The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELA

We know employers want creative thinkers. We know creative thinking is necessary to solve the problems we see everywhere in our world. We know we want our students to learn to be more creative.  But what does that mean exactly? Where does the science of creativity meet the cultural definition we all build for ourselves just by swimming in the 21st century stream? My guest today is Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle. Let me share her bio with you: "With more than 25 years as a scientist studying creativity, Zorana brings insights into the nature of the creative process, from the first decision to engage with new ideas to its culmination in creative performances and products. She is a scientist at Yale University, author, and speaker. Zorana's work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, ArtNet, US News, Education Week, Science Daily, El Pais, and others, and she is a regular contributor to Psychology Today and Creativity Post.” Today, we’re talking about how science defines creativity, and how research shows us we can guide our students - and ourselves - to develop more creative confidence. You’ll learn what’s important in designing your space, launching and building creative units,  speaking with students about the hurdles that get in their path, and assessing creative work in a way that’s meaningful for student development along the way, not just at the end. Honestly, I started Zorana’s book, The Creativity Choice, searching for everything I could find to help me understand classroom creativity better. But I finished with fresh ideas not only for constructing curriculum and classroom spaces, but also for how I tackle projects, run my company, and talk to my own children about their ideas. Explore Zorana's Website: https://www.zorana-ivcevic-pringle.com/ Zorana’s Substack: https://creativitydecision.substack.com/

When it comes to teaching grammar, the research is clear. Drill and kill is not what we're looking for. You don't want to march through a series of grammar lessons unrelated to your students' writing and reading. Here's what NCTE's "Resolution on Grammar Exercises to Teach Speaking and Writing" has to say about it: "This resolution was prompted by the continuing use of repetitive grammar drills and exercises in the teaching of English in many schools. Proposers pointed out that ample evidence from 50 years of research has shown that the teaching of grammar in isolation does not lead to improvement in students’ speaking and writing, and that, in fact, it hinders the development of students’ oral and written language. Be it therefore resolved, that the National Council of Teachers of English affirm the position that the use of isolated grammar and usage exercises not supported by theory and research is a deterrent to the improvement of students’ speaking and writing and that, in order to improve both of these, class time at all levels must be devoted to opportunities for meaningful listening, speaking, reading, and writing; and that NCTE urge the discontinuance of testing practices that encourage the teaching of grammar rather than English language arts instruction." So how can we teach students about writer's craft moves, and the rich palette of options that grammar provides them in making meaning? Well, that's our subject for today's "Plan My Lesson" episode. I received several requests for lessons to make grammar more fun, so today we're talking about ideas for making grammar moments more effective AND more interesting when it comes to lesson planning. You won't find any multiple-choice here, but you will find ideas you could try weaving into your lessons, regardless of where your students are in their writing journey. Sources Mentioned: Deborah Dean's "Grammar for Writing" Post at NCTE NCTE's Resolution on Grammar Exercises to teach Speaking and Writing Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Snag three free weeks of community-building attendance question slides Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

Think of your favorite book.  Now think of your favorite food.  Now match those two together - your favorite book and your favorite food - into some kind of experience. Maybe you've slipped into the world of the book and you're eating your favorite food with your favorite characters. Are you smiling yet? Today's "Plan my Lesson" episode is all about launching your first literary food truck festival. I recently got a note from a teacher who had listened to our episode during the pandemic about hosting an online literary food truck festival, but she really wanted to hear about how to run one in person. Challenge, accepted. Let's talk about a project that's a perfect add for summer reading books, book club units, choice reading finales, or even whole class novels. I've even heard from a professor who used the project for a Greek Chariot Festival to explore Greek myths (so cool!) and a teacher who used it for short stories (a great option if you're looking for a speed-version). The literary food truck festival is just plain and simply memorable literary analysis fun, and I've just spent a dozen or so hours completely updating and expanding this free resource for you (grab it below), so let's walk through how to use it this year! Grab the Free Curriculum for this Project: https://sparkcreativity.kartra.com/page/literaryfoodtrucks See Photos of this Project in Action in other Classrooms: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2020/01/literary-food-truck-festivals-photo-tour.html  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Get my popular free hexagonal thinking digital toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

