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Writing Prompts Using Animals

Illustrations of animals are a great way to encourage students to write.

There are so many ways to use writing prompts in class- why not use animals? The added benefit of using animals is that the writing may be fantasy, … Read More

Writing Prompts and Writing Resources for Teachers

I’ve found two awesome websites for teachers that focus on creative writing… First, JournalBuddies run by Jill Schoenberg.

It’s an amazing website filled with over 10,000 writing ideas and journal prompts for kids, young writers, and people of all ages. … Read More

Student Radio Theater Stories Inspired by My Art!

I came across corndogart and immediately fell in love with the artwork and the possibilities that the images held.

I was honored to have my art chosen and used by the Young Writers Institute‘ in PA. M. E. Shenefiel is … Read More

“Beekle” meets Robert Sabuda’s Pop Ups!

Make fantastic pop-up books with your students using Dan Santat’s Beekle for inspiration.

Robert Sabuda is well known for his amazing pop-up books.  I wanted to use his pop-up techniques to show my students how paper may be manipulated.  But … Read More

Through the Keyhole Lesson- My Most Popular Writing Prompt

Teaching students to make inferences is a core component of thinking critically.  Using visual writing prompts encourages students to think divergently, and when given time to look and think about the image, students partake in debate about the meaning of … Read More

Five Critical Thinking Websites for You and Your Students

“Kids can’t think anymore,” is something I hear quite often in teaching.  Between Common Core, governmental control over curriculum minutia, and parents who micro-manage, over-schedule and simply do too much for their kids, there is no time for children to … Read More

Use Picture Book Art to Write Your Best Story

Whether you are an artist or a writer, staring at a blank page is nerve wracking. We are all looking to be inspired and excited about our craft.  Using art- looking at it for characters, texture, setting and mood- can … Read More

Oh Noh! Japanese Masks

Express Yourself! Paper Masks Inspired by Japanese Noh Masks

This summer while researching projects for my seventh grade art class, I came across these Japanese Noh masks.  They are quite expressive and beautiful, while maintaining their simplicity.

Noh classic … Read More

Three Steps to Using Art as a Visual Writing Prompt

Knights, dragons, queens and wizards… all the making of a great story.  The illustration Knight Time utilizes all of these details- and more- to inspire creative writing.  Visual writing prompts should be dynamic and intriguing, something clip art can not … Read More

Butterfly Effect Story Starter Writing Prompt

Science and art make a perfect marriage for illustrations, especially when you make narrative art.  My latest Story Starter writing prompt illustration, I was inspired by chaos theory.

Chaos theory is fascinating- we see it every day in life, whether … Read More