SPECIAL attributes and write their backstory and adventure.

1. Interactive Reading Story Game:

• A Twine-based story game where students solve puzzles to escape a hotel room, promoting reading comprehension and problem-solving skills.

1. Juneteenth Coloring Page:

• Lively street festival scene with musical performances, a barbecue area, and flags, with space for students to draw their interpretation of Juneteenth.

1. Homophone Heartbreaks:

• Match the hearts with the correct homophones in this fun and educational activity with 14 different pairs.

1. Classrooms & Chimeras Resources:

• Includes the Student's Handbook, Chimera Compendium, Classroom Master Guide, interactive presentation for the Portals of Possibilities campaign, character creation templates, premades, and bonus Gorbhash the Feathered Fury card.

1. Morning Book: - A 20-page (one month) morning book with weekly check-in pages, mindful coloring, community activities, word boggle pages, and more.

Why This Bundle Is Essential:

• Comprehensive Coverage: Includes a wide range of activities and assessments to start the school year on a strong note.
• Builds Community: Encourages students to get to know each other and their teachers, fostering a positive and inclusive classroom environment.
• Engages Students: Offers fun and interactive activities that capture students' interest and make the first days of school enjoyable.
• Supports Assessment: Baseline tests help you understand each student's starting point, allowing for tailored instruction from the outset.
• Easy to Use: Ready-to-print and editable resources save you time and effort in preparing for the new school year.
• Valuable Bonus: The Pokémon Go workpack adds extra value and excitement, providing engaging content for a whole week's worth of activities.

Ideal For:

• Teachers looking for a diverse collection of educational resources.
• Educators aiming to create engaging and interactive learning experiences.
• Parents and caregivers wanting to support their children's learning at home.

Enjoy a 20% discount on this extensive bundle and equip your classroom with the ultimate set of educational resources from Earth Poetree Education! This comprehensive resource ensures you have everything you need to make the first days of school productive, engaging, and fun, setting the stage for a successful year ahead.

All the Kickstarter academic content is included in this bundle. Explore the full range of resources from our Kickstarter campaign, "Classrooms & Chimeras," which you can view here. This ensures you have access to all the innovative educational tools and materials we've developed to create engaging and dynamic classroom experiences.

Ultimate Amazon Rainforest Discovery Package: Top Thwumps Adventure Bundle

Embark on an unparalleled educational journey with our Ultimate Amazon Rainforest Discovery Package—the perfect blend of ready-to-use excitement and customizable creativity. This exclusive bundle features both the Premade Top Thwumps Adventure and the Make Your Own DIY Edition. Dive into the heart of the Amazon Rainforest with pre-made cards featuring captivating animals, and then extend the adventure as students become researchers and designers, creating their own cards. Unleash the spirit of exploration, knowledge, and creativity in one comprehensive package!
Key Features:

1. Ready-to-Play Premade Top Thwumps Adventure:

• Immerse students in the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest with the Premade Top Thwumps Adventure. Seven carefully crafted cards featuring animals like the jaguar, sloth, capybara, toucan, poison dart frog, black caiman, and piranha bring the rainforest to life with vibrant illustrations and fascinating facts.

1. Make Your Own DIY Edition:

• Elevate the learning experience with the Make Your Own DIY Edition. This customizable template empowers students to take charge of their learning journey. From research and fact-finding to imaginative design, students create their own Top Thwumps cards, making the Amazon Rainforest exploration a personal and memorable experience.

1. Educational Variety:

• This bundle offers the best of both worlds—immediate engagement with the Premade Adventure and the long-term educational value of the DIY Edition. It caters to diverse learning styles, allowing students to absorb information through both pre-made content and self-driven exploration.

1. Versatile Classroom Integration:

• Whether used as standalone resources or seamlessly integrated into existing lesson plans, this bundle adapts to various teaching styles and classroom setups. It's perfect for individual exploration, group projects, or whole-class activities.

1. Cross-Curricular Learning:

• Foster cross-curricular connections by blending elements of science, language arts, and art. The Amazon Rainforest becomes a rich canvas for exploration, creativity, and knowledge-building across multiple subjects.

1. Interactive Play and Collaboration:

• Encourage interactive play with the premade cards and collaborative creativity with the DIY Edition. Students not only learn independently but also share their knowledge and creations, fostering a sense of community in the classroom.

How to Use the Ultimate Amazon Rainforest Discovery Package:

• Thematic Units: Incorporate the bundle into thematic units on the Amazon Rainforest, creating a cohesive and immersive learning experience.
• Station-Based Learning: Set up stations in your classroom, with one station dedicated to playing with the premade cards and another for designing DIY cards. Rotate students through the stations for a comprehensive learning adventure.
• Project-Based Assessment: Use the DIY Edition as a project-based assessment, evaluating students on their research, design, and presentation skills as they create their own Top Thwumps cards.
• Game Days and Showcases: Dedicate special days to playing with both the premade and DIY cards, culminating in a showcase where students share their creations and discoveries.
• Parent Involvement: Extend the learning beyond the classroom by encouraging parent involvement. Provide resources for parents to explore the Amazon Rainforest with their children using the bundle.

Embark on a holistic Amazon Rainforest adventure with the Ultimate Discovery Package—a bundle that combines instant engagement with lasting educational impact!