Have you been hooked by the idea of book clubs lately? Wondering how you can integrate book clubs with essential questions, supplementary short stories and podcasts, and everything else you're up to? Then today's episode is for you. Today's "Plan my Lesson" request comes from a creative teacher trying to blend a lot of wonderful things into her new plan for the year. Here's what she writes: "Hi, Betsy! I am a huge fan and avid listener! As a teacher who is nearing retirement, I found myself in a slump. You’ve been an inspiration! I have completely changed my curriculum for next year (we are mid-process in curriculum writing). For the first time, all of my classes are completely novel-based using lit circles. I have selected five titles for students to choose from each quarter, with plans to supplement like crazy with nonfiction pieces, TED talks, podcasts, etc. I have created an overarching essential question for each semester to tie all the pieces together. It’s a bit overwhelming, but I am super excited to get started! Any ideas you have specific to lit circles would be much appreciated! And if I can figure out a way to intertwine genius hour, I would be thrilled 😊" So today we're diving into this wonderful creative planning process. We'll start by looking at a big picture structure that can help support all these wonderful pieces while creating consistency throughout the term, then dive into a single day in the life lesson for balancing all of these elements. Book Club Warm-Up Examples:   Book Club Activity Examples:  Genius Hour Curriculum Examples: Tune in to episode 291, "When Genius Hour Works:" https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2024/04/when-genius-hour-works.html    Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

Today's request for "Plan My Lesson" is from a teacher searching for a first week project that helps students get to know each other AND introduces a few key skills along the way. Perhaps you can relate? Here's what she writes: "It’s time to switch up the first project I do in English 10… For the last few years I’ve had the kiddos research their first name, practicing basic research skills, as well as us getting to know them and them doing some self exploration. I want a similar caliber project, but on a different topic." So our goal for the lesson is to introduce key elements for a project that will give students a chance to share something important to them as you build community, learn and practice basic research skills, and get them adjusted to a key platform (in my opinion) for the school year, Canva. As usual, it's a struggle for me to pack it all into one lesson, so feel free to spread this over several depending on how much time you have in your period! Take the Free Canva Confidence Mini-Course: https://sparkcreativity.kartra.com/page/getCanvaconfidence  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

If there's one thing I want for your first day of school, it's for the pressure to be off you. You've got enough to worry about without needing to pull off a 45 minute lecture that magically holds students' attention before they even know you five times in a row. That's why for this lesson, requested for our summer "Plan my Lesson" series, our goal will be to hit all the day-one must-dos while also building community and keeping things engaging and low-stress. This is your chance to start connecting with your students and helping them feel comfortable in your classroom, while at the same time showing them what your class is going to be like. Grab the Syllabus Templates: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/free-syllabus-templates  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Snag three free weeks of community-building attendance question slides Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

A summer reading lesson is a nice chance to start off the year with a creative tone, while creating some of the norms you want to establish. For today's "Plan my Lesson" series episode, I'm answering requests from two different teachers in search of a back-to-school lesson on summer reading. One teacher's class will have read Scythe, another's The Hunger Games. Both are interested in reviewing the basics of literature as a springboard into the year. So how can we capture students' interest, review some key basics, like symbol, theme, and the hero's journey, give students a chance to show their understanding of the text, and establish a positive, creative tone for the year in a class period? Let's give it a shot together. One of my teacher requesters today is teaching on a block schedule, so we're going to go ahead and plan a longer period. If you're NOT teaching on a block schedule, feel free to split this plan over two class periods. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

