Students will use keywords to upgrade their compare and contrast writing from a mere list of facts to a deeper analysis.
Students will analyze selections from classic works of fiction to identify an author's voice, then write in the voice of one of those authors.
Rewriting passive sentences into active sentences makes them clearer, shorter, and more interesting. This video will help students to identify and improve these passive sentences.
Using Lewis Carroll's poem Jabberwocky, students will try to infer the parts of speech and meanings of nonsense words. Then they can try their hand at their own nonsense poems.
In this series, students learn about five types of logical fallacies then develop an argument *against* a great idea, invention, or character using these techniques.
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 write two examples of a scene: one showing a character's trait, and one just telling.
Students will identify ethical issues from the science fiction and fantasy genres, then use those ideas to develop their own story's realistic problem.
Students will write a story tackling an ethical issue using the sci-fi or fantasy genres.
Students will use multiple perspectives to compose a letter of admiration from one academic subject to another.
Edgar Allen Poe's *The Raven* is a wonderfully complex poem with a rich tone. It's perfect for pushing students' understanding of poetry beyond the ABAB rhyme scheme.
Provide students with intriguing prompts to help them find their "ah ha" moment in story writing.
Pamela Barnes digs into the theme of a mysterious poem with her middle schoolers.
Take a fluffy holiday activity, and give it an academic spin. Watch as students create valentines with a connection to your grade-level content.
Take a dull grammar lesson about "its" vs "it's" and spice it up with a novel product.
Juxtaposition is a powerful literary tool to use for analysis as well as creation. Students will learn to see juxtaposition in existing stories, and develop juxtaposed characters in their own writing.
In this third video in a series, we continue adding variety to writing by changing the way we begin sentences.
We continue to add variety to writing by changing the beginning of sentences. In this video: "the reason," prepositional phrases, and similes.
We'll look at three simple ways students can add variety to their sentences by changing their opening word.
Students will summarize plots, character journeys, and specific dramatic moments using haiku.
