The first step for writing really is having something to say. Begin with an outline and a rubric. You can download our Pirate Adventure writing sheet as a starting point. You can also download our KWL sheet, also focused on pirates. Visit our Pirate Theme page for links and… Continue reading
Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics by John Feinstein is a young adult novel set at the London Olympics and the run-up to them. The main character, Susan Carol Anderson, is a competitive swimmer. She learns firsthand, as she prepares for the competition, that it’s easy for a… Continue reading
Writing can be a pleasure, especially with fun, highly motivating writing assignments. How about superheroes for a writing theme? Check out our list of great superhero writing prompts: The most obvious writing assignment for a superhero theme is writing a comic book or, less ambitiously, a comic strip. have students… Continue reading
“The Emperor’s Nightingale” is a story by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author, set in China. In the story, the Emperor of China discovers a nightingale, a bird which sings so beautifully that its song restores the ailing Emperor’s health. The Emperor of Japan sends a mechanical singing bird to… Continue reading
Nursery rhymes have helped babies grasp rhyme and rhythm for centuries, and our students can enjoy them, too. We have three great lesson plans for nursery rhymes, including one for older students. Lessons for specific nursery rhymes: Eensy Weensy Spider The House that Jack Built Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater Three… Continue reading
Too often our English books present poetry lessons with doggerel intended only for the classroom. Fingerplays are fun and we want our students to write their own poetry, but there’s no reason not to introduce the works of great poets to kids. These are the works that will stay in… Continue reading
The Lorax, written by Dr. Seuss in 1971, is the inspiration for a new movie. Seussville has a Lorax Project with discussion questions for the book, printable activity sheets, and ideas for Earth Day. Classroom decorating is easy with Eureka Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax Save the Forest Bulletin Board… Continue reading
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess, a perennial favorite, was written on a bet with Bennet Cerf that Suess couldn’t write a book with only 50 words. Obviously, he could. For small children, learning the 50 words in Green Eggs and Ham is a worthwhile accomplishment. Here are the… Continue reading
Squirrels are a wild animal urban kids may know as well as rural ones. Get ready for Squirrel Appreciation Day on January 21st with some literacy lesson plans. Read some books: The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert Gray Squirrel… Continue reading