Students need to be able to make a great argument to find success at school, and in many professions. They need to come up with an idea, find evidence, analyze their evidence, and tie it all together with a well-written bow. Thus, for many decades, students have written essays. We've taught them to write thesis statements, organizing sentences, transitions, topic sentences, and conclusions. We've taught them how to punctuate their quotations and how to analyze them. We've typed up fixes for common errors, guided peer editing workshops, created revision stations, and so much more to help them write better essays. Then they go home. And so often they just don't see the relevance of their essays to their lives. They see argument all around them - in the children's books they read their little siblings, the political ads on Youtube, Instagram carousels on big issues, polarized podcasts playing in the background of their lives, infographics hither and yon, Tik-Tok videos trying to convince them to dump their gummy bears in Sprite and stick it in the freezer, and in a million other places. So what if, mixed in with our essays, we pushed students to NOTICE how argument surrounds them. To learn from new ways ideas are shared and supported, outside the traditional essay sphere. Today’s request for this summer's “Plan My Lesson” series comes from a teacher looking for ways to practice argument that don't revolve around an essay. This is a fun one for me, because I've designed SO many projects like this. But it's also challenging, because I've designed so many projects around this! I'd like to give you about 50 ways to practice argument without an essay, and I probably could. We could get into designing literary food trucks and arguing for each detail as a reflection of the book, hexagonal thinking for argument, designing infographics, recording podcasts, holding mock trials, creating visual research carousels to argue for an issue, real-world quick prompts with real-world audiences, argument one-pagers... honestly, there are so many ways to go. But we've covered a lot of this on the pod already, and we have just ONE class period to plan here. So instead of diving back into one of these topics, let's explore a new one - using children's books to search out fresh craft moves when it comes to argument. Today we'll explore one lesson in which students see how an author can combine visuals, humor, argument, and counterargument to make a clear, persuasive case on an issue. Sure, to children. But the same rules could apply for any argument! After exploring some fabulous mentor texts, students will try it out for themselves, focusing on the hesitations of their audience (or in other words, counterargument). Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Snag three free weeks of community-building attendance question slides Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

There's a lot of conversation happening lately around student reading stamina. Rose Horowitch's Atlantic article, "The Elite College Students who Can't Read Books," helped stir the pot. I'm sure you've seen evidence of the same issues she brings up - that students are struggling to stay focused through books, and often come to you having read a lot of excerpts and short pieces rather than full novels. Test-prep, phone culture, COVID - there are all kinds of reasons, but the bottom line for you as a teacher is, what can you do about it? Today's request for our new "Plan My Lesson" series comes from a teacher looking for ways to help her students build their reading stamina. She's wondering how she can help her students work toward longer reads and more of 'em. Perhaps you're wondering the same? This is a big question, and we're just planning one lesson. But let's zoom in on a snapshot of a class that could help students move toward longer, more-engaged reading sessions. We'll start, like The Odyssey, in medias res. Related Links: Episode 196: How Caitlin's Verse Novel Book Clubs Engaged Seniors 'Til the End: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2023/06/how-caitlins-verse-novel-book-clubs-engaged-seniors-til-the-end.html How to Host a Book Tasting: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2019/03/how-to-host-book-tasting-free-resource.html  Episode 204: Students Need Diverse Texts and Choice, with Dr. Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica and Dr. Allison Briceño: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2023/07/students-need-diverse-texts-and-choice-heres-help.html  The Dos and Don'ts of Donors Choose: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2019/01/the-dos-and-donts-of-donors-choose-for.html  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

