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What’s New

Grades K–12
Educator
Playing With Words Educator Tool

by 826 National

Fantasy/SciFi
Informational
Memoir
Narrative
Poetry
Playwriting
STEM

We take joy and creativity pretty seriously at 826. This new Educator Tool, available in three grade bands, shares more about how you can play with words in your learning space!

Grades K–2
Sparks
Summer Writing Tic-Tac-Toe

by 826 National

Narrative
Poetry

This summer is all about writing for fun! Students will engage in a variety of writing prompts, while playing tic-tac-toe, to keep their skills sharp over summer break.

Grades K–3
Lessons
Word Collectors

by Catherine Calabro Cavin, 826michigan

Informational

In this lesson, students will learn where writers find words, listen to The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds, and start to collect words they like and want to share with others.

Grades 6–8
Lessons
The Cryptid Convention: Character Creation

by 826 National

Fantasy/SciFi
Informational

Students will act as members of The Cryptid Convention—the world's only secret, not-so-secret society devoted to discussing new cryptids—and write an informational poster about an original cryptid.

Grades 3–5
Sparks
I Spy: Descriptive Writing Practice

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.

Grades 3–5
Sparks
Summer Writing Bingo

by 826 National

Fantasy/SciFi
Informational
Narrative
Poetry

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.

Grades 4–8
Lessons
Metaphoraging

by Bryan Wilson, Educator Leader, The Bureau of Fearless Ideas

Poetry

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.

Grades 3–12
Educator
Journal Writing: Implementing an Intentional Practice

by 826 National

This Educator Tool shares a variety of prompts to help you springboard into journal writing with your students.

Grades 3–5
Lessons
Field Journals

by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia

Informational
STEM

Students will become naturalists for the day by performing field observations and recording their thoughts in a field journal.

Grades 4–8
Videos
Inspiration in the Everyday with Charlotte Yeung

by Charlotte Yeung

Fantasy/SciFi
Narrative
Persuasive
Poetry

Midwest Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador, Charlotte Yeung, shares one of her favorite brainstorming strategies for creating a new piece.

Grades 3–5
Videos
Curiosity Counts with Anne Richardson

by 826 National

Informational
STEM

In this lesson, you will create a simple scrapbook that showcases the facts, definitions, and details you’ve learned about a few of the items you found in a scavenger hunt.

Grades 1–5
Sparks
Nature Writing

by 826 National

Poetry

Students will write a poem about nature using sensory details to capture the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feeling of the subject.

Grades 5–6
Projects
Superheroes to the Rescue!

by Ashley Smith, 826 Valencia

Fantasy/SciFi
Narrative

In this lesson, students will create original superheroes (or villains) and write stories of their epic adventures.

Grades 9–12
Sparks
Yes, And

by Jessica Thompson, 826 Dallas Project, and the Dallas Free Press

Narrative

This Spark uses a popular improv game to show students the value of their ideas and the importance of keeping an open mind while writing.

Grades 5–12
Sparks
Telephone Pictionary

by 826 National

Narrative

By combining two classic games, students will learn how storytelling and art can build community or help them break through writer’s block.

Grades 7–12
Sparks
Playing With Words with Aracelis Girmay

by Aracelis Girmay in collaboration with Aarti Monteiro & Nico Garbaccio, 826NYC

Narrative
Poetry

What lives inside a word? Find out how to trace connections between two dissimilar words with this playful Spark from award-winning poet Aracelis Girmay.