Grades 5–6
InformationalSparksStudents will distinguish between effective and ineffective directions and demonstrate how to give precise directions (to a pirate). This activity is a fun twist on a classic introduction to informational writing and “How To” pieces.
[Please Note: Prior to the activity, ensure that none of your students have nut allergies. If they do, this activity is highly adaptable to many forms of delicious food prep. Ice cream sundaes, salads, and banana and anchovy sandwiches all work equally well here.]
Question: How many pirates know how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Answer: None.
This is why pirates need to be told with absolute precision how to complete each individual step—right down to the direction that they must unscrew the cap from the jar of peanut butter.
Ask students to take you through how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as if they were instructing a pirate who has never heard of or seen a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before. But, it is more than likely that they are going...
by Mariama J. Lockington and Peter Calhoun Hall, 826NYC
In this Spark, students will write haikus from two different perspectives, one of a hero and one of an engineer, to design a secret lair for a superhero.
by 826 National
This activity reinforces the role of dialogue in a story, with students creating realistic conversation in A-Z fashion.
by 826 National
Students discuss the 2021 inaugural poem by Amanda Gorman and write their own poems in response to "The Hill We Climb."
by 826 National
The Character-O-Matic is a writing tool that helps students to create new characters. In this lesson, students will use it to create a character profile that reflects their own identies.
by Aarti Monteiro, 826NYC
This activity explores the way emotions change how we perceive settings. Students work in groups to create descriptions of apartments based on an emotion they draw from a hat.
by Ola Faleti, 826CHI
Students draw inspiration from powerful change-makers to write celebratory, haiku poetry.
by the Team at 826CHI
Students learn to incorporate setting as a key element of a story, starting with inspiration from collages.
by 826 National
This Spark provides students with the opportunity to get to know their classmates by sharing personal stories about a specific topic.
by 826 National
By combining two classic games, students will learn how storytelling and art can build community or help them break through writer’s block.
by Daniel José Older, author of Flood City
This Spark introduces students to the fantastical world of Flood City and prompts them to write a journal entry from the perspective of a Flood City resident.
by the Team at 826CHI, with inspiration from Ryan Harty, 826michigan
In this activity, students practice analyzing a character’s internal motivations and fears and develop their own original characters.
by Bryan Wilson, Educator Leader, Bureau of Fearless Ideas
In this lesson students will work together to revise a scene from a first draft by adding descriptive details.
by Julius Panoriñgan, 826LA
Students will use their knowledge of popular music to learn basic computer programming concepts.
by Louise McClune, 826 Valencia
In this activity, students work as budding archeologists and creatively reimagine ways for archaeologists and historians to use artifacts to tell stories.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
Students are inspired to write about a time that they felt accepted and appreciated for who they are.
by 826 National, inspired by student authors of 826 New Orleans
In this Spark, students will pretend to be their favorite food and write about what that food would do on an average day.
by Mindy Misener, 826michigan
This activity encourages young writers to identify the rules in their own poems and to then experience the joy of either smashing the rules outright or finding a graceful way to reimagine them.
by Paris Hyun, 826LA
Students will use creative thinking to innovate an imaginary elixir that targets a problem they see in the world.
by Catherine Calabro and Rachel Feder, 826michigan
A fun, free-writing task which challenges students to take cheesy pop lyrics and make them into their own original poems.
Inspired by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia
In this Spark, students will play a game of bingo to improve their narrative writing.
by Laura Lisabeth, Ph.D., 826NYC
In this activity, students explore Instagram as a form of public rhetoric and practice using hashtags as a way to engage with larger communities.
by Klariza Alvaran, 826CHI
This spark activity is designed to get your students on their feet while reinforcing the need for strong dialogue in narratives.
by 826 National, inspired by student authors of 826 New Orleans
We are all parts of a whole, just like a pizza! In this Spark, students will think about all the things that make them who they are and then write a poem in the shape of a pizza.
by Maria Villarreal, 826CHI
In this activity, students illustrate a favorite word and explore what makes words meaningful through illustration, research, and discussion.
