Minilessons

Forming a Focus

Help students write strong focus statements.

Forming a Thesis Statement

Focus on part of your topic.

Forming Pronouns: Possessives and Contractions

Teach possessives and contractions.

Freewriting for Writing Topics

Have students freewrite for topic ideas.

Guarding Against Confirmation Bias

Read news from an unbiased point of view.

Idiom Safari

Find idioms on the Internet.

If I Were a President's Pet

Imagine being a president's pet.

If I Were President

Think about being president.

Journaling About Intuitions

Track the ways your intuitions guide your decisions.

Keeping a Learning Log

Tips for starting and maintaining a learning log.

Labeling Your Feelings

Calm your body and mind by voicing your feelings.

Learning to Say No

Help students learn refusal skills.

Literal Idioms

Use idioms literally in a sentence.

Make Abstract Ideas Concrete

Make concrete representations of abstract ideas.

Making Rhetorical Appeals

Appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos.

Malapropism Mania!

Find and fix malapropisms.

One-Month Miracles

Devise creative solutions for impossible tasks.

Performing "Systems Checks" of Your Writing

Help students self-evaluate their writing.

Performing a Stop 'n' Write

Pause and reflect on your reading or learning.

Pun-ishing Idioms

Create puns using literal idioms.