Celebrate Your Creativity!
International Dot Day: Make Your Mark!
Have you ever thought about how a simple dot could spark a worldwide celebration of creativity? That's exactly what happens every year on International Dot Day, celebrated on September 15th (or thereabouts).
Inspired by a Book
International Dot Day started with a book called The Dot, written by Peter H. Reynolds. It's a story about a young girl named Vashti who doesn't think she's good at art. Her teacher encourages her to just make a mark on a piece of paper. Vashti makes a small dot. Her teacher is very happy and frames the dot, hanging it up in the classroom.
Vashti looks at her framed dot and thinks, "I can make a better dot than that!" She starts experimenting with colors and sizes, creating all kinds of dots. Soon, she's not afraid to be creative anymore, and she inspires others to do the same.
A Global Celebration
Inspired by The Dot, teachers and students around the world began celebrating International Dot Day. It's a day to encourage everyone to express themselves creatively, whether through art, writing, music, or any other way. People create dot-themed art, write stories, organize activities, and share their creations online.
How to Celebrate
Celebrating International Dot Day is easy and fun! Here are some ideas:
- Creativity:
- Using your imagination to make something new.
- Encourage:
- To give someone hope or support.
- Express:
- To show what you think or feel.
- spark:
- To start or cause something exciting to happen.
- potential:
- A natural ability or possibility to grow, improve, or succeed at something.
- courage:
- The bravery to try something new or do something even if it feels scary.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is International Dot Day?
- 2Who wrote the book *The Dot*?
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About this informational passage for Upper Elementary
“Celebrate Your Creativity!” is a informational reading passage about International Dot Day, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (335 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.