Used in over 1,700 districts.

TEKS ELA Standard: 4.11.A

plan a first draft by selecting a genre for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as brainstorming, freewriting, and mapping

invents a seed-launching backpack
best pre-game warmup trickshots
Martial Arts in Space
Hot Dog Built With Construction Equipment
An Under-Appreciated Planet
An Under-Appreciated Planet
Students write from the point of view of the most under-appreciated planet.
Gr 2-8
Chaos Can Be Positive or Negative
Chaos Can Be Positive or Negative
Sometimes we want order, but sometimes we need chaos!
Gr 2-8
Introducing Order and Chaos
Introducing Order and Chaos
Introduce Order by exploring “written” vs “unwritten” rules.
Gr 2-8
Maze Generator
Maze Generator
Create and print mazes for your students – with bonus side quests!
Power Can Be Fast, Slow, Loud, or Quiet
Power Can Be Fast, Slow, Loud, or Quiet
Power may seem loud and fast, but it can also be slow and quiet.
Gr 2-8
Writing Compound Sentences
Writing Compound Sentences
Students work with subjects, predicates, and conjunctions to write compound sentences.
Gr 2-3
Writing Haiku in Primary
Writing Haiku in Primary
Your youngest students will learn to write Japanese Haiku poetry.
Gr 1-2
Summer Activity Pack
Summer Activity Pack
A worksheet pack featuring writing prompts, a summer essay project, a science-based escape room activity, and image analysis prompts.
A Land Octopus
A Land Octopus
The only type of octopus that routinely wanders onto land!
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
Characters’ Faults Can Also Be Strengths
Characters’ Faults Can Also Be Strengths
Strength and weakness are often two sides of the same coin. Students will explore how a character’s flaw can be a benefit.
Gr 2-8
Holiday Shuffle – Day vs Date
Holiday Shuffle – Day vs Date
Wouldn’t some holidays be better on a certain day of the week? Should Thanksgiving have a set date?
Gr 2-8
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 2-8
Change A Story’s Genre
Change A Story’s Genre
What if we rewrote a story’s climax into a totally different genre?
Gr 2-8
New Uses For A Cardboard Tube
New Uses For A Cardboard Tube
So, what can a cardboard tube be used for other than holding wrapping paper?
Gr 1-8
Order, Chaos, and the Holiday Season
Order, Chaos, and the Holiday Season
Let’s write a holiday song about order and chaos!
Gr 2-8
Holiday Emoji Story ⛷️
Holiday Emoji Story ⛷️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Holiday Emoji Story ☃️
Holiday Emoji Story ☃️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Holiday Emoji Story 🎅
Holiday Emoji Story 🎅
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Holiday Emoji Story 🚚
Holiday Emoji Story 🚚
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Halloween Emoji Story 🎃
Halloween Emoji Story 🎃
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Halloween Emoji Story 🌕
Halloween Emoji Story 🌕
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Halloween Emoji Story 🕷️
Halloween Emoji Story 🕷️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🚚
Emoji Stories 🚚
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🏟️
Emoji Stories 🏟️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🕰️
Emoji Stories 🕰️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 👁️
Emoji Stories 👁️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🚗
Emoji Stories 🚗
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🤖
Emoji Stories 🤖
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🏰
Emoji Stories 🏰
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Mother’s Day Cards
Mother’s Day Cards
Let’s write the cleverest Mother’s Day cards you’ve ever seen!
Gr 2-8
Compare and Create New Year’s Traditions
Compare and Create New Year’s Traditions
Hey! Our New Year traditions have a lot in common.
Gr 2-8
Bobbing for Apples
Bobbing for Apples
What is bobbing for apples like… for an apple?
Gr 2-8
A Halloween Costume Gone Wrong
A Halloween Costume Gone Wrong
Let’s go roller skating in a Halloween costume! What could possibly go wrong?
Gr 2-8
Squiggles Collection 1
Squiggles Collection 1
Everyone starts with the same squiggle. No two drawings end up the same. What do you see?
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 1-8
What If… Long Life?
What If… Long Life?
What would the consequences be if all people lived much, much longer?
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
New Uses For A Chair
New Uses For A Chair
So, what can a chair be used for other than, you know, sitting in?
Gr 1-8
New Uses For A Pencil
New Uses For A Pencil
So, what can a pencil be used for other than writing and drawing?
Gr 2-8
New Uses For An Aluminum Can
New Uses For An Aluminum Can
So, what CAN a CAN be used for other than storing liquids?
Gr 1-8
Random Emoji Prompt Generator
Random Emoji Prompt Generator
Click up an interesting, visual writing prompt suitable for any grade or purpose.
Gr 1-8
Categorize and Re-Categorize Countries
Categorize and Re-Categorize Countries
