Language Arts
Lessons about vocabulary, grammar, spelling, figurative language, context clues, and word relationships.
Want students to understand how a paragraph fits together? Explode one and make them reassemble it using the clues in each sentence! I even wrote a little app to bust a paragraph up for you.
We'll take two seemingly unrelated pieces of content (say volcanoes and the human body) and then build analogies to connect the two ideas. In the end, students can create a skit, comic, or story relating the two concepts.
We tell students to "show, not tell" in their writing, but this advice isn't effective until they experience the difference. In this video, we'll put a famous character (of students' choosing) into a mundane situation and develop a fun scene to show off their main traits.
"Add more variety!" I'd say to my class. But I never really knew what this actually meant. Suprise! This bad advice never improved students' writing. In these videos, students learn nine specific ways to add variety just by changing the beginning of their sentences. This was easily one of my students' favorite writing tools - because it actually helped them.
Rather than just memorizing word parts, students will use those word parts to create four possible products.
What if one character dressed up as another for Halloween? Would the Cat in the Hat pick Captain Jack Sparrow, because they're both chaotic yet good-natured people? Would Elsa dress up as The Ice King since they are both lonely?
Want something to do during the holiday season that is both fun and involves thinking? Get students writing about what a snowman would think about Halloween or what a ghost would think about Thanksgiving.
You won't believe how this spelling and vocabulary puzzle will get kids' brains sweating over the smallest of words.
Your students will use Depth and Complexity to note how a character's main trait changes across a story.
Context clues lessons can be a disaster. Here, we expose students to a delightful classic packed with nonsense words ("Jabberwocky") and ask them to decipher the meanings and parts of speech. Then, it's only natural for students to write their own nonsense poems.
Your students will turn the iconic painting The Scream into a vivid, sensory poem.
Ever ask students to create research questions? Were their ideas a bit… blah? My own students had a very hard time writing questions they didn't already know the answer to! This video is how I solved that problem: upgrade research questions with depth and complexity.
What if an inanimate object could express thanks for a special person in your life? What would it write?
Your students will try to match up definitions that belong to the same homophone in this brain-boggling vocab puzzle.
Let's create a new dinosaur using Greek and Latin stems!
Sure, Dr. Seuss wrote for young students, but can older students analyze his writing and learn to mimic his style? THEN, they can produce Seuss-style poetry about any topic: Ancient China, the electromagnetic spectrum, Pride and Prejudice, and (yes) fraction division!
Are students' characters a bit flat? Archetypes give them a strong foundation on which to build their own characters as well as a tool to analyze existing stories.
How does a drink's packaging affect us emotionally and logically?
In a sentence, punctuation may seem meek when compared to those mighty words, but punctuation has incredible power over the meaning of a sentence. Students will try re-punctuating sentences to find new meanings - without changing a single word!
Let's write a summary. A very short summary. With VERY strict rules.
Create a pixelated icon that represents the essence of a character!
Let's take a classic Christmas poem and remix it to work with another holiday!
Can students spot similes vs metaphors?
Click up an interesting, visual writing prompt suitable for any grade or purpose.
What if... Edgar Allen Poe wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?
Can someone do the right thing, but for the wrong reason?
We open our unit on narrative writing with a big idea: "structure increases creativity." I show how this is true by bringing in examples from across all disciplines.
Aristotle noted that positive traits and negative traits are often the same thing, but just in different amounts. The right amount is a virtue, but too much or too little and it's a vice.
How do characters from novels line up with Gardner's Multiple Intelligences?
How many words can you find within SOLDIER? 20? 35? 50? Even more!?
Let's go roller skating in a Halloween costume! What could possibly go wrong?
Can your students come up with a one-syllable word to sum up their time away from school? And then rewrite The Beatles' song Help!?
Pi can go beyond circles! What if you wrote using the digits of pi as your guide?
Get better at giving presentations by studying the greats!
A typical student narrative includes plot and characters but lacks a larger idea to hold it all together. This is where a lesson on themes comes in…
What is the Brick Pig's philosophy? How would he apply it to the characters in Harry Potter?
How can we go from Biology to Immobile?
So, which is happiest: happy, joyful, or ecstatic? Which is most temporary?
We'll start with the cliché "as cold as ice" and go somewhere much more interesting.
Ever read a student's story that was just event after event after event and then a very sudden ending? They lack an understanding of a plot's structure. With the help of Finding Nemo, I break down how to set up a well-structured plot.
An ongoing series to expose students to five related idioms.
Let's see how propaganda techniques can make even something great seem bad.
Starting with an old-timey photo, students will write from a particular item's point of view.
Let's write from multiple perspectives using an old timey holiday photo!
Let's spice up a typically dull lesson about the difference between "its" and "it's" by asking students to write a children's story about the adventures of a critter named It.
What happens when we switch out a "but" with a "so"? An "and" with a "for"? How can such tiny words make such big differences?
What is bobbing for apples like… for an apple?
