Students use illustrations as entry points to write stories about friendship and empathy.
Grades 1–3
Social-Emotional Learning
Kindness Counts
by Nicolien Buholzer, 826LA
Spark Summary
Why does kindness count? Students consider acts of kindness that they’ve experienced and reflect on the difference that kindness makes in the world.
Grades 7–12
Poetry
Write with Pride
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
Spark Summary
Students consider the influence that labels hold and write poetry to become empowered to describe themselves however they want.
Grades 6–12
Poetry
Emulation Poetry
by Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
Spark Summary
To jumpstart their own poems, students take inspiration from the poetry of the others.
Grades 6–8
Informational, Narrative
Black Box Archaeology
by Louise McClune, 826 Valencia
Spark Summary
In this activity, students work as budding archeologists and creatively reimagine ways for archaeologists and historians to use artifacts to tell stories.
Grades 6–8
Informational, Narrative
Artifact Detective Balderdash
by Louise McCune, 826 Valencia
Spark Summary
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.
Grades 6–12
Narrative, Poetry
No Lab Coats Required: The Writing Laboratory
Katie Manning and Brandon Brown, 826LA
Spark Summary
Students enter a Writing Laboratory, no lab coats required, and use methods of observation to embark on their writing process.
Grades 1–6
Narrative, Poetry
Creative Recipes
Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
Spark Summary
What are students made of? This activity prompts students to reimagine recipes and write about their life experiences.
Grades 6–8
Narrative, Visual, Performing, and Media Arts
The Illustrated Word
by Maria Villarreal, 826CHI
Spark Summary
In this activity, students illustrate a favorite word and explore what makes words meaningful through illustration, research, and discussion.
Grades 6–8
Narrative
One Good Line Deserves Another
by Maria Villarreal, 826CHI
Spark Summary
In this activity, students launch stories of their own, drawing inspiration from existing text and the world around them.
Grades 5–6
Narrative
Myth-Making
by Pedro Estrada, 826LA
Spark Summary
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.
Grades 6–8
Persuasive, Visual, Performing, and Media Arts
Be a Maker: Hashtag Activism and the Instagram Essay
by Laura Lisabeth, Ph.D., 826NYC
Spark Summary
In this activity, students explore Instagram as a form of public rhetoric and practice using hashtags as a way to engage with larger communities.