Hobbit Day

Happy Hobbit Day!

Did you know that September 22 is officially Hobbit Day and the beginning of Tolkien Week? You can read more about it here and here and here.

To celebrate, let’s explore the hero’s journey, an essential type of plot.

The call

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien is basically a hero’s journey plot. Is the lowly Bilbo a hero when we first meet him? Not really. But through testing and troubles, and by fights against giant spiders, a dragon, and miserable dwarves, he becomes a hero.

One important phase of the hero’s journey plot is

What Failures Will You Turn into Successes This Year?

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

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.

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,

Summertime Bundle 2

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 . . .

Summertime Bundle 1

SHARON’S BLOG

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 . . .

16 Travel-Writing Prompts

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.

Writing Prompts to Celebrate Dr. Seuss

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.

Happy Birthday, Ray Bradbury!

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

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.

“I Am Sorry for Your Loss” Tutorial

How to Write a Letter of Condolence

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?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Writing Prompts Bundle

SHARON’S BLOG

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.

Use This Evaluation Form for Your Student’s How-to Essay

SHARON’S BLOG

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.