Language Arts
Lessons about vocabulary, grammar, spelling, figurative language, context clues, and word relationships.
Ongoing Greek and Latin Word Part Activities
Rather than just memorizing word parts, students will use those word parts to create four possible products.
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.
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.
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.
Vocab Puzzle: Word Ladders
You won't believe how this spelling and vocabulary puzzle will get kids' brains sweating over the smallest of words.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Persuasion and Packaging: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
How does a drink's packaging affect us emotionally and logically?
Writing A Thanksgiving Letter
What if an inanimate object could express thanks for a special person in your life? What would it write?
Identifying Author’s Voice
What if... Edgar Allen Poe wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?
Introduce Symbolism with Pixel Art
Create a pixelated icon that represents the essence of a character!
Characters’ Talents and Multiple Intelligences
How do characters from novels line up with Gardner's Multiple Intelligences?
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.
Simile or Metaphor – Concept Attainment
Can your students puzzle out the differences in these types of figurative language - without any instruction!?
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!
Analyze Characters Using Philosophy
What is the Brick Pig's philosophy? How would he apply it to the characters in Harry Potter?
Remixing A Holiday Poem
Let's take a classic Christmas poem and remix it to work with another holiday!
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.
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.
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…
Improving Presentations 1: Watching The Greats
Get better at giving presentations by studying the greats!
Motivation and Moral Development
Can someone do the right thing, but for the wrong reason?
Writing in Pilish
Pi can go beyond circles! What if you wrote using the digits of pi as your guide?
Fancier Figurative Language: Start with a Cliche
We'll start with the cliché "as cold as ice" and go somewhere much more interesting.
Synonym Graphs
So, which is happiest: happy, joyful, or ecstatic? Which is most temporary?
Sets of Idioms
An ongoing series to expose students to five related idioms.
Not Like The Others: Charlotte’s Web
Students will determine which of the characters is not like the others.
Propaganda and Logical Fallacies
Let's see how propaganda techniques can make even something great seem bad.
Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing
Upgrade compare and contrast writing with just a couple of key words.
“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.
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…
Looking Closely at Holiday Photos
Let's write from multiple perspectives using an old timey holiday photo!
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2
"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.
Greek and Latin Word Part Paths
How can we go from Biology to Immobile?
Run On or Not? – Concept Attainment
Can your students puzzle out the differences in these sentences - without any instruction!?
Academic Love Letters
What if Kylo Ren wrote a love letter to Abe Lincoln or the Sahara Desert wrote one to the Moon?
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!?
Unclear Pronouns: Too Many Antecedents
What happens when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun? Big problems!
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.
Word Ladders: 4-Step Examples
Examples of 4-Step Word Ladders! Don't know what a Word Ladder is? I have an introduction here.
Common English Words From Other Languages
Bored with typical spelling studies? Let's dig into the origins of common English words from other languages!
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?
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!?
Writing Clear Directions
Can you write directions so clear that a group of kids can put a toy together with no illustrations?
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.
Words Within Words: Intro (Soldier)
How many words can you find within SOLDIER? 20? 35? 50? Even more!?
Random Emoji Prompt Generator
Click up an interesting, visual writing prompt suitable for any grade or purpose.
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.
A Halloween Costume Gone Wrong
Let's go roller skating in a Halloween costume! What could possibly go wrong?
Antonym Paths
Does the antonym of an antonym bring us back to the same meaning?
Adding Variety to Writing: Sentence Starter Part 3
"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.
Studying and Remixing “The Raven”
Ready to push kids beyond the boring, old ABAB rhyme scheme and into something a bit more complex?
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!
Improving Presentations 4: The Big Day
How do you mentally (and emotionally) prepare yourself for the big day?
Analyze Paragraphs: Baseball
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Literary Technique: Juxtaposition
Put a grumpy character next to a joyful one and they make each other stand out even more. Opposites are powerful!
Thanksgiving Photo Writing
Starting with an old-timey photo, students will write from a particular item's point of view.
Improving Presentations 3: The Storyboard and Slides
It's time to turn that outline into a storyboard and then some actual slides.
Improving Presentations 2: Planning The Outline
After watching some great presenters, let's outline your presentation!
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?
Simple or Compound Sentences – Concept Attainment
Can your students puzzle out the differences in these two types of sentences - without any instruction!?
Word Pyramids
Start with a one letter word, add another letter, then add another. How tall can you make the pyramid?
Fancier Figurative Language: Use the Opposite
Let's start with "As cold as fire."
Word Ladders: 5-Step Examples
Examples of 5-Step Word Ladders! Don't know what a Word Ladder is? I have an introduction here.
Think Like A Philosopher
What would Socrates have thought if he watched Frozen?
Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons
Can your students help The Bard? We'll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.