What if Kylo Ren wrote a love letter to Abe Lincoln or the Sahara Desert wrote one to the Moon?
What if we rewrote a piece of writing without using certain letters?
Upgrade compare and contrast writing with just a couple of key words.
We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with a reason, a prepositional phrase, and a simile.
Did you ever notice that the structure of an essay is very similar to the structure of a paragraph? Hmm…
If your students' stories are packed with endless ninja fights or arguments between frenemies, it's time to expose them to a wider range of conflicts.
Students will determine which of the characters is not like the others.
Students will go from "Fast" to "Race" by changing just one letter per step.
What might a creature named "Ursolunascope" be like?
Can your students spot the run-on sentences?
Can you write directions so clear that a group of kids can put a toy together with no illustrations?
What happens when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun? Big problems!
Does the antonym of an antonym bring us back to the same meaning?
How many ways can we use "check" in a paragraph? And can your students spot when it's a verb, or a noun, or an adjective?
Start with a one letter word, add another letter, then add another. How tall can you make the pyramid?
Ready to push kids beyond the boring, old ABAB rhyme scheme and into something a bit more complex?
Plural nouns in English are deliciously fascinating. Yet most plural lessons are so dull! In this experience, students are given a pile of plurals and then inductively create groups and pull out rules and patterns.
Bored with typical spelling studies? Let's dig into the origins of common English words from other languages!
Imagine being a character in a story. Are you worried that your story's narrator may inaccurately describe you? What if they reveal something you wanted to be kept secret? Do narrators have too much power!?
When students learn about alliteration, it's hard to steer them away from goofy tongue-twisters. Certainly, there must be more powerful and practical ways of using alliteration. In this lesson, I draw on delicious examples from Shakespeare to show how a very advanced writer used alliteration. Then, I break those ideas down so students can try them out.
What item's in a character's bedroom would reflect their deepest desires? And what if they toured a similar character's room?
One painting of a bridge. Three robots. Who wrote it best?
Wouldn't some holidays be better on a certain day of the week? Should Thanksgiving have a set date?
We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with gerunds, participle phrases, and absolute phrases.
When we try to solve a problem, sometimes we end up creating new problems. Which lead to new solutions. Which lead to new problems.
Put a grumpy character next to a joyful one and they make each other stand out even more. Opposites are powerful!
How many words can you find within "scarecrow"?
Let's write a holiday song about order and chaos!
Rather than just demand that students "write clearly," we'll explore the hazards of poorly written sentences… and maybe create one of our own!
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Have you ever noticed that some stories have awfully similar problems? What if we looked for the most unusual way of solving a repeating problem?
Can your students spot simple sentences vs compound sentences?
Let's start with "As cold as fire."
How many words can you find within CORNMAZE?
How many words can you find within ORNAMENT?
In this lesson, students will not just fix passive sentences, but break active sentences as they learn to put the star of the sentence first.
What if we started a sentence with the simile?
Can your class spot the complex sentences vs compound sentences?
Which part of speech is most useful? Interesting? Strange?
Dig into the common elements of the fantasy genre.
Imagine that Poetry and Prose meet for the first time at a party? What would they say to each other? How would they feel? In this video, I guide kids through the process of writing a script in which these two forms of writing interact.
Students will look closely at a piece of art and then write a structured poem about it.
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be contrasting two ideas using synonyms.
What exactly does adding -less do to a word?
After watching some great presenters, let's outline your presentation!
Some of these clauses are dependent and some are independent.
Can your students help The Bard? We'll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.
What would Socrates have thought if he watched Frozen?
Students will create a surprisingly good poem based on Monet's Impression, Sunrise.
Students will look closely at this old image and write a short, structured poem.
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots about the same beautiful painting of a volcano. Who wrote it best?
Students will go from "COLD" to "COOL" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
How many different ways can we use the word "gift" in a single paragraph? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Students will create a story about 🎃🕯️📖💥👻.
What if we rewrote a story's climax into a totally different genre?
Students will write about a beautiful painting from Frederic Edwin Church.
Get your students writing some pretty darn impressive poetry based on Japan's most famous artist.
Students will build words using the letters found in "STUFFING."
Students will go from "TWO" to "SIX" by changing just one letter per step.
What if we rewrote a piece of writing without using certain letters?
Four fantastically terrific tasks for a weekly idiom study.
How many words can you find within "cranberry"?
How many words can you find within rainbow?
How many different ways can we use the word "thanks"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be writing sentences with three dependent clauses.
Let's go beyond merely memorizing word parts and instead analyze across languages. How do other languages make a word the opposite?
Students will create a story about 🚚🎁🤔🐶🫣
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Let's write the cleverest Mother's Day cards you've ever seen!
Students will create a story about 🕷️🕸️📩🔑🚪.
Is your students' use of repetition limited to, "The girl was very, very, very fast."? Let's borrow some ideas from Shakespeare!
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be using antonyms to describe the same topic!
