The United States celebrates Memorial Day, a day to remember the men and women in the armed services who have given their lives for our country.
The late General Colin Powell wrote of the granite Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D. C., “At no other battle monument are people so moved, stenciling names and leaving gifts like combat boots, uniforms, sonograms, even a
Read More
Happy Mother’s Day to you. You are so special and are doing such important work!
To honor you, I’m making available to you a free lesson from our grammar eBook Let’s Eat Fifi. There are 23 lessons in the eBook, and this is lesson 3; it’s on commas and compound sentences. The lesson includes a colorful infographic and ANSWERS. You can download it here. For free!
In addition to the free download, I’ve included four mother-related writing prompts for your students. These are appropriate for grades 5 – 12.
True story: The lily at the top of this page is from my daughter. She gave it to me for Mother’s Day about 11 years ago, and it blooms every August. In fact, it’s now an annual tradition to take my granddaughters’ pictures next to it.
*****
Read More
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.
Read More
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 . . .
Read More
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.
Read More
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 . . .
Read More
We want our students and our children to develop attitudes of gratefulness, to say thank you without being prompted, and to appreciate any worldly goods and advantages they have.
Use these four Thanksgiving prompts to get them thinking about their blessings and how they can bless others.
Read More
Celebrate the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics with us, happening in 2021. Here are three prompts and one BONUS prompt for your 5th-12th graders to enjoy as the festivities get underway! Some are light and fun. Others involve controversies and get your students thinking. Be sure to download the colorful worksheet in #1.
On your mark . . . get set . . .
*****
You’re packing to go to Tokyo, Japan, for the 2020 Summer Olympics (that are taking place in 2021), but you can pack only 26 things. It’s a good thing there are 26 letters in the alphabet because you are going to pack one item for every letter in it. What will you pack that begins with “A”? With “B”? With “Z”???
Download this colorful worksheet to help you pack. >>
Read More
SHARON’S BLOG
Do your students ever have a hard time knowing what to say to people? Is small talk difficult? Is it easier for them to turn to an electronic device than to a real person?
Join us this week as we explore conversation starters, small talk, and communication.
Great for students in grades 5-12.
To print these prompts, click the Print icon at the bottom of this page.
Read More
SHARON’S BLOG
Let’s use a quote from Confucius and a passage from Proverbs to get your students thinking about wisdom.
In this bundle of writing prompts centered around wisdom, your students will encounter these types of writing: opinion, personification, parallel construction, definition, and more.
These prompts are just right for students in grades 5 – 12.
So, what did Confucius have to say about wisdom? And do your students agree with him?
Read More