Parts of Speech Tournament
Which part of speech is most useful? Interesting? Strange?
Complex or Compound – Concept Attainment
Can your students puzzle out the difference between these two types of sentences without any instruction!?
Passive to Active Voice
n this lesson, students will not just fix passive sentences, but break active sentences as they learn to put the star of the sentence first.
Writing About Art: Chōshi in Shimosha
Get your students writing some pretty darn impressive poetry based on Japan's most famous artist.
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.
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?
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?
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.
Word Ladders: 6-Step Examples
Examples of 6-Step Word Ladders! Don't know what a Word Ladder is? I have an introduction here.
Analyze Paragraphs: Wolverines
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Writing About Art: Impression, Sunrise
Students will create a surprisingly good poem based on Monet's Impression, Sunrise.
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.
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: Cucumbers
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Writing About Art: Twilight in the Wilderness
Students will write about a beautiful painting from Frederic Edwin Church.
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!
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!
Robot Writing: The Bridge
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!
Holiday Writing: Packing Crates
Students will look closely at this old image and write a short, structured poem.
Bobbing for Apples
What is bobbing for apples like… for an apple?
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!
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!
Words Within Words: Ornament
How many words can you find within ORNAMENT?
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!)
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!
Analyze Paragraphs: Tomatoes
Students will read three paragraphs about the same topic, decide what makes each one different, and then create a super-paragraph!
Robot Writing: Volcano
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!
Words Within Words: SCARECROW
How many words can you find within "scarecrow"?
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!
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Alpha
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Past Progressive or Simple Past Tenses – Concept Attainment
Can students figure out the differences between sentences with past progressive and simple past tenses using the concept attainment model?
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?
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!
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!
Concept Attainment: Transitive or Intransitive Verbs
Can the concept attainment model make transitive and intransitive verbs interesting? In my experience, it sure can!
Idiom Tasks
Four fantastically terrific tasks for a weekly idiom study.
Progressive or Simple Tenses – Concept Attainment
Can your students puzzle out the differences between these two tenses - without any instruction!?
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Theta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Sets of Idioms Related to Food
Five sets of five idioms, all related to food.
Five Sets of Bird and Bug Idioms
Five sets of idioms related to birds (and bugs).
Super Specific Similes – Slimy Broccoli
Let's make this simile even more specific.
Words Within Words: CRANBERRY
How many words can you find within "cranberry"?
Words Within Words: STUFFING
Students will build words using the letters found in "STUFFING."
Sets of Idioms Related to Numbers
Two sets of idioms related to numbers.
Words Within Words: Wreath
How many words can you find within WREATH?
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Zeta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about earthquakes back into the correct order?
Words Within Words: Nutcracker
How many words can you find within NUTCRACKER?
Words Within Words: General
How many words can you find within "general"?
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Epsilon
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Think Like An Author: Hemingway vs Dickens
What if your students rewrote Dickens in the style of Hemingway and vice versa?
Words Within Words: TEACHER
How many words can you find within TEACHER?
Super Specific Similes: Stinky Seaweed
Students will make their similes super specific.
Super Specific Similes – Strong Uncle
Let's make this simile even more specific.
Robot Writing: Orchestra
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!
Words Within Words: Leopard
How many words can you find within "leopard"?
Sets of Idioms Related to Body Parts
Five sets of five idioms, all related to body parts!
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Beta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Words Within Words: Airplane
How many words can you find within airplane?
Word Pyramid: D to ASIDE
Students will move from D to ASIDE by adding one letter at each step.
Idioms about Weather
Five sets of idioms related to the weather.
Automobiles – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about automobiles back into the correct order?
Analyze Suffixes: -en
Students will note the effects of adding a suffix to a word and then look for counter-examples to those patterns.
Robot Writing: Acropolis
Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Eta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Super Specific Similes: Loud Class
Let's make that simile even more specific!
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.
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Gamma
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
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!
Idioms About Money
Five sets of idioms related to money.
Super Specific Similes: Quick Baby
Let's make this simile even more specific.
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?
Washington, DC – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about Washington, DC back into the correct order?
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!
Words Within Words: Saturn
How many words can you find within Saturn?
Trains – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about trains back into the correct order?
Idioms About Fire
Five sets of idioms related to fire!
Idioms About Red
Five sets of idioms related to the color red.
Word Pyramid: T to PLANET
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect T and PLANET?
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?
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!
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Delta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Words Within Words: PARKING
How many words can you find within PARKING?
Words Within Words: WESTERN
How many words can you find within WESTERN?
Words Within Words: Menorah
How many words can you find within MENORAH?
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?
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?
Words Within Words: TROMBONE
How many words can you find within TROMBONE?
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: H to CRASH
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?