Language Arts

Paragraphs: Systems of Sentences

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.

Building Creative Analogies

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.

Showing A Character’s Trait

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.

Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 1

"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.

Ongoing Greek and Latin Word Part Activities

Rather than just memorizing word parts, students will use those word parts to create four possible products.

Characters Dressed as Other Characters for Halloween

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?

Holiday vs Holiday (from a Mascot’s Perspective)

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.

Word Ladders Introduction

You won't believe how this spelling and vocabulary puzzle will get kids' brains sweating over the smallest of words.

Analyze Character Change with Depth and Complexity

Your students will use Depth and Complexity to note how a character's main trait changes across a story.

Jabberwocky and Context Clues

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.

Writing About Art: The Scream

Your students will turn the iconic painting The Scream into a vivid, sensory poem.

Upgrade Research Questions With Depth and Complexity

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.

Writing A Thanksgiving Letter

What if an inanimate object could express thanks for a special person in your life? What would it write?

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Introduction

Your students will try to match up definitions that belong to the same homophone in this brain-boggling vocab puzzle.

Greek and Latin Dinosaur Names

Let's create a new dinosaur using Greek and Latin stems!

Writing Seuss Style Poetry

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!

Better Stories Part 4: Character Archetypes

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.

Persuasion and Packaging: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

How does a drink's packaging affect us emotionally and logically?

Punctuation Power

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!

Writing Summaries in Haiku

Let's write a summary. A very short summary. With VERY strict rules.

Remixing A Holiday Poem

Let's take a classic Christmas poem and remix it to work with another holiday!

Introduce Symbolism with Pixel Art

Create a pixelated icon that represents the essence of a character!

What’s In My Brain: Cute Baby vs Fast Cheetah

Can your students puzzle out the differences in these types of figurative language - without any instruction!?

Random Emoji Prompt Generator

Click up an interesting, visual writing prompt suitable for any grade or purpose.

Identifying Author’s Voice

What if... Edgar Allen Poe wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?

Motivation and Moral Development

Can someone do the right thing, but for the wrong reason?

Better Stories Part 1: The Big Idea

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.

Virtue or Vice?

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.

Characters’ Talents and Multiple Intelligences

How do characters from novels line up with Gardner's Multiple Intelligences?

A Halloween Costume Gone Wrong

Let's go roller skating in a Halloween costume! What could possibly go wrong?

Words Within Words: Intro (SOLDIER)

How many words can you find within SOLDIER? 20? 35? 50? Even more!?

Back to School: Rewriting The Beatles’ “Help!”

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!?

Writing in Pilish

Pi can go beyond circles! What if you wrote using the digits of pi as your guide?

Analyze Characters Using Philosophy

What is the Brick Pig's philosophy? How would he apply it to the characters in Harry Potter?

Greek and Latin Word Part Paths

How can we go from Biology to Immobile?

Better Stories Part 3: Literary Themes

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…

Synonym Graphs

So, which is happiest: happy, joyful, or ecstatic? Which is most temporary?

Improving Presentations 1: Watching The Greats

Get better at giving presentations by studying the greats!

Fancier Figurative Language: Start with a Cliche

We'll start with the cliché "as cold as ice" and go somewhere much more interesting.

Better Stories Part 5: Plot Structure

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.

Sets of Idioms

An ongoing series to expose students to five related idioms.

Propaganda and Logical Fallacies

Let's see how propaganda techniques can make even something great seem bad.

Thanksgiving Photo Writing

Starting with an old-timey photo, students will write from a particular item's point of view.

Looking Closely at Holiday Photos

Let's write from multiple perspectives using an old timey holiday photo!

“Its Big Day” – A Children’s Story About Its and It’s

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.

Changing Coordinating Conjunctions

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?

Bobbing for Apples

What is bobbing for apples like… for an apple?

Academic Love Letters

What if Kylo Ren wrote a love letter to Abe Lincoln or the Sahara Desert wrote one to the Moon?

Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing

Upgrade compare and contrast writing with just a couple of key words.

Lipogram: Rewrite “Twinkle, Twinkle”

What if we rewrote a piece of writing without using certain letters?

Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2

We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with a reason, a prepositional phrase, and a simile.

Teach Non-Fiction Writing Structure With Fractals

Did you ever notice that the structure of an essay is very similar to the structure of a paragraph? Hmm…

Not Like The Others: Charlotte’s Web

Students will determine which of the characters is not like the others.

Word Ladder: Fast to Race (4 step)

Students will go from "Fast" to "Race" by changing just one letter per step.

Better Stories Part 2: Types of Conflict

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.

Greekymon Studies – Round 1

What might a creature named "Ursolunascope" be like?

Writing Clear Directions

Can you write directions so clear that a group of kids can put a toy together with no illustrations?

Run On or Not? – Concept Attainment

Can your students puzzle out the differences in these sentences - without any instruction!?

Pronouns With Too Many Antecedents

What happens when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun? Big problems!

Parts of Speech Party: Introduction (Check)

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?

Antonym Paths

Does the antonym of an antonym bring us back to the same meaning?

Studying and Remixing “The Raven”

Ready to push kids beyond the boring, old ABAB rhyme scheme and into something a bit more complex?

Plurals: An Inductive Spelling Lesson

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.

Word Pyramids

Start with a one letter word, add another letter, then add another. How tall can you make the pyramid?

Common English Words From Other Languages

Bored with typical spelling studies? Let's dig into the origins of common English words from other languages!

Do Narrators Have Too Much Power?

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!?

Robot Writing: The Bridge

One painting of a bridge. Three robots. Who wrote it best?

Holiday Shuffle – Day vs Date

Wouldn't some holidays be better on a certain day of the week? Should Thanksgiving have a set date?

Advanced Alliteration and Consonance

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.

Comparing Characters’ Bedrooms

What item's in a character's bedroom would reflect their deepest desires? And what if they toured a similar character's room?

Halloween Problems and Solutions

When we try to solve a problem, sometimes we end up creating new problems. Which lead to new solutions. Which lead to new problems.

Ways to Start a Sentence – Part 3

We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with gerunds, participle phrases, and absolute phrases.

Literary Technique: Juxtaposition

Put a grumpy character next to a joyful one and they make each other stand out even more. Opposites are powerful!

Order, Chaos, and the Holiday Season

Let's write a holiday song about order and chaos!

Words Within Words: SCARECROW

How many words can you find within "scarecrow"?

Stories with the Same Problems and Solutions

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?

Ambiguous Sentences

Rather than just demand that students "write clearly," we'll explore the hazards of poorly written sentences… and maybe create one of our own!

Analyze Paragraphs: Baseball

Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!

Words Within Words: CORNMAZE

How many words can you find within CORNMAZE?

Simple or Compound Sentences – Concept Attainment

Can your students puzzle out the differences in these two types of sentences - without any instruction!?

Passive to Active Voice

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.

Words Within Words: ORNAMENT

How many words can you find within ORNAMENT?

Fancier Figurative Language: Use the Opposite

Let's start with "As cold as fire."

Complex or Compound – Concept Attainment

Can your students puzzle out the difference between these two types of sentences without any instruction!?

Elements of The Fantasy Genre

Dig into the common elements of the fantasy genre.

Parts of Speech Tournament

Which part of speech is most useful? Interesting? Strange?

What Would Poetry Think About Prose?

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.

Writing Technique: Contrast With Synonyms

A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be contrasting two ideas using synonyms.

Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile

What if we started a sentence with the simile?

Analyze Suffixes: -ly, -less, and -ful

What exactly does adding -less do to a word?

Writing About Art: Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog

Students will look closely at a piece of art and then write a structured poem about it.

What’s In My Brain – Independent vs Dependent

What makes these clauses different?

Think Like A Philosopher

What would Socrates have thought if he watched Frozen?

Improving Presentations 2: Planning The Outline

After watching some great presenters, let's outline your presentation!

Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons

Can your students help The Bard? We'll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.

Writing About Art: Impression, Sunrise

Students will create a surprisingly good poem based on Monet's Impression, Sunrise.

