Little Paper Girl

Little Paper Girl

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…

Totem Poem

Totem Poem

   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…

Sail/Whale

Sail/Whale

  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…

Observing Pumice

Observing Pumice

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…

Through is a Way Out

Through is a Way Out

  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  …

Write for Real

Write for Real

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…

Journal BIG Ideas Inspired by Books

Journal BIG Ideas Inspired by Books

Taking notes is a foundational skill that will accompany your student through their entire educational journey and beyond. Even though there is no right way of taking notes, it is important to learn how to extract relevant and pertinent information from…

Haiku for the First Day of Spring

Haiku for the First Day of Spring

On this first day of spring step outside, celebrate the blossoming and craft a haiku greeting. How to craft haiku:   five syllables s e v e n  s y l l a b l e s five syllables  …

after Robert McCloskey

after Robert McCloskey

During the fifth week of Discovery, Section 5 encourages each reader to develop a creative culminating project with options that provide a variety of ways to demonstrate deep understanding of the book. Your students will not only have a chance…

Worth 5-minutes of Your Time

Worth 5-minutes of Your Time

Do you want your hands to learn to see? Not possible you say? Read on… Wherever you are this very moment, look around, hone in on a cluster of objects. First, look. Trace the edges with your eyes. Next ,…