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Grade 8

TEKS ELA Standard: 8.10.A

plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as discussion, background reading, and personal interests

Art Using Space as a Background
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
Maze Generator
Maze Generator
Create and print mazes for your students – with bonus side quests!
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
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
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
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
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 Pencil
New Uses For A Pencil
So, what can a pencil be used for other than writing and drawing?
Gr 2-8
Random Emoji Prompt Generator
Random Emoji Prompt Generator
Click up an interesting, visual writing prompt suitable for any grade or purpose.
Gr 1-8
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
Create A Creature
Create A Creature
Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.
Gr 2-8