Most of us are lazy, at least some of the time. It’s only natural. Being lazy just means you want to expend as little effort as possible—and who in their

BLISS OF LISTS, Ultimate lists for authors, writers, students, and teachers. Instant download. Are you stuck in a rut? Do you have writer’s block? Need a quick plot idea for that short story writing assignment that’s due tomorrow? The Bliss of Lists is here to help! What is it? The ultimate collection of lists for novel planning, writers, students, and teachers. 122 references pages to help those writing a report, a novel, or even teaching. Great for brainstorming ideas. The Bliss of Lists is a great addition to any writer or student’s toolbox. Helpful to both novice and expert writers alike, this document of lists delivers list after list of prompts and ideas for your brainstorming sessions: names, character traits, plot lines, occupations, obsessions, action verbs, and much more! One-hundred and twenty-two pages worth of tips and references. Over 12- pages of printable 8.5x11inch PDF pages.

Doug Savage's Savage Chickens "comics" are a single-frame comic drawn on a sticky note that illustrates the life of chickens whose experiences reveal the "savage" truths of the human existence. Teaching satire in secondary ELA is a high-interest and humorous way to engage studen

HI — I no longer update this page ~ but “MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES in COMICS ED” is available at my NEW COMICS WORKSHOP site HERE >>… ~ Marek … AND ALSO: Psst! Tea…

Today's post will go through my process in how to plan a fantasy series, the easy way! Writing a series seems hard, but it's a lot of fun!

Question stems can be used as thinking prompts for class discussions, prompting, and various forms of assessment.

Looking for a low-prep short story unit that will thrill your high school and advanced middle school students? This four-week short story unit is an excellent way to launch the year, setting the stage for deeper study of novels and plays. I’ve used it successfully with eighth graders and both regular and honors freshmen. It covers the important elements of literature and provides an excellent background in literary devices, analysis, and writing techniques. All student materials are included in both PDF and Google Drive format. This HUGE bundle includes: • A day-by-day calendar to follow with helpful details and nightly homework assignments (read this file first when you open the bundle) • Storytelling Arc lecture to explain exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement with a handout for students to use for note-taking • Thank You, Ma’am by Langston Hughes short story – link to full-text story; deep-thinking questions handout with key/discussion starters; introductory paragraph worksheet • Lecture to explain and model effective introductory paragraph hooks with student handout (Prezi Next & Google Slides versions) • The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant short story – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; literary analysis writing lecture with practice, modeling, and assignment • The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; Storytelling Arc handout/assignment with completed key • The Rules of the Game by Amy Tan (from The Joy Luck Club) – link to full-text story; deep-thinking questions handout with key/discussion starters; creative writing assignment focusing on tone/mimicry of author’s voice • Write Like a Professional lecture focusing on participles, absolutes, appositives, adjectives shifted out of order, vivid verbs, similes, and metaphors. Includes mentor sentence examples of all skills with reinforcement worksheet. • The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell short story – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; Simile Hunt worksheet; characterization assignment • Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl short story – link to full-text story; deep-thinking questions handout with key/discussion starters; real-world writing skills/artistic sketch Police Report handout with completed model; link to Alfred Hitchcock video version of the story • The Interlopers by Saki short story – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; journalism/newspaper writing assignment • The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry short story – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; creative writing assignment • The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst short story – link to full-text story; deep-thinking questions handout with key/discussion starters; literary analysis quote harvesting worksheet with detailed answer key; step-by-step literary analysis paragraph assignment worksheet and paragraph grading rubric • End-of-unit exam, including 21 matching questions, 14 true/false, and 15 literary device identification questions. Includes answer key. Note: Most items included in the bundle are sold separately in my store, but you’ll save more than 30 percent by buying them together. No need to purchase these items separately if you grab this budget-priced bundle. The other three items – the calendar, storytelling arc Prezi lecture, and unit exam – are sold only as part of this bundle. If you’d like a closer look at any of the separate items, just click on the links above for more product details, including each item's CCSS code set. Also, this bundle is included in my English 9-10 full-year curriculum. If you already own the full-year download, please do not purchase this item here individually. If you’d like to receive this item plus everything else needed to teach 180 days of English 9 or English 10 at a deeply discounted price, click here to learn more about the full-year curriculum download. Want even more short stories? Check out my Short Story Unit for Older Teens, a collection of stories and lesson materials designed specifically for high school juniors and seniors. You'll save more than 30 percent off the cost of those individual items if you purchase the bundle available here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Short-Story-Unit-Eng-1112-Short-Stories-Multimedia-PDF-Google-Drive-CCSS-9330437 Thanks for stopping by!