Repeating words can be what you want, if what you want is an interesting effect. (Psst, that's an example of anadiplosis!)
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about earthquakes back into the correct order?
How many words can you find within NUTCRACKER?
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
How many different ways can we use the word "well"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
How many words can you find within COBWEB?
Students will create a story about ⛷️🌨️🌲🐻🤝
The word "may" can be used for possibility or permission. It's a modal auxiliary verb!
Have students mastered the art of anadiplosis: ending one sentence with the beginning of the next? Now it's time to take it to the next level!
How many different ways can we use the word "limit"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Five sets of five idioms, all related to food.
Using the word Aquamorphotron, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Students will create a story about 🏰📚🔍🔐🚪.
What if your students rewrote Dickens in the style of Hemingway and vice versa?
Students will make this slimy broccoli simile seriously specific.
Students will create a pretty darn interesting poem about Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons.
Let's make this simile about a quick baby even more specific.
How many words can you find within WREATH?
What might a creature named "Hypermnemonicus" be like?
Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.
We're looking at the past progressive tense and the simple past tense.
A passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Students will create a story about 🎅🛷🌀🚀🌍
Students infer the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs.
Will your students notice progressive tense vs simple tense?
Five sets of idioms related to birds (and bugs).
Students will make this simile about stinky seaweed super specific.
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about the coral reef back into the correct order?
Students will create a story about 🌕🌲👣😱💨.
Students will create a story about 🍪🥛🔍🐾🦌
Students will go from "FLY" to "BEE" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will note the effects of adding a suffix to a word and then look for counter-examples to those patterns.
One painting of ruins. Three robots. Three pieces of writing. Who wrote it best?
Using the word Pyrostasis, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Students will create a story about ☃️👑🏔️🔭✨
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!
How many words can you find within airplane?
A classic bit of writing to explore with your students.
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about The Moon back into the correct order?
Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.
Let's take a starting phrase about St. Patrick's Day and get specific. No, even more specific!
A passage from The Wind in the Willows to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
A passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.
How many words can you find within TEACHER?
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
What might a creature named "Aquacornus Rex" be like?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about The Great Sphinx back into the correct order?
Using the word Geosynth, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Using the word Chronosonarium, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
A passage from The Velveteen Rabbit to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Two sets of idioms related to numbers.
Five sets of five idioms, all related to body parts!
Let's make this simile about a loud class super specific!
How many different ways can we use the word "fruit"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Using the word Thermocryptograph, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Using the word Plexidemokinesis, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.
How many words can you find within Patrick?
How would real people feel about the legends that have been created about them?
A passage from "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
A passage from "Peter Pan" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about automobiles back into the correct order?
Five sets of idioms related to money.
How many words can you find within "leopard"?
How many words can you find within "general"?
Let's make this simile about a strong uncle even more specific.
How many different ways can we use the word "change"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about rain clouds back into the correct order?
Using the word Hydromagnaphone, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Students will create a story about 🤖💃🎵🕺🐔.
Students will go from "East" to "West" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "Work" to "Hard" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "WILD" to "TAME" by changing just one letter per step.
What playlist of songs best goes with a character's change over time?
An intriguing passage from Anne of Green Gables to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
How many different ways can we use the word "care"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Using the word Psycholunaphase, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Students will write a story about 🚗🗺️🌋🐉🌉
How many words can you find within LATKES?
Students will go from "Foot" to "Shoe" by changing just one letter per step.
A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Five sets of idioms related to the weather.
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about Washington, DC back into the correct order?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about trains back into the correct order?
How many words can you find within PARKING?
How many words can you find within Saturn?
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Students will create a story about 🐻🎩🎙️🐰🤣.
How many words can you find within Ireland?
Students will go from "KID" to "OLD" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "Band" to "Sing" by changing just one letter per step.
Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.
A passage from The Jungle Book to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
A passage from Moby Dick to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
A passage from "The Fall of the House of Usher" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Students will move from D to ASIDE by adding one letter at each step.
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
How many words can you find within MENORAH?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about great sloths back into the correct order?
Students will go from "TEA" to "HOT" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will create a story about 🏟️🏹🍞🐦🔥
Students will go from "SKY" to "RED" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "ARM" to "LEG" by changing just one letter per step.
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Five sets of idioms related to the color red.
Five sets of idioms related to fire!
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about Pluto back into the correct order?
Students will create a story about 🕰️🎩🐀💎🕺
Students will create a story about 🚚🤖📻🛸🌌
Students will write a story about 🛥️🏊🌊🐙🤝 .
Students will create a story about 👁️🔮🌩️🚷🌲
Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.
Students will go from "Fire" to "Warm" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "Sun" to "Hot" by changing just one letter per step.
Let's help William Shakespeare with his use of repetition.
How many words can you find within WESTERN?
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect T and PLANET?
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
How many words can you find within TROMBONE?
Students will create a story about 🐌📬✈️🏛️ 📜
Students will create a story about 🦁👑🐗🎶🌄
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?