Ken Liu's short story, "The Paper Menagerie," is an easy and powerful add to your curriculum. Not only does it explore family relationships, The American Dream, and identity (themes you can easily connect to other texts as you build units), it introduces - briefly, painfully, powerfully - China's Cultural Revolution. I'll admit I've never studied the history of communism in China with much depth until recently. In college, I took a Socialist-Realist literature course that kicked off a life-long interest in how people are influenced by propaganda for me. Later, I lived in Bulgaria after the fall of communism there and my interest only increased as I taught 1984 to students whose families had lived through Communism. I visited Memento Park in Budapest, home to dozens of Communist sculptures and a terrifying video exhibit about the way the government watched its citizens. I visited the Museum of Communism in Prague, which walks visitors through daily life under communism as well as showing its frightening extremes. I moved to Slovakia, where I listened to my son's best friend's father tell me how wonderful aspects of life under Communism had been years before in the very neighborhood where our family was living. Yet despite my interest in learning about Communism and propaganda, it was Ken Liu who first made me pay attention to The Cultural Revolution. When his main character reads a letter from his mother about her life in China before she escaped to The United States as a bride in a catalogue, it woke me up dramatically. None of the other books I'd ever read throughout so many years of studying and then teaching English had ever really explored this huge event in world history. I thought of the story immediately when a teacher wrote in with her request for our new "Plan My Lesson" series, asking for a bridge to help her students prepare to read Red Scarf Girl, A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution. Since then I've dipped into Red Scarf Girl (until I got so sad I had to take a break) and done a deep dive into The New York Times' exploration of The Cultural Revolution, including three particularly striking stories: one in which a small local museum remembering victims of the Cultural Revolution was wrapped in propaganda posters, one featuring memories of folks who were students in China during the Cultural Revolution (like the narrator of Red Scarf Girl), and one about current president of China's Xi Jinping's experience as a middle schooler during the Cultural Revolution. But knowing many classrooms wouldn't have access to The New York Times, I continued into resources on the BBC and Crash Course, the Asian Society and Getty Images, which I eventually built into today's curriculum. Today, I'm going to walk you through a lesson on "The Paper Menagerie" that you can use on its own, or as a transition toward Red Scarf Girl. Our goal is to help students build some understanding of The Cultural Revolution at the same time that they explore related literature. To be honest, I really fell down the rabbit hole on this one, and could easily now spend a month building curriculum around how we know what is true, how propaganda wields influence, the cultural revolution, Ken Liu's short story, and Red Scarf Girl. And because the history surrounding these stories is so painful, and the repercussions so very real in our world, it's hard not to feel a tremendous responsibility for students to explore these questions and texts. But at the moment, we're talking about one short lesson period - probably about 38 minutes of available time. So let's focus on that, starting now. Grab your copy of the agenda and webquest curriculum: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HSG6g7-a1U_j5y1ceh7jMGA_Q3pJFn-hatKW2aRYolY/copy  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Grab the free Better Discussions toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

It’s a rare curriculum book that inspires NO negative comments. Ever. To hear, month after month, year after year, that a certain book turns kids into readers, ignites interest and discussion in class, hooks unengaged students like nothing else has.  Long Way Down is one such book. It’s a fast read, a novel-in-verse, by the former U.S. Ambassador for Youth Literature, Jason Reynolds. In my opinion it’s perfect for 9th and 10th graders, but really, there’s a lot there for students of any age. It tells the tale of Will Holloman, a teenager trapped in a cycle of violence by “The Rules” of his neighborhood - No Crying, No Snitching, Get Revenge. He’s watched every man in his life fall to gun violence because of the rules, and now that his brother has been killed, the rules are set to snare him. Until he steps onto a very unexpected elevator ride. In today’s episode of “Plan My Lesson,” we’ll be planning a class period focused on the dialogue between Long Way Down, the novel-in-verse, and Long Way Down, the graphic novel. This week's request comes from an educator teaching a new graphic narratives course - which, by the way, sounds amazing. She’d like help crafting a lesson that guides students in comparing the two texts side-by-side, so that’s what we’re going to do! Whether you teach a version of Long Way Down,  a different text that’s been translated into a graphic novel, any other graphic novel, or even none of the above, I think you’ll find new ideas for your lesson planning today. After we walk through the lesson itself, we’ll be talking about helpful takeaways from designing THIS lesson that you can apply to designing ANY lesson, so be sure to stay tuned to the end. Grab the free Long Way Down lesson plan curriculum set here: https://sparkcreativity.kartra.com/page/1Eq309 Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