Holiday Writing: Packing Crates

Students will look closely at this old image and write a short, structured poem.

Parts of Speech Party – Gift

How many different ways can we use the word "gift" in a single paragraph? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!

Robot Writing: Volcano

Read three pieces of writing from three different robots about the same beautiful painting of a volcano. Who wrote it best?

Word Ladder – Cold to Cool (5-Steps)

Students will go from "COLD" to "COOL" by changing just one letter per step.

Change A Story’s Genre

What if we rewrote a story's climax into a totally different genre?

Halloween Emoji Story 🎃

Students will create a story about 🎃🕯️📖💥👻.

Writing About Art: Chōshi in Shimosha

Get your students writing some pretty darn impressive poetry based on Japan's most famous artist.

Analyze Paragraphs: Cucumbers

Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!

Words Within Words: STUFFING

Students will build words using the letters found in "STUFFING."

Lipogram: Rewrite “Mary Had A Little Lamb”

What if we rewrote a piece of writing without using certain letters?

Words Within Words: CRANBERRY

How many words can you find within "cranberry"?

Word Ladder: Two to Six (6-steps)

Students will go from "TWO" to "SIX" by changing just one letter per step.

Writing About Art: Twilight in the Wilderness

Students will write about a beautiful painting from Frederic Edwin Church.

Parts of Speech Party – Thanks

How many different ways can we use the word "thanks"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!

Words Within Words: RAINBOW

How many words can you find within rainbow?

Idiom Tasks

Four fantastically terrific tasks for a weekly idiom study.

Holiday Emoji Story 🚚

Students will create a story about 🚚🎁🤔🐶🫣

Mother’s Day Cards

Let's write the cleverest Mother's Day cards you've ever seen!

Writing Technique: 3 Dependent Clauses

A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be writing sentences with three dependent clauses.

Analyze Paragraphs: Wolverines

Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!

Prefixes and Suffixes in Other Languages

Let's go beyond merely memorizing word parts and instead analyze across languages. How do other languages make a word the opposite?

Halloween Emoji Story 🕷️

Students will create a story about 🕷️🕸️📩🔑🚪.

Writing Technique: Opposite Adjectives

A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be using antonyms to describe the same topic!

Fancier Figurative Language: Advanced Repetition

Is your students' use of repetition limited to, "The girl was very, very, very fast."? Let's borrow some ideas from Shakespeare!

Doubling Up Writing: Anadiplosis

Repeating words can be what you want, if what you want is an interesting effect. (Psst, that's an example of anadiplosis!)

Words Within Words: NUTCRACKER

How many words can you find within NUTCRACKER?

Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about earthquakes back into the correct order?

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Alpha

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Parts of Speech Party – Well

How many different ways can we use the word "well"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!

Analyze Paragraphs: Empire State Building

Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!

Words Within Words: COBWEB

How many words can you find within COBWEB?

Holiday Emoji Story ⛷️

Students will create a story about ⛷️🌨️🌲🐻🤝

What’s In My Brain: May vs May

Students will determine when "may" is used for possibility and when it's used for permission.

Writing Technique: Triple Anadiplosis!

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!

Sets of Idioms Related to Food

Five sets of five idioms, all related to food.

Aquamorphotron (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Aquamorphotron, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Parts of Speech Party – Limit

How many different ways can we use the word "limit"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!

Analyze Paragraphs: Tomatoes

Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!

Emoji Stories 🏰

Students will create a story about 🏰📚🔍🔐🚪.

Think Like An Author: Hemingway vs Dickens

What if your students rewrote Dickens in the style of Hemingway and vice versa?

Greekymon Studies – Round 2

What might a creature named "Hypermnemonicus" be like?

Writing About Art: Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons

Students will create a pretty darn interesting poem about Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons.

Words Within Words: WREATH

How many words can you find within WREATH?

Super Specific Similes – Slimy Broccoli

Students will make this slimy broccoli simile seriously specific.

What’s In My Brain – The Park vs The Museum

Can students figure out the differences between sentences with past progressive and simple past tenses using the concept attainment model?

