Welcome to a new year!
A new year is time for new plans, new goals, and new ideas.
It is also a time for second chances.
So, let’s talk about failures.
Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph (forerunner of the record player), the light bulb, and the movie camera, was told in school that he was “too stupid to learn anything.”
Walt Disney, according to the newspaper editor who fired him,
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Summertime! The key word here is “enjoy.” Enjoy these fun and thought-provoking prompts and writing ideas. Enjoy their summery-ness. And enjoy that your 5th – 12th graders are writing but you are not grading!
There are six prompts and prompt bundles waiting for your children and one article for you.
Ready? Let’s go . . .
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Take a break from grading and give your 5th-12th grade students some fun, summer-themed topics to write about.
There are five for your students and one article for you. It’s all about practical, real-life experiences you can turn into writing events.
Here goes . . .
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SHARON’S BLOG
Are you a homebody or do you love to gallivant? To gallivant is to travel, wander, or globetrot. Does that sound like you?
Whatever you happen to be, you can use these 16 writing prompts to become an armchair traveler and see the world right from where you are. You might even be inspired to plan a real-life trip!
Suitable for 5th – 12th graders.
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You are familiar with Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel or “Ted”) through his popular stories such as Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Cat in the Hat. But did you know that he used to write very different kinds of literature? Read on to find out!
Below you’ll find 5 writing prompts to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s accomplishments.
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Ray Bradbury, author of Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451, was born August 22, 1920.
Though he’s been gone for a few years, we still celebrate this man who helped make science-fiction the respected genre it is today.
Many years ago, Ray Bradbury wrote the short story “The Veldt” with an intriguing kids’ bedroom in it. Before these were even invented in the real world, flat-screen TVs were embedded in the four walls of this bedroom so the children could have experiences and feel what was going on.
When the dad, George Hadley, steps into his children’s room one day, he sees two people on the screens. This is what he encounters in the walls’ African plains.
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How many times have you had to write a letter of condolence? Unfortunately, your teens and students will have to write some in their lifetimes.
Your teens will have friends or family members who experience losses in their lives. Maybe their friends will be in an accident or will have to leave all of their friends behind to move to another city. Perhaps someone close to their friends will die, and your teens will want to make a connection to acknowledge the loss.
But how do they begin? How do they know what to say?
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Help your students gain a perspective on history with our bundle of writing prompts for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
What does he share with Apostle Paul? Did he advocate the use of violence? And what was his original name?
Use these five prompts on Martin Luther King Jr. to spark an interest in this important historical figure and his life.
Suitable for students in grades 5 – 12.
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In this week’s post, you’ll find a mini lesson explaining what goes into a how-to or process essay, and you can download a printable evaluation form you can use to grade your 7th-12th graders.
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SHARON’S BLOG
Do your children and teens wish they could communicate better with the special people in their lives? Sometimes it’s hard to talk or to come up with something brilliant to say. Other times they may have trouble connecting with family members.
At this time of year, they may be wondering what to give that special family member or friend. But do they know that once in a while, the family member doesn’t want a new item? What they really would value is something personal from your child.
The following pages allow your children and teens to jot down their thoughts and ideas and then share them with others. Their gift now becomes personal and meaningful.
Each prompt comes with a free, colorful page you can print out for them and they can write on. Collect them all and begin a journal, if you wish. If your children plan to give them as gifts, they can give certain pages as presents or gather all the pages into one gift.
These prompts are suitable for people in grades 5 – 12.
Ready? Let’s do this . . .
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