Feeling crafty? The best ideas begin with a book. “Based on Eric Carle’s recollection of his grandmother’s way of drawing a star (directions included), this seemingly simple story also provides insights into an artist’s private world of creativity.” I remember…

Did you know you can see 20 quadrillion miles away? That’s how far it is to the very brightest star in the sky, Cygnus. And, did you know every single star you see in the night sky is bigger and…

  “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss Where do ideas come from? Ideas come from our fund of knowledge. When we have a…

When Vasya opened his paint box and began mixing colors, he heard sounds—yes, sounds! As he grew older, he discovered that he was synesthetic—able to hear colors singing and see sounds dancing.  You can learn all about this and more in…

One of the weekly activities in our CORE Integrated Literature and Writing is to write a linear recounting the plot of a given section. This activity might seem simple, but it is a simple activity that simultaneously teaches students writing…

I imagine this fifth grade student is full of all sorts of interesting ideas.  As I began to read the rough draft, my first thoughts were not the spelling errors or mechanical issues. What caught my attention was this young…

What is. There are. I am. These are passive phrases. But what about: sister is and heart is? Well, these are passive phrases too! When writers are constrained two ways—no passive verbs allowed and write an idea through the sense…

Matsuo Bashō wandered by foot through medieval Japan and kept a diary of his journeys—prose woven with haiku. There is sublime simplicity in this poet’s observations: Autumn moonlight— a worm digs silently into the chestnut. Haiku are the little powerhouses…

Writing is an art form. Writing is an art form achieved via a series of steps: 1) It all begins with an IDEA. Without an idea, the writer will simply stare at the blank page. 2) Once there is an…

The first day of fall is just around the corner! It’s Back-to-School season. Likely your students are close to completing their first CORE journal of the year. Now’s the time to offer a lovely bouquet of red pens. “What’s your…