Trevor Noah's Born a Crime is trending, and for good reason. I'm seeing the evidence everywhere. This spring, as I ran our curriculum book choice tournament across the high school levels and hundreds of teachers weighed in, I watched it soar to the finals in BOTH the 9th/10th category and the 11th/12th category. Then, as summer began and I opened up this new podcast series, "Plan My Lesson" (which starts today, right now), I immediately received three separate requests for Born a Crime lessons. Naturally, with this book soaring in popularity but new to the scene, there isn't that much out there being shared yet. One teacher was searching for ways to get students connecting the text to the 5 key themes of the I.B. curriculum (identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet). Another teacher was planning to use it as an anchor for a memoir class, and still another wanted to help students identity rhetorical devices inside while also developing their question-asking skills and connecting key moments in the text with argument claims. Is it possible to fulfill all these needs with one lesson? I think so. What we want is an in-depth lesson on a section of Trevor Noah's Born a Crime, with a focus on connecting its big ideas to big ideas in our world today and in students' own lives, exploring text passages carefully along the way for writer's craft moves and theme development. And of course, we want it to be engaging. And fit neatly in one class period. So today, in the first of our summer "Plan My Lesson" series of podcasts, let's dive into planning an engaging, goal-fulfilling lesson for Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. Whether or not you're teaching this book, you'll find lots of ideas for lesson planning here. After we walk through the lesson itself, we'll be talking about helpful takeaways from designing THIS lesson that you can apply to designing ANY lesson, so be sure to stay tuned to the end. I'll also be telling you how to grab all the curriculum for this lesson totally free. So let's dive in! Grab all the materials for today's lesson free here: https://sparkcreativity.kartra.com/page/bornacrimelesson  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

I never met a short story I liked back in high school. If I was going to read, I wanted to READ. I wanted to get caught up in the plot, get to know the characters, inhabit the action, spend some time in another world. I certainly didn't want to finish half an hour after I began. No matter how lovely the language or innovative the miniature plot. My eyes just drifted over short story sections at bookstores and libraries like they weren't there, and I honestly can't remember the name of a single story I read in high school that has stayed with me. I know, I know, I should start my podcast with a more chipper intro. But here's the thing - I've got a new take on the world of short stories. Yes, I could talk to you about the stunning language of Hemingway short stories I discovered in grad school. (Here's looking at you, "Hills like White Elephants"). Or I could share Ursula LeGuin's unique Giver-in-miniature, Those Who Walk Away from Omelas (though you might have a little trouble keeping everyone serious during the paragraph about orgies). I could even dig into Poe, that intriguingly murky figure, with his loveably creepy Raven, and how well he lends himself to escape rooms. But I've shared about popular classic short stories before. And reviewed popular contemporary collections for teens too. Even given you a walkthrough of designing an escape room for Poe. Today, my aim is a bit different. As Camp Creative: Your Shiny New Short Story Toolbox, my summer Pd session gets closer (you can join us free here), I've been thinking a lot about different takes on the short story. Flash stories, audio stories, verse stories, graphic stories, multigenre stories. What if we added THESE to our short story toolbox? Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Grab the free Better Discussions toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!     

Last year, at this time, I was preparing to move from Bratislava to California when I released the episode we’re revisiting today, all about the easiest way to approach the last day in ELA. And it turned out to be the most popular episode I’ve ever released, with more than 25,000 teachers tuning in. So it seems only fitting that as the end of the year approaches once again, and my life is ONCE AGAIN in boxes, preparing for our move on Thursday for a very new and exciting job for my husband in the Midwest, I would share this episode one more time. I hope it will make your last day of school a fun, creative, LOW-STRESS day that gives you a chance to say goodbye to your kiddos in a way that feels meaningful and relaxed.  Lighthouse members, you'll find the last day stations in your seasonal section under "Spring."  For folks in search of my version of these stations on TPT, here they are: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Last-Day-of-School-Stations-for-ELA-13423108 Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Snag three free weeks of community-building attendance question slides Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