Put these countries into groups. Then do it again. Then… do it one more time. How does re-re-grouping the same places reveal new patterns and give new insights?
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Looking Closely at Holiday Photos
Looking Closely at Holiday Photos
Let’s write from multiple perspectives using an old timey holiday photo!
Gr 2-8
Categorize and Re-Categorize Animals
Categorize and Re-Categorize Animals
Put these animals into groups. Then do it again. Then… do it one more time. How does re-re-grouping the same creatures reveal new patterns and give new insights?
Gr 1-8
Holiday Writing: Packing Crates
Holiday Writing: Packing Crates
An old photograph. A holiday scene. Pick one object in the picture and write from its point of view.
Gr 2-8
Thanksgiving Photo Writing
Thanksgiving Photo Writing
Starting with an old-timey photo, students will write from a particular item’s point of view.
Gr 2-8
Stories with the Same Problems and Solutions
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?
Gr 2-8
Famous Structures
Famous Structures
The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House — group them, pick the best from each group, then design your own.
Gr 2-8
Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict
Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Conflict? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Gr 2-8
Introducing Universal Theme of Change
Introducing Universal Theme of Change
Everything changes. But how does it change? Students brainstorm dozens of examples and boil them down to one big idea.
Gr 2-8
Introducing Universal Theme of Systems
Introducing Universal Theme of Systems
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Systems? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Gr 2-8
Introducing Universal Theme of Power
Introducing Universal Theme of Power
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Power? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Gr 2-8
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
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 2-8
Cram
Cram
Try this a simple (but surprisingly strategic) grid-filling game!
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 2-8
Writing Technique: Opposite Adjectives
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!
Gr 2-8
Story Starter: A Day At School
Story Starter: A Day At School
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place at school.
Gr 2-8
Story Starter: Out To Eat
Story Starter: Out To Eat
Students pick from 12 random phrases to create a story about an incident in a restaurant.
Gr 2-8
Story Starter: Amusement Park
Story Starter: Amusement Park
Students use 12 random phrases to write a story that takes place in at an amusement park.
Gr 2-8
Story Starter: A Magical School
Story Starter: A Magical School
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place in at a magical school.
Gr 2-8
Story Starter: Somewhere In Space
Story Starter: Somewhere In Space
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place in space!
Gr 2-8
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 2-8
The Personalities of Rocks
The Personalities of Rocks
What would an igneous rock be like? Would it get along with a sedimentary rock? Could they handle the hot personality of a metamorphic rock?
Gr 2-8
Student Introductions With Depth and Frames
Student Introductions With Depth and Frames
Want to introduce the tools of Depth and Complexity and learn more about your students and introduce the Frame graphic organizer? Have I got the activity for you!
Gr 2-8
More Specific than “Smart”
More Specific than “Smart”
When students are told that they’re “smart”, what does this word actually mean to them? (Psst. It isn’t what we intended.)
Gr 2-8
Building Creative Analogies
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.
Gr 2-8
Improving Presentations 2: Planning The Outline
Improving Presentations 2: Planning The Outline
After watching some great presenters, let’s outline your presentation!
Gr 2-8
Using Creativity Tools To Develop A Learning Exploration: Step One
Using Creativity Tools To Develop A Learning Exploration: Step One
How do you turn “go research something” into a structured, creative learning exploration? Kathryn Haydon walks through it step by step.
Gr 1-8
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 2-8
Elements of The Fantasy Genre
Elements of The Fantasy Genre
Every fantasy story has patterns hiding underneath the magic. Once your students see the elements, they’ll spot them everywhere — and use them in their own writing.
Gr 5-7
Create A Creature
Create A Creature
Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.
Gr 2-8
Greekymon
Greekymon
Rather than just memorizing word parts, students will use those word parts to create four possible products.
Gr 3-8
Creating A Classroom Motto
Creating A Classroom Motto
Starting with specific examples of fantastic classroom behavior, your class will end up with one sentence summing up their expectations. It’s a classroom motto!
Gr 2-8