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.
You won't believe how this spelling and vocabulary puzzle will get kids' brains sweating over the smallest of words.
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.
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.
Ever ask students to create research questions? Were their ideas a bitโฆ 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.
Your students will turn the iconic painting The Scream into a vivid, sensory poem.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Create a pixelated icon that represents the essence of a character!
Let's write a summary. A very short summary. With VERY strict rules.
Can students spot similes vs metaphors?
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.
Let's take a classic Christmas poem and remix it to work with another holiday!
Can someone do the right thing, but for the wrong reason?
Pi can go beyond circles! What if you wrote using the digits of pi as your guide?
What if... Edgar Allen Poe wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?
So, which is happiest: happy, joyful, or ecstatic? Which is most temporary?
How many words can you find within SOLDIER? 20? 35? 50? Even more!?
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.
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!?
We'll start with the clichรฉ "as cold as ice" and go somewhere much more interesting.
Get better at giving presentations by studying the greats!
How do characters from novels line up with Gardner's Multiple Intelligences?
How can we go from Biology to Immobile?
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 inโฆ
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.
What is the Brick Pig's philosophy? How would he apply it to the characters in Harry Potter?
Let's go roller skating in a Halloween costume! What could possibly go wrong?
Let's see how propaganda techniques can make even something great seem bad.
What if we rewrote a piece of writing without using certain letters?
An ongoing series to expose students to five related idioms.
What if Kylo Ren wrote a love letter to Abe Lincoln or the Sahara Desert wrote one to the Moon?
What might a creature named "Ursolunascope" be like?
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.
Upgrade compare and contrast writing with just a couple of key words.
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?
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!
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.
What is bobbing for apples likeโฆ for an apple?
Did you ever notice that the structure of an essay is very similar to the structure of a paragraph? Hmmโฆ
We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with a reason, a prepositional phrase, and a simile.
Students will determine which of the characters is not like the others.
Can your students spot the run-on sentences?
Students will go from "Fast" to "Race" by changing just one letter per step.
Start with a one letter word, add another letter, then add another. How tall can you make the pyramid?
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?
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.
Ready to push kids beyond the boring, old ABAB rhyme scheme and into something a bit more complex?
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?
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!?
One painting of a bridge. Three robots. Who wrote it best?
Bored with typical spelling studies? Let's dig into the origins of common English words from other languages!
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.
Put a grumpy character next to a joyful one and they make each other stand out even more. Opposites are powerful!
When we try to solve a problem, sometimes we end up creating new problems. Which lead to new solutions. Which lead to new problems.
Let's start with "As cold as fire."
Rather than just demand that students "write clearly," we'll explore the hazards of poorly written sentencesโฆ 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!
What if we started a sentence with the simile?
How many words can you find within "scarecrow"?
Can your students spot simple sentences vs compound sentences?
What exactly does adding -less do to a word?
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.
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?
Let's write a holiday song about order and chaos!
How many words can you find within CORNMAZE?
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.
How many words can you find within ORNAMENT?
Dig into the common elements of the fantasy genre.
Which part of speech is most useful? Interesting? Strange?
Can your students help The Bard? We'll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be contrasting two ideas using synonyms.
Can your class spot the complex sentences vs compound sentences?
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots about the same beautiful painting of a volcano. Who wrote it best?
Let's write the cleverest Mother's Day cards you've ever seen!
Students will look closely at a piece of art and then write a structured poem about it.
What if a capybara and a kangaroo rat switched homes? Would their adaptations be helpful at all?
Some of these clauses are dependent and some are independent.
Get your students writing some pretty darn impressive poetry based on Japan's most famous artist.
Students will create a surprisingly good poem based on Monet's Impression, Sunrise.
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
What would Socrates have thought if he watched Frozen?
After watching some great presenters, let's outline your presentation!
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 go from "COLD" to "COOL" by changing just one letter per step.
What if we rewrote a piece of writing without using certain letters?
Students will go from "TWO" to "SIX" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will write about a beautiful painting from Frederic Edwin Church.
Students will look closely at this old image and write a short, structured poem.
Four fantastically terrific tasks for a weekly idiom study.
Students will create a story about ๐๐ฏ๏ธ๐๐ฅ๐ป.
What if we rewrote a story's climax into a totally different genre?
How many words can you find within rainbow?
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be writing sentences with three dependent clauses.
Students will build words using the letters found in "STUFFING."
How many different ways can we use the word "thanks"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
How many words can you find within "cranberry"?
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Let's go beyond merely memorizing word parts and instead analyze across languages. How do other languages make a word the opposite?
Is your students' use of repetition limited to, "The girl was very, very, very fast."? Let's borrow some ideas from Shakespeare!
Students will create a story about ๐๐๐ค๐ถ๐ซฃ
Let's take a starting phrase about St. Patrick's Day and get specific. No, even more specific!