by Ashlyn Anstee, 826LA
Students will be asked to take an existing 4-panel comic and create their own dialogue. This is a fun quick activity or warm-up exercise that will challenge students to write efficiently.
by Meredith Goldberg-Morse, 826LA
In this activity, students write about a cause they are passionate about and imagine how they can create change in the world.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
Students reflect on what it feels like to stand up to bullying and write about a time when they used their voice to make a difference.
by the Team at 826CHI
In this activity, students create original monsters in archetypal protagonist and antagonistic roles by focusing on internal and external characteristics.
by Asia Calcagno, 826CHI
Writing can be a powerful tool when working through feelings of grief, sadness, or anger. This Spark creates an intentional opportunity for youth to write and speak about what is on their minds.
by Nathalie Lagerfield, 826CHI
Students will imagine (and write about) their own fantastical worlds, using the cover illustrations of magazines as inspiration.
by Asia Calcagno, 826CHI
Writing can be a powerful tool when working through feelings of grief, sadness, or anger. This Spark creates an intentional opportunity for youth to write and speak about what is on their minds.
by Brittany Thierry, 826 New Orleans
In this Spark, students will write a diamante poem, using specific parts of speech to beautifully describe a topic of their choice.
by 826 National
Engage young writers of any age at home with this collection of 826 Digital writing prompts and activities.
by 826 National
Students will identify their favorite sensory memories and transfer them to a visual heart map.
by 826 National
Summer is all about writing for fun! In this Spark, you’ll find a BINGO board full of engaging writing prompts to keep skills sharp over the summer break.
by author Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket
Students will anthropomorphize an inanimate object to produce interview questions and answers.
by 826 National
Imagine you’re free to write about anything: no rules, no limits, only possibilities. "Infinite Words" invites students to share their writing for a chance to become a published author!
by 826 National
Students will write a poem about nature using sensory details to capture the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feeling of the subject.
by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
Author bios offer students another opportunity to express themselves through writing and to feel like a real author. This Spark walks students through the process of writing one.
by Katie Manning and Brandon Brown, 826LA
Students enter a Writing Laboratory, no lab coats required, and use methods of observation to embark on their writing process.
by 826 National
I Spy is a classic guessing game. In this Spark, students will play a game of I Spy to practice adding details to their writing.
by Julianna Lee Marino, 826NYC
In this Spark, students put on their detective hats and sleuth out places to add more details into their writing.
by Sarah Kokernot, 826CHI
Students use illustrations as entry points to write stories about friendship from a new perspective.
by Shani Foster, 826LA
Students create five rules for living in their ideal universe—each one more ridiculous than the last!
by Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
What are students made of? This activity prompts students to reimagine recipes and write about their life experiences.
by Lauren Rudewicz and David Hutcheson, 826michigan
Students will define the word “ode” for themselves and identify the people and moments in their lives they’d like to celebrate in a poem.
by 826 New Orleans
Students will imagine what they would do if they were someone or something else.
by 826 National
With a little folding and loads of creativity, students make their own zines that feature abstract recipes.
by Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
To jumpstart their own poems, students take inspiration from the poetry of the others.
by Amani Nephew and Danny Kim, 826NYC
Writers have the power to evoke all kinds of emotions in their pieces. In this Spark, students will learn how to wield that power and develop the mood of a story.
by Shani Foster, 826LA
What stories would your hoodie tell? In this fun and versatile writing prompt, students write from the perspective of a favorite piece of clothing.
by 826 National
This Spark engages students in journaling as a practice that builds writing stamina, helps sort through ideas, and makes space for processing big feelings.
by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
In this Spark, designed for the "Dear Poet" project, students explore the many ways you can connect to a poem and the poet who penned it.
Bryan Wilson, 826 Digital Educator Leader with Julie Solarek, Literacy Specialist
Travel back in time and space by prompting students to reflect on their path and progress as a writer. Students will create a writing roadmap of their year and then "walk the path" together.
by Maria Villarreal, 826CHI
In this activity, students draw upon inspiration from existing text and the world around them to launch stories of their own.
