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…

Join the fun on our Pinterest and Write it! It’s April—National Month of Poetry— let this  be your muse. Write a poem inspired by something that is homemade. The object in question need not be a DIY art project—you could write about…

   Take inspiration from , which centers on the juxtaposition between the traditional and modern state of China, especially Shanghai. What would it be like if everyone had to visibly drag some part of the past with them, in such…

  Write a story inspired by this  by Max. Be sure to include a constant undercurrent of apprehension in your tone. For example, in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, a subtle mood of apprehension and suspense is built when Jackson…

A few years ago Sara brought me a handful of pumice from Mount St. Helens and so I began the lesson with research of the volcano. We moved from there to the chemistry of carbon. When it comes to Observation, the…

  Write about an unexpected sliver of nature found in the city. Find inspiration in the dandelion between sidewalk cracks, the butterflies in South Central L.A., rain in the parched corners of downtown.   Example: butterfly in the subway  …

The exchange always goes something like this: “I can’t teach writing.” “Yes you can! If you have ever been inspired by words on a page, then you can teach writing.” If you can read and ask questions when you read…