Every time you finish reading a book, think tinker. The word “tinker” comes from the middle English referring to people who engaged in the work of patching worn tin kettles. When I was young, tinkering was a crude, quick fix…

Write a poem incorporating an interesting fact you’ve recently heard or read. It doesn’t necessarily have to be concerned with the physical sciences, although that is a great place to start. Andrea Gibson uses this device in her spoken-word poem,…

Picasso was a master of line. Check out his . Try to make an owl of your own. Now, think poetry. One of the significant ABCs of poetry is sound. Try to write a poem using only this one element.…

When I teach children to read and write, I begin with the ABCs—phonics to words to phrases to sentences and beyond. The possibilities are limitless. When I teach children to appreciate and make art, I again begin with ABCs—line, texture,…

Write a small story that describes the parts of an object or characteristics and memories of a person, in order to tell a story or reach a conclusion about a certain character, just as the fading parts of this rose…

  In the scheme of biological classification, butterflies and moths fall into the Order we call Lepidoptera. Typically speaking, butterflies are brightly colored diurnal creatures. Moths are nocturnal and lackluster. But there are some exceptions. Leave it to Van Gogh…

  Or an ordinary gardener and her dog named Theo? My dog is clever. Not only does he enjoy poking his nose in the warm soil as I was plant seedlings, he is also quite resourceful..   Write a poem…

Once again, I was inspired by the lovely textural drawings, especially, Tempo by artist, Vija Celmins as a starting point for exploring texture with my students: "I really didn't fudge around or erase or smear. The graphite went on quite clear."…

I've had the privilege of exploring his architectural scaffolding—Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species—with my apprentices during Science Discovery.  There are four types of sentences: Statement, Question, Exclamation, and Command. Teachers are famous for jotting that last type—command—in swarms…

Here's another idea: click back to our Pinterest, the Write it… board. Scroll down to the boy flying through the air on the shimmering fish and put on your Poet's Cap. Imagine that the bony on the flying fish of…