“I use Byrdseed TV to differentiate for my clustered students. I LOVE all the ideas!” ~ a teacher in Washington

Arizona ELA Standard: 3.W.2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Frame Intro: I Am A System
Frame Intro: I Am A System
Students see how they are a system, built around details, patterns, words, and rules. They’ll notice how one part affects the others.
Earth’s Layers: Who Contributes The Most?
Earth’s Layers: Who Contributes The Most?
Earth’s layers will disagree about which one contributes the most to the planet’s success.
An Under-Appreciated Planet
An Under-Appreciated Planet
Students write from the point of view of the most under-appreciated planet.
Chaos Can Be Positive or Negative
Chaos Can Be Positive or Negative
Sometimes we want order, but sometimes we need chaos!
Founding The Colonies
Founding The Colonies
13 colonies activities including a word search and task cards packed with facts. Plus, students will create their own colony with a name, story, and map!
Two Animals Switch Biomes
Two Animals Switch Biomes
What if a capybara and a kangaroo rat switched homes? Would their adaptations be helpful at all?
New Uses For A Cardboard Tube
New Uses For A Cardboard Tube
So, what can a cardboard tube be used for other than holding wrapping paper?
Mother’s Day Cards
Mother’s Day Cards
Let’s write the cleverest Mother’s Day cards you’ve ever seen!
What If… Unreliable Water?
What If… Unreliable Water?
What would the consequences be if a town’s tap water became… unreliable?
What If… Long Life?
What If… Long Life?
What would the consequences be if all people lived much, much longer?
What If… No Sleep?
What If… No Sleep?
What would the consequences be if no one had to sleep anymore?
Zig Zag Cipher (Codes Part 3)
Zig Zag Cipher (Codes Part 3)
Let’s try a cipher that doesn’t substitute new letters or shapes. We just mix things up.
Famous Structures
Famous Structures
The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House — group them, pick the best from each group, then design your own.
Chess Variant: Monster Chess
Chess Variant: Monster Chess
What if you had really weak chess pieces, but you could always move twice?
Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph
Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about earthquakes back into the correct order?
Not Like The Others: Types of Volcanoes
Not Like The Others: Types of Volcanoes
Which of these types of volcanoes is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Deserts
Not Like The Others: Deserts
Which of these deserts is not like the others?
Create A Civilization: Currency
Create A Civilization: Currency
What type of currency will your civilization use? What symbols will be on it? Why are they significant?
Create A Civilization: Design A Flag
Create A Civilization: Design A Flag
What makes for a good flag? What makes a bad flag?
Ultimate (or Inception) Tic Tac Toe
Ultimate (or Inception) Tic Tac Toe
What if each square on a Tic-Tac-Toe board had another Tic-Tac-Toe board inside of it?
Analyze Paragraphs: Cucumbers
Analyze Paragraphs: Cucumbers
Three paragraphs about cucumbers. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.
Analyze Paragraphs: Wolverines
Analyze Paragraphs: Wolverines
Three paragraphs about wolverines. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.
The Pros and Cons of Producers and Consumers
The Pros and Cons of Producers and Consumers
Sure, students might know the difference between a producer and a consumer… but have they considered how they feel about each other? What, in a producer’s opinion, are the pros and cons of a consumer?
Holiday vs Holiday (from a Mascot’s Perspective)
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.
Create A Civilization: A Change In Government
Create A Civilization: A Change In Government
It’s a great moment for your civilization! Power is moving from the hands of a few to a more democratic government.
Writing Sample: The Wind in the Willows
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: Moby Dick
Writing Sample: Moby Dick
A passage from Moby Dick to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Writing Sample: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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.
Investigating Christmas Trees
Investigating Christmas Trees
Start with facts about Christmas trees. Group them. Label them. Can you boil it all down to one big idea?
Game: Notakto
Game: Notakto
What if you only played Tic-Tac-Toe with Xs and you could play on multiple boards?
Dots and Boxes
Dots and Boxes
Who can make the most boxes from dots in this strategy game?
Create A Civilization: Calendars
Create A Civilization: Calendars
Why 12 months? Why 30ish days? Why 7 days in a week? Your civilization could organize a year in any way you want!
Create A Civilization: From Hunter Gatherers to Farmers
Create A Civilization: From Hunter Gatherers to Farmers
What happens when your civilization suddenly has a surplus of food? Think of the possibilities!
Create A Civilization: The River
Create A Civilization: The River
The Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Seine, the Thames, and now… your river!
Content Imperatives: Contribuition
Content Imperatives: Contribuition
Pull on one thread and watch the whole topic move. Contribution asks: what single factor is quietly shaping everything else?
Depth and Complexity: 🚦 Rules
Depth and Complexity: 🚦 Rules
Is there a consequence for not doing something? You may have found a rule!
Creating A Realistic Flower and Pollinator
Creating A Realistic Flower and Pollinator
Your students will create a new flower, designed to attract a specific pollinator.
Educational Valentines
Educational Valentines
Let’s make valentines with an educational twist!
Create A Creature
Create A Creature
Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.
Reduce Anxiety: Square Breathing (Tool 1)
Reduce Anxiety: Square Breathing (Tool 1)
Reduce anxiety by breathing in a square pattern.
Teach Non-Fiction Writing Structure With Fractals
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…
Engineering: Build A Bridge
Engineering: Build A Bridge
Using real bridges as their starting point, students will construct bridges out of straws and paperclips.