Source: Writing Inspiration

It seems like every day there is an endless stream of students reporting behaviors or incidents that happen in the classroom. On one hand, we want to help our students feel heard and validated so they know we are a safe person for them to talk to. On the other hand, we certainly don't want to feed into the tattle machine. It's a fine line to walk. So how do we handle tattling in our classrooms?

INSPIRATION PHOTO/PLAN: ACTUAL PLANS: First Floor Second Floor Third Floor ORIGINAL FLOOR SKETCHES:

Lean into Merriam-Webster's official Word of the Year with some stellar feminist reading.

This first meme is especially fitting for this season: Tell us in the comments what you’ll be reading on your days off! You May Also Enjoy:Funny Book Meme Friday vol. 12Funny Book Meme Friday vol. 8Funny Book Meme Friday vol.

In this lesson plan, students will practice satire by creating puns with the name of Edgar Allan Poe. They will take a Meme form and write their Poe puns on the form to put on display in the classroom for our satire unit. Students in middle school and high school will love this engaging lesson pla

Jami Gold's Writing Worksheets: Help for all writers, from newbies to experts and from plotters to pantsers.

This smart comic by Grant Snider, which is available in his shop as a poster, breaks down the archetypal conflicts in literature… although he did leave out man vs. computerized wolf god.

I so remember my first year as a new teacher! I wondered why I was even hired! (Did they not know that I didn't have a clue how to do ‘this teacher thing'?!) Yes, I had graduated with a degree, a teaching certificate, and had an idealistic philosophy of education (that had no basis in research […]

New to homeschooling? Today I'm sharing ten must-read books for new homeschoolers. These books will encourage and prepare you for the homeschool journey.

Here you'll find your practical worksheets for you to download

I did two book signings in February and one last week. I was, to put it mildly, extremely nervous about this. I’m an introvert that doesn’t like meeting new people face to face. I don’t like pitchi…

This post shares tips and strategies for teaching different learning styles to meet the needs of all learners.

I never would have thought of picture books for 5th graders. I thought they were just for little kids. Luckily I was wrong. When we started this homeschool journey my daughter was a very reluctant …

This bookstore in Shanghai will make you feel like you've entered an alternate universe with stairs on the ceiling.

Learn how to write a scene and nail scene structure. Learn how to begin and end scenes and how to organize scenes and sequels.

As I said in an earlier post, Maestro Classics inspired me to pull together a mini unit for my kiddos about the music of... ...Peter and the Wolf. *************************************************** Before listening to the CD, I prepared the kiddos by reading to them a short biography page about the composer... ...Sergei Prokofiev. (Click HERE for this composer biography.) (The CD also has a lovely segment about Prokofiev which I plan on using as a review with the kiddos at a later date.) ************************************************** After discussing the composer, we began listening to the CD. First up was the Introduction of the story's characters and the instrument that represent them. After discussing the reasons why we thought certain instruments were used for certain characters, I let the kiddos cut out... ...a set of Peter and the Wolf finger puppets. (Click HERE for the finger puppets.) ***************************************************** Now, I am pretty pumped about the next activity I discovered for the kiddos to work on DURING Peter and the Wolf... It is called a Listening Map. The kiddos went through a series of picture activities which essentially kept their attention drawn to the music. It even had a discussion guide for me to use... Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!! (A big shout out to the Cincinnati Orchestra for putting this material out there- y'all ROCK!!!) (Click HERE for the Listening Guide.) ***************************************************** After completing the Listening Guide and discussing the music, I though it would be fun for the kiddos to watch... ...Walt Disney's version of Peter and the Wolf. (We found it in two parts on You Tube... Click HERE for Part One Click HERE for Part Two You can also see a fun "behind the scenes" clip with Walt Disney and Sergei Prokofiev about the creation of Peter and the Wolf by clicking HERE.) ****************************************************** Some other fun activities I found but didn't get to include: Sequencing Cards Coloring Page Matching Game And THIS site has a ton of lesson plan ideas... ************************************************* I hope to INSPIRE you, too, to get into classical music with YOU kiddos...

Writing a novel is a daunting task, one that requires a great deal of discipline, creativity, and attention to detail. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, having a checklis…

cook book published by the Ohio Grange

Well this was ironic!

Creative Writing Worksheet – Expressing Emotions (PDF) Emotions dictate our actions more than we would like to admit, and for the writer, they’re an integral part of creating character motivation. Of course, they’re also very important for hooking the reader, and while you can certainly play it by ear, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised…

Learn about the universal moral principle, from world religions throughout history: The Golden Rule. Find resources and ideas to use with your children.

In this lesson plan, students will practice satire by creating puns with the name of Edgar Allan Poe. They will take a Meme form and write their Poe puns on the form to put on display in the classroom for our satire unit. Students in middle school and high school will love this engaging lesson pla

Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world.