“I live and die by your website!” ~ a coordinator in Washington

CCSS ELA Standard: 5.W.2

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

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.
Gr 1-8
An Under-Appreciated Planet
An Under-Appreciated Planet
Students write from the point of view of the most under-appreciated planet.
Gr 1-8
Chaos Can Be Positive or Negative
Chaos Can Be Positive or Negative
Sometimes we want order, but sometimes we need chaos!
Gr 1-8
Halloween Worksheets
Halloween Worksheets
Crosswords, image analysis, and writing prompts for Halloween!
Gr 1-8
Indirect Power – Lighthouse vs Magnetism
Indirect Power – Lighthouse vs Magnetism
Students explore the idea of indirect power – which can be both visible (a lighthouse) or invisible (magnetism).
Gr 1-8
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!
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1-8
Mother’s Day Cards
Mother’s Day Cards
Let’s write the cleverest Mother’s Day cards you’ve ever seen!
Gr 1-8
What If… Unreliable Water?
What If… Unreliable Water?
What would the consequences be if a town’s tap water became… unreliable?
Gr 3-8
What If… No Sleep?
What If… No Sleep?
What would the consequences be if no one had to sleep anymore?
Gr 1-8
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.
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1-8
Not Like The Others: Deserts
Not Like The Others: Deserts
Which of these deserts is not like the others?
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1-8
Create A Civilization: Design A Flag
Create A Civilization: Design A Flag
What makes for a good flag? What makes a bad flag?
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1-8
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.
Gr 1-8
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.
Gr 1-8
A Lunar Survival Mission
A Lunar Survival Mission
A favorite of mine! This task is delightfully complex and ambiguous, forcing students to make choices without enough information and with no right answer. How will they survive on the moon for three days?
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1-8
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.
Gr 1-8
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.
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1-8
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!
Gr 1-8
A Caffeine Investigation – Part 3
A Caffeine Investigation – Part 3
Caffeine is everywhere. But what are the ads really saying? Analyze the claims, then create your own public service announcement.
Gr 2-8
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!
Gr 1-8
Create A Civilization: The River
Create A Civilization: The River
The Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Seine, the Thames, and now… your river!
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Create A Civilization Introduction
Create A Civilization Introduction
Your students build a civilization from scratch — rivers, flags, calendars, currency, government. Social studies, science, and writing woven into one year-long project.
Gr 1-8
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.
Gr 1-8
Educational Valentines
Educational Valentines
Let’s make valentines with an educational twist!
Gr 1-8
How to Play Go
How to Play Go
Ready to learn a 2,500-year-old Chinese board game? Let’s… Go!
Gr 1-8
Create A Creature
Create A Creature
Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.
Gr 1-8
Reduce Anxiety: Square Breathing (Tool 1)
Reduce Anxiety: Square Breathing (Tool 1)
Reduce anxiety by breathing in a square pattern.
Gr 1-8
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…
Gr 1-8