For this mini-spark, we will focus on the literary device Flashback. Flashbacks in literature are when the narrator goes back in time for a specific scene or chapter in order to give more context for the story. Oftentimes, we see flashbacks in books where the past greatly impacts the present or as a way to start a story off on an interesting note.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #48: Literary Device Lesson-Flashback

2. Record this definition on your recording page- A flashback is when the author reveals something that has happened to a character prior to the time the story is taking place. In a flashback, present action in a story is temporarily interrupted so the reader can witness past events; it usually takes the form of memories, dreams, or a story within the story.

3. Watch this clip from Ratatouille where food critic, Anton Ego flashes back to his childhood. Write 2 sentence explaining the flashback.

4. Think about what Anton Ego experienced while having a flashback. Write about a time your tasted or smelled something and experienced a flashback.

Note: If you can’t think of anything, your can write about Anton’s experience in the video clip. What did we learn about in this flashback? How did it help develop his character?

5. Complete this flashback activity. You can print it or put your responses on your recording sheet.

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and flashback activity with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Blackout poetry is when you take a piece of text from a book, newspaper, or magazine and blackout words to create your very own poetry

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #47: Blackout Poetry

2. A blackout poem is when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker/Sharpie) to already established text–like in a newspaper–and starts redacting words until a poem is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a sort of visual poem. When only the chosen words are visible, a brand new story is created!  Define blackout poetry on your recording page.

3. Blackout poems can be created using the pages of old books or even articles cut from yesterday’s newspaper. Using the pages of an existing text, blackout poets isolate then piece together single words or short phrases from these texts to create lyrical masterpieces. Where can you find a page to use for a blackout poem?

4. Blackout poems, as I’m sure you can imagine, run the gamut from absurd to sublime because all of the words are already there on the page, but the randomness is all part of the fun!  We truly believe a poem lives within the words and lines of any page, and encourage you to uncover it. Creating a blackout poem involves steps that are all about deconstruction and then reconstruction.  Look up both of those words and write the meaning on your recording page. 

5. Get started on your poem. Talk with your teacher about finding a book page/newspaper/magazine page to use for this project. Gather other art supplies-pencil, markers, and so on.

Step 1: Scan (or cut out) the page or article first before reading it completely. Keep an eye out for an anchor word as you scan. An anchor word is one word on the page that stands out to you because it is packed and loaded with meaning and significance.  Starting with an anchor word is important because it helps you to imagine possible themes and topics for your poem.

Step 2: Now read the page of text in its entirety. Use a pencil to lightly circle any words that connect to the anchor word and resonate with you. Resonant words might be expressive or evocative, but for whatever reason, these are the words on the page that stick with you. Avoid circling more than three words in a row.

Step 3: List all of the circled words on a separate piece of paper. List the words in the order that they appear on the page of text from top to bottom, left to right. The words you use for the final poem will remain in this order so it doesn’t confuse the reader.

Step 4: Select words, without changing their order on the list, and piece them together to create the lines of a poem. You can eliminate parts of words, especially any endings, if it helps to keep the meaning of the poem clear. Try different possibilities for your poem before selecting the lines for your final poem. If you are stuck during this step, return back to the original page of text. The right word you are searching for could be there waiting for you.

Step 5: Return to the page of text and circle only the words you selected for the final poem.  Remember to also erase the circles around any words you will not be using.

Step 6: Add an illustration or design to the page of text that connects to your poem. Be very careful not to draw over the circled words you selected for your final poem!

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and and your poem with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Lesson idea from: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/john-depasquale/blackout-poetry/

Check out the blackout poetry badge at the EY website. You can use your poem from this mini spark as task 6 on your badge if you want!

Inside Khan’s Grade 2-10 reading & vocabulary courses, you’ll find: several units, each with a mix of practice exercises, fun and insightful video instruction, and vocabulary articles.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #45: Khan Academy Reading Course.

2. The courses are set up in units and each unit has several lessons.

3. Choose the grade level that fits you. If you need help deciding, ask your teacher to help.

• 2nd grade
• 3rd grade
• 4th grade
• 5th grade
• 6th grade
• 7th grade
• 8th grade
• 9th grade
• 10th grade

4. On your recording sheet, add the grade level you choose.

5. If you want, you can take the course challenge before you start (pre-test). When doing the course challenge, if you don’t know an answer, just click skip and move on.

6. To earn this mini spark complete at least 3 lessons. Add your lesson scores to your recording page.

7. Would you recommend this learning resource to other students? why or why not. Please record your opinion on your recording sheet.

OPTIONAL: Khan Academy also has a grammar section for you to explore.

8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and visual with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Khan Reading and Vocabulary badge on the EY website.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist in the 1950s and 1960s. He led non-violent protests to fight for the rights of all people including African Americans. He hoped that America and the world could become a colorblind society where race would not impact a person’s civil rights. He is considered one of the great orators of modern times, and his speeches still inspire many to this day.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #44: I Have a Dream

2. Add this information to your recording page

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Occupation: Civil Rights Leader
• Born: January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA
• Died: April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TN
• Best known for: Advancing the Civil Rights Movement and his “I Have a Dream” speech

3. Read about Martin Luther King, Jr. at National Geographic Kids. Add a short summary for each section to your recording sheet.

