“This was the best money I have ever spent on a teaching tool.” ~ a teacher in Wisconsin

That Quote’s Not Quite Right: Albert Einstein

That Quote’s Not Quite Right: Albert Einstein

When I see a quote, I often think, “That’s not quite right!”

Coral Reef – Mixed Up Paragraph

Coral Reef – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about the coral reef back into the correct order?

Parts of Speech Party – Gift

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 – Fruit

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!

Parts of Speech Party – Change

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!

Writing in Pilish

Writing in Pilish

Pi can go beyond circles! What if you wrote using the digits of pi as your guide?

Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile

Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile

What if we started a sentence with the simile?

Changing Coordinating Conjunctions

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?

Writing Technique: Triple 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!

Doubling Up Writing: Anadiplosis

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!)

Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons

Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons

Can your students help The Bard? We’ll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.

Writing Technique: 3 Dependent Clauses

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.

12 Phrases: The Zoo

12 Phrases: The Zoo

Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place at the zoo.

Punctuation Power

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!

Paragraphs: Systems of Sentences

Paragraphs: Systems of Sentences

Blow up a paragraph into individual sentences. Now reassemble it. The clues hiding in each sentence will surprise you.

What’s In My Brain: Painting vs Painting

What’s In My Brain: Painting vs Painting

Two columns of sentences. Something is different about them. Can you figure out the rule?

What’s In My Brain – Independent vs Dependent

What’s In My Brain – Independent vs Dependent

These clauses are sorted into two groups. What’s the rule? No definitions given — just examples.

Simple or Compound Sentences – What’s In My Brain?

Simple or Compound Sentences – What’s In My Brain?

Can your students spot simple sentences vs compound sentences?

Run On or Not? – What’s In My Brain

Run On or Not? – What’s In My Brain

Can your students spot the run-on sentences?

Complex or Compound – What’s In My Brain

Complex or Compound – What’s In My Brain

Can your class spot the complex sentences vs compound sentences?

Ways to Start a Sentence – Part 3

Ways to Start a Sentence – Part 3

Your students’ sentences all start the same way. Here are three techniques that fix that overnight.

Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2

Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2

We’ll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with a reason, a prepositional phrase, and a simile.

Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 1

Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 1

‘Add more variety!’ teachers say. But how? This lesson gives students actual techniques instead of vague advice.