Wordshop packages are offered from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. on weekdays when Planet Word is open, starting with the Wordshop and ending with an hour of focused gallery time.
Wordshops are designed for classes of 35 or fewer and last an hour unless otherwise noted. Virtual Wordshops cost $125; on-site Wordshops cost $200, plus the cost of group admission. Fee waived for local* DMV Title I schools and DMV non-profit organizations serving disadvantaged populations.
*Planet Word defines local as the following jurisdictions: D.C., Maryland (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties) and Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Prince William counties).
Go Bananas for Idioms (grades 3–5)
Unleash the creative and comic potential of idioms and learn about the difference between literal and non-literal meanings. The program features a matching game, an opportunity to create and share an idiom drawing, and heaps of idiom-based humor — all delivered in 45 minutes.
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Words Matter (grades 4–7)
The way we tell our own story impacts everyone around us. Using videos included in the Words Matter gallery, students analyze a personal narrative to understand storytelling techniques, all while connecting to broader themes and social issues. This Wordshop concludes with students telling a story of their own.
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Sounds Like Poetry! (grades 5–7)
Delight in sprightly “i”s and “e”s or wallow in long, mournful “o”s as we explore how poets play with the sounds of words to evoke specific feelings and tones in their work. Students will also practice those techniques in a short writing activity.
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I’m Sold! (grades 7–10)
Guide your students through several advertising copywriting techniques that make ads memorable and persuasive. The program will finish with students writing their own copy, while discussion centers the idea of being a savvy consumer.
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Can You Trust It? (grades 9–12)
Explore facts and opinions, types of sources, and motive in both news and social media. Then, do a fact-checking exercise to practice 4 key questions when determining what is trustworthy. Developed in partnership with News Literacy Project.
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“These Words Are Spoken” (grades 10–12)
In this SEL, DEAI focused program, students will play a dialect game, analyze the spoken word poetry piece “Broken English” by Jamila Lyiscott, and affirm their language identity. Identity, history, tradition, and culture all show up in the ways we speak.
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