A few engaging review activities for ELA come in handy around this time of year, as the calendar takes over and students pop off to random awards ceremonies, spirit events, and slideshows. Sometimes you see them for one day in a row, sometimes two, but getting in a groove is definitely a challenge! So, in case you're in search of creative review activities that will get students looking back over all that they've learned before a final project or exam, or just before heading off into the summer horizon, here are six. I'm going to base them on a fun review choice board I made for The Lighthouse seasonal section. So, Lighthouse members, be sure to snag it if you like the sound of all this! And if you're not in The Lighthouse yet, it will be opening up in June for new folks, so be sure you're on my email list so you don't miss the invitation. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Get my popular free hexagonal thinking digital toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

When it comes to evidence in their argument papers, students have a tendency to mic drop way too soon. "Here's my evidence, BOOOOOOOM!" you can almost hear them saying. Because right after the evidence, they move on. Oops. That's not what we want, and I bet you've written "be sure to analyze this evidence and explain how it proves your point" a few (hundred) times. So what do we do? How do we make the idea MEMORABLE that students must analyze their evidence before moving on? There are a lot of helpful tricks and acronyms floating around out there - the quotation burger, "R.A.C.E." and "P.E.E." for example. And I think those are helpful bases from which to build. But this week on the pod, I want to try a humorous, real-world twist that can complement any of these. Something I hope will be memorable for your students. Something you can reference with a laugh and keep students interested. Meet Mr. Skeptical. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

Sure, there's no one right way to write an argument paper. It can be three paragraphs, nine, or even seventeen. It can be loaded with research. It can be full of voice and personal anecdotes. It can be intensely academic, with a formal objective perspective and thirty-two sources cited with MLA. We want our students to understand the rich palette of tools available to them, and mentor texts, varied writing assignments, and encouragement to try new things are all so important. But so is a place to start. Just as I think the 5 paragraph essay isn't dead, because we need it sometimes for skill foundations, I think a clear and simple formula for introductions can be really helpful for students who are struggling to write and organize a coherent argument. Honestly, it's the base I used for my English papers through my B.A. AND M.A. in English literature, and the one I made sure all my students knew how to use when they needed it. It's the foundation for more complex options. So today, I'm going to talk you through it. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Get my popular free hexagonal thinking digital toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

I have to admit my kids have got me fully invested in "Is it Cake?" At some point in England last year, someone begged for us to watch the show while we ate green pesto pasta on the couch after a long day of hiking in the New Forest, and I said sure. It was the beginning of our "Is it Cake?" era. We've gasped, we've squinted, we've cheered. We all love trying to tell which one is a purse and which one is a cake, and we've all exclaimed in SHOCK over those cake-based faux-leather laces. All of which is not really an ad for the show, but just my introduction for today's idea for gamifying the study of thesis statements. Because you guessed it, we're all about to ask ourselves... IS IT A THESIS? Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Grab the free Better Discussions toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

I miss the Eras tour. Even though it hasn't been that long. My daughter is requesting Wicked songs and Katy Perry in the car all of a sudden, instead of our usual Taylor Swift-a-thon. But I haven't forgotten the joys of the Swiftiverse. And today I want to share a prompt you could use with any poem, short story, or novel that comes from Taylor's music, specifically her approach to bridges. Links Mentioned: Watch "Diary of a Song" from The New York Times about Taylor Swift's Song "Lover" (the key section begins at 6:52): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEeWmItgdxA  Read "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu: https://gizmodo.com/read-ken-lius-amazing-story-that-swept-the-hugo-nebula-5958919  Short Story Unit for "The Paper Menagerie": https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Short-Story-Unit-for-The-Paper-Menagerie-13421406  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Snag three free weeks of community-building attendance question slides Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

It's poetry month, and that means it's time for me to share as many poetry activities, poetry projects, and poetry workshops as I can muster over here! Today, I'm going to walk you through a toolkit of creative poetry options for your ELA classroom.  We'll start with one of my favorite introductory activities for any poetry unit, poetry collage, and then go full steam ahead through poetry one-pagers, blackout poetry, great performances and verse texts, I am From poems, a colorful poetry annotation activity, and more! Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Snag three free weeks of community-building attendance question slides Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!