Writing Sample: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Falling)

A passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Super Specific Similes: Quick Baby

Let's make this simile about a quick baby even more specific.

Holiday Emoji Story 🎅

Students will create a story about 🎅🛷🌀🚀🌍

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Theta

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Five Sets of Bird and Bug Idioms

Five sets of idioms related to birds (and bugs).

What’s In My Brain: Progressive vs Simple Tenses

Can your students puzzle out the differences between these two tenses - without any instruction!?

12 Phrases: Out To Eat

Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.

Halloween Emoji Story 🌕

Students will create a story about 🌕🌲👣😱💨.

Holiday Emoji Story 🍪

Students will create a story about 🍪🥛🔍🐾🦌

Pyrostasis (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Pyrostasis, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Word Ladder: Fly to Bee (6-steps)

Students will go from "FLY" to "BEE" by changing just one letter per step.

Analyze Suffixes: -en

Students will note the effects of adding a suffix to a word and then look for counter-examples to those patterns.

What’s In My Brain: Painting vs Painting

Can the concept attainment model make transitive and intransitive verbs interesting? In my experience, it sure can!

Coral Reef – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about the coral reef back into the correct order?

Robot Writing: Acropolis

One painting of ruins. Three robots. Three pieces of writing. Who wrote it best?

Holiday Emoji Story ☃️

Students will create a story about ☃️👑🏔️🔭✨

Robot Writing: Orchestra

Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!

Super Specific Similes: Stinky Seaweed

Students will make this simile about stinky seaweed super specific.

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Epsilon

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)

A classic bit of writing to explore with your students.

Words Within Words: AIRPLANE

How many words can you find within airplane?

Getting Specific With St. Patrick’s Day Writing

Let's take a starting phrase about St. Patrick's Day and get specific. No, even more specific!

Chronosonarium (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Chronosonarium, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Zeta

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Greekymon Studies – Round 3

What might a creature named "Aquacornus Rex" be like?

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Beta

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Geosynth (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Geosynth, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Writing Sample: The Wind in the Willows

A passage from The Wind in the Willows to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Writing Sample: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Shrinking)

A passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

12 Phrases: A Magical School

Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.

12 Phrases: A Day At School

Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.

Words Within Words: TEACHER

How many words can you find within TEACHER?

The Great Sphinx – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about The Great Sphinx back into the correct order?

St. Patrick and Other Legends

How would real people feel about the legends that have been created about them?

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Gamma

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Sets of Idioms Related to Numbers

Two sets of idioms related to numbers.

Sets of Idioms Related to Body Parts

Five sets of five idioms, all related to body parts!

Thermocryptograph (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Thermocryptograph, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Plexidemokinesis (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Plexidemokinesis, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Parts of Speech Party – Fruit

How many different ways can we use the word "fruit"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!

Writing Sample: Peter Pan

A passage from "Peter Pan" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Writing Sample: The Velveteen Rabbit (The Toys)

A passage from The Velveteen Rabbit to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

12 Phrases: Amusement Park

Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.

Words Within Words: PATRICK

How many words can you find within Patrick?

The Moon – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about The Moon back into the correct order?

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Eta

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Idioms About Money

Five sets of idioms related to money.

Hydromagnaphone (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Hydromagnaphone, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Parts of Speech Party – Change

How many different ways can we use the word "change"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!

Writing Sample: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

A passage from "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Words Within Words: GENERAL

How many words can you find within "general"?

Words Within Words: LEOPARD

How many words can you find within "leopard"?

Automobiles – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about automobiles back into the correct order?

Super Specific Similes: Loud Class

Let's make this simile about a loud class super specific!

Emoji Stories 🤖

Students will create a story about 🤖💃🎵🕺🐔.

Psycholunaphase (Greek and Latin)

Using the word Psycholunaphase, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.

Word Ladder: Work to Hard (4 Steps)

Students will go from "Work" to "Hard" by changing just one letter per step.

Word Ladder: East to West (4 Steps)

Students will go from "East" to "West" by changing just one letter per step.

Word Ladder: Wild to Tame (5-steps)

Students will go from "WILD" to "TAME" by changing just one letter per step.

