For the Love of Narnia and Middle Earth

For the Love of Narnia and Middle Earth


SHARON’S BLOG
Narnia and Middle Earth—what delightfully intriguing places to visit!

Enjoy this compilation of activities involving C. S. Lewis’s Narnia and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

Suitable for anyone who is old enough to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, other Narnia tales, The Hobbit, or The Lord of the Rings.

Your students haven’t read those books? No problem. Many of the prompts and tutorials below are freestanding and don’t need the original books.

Ready? Put on your magic rings! (more…)

Olympic Fun

Olympic Fun


SHARON’S BLOG
Involve your students in the excitement and issues surrounding the Winter Olympics with these six fun prompts and two bonus ones.

What would the Olympics look like in the Middle Ages? In Ancient Roman times? What new sporting event will your students cook up? Should countries and their athletes be banned? And what kind of music could athletes compete to or be inspired by?

Don’t miss the extra links to more sporting fun at the bottom of this post!

Designed for grades 5-12.

Ready? (more…)

7 Quotations to Ponder

7 Quotations to Ponder


SHARON’S BLOG

Quotations are rich wells in which to dip our pens. Give your 7th – 12th graders something to ponder with these intriguing, thought-provoking quotations. Most of these quotations come from famous people and are accompanied by more than one writing prompt, so your students have many options open to them.

Opinions are the easiest paragraphs and essays to write, and your students have loads of opinions. Let them organize their thoughts and write some opinions based on any of the following quotations.

Dig in! (more…)

What Is Your Theory of Happiness?

What Is Your Theory of Happiness?


SHARON’S BLOG

Would any of your sentences ever sell for $1.56 million? That’s what happened recently with Albert Einstein’s one-sentence “Theory of Happiness.”

The story, according to USA TODAY, is that Einstein was visiting Japan to receive his Nobel Prize in physics in 1922 when he did not have enough money to tip a messenger. What did he do?

He wrote down one sentence and signed it, saying that it would be worth a lot of money someday. Looks like he was right! (more…)

Intro to Writing, Part 7: Introductions and Conclusions

Intro to Writing, Part 7: Introductions and Conclusions


SHARON’S BLOG

Get a writing assignment. Look at a blank piece of paper for hours. Cry.

Is this what happens with your students?

No need for weeping. In this week’s Intro to Writing, your students will learn what ingredients to put into their introductions and conclusions. In addition, they will grade other students’ work and then write their own effective introduction and conclusion.

If you have been following along with the Intro to Writing tutorials on Writing with Sharon Watson, you likely have noticed something weird. (more…)