Repeating words can be what you want, if what you want is an interesting effect. (Psst, that's an example of anadiplosis!)
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be using antonyms to describe the same topic!
Let's make this simile about a quick baby even more specific.
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about earthquakes back into the correct order?
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
How would real people feel about the legends that have been created about them?
Students will create a story about ๐ท๏ธ๐ธ๏ธ๐ฉ๐๐ช.
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 words can you find within NUTCRACKER?
Students pick from 12 random phrases to create a story about an incident in a restaurant.
What playlist of songs best goes with a character's change over time?
How many words can you find within Chocolate?
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
What might a creature named "Hypermnemonicus" be like?
How many different ways can we use the word "well"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Using the word Aquamorphotron, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Students will make this slimy broccoli simile seriously specific.
Students will create a story about ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ช.
How many words can you find within COBWEB?
Students will go from "FLY" to "BEE" by changing just one letter per step.
How many different ways can we use the word "limit"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Five sets of five idioms, all related to food.
Students will create a story about โท๏ธ๐จ๏ธ๐ฒ๐ป๐ค
Students use 12 random phrases to write a story that takes place in at an amusement park.
The word "may" can be used for possibility or permission. It's a modal auxiliary verb!
What if your students rewrote Dickens in the style of Hemingway and vice versa?
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Students will create a pretty darn interesting poem about Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons.
What might a creature named "Aquacornus Rex" be like?
How many words can you find within Patrick?
Strength and weakness are often two sides of the same coin. Students will explore how a character's flaw can be a benefit.
We're looking at the past progressive tense and the simple past tense.
Will your students notice progressive tense vs simple tense?
One painting of ruins. Three robots. Three pieces of writing. Who wrote it best?
Let's make this simile about a loud class super specific!
Let's make this simile about a strong uncle even more specific.
How many words can you find within WREATH?
Students infer the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs.
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place in at a magical school.
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Using the word Pyrostasis, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place at school.
How many words can you find within airplane?
A passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Five sets of idioms related to birds (and bugs).
Students will note the effects of adding a suffix to a word and then look for counter-examples to those patterns.
Students will make this simile about stinky seaweed super specific.
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 ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!
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?
Students will create a story about ๐๐ฒ๐ฃ๐ฑ๐จ.
How many words can you find within TEACHER?
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about The Great Sphinx back into the correct order?
Students will write a story about ๐๐บ๏ธ๐๐๐
Students will create a story about ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐พ๐ฆ
Students will create a story about โ๏ธ๐๐๏ธ๐ญโจ
A classic bit of writing to explore with your students.
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Using the word Geosynth, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
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.
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.
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place at the zoo.
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.
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Using the word Chronosonarium, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
Students will go from "East" to "West" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will create a story about ๐ฆ๐๐๐ถ๐
Students will go from "ARM" to "LEG" by changing just one letter per step.
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place in space!
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!
Five sets of idioms related to money.
How many different ways can we use the word "care"? Let's find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
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?
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Using the word Psycholunaphase, students will create an invention, a creature, or a spell.
How many words can you find within Ireland?
How many words can you find within February?
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?
How many words can you find within "leopard"?
How many words can you find within "general"?
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 ๐ค๐๐ต๐บ๐.
Students will create a story about ๐ป๐ฉ๐๏ธ๐ฐ๐คฃ.
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about great sloths back into the correct order?
Students will go from "Foot" to "Shoe" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "KID" to "OLD" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will create a story about ๐๐ฌโ๏ธ๐๏ธ ๐
An intriguing passage from Anne of Green Gables to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
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 LATKES?
Students will create a story about ๐๏ธ๐น๐๐ฆ๐ฅ
Students will go from "SKY" to "RED" by changing just one letter per step.
Five sets of idioms related to the weather.
Students will move from D to ASIDE by adding one letter at each step.
How many words can you find within Saturn?
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about Pluto back into the correct order?
Students will go from "TEA" to "HOT" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "Band" to "Sing" by changing just one letter per step.
Students will go from "Sun" to "Hot" by changing just one letter per step.
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.
Five sets of idioms related to the color red.
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect T and PLANET?
How many words can you find within MENORAH?
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Students will create a story about ๐ฐ๏ธ๐ฉ๐๐๐บ
Students will write a story about ๐ฅ๏ธ๐๐๐๐ค .
Students will go from "Fire" to "Warm" by changing just one letter per step.
Let's help William Shakespeare with his use of repetition.
When I see a quote, I often think, "That's not quite right!"
A passage from "The Fall of the House of Usher" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
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 fire!
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 ๐๐ค๐ป๐ธ๐
Students will create a story about ๐๏ธ๐ฎ๐ฉ๏ธ๐ท๐ฒ
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Dust can mean "remove dust" but also "add more dust!"
How many words can you find within WESTERN?
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?