A Character’s Playlist

What playlist of songs best goes with a character's change over time?

Parts of Speech Party – Care

How many different ways can we use the word "care"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!

Writing Sample: Anne of Green Gables

An intriguing passage from Anne of Green Gables to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Words Within Words: LATKES

How many words can you find within LATKES?

Rainclouds – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about rain clouds back into the correct order?

Super Specific Similes – Strong Uncle

Let's make this simile about a strong uncle even more specific.

Emoji Stories 🚗

Students will write a story about 🚗🗺️🌋🐉🌉

Multiple Meaning Matcher – Delta

Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?

Idioms about Weather

Five sets of idioms related to the weather.

Word Ladder: Foot to Shoe (4 Steps)

Students will go from "Foot" to "Shoe" by changing just one letter per step.

Writing Sample: White Fang (The Wild)

A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Words Within Words: SATURN

How many words can you find within Saturn?

Words Within Words: PARKING

How many words can you find within PARKING?

Words Within Words: IRELAND

How many words can you find within Ireland?

Washington, DC – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about Washington, DC back into the correct order?

Trains – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about trains back into the correct order?

Emoji Stories 🐻

Students will create a story about 🐻🎩🎙️🐰🤣.

Word Ladder: Band to Sing (4 Steps)

Students will go from "Band" to "Sing" by changing just one letter per step.

Word Ladder: Kid to Old (5-steps)

Students will go from "KID" to "OLD" by changing just one letter per step.

Writing Sample: The Fall of the House of Usher

A passage from "The Fall of the House of Usher" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Writing Sample: Moby Dick

A passage from Moby Dick to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Writing Sample: The Jungle Book (Bagheera)

A passage from The Jungle Book to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Word Pyramid: D to ASIDE

Students will move from D to ASIDE by adding one letter at each step.

Word Pyramid: U to Brush

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?

Words Within Words: MENORAH

How many words can you find within MENORAH?

Great Sloths – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about great sloths back into the correct order?

Emoji Stories 🏟️

Students will create a story about 🏟️🏹🍞🐦🔥

Idioms About Fire

Five sets of idioms related to fire!

Idioms About Red

Five sets of idioms related to the color red.

Word Ladder – Tea to Hot (5-steps)

Students will go from "TEA" to "HOT" by changing just one letter per step.

Word Ladder: Sky to Red (5-steps)

Students will go from "SKY" to "RED" by changing just one letter per step.

Word Ladder: Arm to Leg (6-steps)

Students will go from "ARM" to "LEG" by changing just one letter per step.

12 Phrases: Somewhere In Space

Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.

12 Phrases: The Zoo

Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.

Word Pyramid: M to CAMPUS

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?

Pluto – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about Pluto back into the correct order?

Improving Shakespeare’s Repetition

Let's help William Shakespeare with his use of repetition.

Emoji Stories 🕰️

Students will create a story about 🕰️🎩🐀💎🕺

Emoji Stories 👁️

Students will create a story about 👁️🔮🌩️🚷🌲

Emoji Stories 🛥️

Students will write a story about 🛥️🏊🌊🐙🤝 .

Emoji Stories 🚚

Students will create a story about 🚚🤖📻🛸🌌

Word Ladder: Fire to Warm (4 Steps)

Students will go from "Fire" to "Warm" by changing just one letter per step.

Word Ladder – Sun to Hot (5-steps)

Students will go from "Sun" to "Hot" by changing just one letter per step.

Word Pyramid: H to CRASH

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?

Word Pyramid: I to LIONS

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?

Word Pyramid: T to Patch

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?

Word Pyramid: O to Stones

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?

Word Pyramid: T to PLANET

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect T and PLANET?

Words Within Words: WESTERN

How many words can you find within WESTERN?

Words Within Words: TROMBONE

How many words can you find within TROMBONE?

Emoji Stories 🐌

Students will create a story about 🐌📬✈️🏛️ 📜

Emoji Stories 🦁

Students will create a story about 🦁👑🐗🎶🌄

Word Pyramid: P to PLAINS

Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?