Follow the steps given in this mini spark to practice your writing.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #30: 10 Sentence Story Challenge-Mystery Object

2. Watch this video. Write 3 notes on your recording about what will be easy about this challenge and what will be hard.

3.  If you want to print out this handout you can, or open it up to look at as you write.

4. Work on your story.  Check off each step from the handout as you write.

5. Go back to your story and underline each of your literary devices.

6.   Turn in your language arts mini spark to your teacher or EY coordinator.

Homonyms can also have identical pronunciations and spellings but different meanings, such as “quail” (the bird) and “quail” (to cringe). Homographs are words that are spelled the same, have different meanings, and MAY be pronounced differently. This mini spark will let you be creative in your writing to create fun sentences.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #26: Use Every Meaning

2.  This morning before school, I made a racket when I dropped my racket down the stairs. What do you notice about this sentence? Check out this website that shows some words with multiple meanings. Record the 3 most interesting and each of the meanings on your recording page.

3. Look over this sentence with the word “subject” used in different ways. On your recording page, write all three of the definitions for subject.

Evil King Byrd liked to subject his subjects to lectures about his favorite subject: the history of the toothpick.

4. Write 3 of your own sentences that are like the sample above.  If you want to look at a list to get started then click here. You are not limited to just using words with two meanings. You can use your own ideas as well. Record your sentences on your recording sheet.

5. Increase the complexity to include multiple meanings of three different homographs in one paragraph.  As a reminder a homograph are words that is spelled the same but has a different meaning and potentially a different pronunciation. Look over this sentence with duck, bank, and dove. On your recording page, write the all of the definitions for duck, bank, and dove as used in this sentence

The skateboarding dove banked her skateboard off a river bank, ducked into a spin, and then dove under the water, barely missing a duck.

6. Extra Challenge: Set your timer for 5 minutes. Try to think about how to write your own sentence with 3 different homographs!!! Record your ideas.

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

Lesson adapted from https://www.byrdseed.com/homographs-homonyms/

Looking to try more word puzzles? Check out the Rhyme Out badge at the EY website.

Invention is transforming your wildest daydreams into reality, like a robot making pancakes! It’s about mixing ideas and experiments to create something cool and useful!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #21: Inventions

2. Watch this intro video. Summarize a few of the ideas you liked from this video on your recording sheet.

3. Did you know a 15-year-old boy invented earmuffs back 1858?  Write the steps for how this came about on your recording sheet.

4. Watch this video and write a 1 sentence summary for each of the inventors.

5.  These kids all used their hearts and their smarts, and started somewhere!  Watch this video to get some ideas about the process. Take 5 detailed notes on your recording sheet.

6. On your recording page, do some brainstorming about how you could combine two items into one, like the examples from the video. Try to come up with 3 ideas. They do not need to be useful-but perhaps more creative and fun.

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

Check out this badge at the EY website

A colon is used to give emphasis, present dialogue, introduce lists or text, and clarify composition titles. Learn about this misunderstood punctuation mark in this mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #17: How to use a colon

2.  Read this information about colons. Record the bold word and the sample sentence.

Emphasis—Capitalize the first word after the colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. (She had one love: Western Michigan University.)

Dialogue—Write the speaker’s name, followed by a colon and his or her statement. (Reporter: What is the 49th Parallel? Dunn: It is the line of latitude that acts as the boundary separating Canada from the United States in North America.)

Introduce lists—Capitalize the first word after the colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. (I want the following items: butter, sugar, and flour.)

3. Watch the video. Pause the video as needed to record notes. Pay special attention to any words that are new to you, rules, specific examples and sample sentences. These items should all be included on your recording page. You you have at least 5 items on your note page when you are done.

4. Look over this teaching page.  Scroll past the video and read the intro sentence and then 1, 2 and 3. Read each one and write down the rule and an example.

5. Write two of your own sentences using a colon correctly.

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