Monica Burns

This ready-to-use Diffit resource introduces students to vermicomposting: the practice of using worms to transform food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. It includes an informational reading, a key vocabulary list with definitions and example sentences, and a set of graphic organizers that guide students through the science and sustainability connections of the composting process.

Students will sequence the steps of vermicomposting, explore the role of red wiggler worms, and make text-to-self and text-to-world connections — making this resource a natural fit for science, environmental studies, or sustainability units at the upper elementary or middle school level.

This ready-to-use Diffit resource introduces students to the core elements of narrative writing (character, setting, plot, and sensory details) through an accessible reading that breaks storytelling into clear, manageable steps.

Four stations (Character Architects, Setting the Scene, Plotting the Path, and Show Don't Tell) give students structured practice with each element, and a Narrative Planning Worksheet and Story Mountain graphic organizer help them apply their learning to their own writing.

This resource is a natural fit for an ELA writing unit at the upper elementary or middle school level.