4. Read this article and add 5 details to your recording sheet.

5.  Read these Interesting Facts about Martin Luther King, Jr. On your recording sheet add 3 more facts that you found in your research.

• Dr. King was the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a national holiday.
• At the Atlanta premier of the movie Gone with the Wind, Martin sang with his church choir.
• There are over 730 streets in the United States named after Martin Luther King, Jr.
• One of his main influences was Mohandas Gandhi, who taught people to protest in a non-violent manner.
• He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• The name on his original birth certificate is Michael King. This was a mistake, however. He was supposed to be named after his father who was named for Martin Luther, the leader of the Christian reformation movement.
• He is often referred to by his initials MLK.

6. Take a quiz to see how much you learned about this great man! Record your score on your recording page.

7. OPTIONAL Read or listen to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. After reading/listening to the speech, record your thoughts on your recording page.

8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and visual with your teacher/EY coordinator.

You already know that precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the earth. It comes in many forms, like rain, sleet, and snow. Do you know what a Pensee Poem is? In this mini spark you will find out and write a poem about precipitation.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #43: Precipitation Pensee Poem

2. Read an article from Wonderopolis, “What’s the Best Thing to do on a Snow Day?”.  What do you like to do on snow days? Make a list on your recording page.

3. Click on the video to listen and read along with The Cat in the Hat to see what Sally and her brother do on a rainy day! Make a list of what these two did on the rainy day.

4. Read this article all about sleet.  Record 3 new facts on your recording page.

6. A pensee poem (pronounced pahn-say) is a 5-line, non-rhyming patterned poem that is both fun and easy to create!  Go to this site and read the instructions and the example. Use the poem generator to create your own poem. Write the finished poem to your recording page or take a screenshot of the poem. Some kids like to write more than one. That is up to you.

OPTIONAL: Add illustrations to your poem

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and poem with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Learn all about William Shakespeare, the world-famous playwright and poet in this mini spark

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #26: Shakespeare.

2. Read this post about William Shakespeare at National Geographic Kids. Create a fact page about him on your recording page.

3.  Look over all of his works. If you click on the play it will give you a summary. Find 5 that you have not heard of before. Record the title and a short summary on your recording page.

4.  Watch this video about words created by authors. Record at least 10 words and the author who created the word.

5. Share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Use step 1 from this mini spark as the first task Shakespeare badge at the EY website.

If you head out to any apple-picking adventures  in orchards around and in Omaha, you might hear about the legend of Johnny Appleseed. Who was this man? And, did he really exist?

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #41: Who Was Johnny Appleseed? 

2. Read this article to find out some information about Johnny Appleseed. On your recording page, write down 5 notes about his life.

3. Print out a crossword puzzle with words from this story to complete. Add a picture to your recording sheet or save it to turn in with your mini spark recording page.

4. Watch this news clip about Johnny Appleseed. Write a few sentences about what you learned.

5. Choose two of these prompts and write a two sentence response for each on your recording sheet.

• What have you learned from the legend of Johnny Appleseed?
• Johnny Appleseed was also known for his kindness to animals. What animal do you value, and why?
• In your opinion, what is the best form to enjoy an apple? Why?
• Johnny Appleseed slept outside under the trees. Have you ever slept outside? Write about an experience when you did not sleep in your bed.
• Johnny Appleseed is a legend and known for his good deeds. What would you like to be known for throughout your life?
• If you could travel around planting seeds, where would you go and why?

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and visual with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Do you know how to ride a bike? Fiona Kolbinger from Germany sure does! She won the ultra-endurance Transcontinental Race back in 2019.  In this mini spark you will learn more about this event and review the parts of a friendly letter.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page:#40: Bike Racing and Letter Writing

2. Fiona Kolbinger, a cancer researcher from Germany, outrode 225 men and 39 women to complete the approximately 2,485 mile-race from Bulgaria to France in 10 days, two hours, and 48 minutes. Even more impressive, Kolbinger crossed the finish line almost 11 hours ahead of the second-place winner, Ben Davies of the United Kingdom.  Rewrite this paragraph in your own words on your recording sheet.

3. Watch the video below to find out more about the Transcontinental Race. Record several details form the video on your recording sheet.

4. Read this article about Fiona’s amazing win!

5. Review the parts of a letter by watching this video.  Record the 5 parts on your recording page.

6. On your recording page, write Letter to Fiona, including what you found most impressive about her win!

7. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and visual with your teacher/EY coordinator.

For many years, the heart was a mystery.  What did it do?  What was it there for?  Let’s learn all about this muscle.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #39: It’s All About the Heart

2. This TED-Ed lesson will help you investigate how the heart keeps you alive. Record 5 details from the video on your recording page.

3. Years ago, people thought emotions came from the heart!  Read this article to find out more about how the heart works. Record 3-5 facts that you did not already know.

4. Choose one of these prompts and respond with 3-5 sentences.

• What are some ways to keep your heart healthy?
• What are the four chambers of the heart called, and what does each chamber do?
• Why was it so difficult for scientists and doctors to figure out what the heart was for?

5. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and visual with your teacher/EY coordinator.