Grades 9–12
NarrativeSparksStudents will learn how to identify a scene vs. a summary.
Your students will produce examples of both a scene and a summary.
Content Note:
STEP 1
Ask students to turn to a partner and talk about their favorite movie scene: They should try to share every detail they can remember about it—the setting, the characters, the dialogue. . . If students can’t think of a movie scene, that’s OK; any type of media works, as long as they describe the setting, the characters, and the dialogue in great detail.
Educator Note: If you have students who are reluctant to turn-and-talk to a partner, you can practice together first. Take a scene from a book that they read recently and...
by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
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by 826 National
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by Maria Villareal, 826CHI
An effective writing prompt about a significant threshold.
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by Princess McDowell, the 826 Dallas Project
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by 826 National
Students discuss the 2021 inaugural poem by Amanda Gorman and write their own poems in response to "The Hill We Climb."
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by 826 National
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by Julia Sweeney, 826 Valencia
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by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
In this Spark, students will learn more about voice: what it is exactly, and how to name the elements of it.
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by author Lisa Ko
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by the Programs Team at 826 Boston
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by Jessica Thompson, 826 Dallas Project, and the Dallas Free Press
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Students enter a Writing Laboratory, no lab coats required, and use methods of observation to embark on their writing process.
by Ada Limón
This poetry prompt from Ada Limón invites students to consider a personal connection to an animal.
by The New York Public Library
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by author of the Annabelle Unleashed series Leslie Margolis
Leslie Margolis invites students to consider their own personhood and what determines or defines it with two short prompts.
by Spike Jonze, award-winning screenwriter and producer
A pair of prompts that invites students to consider how time, location, and dialogue can be used to construct a scene and build meaning.
by Isaac Fitzgerald
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by 826 National
These 10 prompts ask students to browse the 826 Digital Student Writing Gallery for writing inspiration.
by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
What words do we carry with us? This Spark introduces students to the Poem in Your Pocket Day celebration and invites them to create a pocket-sized poetry zine.
by Ola Faleti, 826CHI
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by 826 National
Engage young writers of any age at home with this collection of 826 Digital writing prompts and activities.
by author Tiphanie Yanique
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by Jason Reynolds, The New York Times Best-Selling Author & National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
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by 826 National
Candy hearts are a Valentine’s Day staple, with their funny—even punny—sayings about love. In this Spark, students will lean into the world of youth slang to write some “sweet” sayings of their own.
by G.D. Falksen
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by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
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by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
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by 826 National
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by Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the U.S. and 2021 Inaugural Poet
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by Asia Calcagno, 826CHI
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This spark activity is designed to get your students on their feet while reinforcing the need for strong dialogue in narratives.
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