Writing

We tell students to ‘show, not tell’ — but that advice is useless until they experience the difference. This lesson makes it click.

‘Add more variety!’ teachers say. But how? This lesson gives students actual techniques instead of vague advice.

Blow up a paragraph into individual sentences. Now reassemble it. The clues hiding in each sentence will surprise you.

We’ll start with the cliché “as cold as ice” and go somewhere much more interesting.

Three paragraphs about cucumbers. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

When I see a quote, I often think, “That’s not quite right!”

Look closely at Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons. What do you notice? Now turn those details into a poem you didn’t know you could write.

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.

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

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

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.

Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?

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

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

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

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?

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

Three paragraphs about baseball. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?

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

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

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

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.

Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?

Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?

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

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

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

Your youngest students will learn to write Japanese Haiku poetry.

Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?

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

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

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

Poetry and Prose meet at a party. What would they say to each other? How would they feel about each other’s style?

Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place in at a magical school.

An old photograph. A holiday scene. Pick one object in the picture and write from its point of view.

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

Look closely at Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. What do you notice? Now turn those details into a poem you didn’t know you could write.

Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?

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.

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

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