Students watch a short video about Erdrich's love of books and write their own memory piece.
Celebrate Louise Erdrich's birthday today.
Sandra Cisneros was born today in 1954.
Students choose a small aspect of their lives to develop into a story, poem, or brief essay inspired by Cisneros' work.
Labor Day honors the labor movement in the United States.
Marked by parades, picnics, and other celebrations, Labor Day is a time set aside to recognize the achievements of the American labor movement and the dignity in all work.
Constitution Day is observed today in the U.S.
Students explore an annotated online version of the Constitution before sharing what they learned about one aspect of the document through the Trading Card interactive.
Jon Scieszka was born in 1954.
Students review Scieszka's tips for encouraging young people to read and then create their own, sharing ideas with adults in their community through a letter.
Frederick Douglass began publication of The North Star today in 1847.
Students read and discuss an editorial written by Frederick Douglass and then write the opening editorial for a contemporary publication devoted to a social cause important to them.
Celebrate the 100th day of school!
As a class, students work in small groups to create a "100th Day" book.
Groundhog Day is February 2.
A celebration is held for Groundhog day where students engage in a shadow-watching activity, make predictions, and listen to news reports to compare what happens with Punxsutawney Phil.
César Chávez was born on this day in 1927.
Students work in small groups to research a civil rights leader and do a creative writing piece, followed by a short story, with their group.
Today, the American Library Association announces its annual book award winners.
Students research different awards given by the ALA and do an activity based on one of the awards.
Scotland Yard was established this day in 1829.
Students explore the resources on the Scotland Yard website and compare the advice given to London's citizens to the advice available from the local police department.
Celebrate International Literacy Day!
Celebrate International Literacy Day by starting a literacy movement in your community.
In 1952, Paul Fleischman was born on this day.
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.
Acting Out with Mother Goose
Act out a story after reading it. Work together to create a script and make costumes and props. Then invite others to watch and hear your story!
Watching a Garden Grow
When you plant a garden, involve children in the process by writing down questions and observations on the garden's growth in a garden journal.
Learning Your Address and Phone Number
Children will learn their address and phone number to help keep them safe.
Telling My Story: Make a Bio-Cube
Let children explore an interesting subject—themselves. An online tool will teach them to summarize and organize information as they write.
Learn About Staying Safe
Share a fun book about staying safe and then talk about real-life safety issues before writing a letter to someone in your community who can help.
Blog About Courage Using Photos
Engage teens in this activity in which they use photographs to examine and write about courage on a blog.
MyTube: Make a Video Public Service Announcement
Invite teens to explore issues that are important to them, and then write a script and film a video public service announcement.