Some of Fleishman's memories in his essay "My House of Voices" are shared with the class. Students then write a descriptive essay that gives a tour of the voices in their homes, school, etc.

Use shape and theme poems, or poems that look like the things they describe, as a fun way to introduce children to poetry.

Use the online Trading Card Creator tool to have children make cards describing their favorite characters from the books on their reading list.

Boost vocabulary by taking an imaginary trip into space. After a lunar "landing," children return to Earth with a galaxy of new words.

Help children use favorite photos to write a homemade memory book.

With a piece of paper and a pen, kids can learn anywhere! This activity gets kids writing, looking closely at letters, and learning some new words in any room of the house.

After reading about historical figures and other important people that have changed the world, children choose someone that they consider to be "amazing"—either someone they've heard about or someone they know—and create a book page that highlights this person.

Kids learn about weather sayings throughout history while writing and illustrating a book for younger children.

Brainstorm popular expressions with friends and family, then explore their meanings through game play and writing/drawing/cut-and-paste activities.

Create a treasure hunt out of word-puzzle clues hidden around the home or yard.

Children incorporate materials from outdoors with paints or crayons to create pieces of art to display on their clotheslines, fences, or porches for a neighborhood art show.

Using a variety of artifacts, mementos, and technologies, teens can create an electronic scrapbook of their most important moments in high school.

Students brainstorm all the various aspects of Latinx culture and compile topics to research. Groups then research topics and present their information to the class.

Students read a section from On the Road that deals with cross-country travel and reflects Kerouac's unique writing style. Students then attempt to write a narrative using Kerouac's stream-of-consciousness style.

Motivate your middle school reader with books that include LGBTQ characters.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you're surrounded by brilliant shades of green! Observe and collect sensory images from nature and use the sights, sounds, smells, and textures to create original nature poetry.