Your students will increase their cultural competency by learning about holidays that are celebrated all around the world. They will also practice using transition words and phrases.
Your students will produce a short essay that describes a new holiday, as well as a collage that visualizes the traditions and activities of that celebration.
by Bryan Wilson, Educator Leader, The Bureau of Fearless Ideas
What do you get when you mix foraging with metaphors? Metaphoraging, of course! In this interactive lesson, students will forage their learning space for metaphors.
by Jayne Kennedy, 826LA
Gather students around the metaphorical campfire to craft a brochure for a Nature Preserve on another planet, complete with wild critters, plant life, unique geological formations, and park history
by Miriam Nash, Ministry of Stories and BBC History
In this lesson, students will emulate Dylan Thomas’ famous drama, Under Milk Wood. Students will create imaginative works of fiction that examine their neighborhood in order to bring it to life.
by Nesley Rojo, 826 Valencia
Students will practice identifying personification and then use sensory detail and figurative language to express it in their writing.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
Students write two stories focused on the power of inclusion with this downloadable, printable, DIY publishing kit.
by Abigail Jacobs & Taylor Jacobson, 826 Valencia & 826LA
This lesson teaches students to write proposals so convincing no parent can resist them.
by Emilia Rivera and Ashley Smith, 826 Valencia
Students will report about their favorite neighborhood places and write a review about the most special one.
by 826 New Orleans
Students will imagine what they would do if they were someone or something else.
by Emily Lam, 826 Valencia
In this lesson, students will go through the steps in the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) to produce a zine that highlights what makes them special.
by Nathalie Lagerfeld & Jill Carey, 826CHI
Borrowing inspiration from out-of-this-world illustrations, students will create an amazing sci-fi story with a fantastical setting, realistic characters, and page-turning plot.
by Kyley Pulphus, 826 New Orleans
In this workshop, students will create a pourquoi tale, or origin story, of how a local delicacy came to be.
by Nicolien Buholzer, 826LA
Why does kindness count? In this lesson, students will consider acts of kindness they’ve experienced or witnessed and reflect on the difference that kindness makes in the world.
by Jane Roschen, 826LA
This lesson prompts students to explore the exciting range of things they can do when they grow up and highlights the importance of education, curiosity, and role models.
by Mindy Misener, 826michigan
Students learn how poetry can “break the rules” then practice breaking the “rules” in their own poems by challenging the expectations, assumptions, and principles their work set up.
by Ellen Fee, 826 MSP
Students will learn about endangered species, how animals become endangered, and then write either a poem or a story about a day-in-the-life about an endangered animal of their choosing.
by Ellen Lathrop and Malia Urbina, 826 Valencia
In this lesson, students will use descriptive language to write a poem about a favorite animal.
by Ashlyn Anstee, 826LA
Using the classic battle between superheroes and villains as inspiration, students will create their own twist on a superhero comic, featuring believable characters and Marvel-worthy dialogue.
by Nicolien Buholzer, 826LA
Students team up to write collaborative short stories about a character who stands up to a bully and discover how they can help end bullying.
by AT Bianchi & Kati Shanks, 826michigan
In this lesson, students imagine a fictional sport for fantastic beings, create a statistic for that sport, and write a newspaper article about the championship game.
by Kim Adelman, 826LA
In this lesson, students imagine trading lives with a fictional character for a day and write about the fantastic possibilities that would ensue.
by Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
Students write ekphrastic poems, exploring and creating connections between text and image.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
This lesson encourages students to consider and write about the myriad ways to include someone, stop bullying before it starts, and make a difference.
by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia
Students will become naturalists for the day by performing field observations and recording their thoughts in a field journal.
by Nicolien Buholzer, 826LA
In this lesson, students write letters to someone special and reflect on the impact of being kind towards others.
by 826 National, in partnership with Paramount Pictures
Imaginary friends come in all shapes and sizes! Inspired by the new Paramount Pictures movie, IF, students will create their own imaginary friend to take with them on their next adventure.
by Kathy Seipp, 826 Digital Educator Leader
In this lesson, students will illustrate the literal and figurative meaning of idioms and write using idioms.
by Ashley Smith, 826 Valencia
Students find gratitude all around as they thank ordinary objects in their lives in the form of an ode.
by Gem Carmella, Ministry of Stories and BBC History
In this Lesson, students will learn how to write comedy sketches inspired by "Monty Python’s Flying Circus."
by Rebecca Glaser, 826 Digital Educator Leader
Students will use formal and informal writing to take on an issue in their community and convince others to take action.
by Dr. Bunny McFadden, 826 Valencia
Imagination opens doors to new possibilities. This lesson allows students to exercise their imaginations by describing an imaginary door to the future and picturing what is beyond it.
by Rebecca Escoto and Cynthia Aguilar, 826LA
Students will identify the characteristics of a hero, familiarize themselves with heroes in their own community, and write an explanatory piece identifying a hero in their community.
by Klariza Alvaran, 826CHI
In this lesson, students explore the graphic novel genre with a focus on plot and character development, scripting dialogue, and visual composition.
by Paris Hyun, 826LA
Students play the role of benevolent inventor. They identify and think critically about real world problems, and create an ingredients list and usage instructions for an elixir that fixes the problem.
by Lindsay Ringwald, 826LA
In this lesson, students will imagine a narrative in the form of a craigslist advertisement to showcase a typically scary monster as a down to earth creature.
by Jory John, 826 Valencia
Students will explore the essentials of an effective “how-to” piece, while considering their own areas of interest and expertise to share with their peers and the world at large.
by Daniel José Older, author of Flood City.
Students will work together to produce a newspaper for the fictional Flood City. In the process, they will take on the roles of editor and journalist to source, draft, and present their newspaper.
by Cristeta Boarini, 826MSP, and Skylar Burkhardt, 826 National
Few expressions of gratitude are more meaningful than a personalized letter. In this lesson, students reach out to essential workers and return their acts of service and kindness by giving thanks.
by Mariama J. Lockington & Peter Calhoun Hall, 826NYC
In this superlesson, students isolate DNA, design planes, build lairs, and engineer safe transport to help a hero save the day. Students will also take technical notes and explore new forms of poetry.
by Neil Gordon, 826LA
Using precise, clear instructions, each student will create a treasure hunt document that provides clues for finding a treasure hidden in a location of their choosing.
by Nicolien Buholzer, 826LA
In this lesson, students consider the perspective of a villain they love to hate. They will create a compelling backstory for the character and write short stories from the villain’s point of view.
By Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
In this lesson, students write vegetable-inspired superhero stories.
by Jessica Barbaria, 826NYC
In this lesson, students dive into the many forms bullying can take, create scripts and role-play bullying scenarios, and reflect on their own experiences with bullying.