Language Arts

Multiple Perspectives: Right And Wrong At The Same Time?

It's essential to teach our students to think flexibly and consider multiple points of view. Flexible thinking leads to product innovation, diplomacy between nations, and advances in science. School, however, often encourages students to settle into a "one right answer" mindset.

What Influences A Character’s Traits?

To add depth to character analysis, let's look beyond a character's traits and dig into what influenced them to have those traits.

A Remix Library

A list of stories inspired by older stories to teach your students about the history of reusing ideas.

Compare and Contrast Movie Trailers Over Time

Here's a movie made in 1977, and its trailer is barely watchable! In fact, it almost made me not want to watch Star Wars, a movie I know almost by heart. Perhaps we're onto something interesting for our students to analyze.

Exploring Characters’ Virtues and Vices

What separates a life well-lived from a poorly lived life? Aristotle believed it was moderation: too much of good thing can become just as much of a problem as too little. Looking at traits as excessive, moderate, or lacking is a unique take on character analysis.

Concept Attainment: A Model for Inductive Thinking

The first grammar lesson in our reading program is titled "types of sentences." Nothing excites gifted 11 year olds less than watching me explain the difference between interrogative and declarative sentences. This year, rather than teach the lesson using direct instruction, I used another model of instruction: concept attainment.

Over-Scaffolding Writing

Here's what happens when we make a scaffold the final product.

Tweaks To A Character Study

A teacher sent me a sequence of questions about the story My Father’s Dragon. Based on what you’ve read so far, what is one word you could use to describe Elmer? What from the story made you choose this word? Think of other books you’ve read. What character from another story you know is similar […]

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