Inspired by Angela Iton and Precediha Dangerfield, 826 Valencia
In this Spark, students will play a game of Bingo to improve their poems!
by Jessica Goodman
This Spark uses students’ favorite things to support their persuasive writing practice.
by Mandy Seiner, 826NYC
Nouns, adjectives, verbs—and in this case—adverbs are the building blocks of super sentences. In this Spark, students will practice identifying and using adverbs in their writing.
by Lindsay Stinson, 826LA
Students will learn to be empathetic towards those who are different by brainstorming scary characteristics of specific monsters and then developing more positive aspects to their nature.
by Leah Tribbett, 826 Digital Educator Leader
In this lesson, students tackle the art of writing authentic dialogue that reveals information about the characters, plot, and conflict.
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 Aarti Monteiro, 826NYC
Students identify the power of imagery in poetry, then practice putting this power to use in a poem about their neighborhood.
by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
In this Spark, designed for the "Dear Poet" project, students will learn more about voice: what it is exactly, and how to name the elements of it.
by Pedro Estrada, 826LA
In this activity, students will examine narrative structure, explore the purpose and practice of myths, and put the two together to create their own original piece.
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 Maria Villareal, 826CHI
This activity prompts students to write words unspoken, in letters undelivered.
by Louise McCune, 826 Valencia
Students play a spin-off version of Balderdash in this activity, working as budding archeologists who must use the power of observation to solve a few artifact mysteries.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
Students write similes to express what their emotions feel like and build plans to treat others with kindness and empathy.
826 National and Cartoon Network
After writing about their personal and social identities, students discover that sometimes what makes us unique is what brings us together.
by Kathy Seipp, 826 Digital Educator
Invite students to write freely with this lesson that includes directions for students to set up a writer's journal and favorite journal prompts.
by Anna Griffin, 826 National
Students plot significant memories on a timeline in this reflective writing activity.
by Liz Levine, 826NYC
Challenge students to rewrite a classic nursery rhyme with a twist.
by 826 National
In this Spark, students will use backward thinking to create a four-panel comic strip story using the backward problem-solving skills of software developers.
by Julia Sweeney, 826 Valencia
In this Spark, students will revise a piece of writing for sentence fluency.
by 826 National, inspired by student authors of 826 New Orleans
In this Spark, students will write a poem that engages the reader in answering the question: Can you guess this food?
by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia
In this activity, students will learn how to use elaboration as a revision strategy.
by Shani Foster, 826LA
What if the room rained with glitter every time you got excited? In this Spark, students imagine a world where their feelings are expressed as visible, out-of-this-world weather.
by Andrea Nelson, 826DC
In this Spark, students will imagine alternate worlds—one where the sun never sets, and one where the sun never rises—and develop a setting for a story that captures this environment.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
In this twist on a classic game, students will practice intentional inclusivity with their classmates, as well as brainstorm other ways to continue building community throughout the school year.
by Mandy Seiner, 826NYC
Nouns, adjectives, adverbs—and in this case—verbs are the building blocks of super sentences. In this Spark, students share action words that bring them joy and incorporate those verbs into a story.
by 826 National
These 10 prompts ask students to browse the 826 Digital Student Writing Gallery for writing inspiration.
by 826 National
IT’S ALIVE! In this Spark, students will play a version of the classic Exquisite Corpse activity to create new monster characters.
by Jane Roschen, 826LA
In this activity, students will explore superhero traits or superpowers that they know or admire. What kind of jobs do they do? How do their powers help them achieve this?
by 826 National
In this Spark, students will write an acrostic poem that can be used as a tool to introduce themselves to their classmates.
by Jason Reynolds, The New York Times Best-Selling Author & National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Students will write a personal narrative where they describe themselves as a place. Not a specific place, but all the things a "place" consists of.
by Debra Mitchell, 826CHI
Students pose questions to the magic 8 ball in this activity centered on character motivation.
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