“Byrdseed.TV is one of the best investments I have made for our program.” ~ a gifted coordinator in California

TEKS ELA Standard: 2.11.B

develop drafts into a focused piece of writing by:

Any Shape With Just One Cut
Danny MacAskill: The Slabs
Mechanical Dinosaur Costume
from a single piece of paper
Apple Harvesting Machine
Backdraft in Slow Motion
hot coffee as ice cubes are added
best pre-game warmup trickshots
carves the most delicate patterns
just drawing some Peanuts characters
creating faux-shadows on street
Insects Made From Plant Clippings
jetpacks flying over Dubai
one piece of rolled-up paper
working Lego car
toss leftover tea in -40°C
floating ball of water
Shredding Paper With Lego
Wood Bending Machine
Scythe vs Brushcutter
Boiling Water at -41°C
Time Lapse of a Tiny Painting
Hair Dryer Kinetic Art
Making a Chain Link From a Red-Hot Rod
Halloween Problems and Solutions
Halloween Problems and Solutions
When we try to solve a problem, sometimes we end up creating new problems. Which lead to new solutions. Which lead to new problems.
Gr 1-8
Improving Shakespeare’s Repetition
Improving Shakespeare’s Repetition
Let’s help William Shakespeare with his use of repetition.
Gr 1-8
Rainclouds – Mixed Up Paragraph
Rainclouds – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about rain clouds back into the correct order?
Gr 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
Super Specific Similes: Quick Baby
Super Specific Similes: Quick Baby
Let’s make this simile about a quick baby even more specific.
Gr 1-8
Super Specific Similes: Stinky Seaweed
Super Specific Similes: Stinky Seaweed
Start with a basic simile. Now make it more specific. Now even more. Watch how much better writing gets with each round.
Gr 1-8
What If… No Sleep?
What If… No Sleep?
What would the consequences be if no one had to sleep anymore?
Gr 1-8
Writing About Art: Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons
Writing About Art: Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons
Look closely at Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons. What do you notice? Now turn those details into a poem you didn’t know you could write.
Gr 1-8
Writing About Art: Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog
Writing About Art: Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog
Look closely at Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. What do you notice? Now turn those details into a poem you didn’t know you could write.
Gr 1-8
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?
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
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!
Gr 1-8
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!)
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)
Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)
A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
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.
Gr 1-8
Writing Technique: Contrast With Synonyms
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.
Gr 1-8
SCAMPER: Scaffolding Creativity
SCAMPER: Scaffolding Creativity
Asking students to “think creatively” won’t get you far. They won’t know how to start, they’ll get stuck with simple ideas, or they’ll just go completely wild. SCAMPER is a tool for scaffolding the process of creativity.
Gr 1-8
Pronouns With Too Many Antecedents
Pronouns With Too Many Antecedents
What happens when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun? Big problems!
Gr 1-8
Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing
Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing
Upgrade compare and contrast writing with just a couple of key words.
Gr 1-8
Improving Presentations 3: The Storyboard and Slides
Improving Presentations 3: The Storyboard and Slides
It’s time to turn that outline into a storyboard and then some actual slides.
Gr 1-8
Writing Clear Directions
Writing Clear Directions
Can you write directions so clear that a group of kids can put a toy together with no illustrations?
Gr 1-8