Winter Creative Writing: Story Sparks

Would you like to fight writer's block with a piece that is seasonal, includes figurative language, and gives students a choice of their topic?  Then this Winter Creative Writing Using Story Sparks unit is for you!

Some of the mentor texts I use as read-alouds:

We collect adjectives, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, and quotes we would like to use on our own writing on anchor charts as we read.

After we've created our anchor charts, I introduce the Winter Creative Writing Story Sparks and students choose their writing topic.

Next, we review the rubric and graphic organizer to help guide our writing.  

Before I meet with small groups, I go over the editing checklist below and how to be a good buddy editor.  

As I meet with groups, the other students are looking at mentor texts, filling out their organizers, and editing their peers.

Easy and so much fun!  

If you'd like to pick up a full copy of the unit plans, click here.

Do you use choice boards or story sparks in your writing block?  I'd love to hear how!

Seasonal Sensory Writing: Winter Bakery

Now that the weather is a bit chillier and coffee shops everywhere are offering flavors only available this time of year, it's time to use those sensory experiences in your writing with my Winter Bakery: Sensory Writing for the Season!

The first thing I like to do with students is to read some sensory-filled mentor texts with the students.  We collect words that match each of the senses in our writing journals and I keep them on anchor charts as we go.

My Sensory Writing Packet includes several more mentor text suggestions, but these are two of my favorites.

Before reading, I hand out the a double-sided graphic organizer.  The first side has my filled-in version of the "5 Senses Organizer" and the other side is blank.  The filled-in version is below.

We talk about why I chose the words I did to fill in the organizer (descriptive and sensory).  They then try to find words like these in the mentor texts as we read them aloud together and fill in their side of the organizer.

We also discuss their favorite place to eat. It can be everything from their own kitchen to Panera. I do try to steer them towards a place that offers an atmosphere unique to the season. For example, if their favorite place to eat is Burger King, they are not going to have as much to write about pertaining to the holidays. However, we work with what we get. Even Burger King offers some sensory experiences.


If you'd like to pick up a copy of my Winter Bakery: Sensory Writing for the Season, click here.


How do you bring the season's sensory experiences into your writing?  I'd love to hear about it!

Thanksgiving Personification Writing

Do you have a little time before Thanksgiving break, but don't want to start a lengthy writing assignment?  Would you like a fun way to introduce or review figurative language (personification) and writing step-by-step narratives?  Then read this post about my Thanksgiving Personification Writing!

We start by reading some of our favorite mentor texts to help us collect good descriptive words about Thanksgiving/Fall foods.

Then I show them my example organizer that is already filled in.

I then provide them with a blank organizer of their own.

I work with small groups to fill this out and begin writing their paragraphs.


I give the "Wanted Poster" activity to early finishers.

It's a fun little writing activity that usually takes about a week.

You can pick up a copy by clicking here.

What do you do with your writing block before Thanksgiving?  I'd love to hear about it!

Fall Writer's Workshop: Show, Don't Tell

Are you teaching a unit on Fall?  Would you like to incorporate Writer's Workshop into your writing curriculum?  Then read this post on how to do both in my Fall Writer's Workshop: Show, Don't Tell!

When you're working on the concept of "Show, Don't Tell" you use a multitude of sensory words instead of those boring, worn out words and phrases, such as "The leaves were pretty".  Instead, you might say, "The golden and scarlet leaves floated on the breeze".   So much more interesting when you say it the second way, isn't it?

 I can think of no better time of year to incorporate sensory writing than Fall.  It's the perfect time to get the kids outside and writing about what their sensory experiences.  I created a Writer's Workshop that centers around this wonderful time of year.

Students choose whether they would like to write about their favorite outdoor setting, a homecoming game, a Fall food, or Fall clothing.  I find that just by giving them choices, they are excited from the start.

I read mentor texts to them that have good examples of sensory words and figurative language.  Students write their favorite examples in their Writer's Notebook as I read to them.  Some of my favorite Fall books are:

Great examples of Fall clothing words.

While it isn't specific to Fall, it does have great food descriptions.

Excellent visuals and descriptions of Fall foliage.

After we've collected some great Fall words and phrases, students work in small groups based on which writing topic they've chosen.  I meet with each group to help them fill out their Fall writing graphic organizer.

 

We talk about how to write a "Bold Beginning" to hook the reader.  This is included in the Fall Writing packet and in my "Bold Beginnings and Catchy Conclusions" packet.

As I am working with small groups, the rest of the class is working cooperatively to editing their classmates' paragraphs using a color-coded editing checklist.  

After several rounds of meeting with small groups and revisions, I go over the Fall Writing Rubric individually with each student.  We discuss how I would grade their work and how they would grade their own work, based on the rubric.

If you'd like to pick up the Fall writing packet, you can click here.

I just love writing about Fall!  Do you do writing units about Fall?  How about Writer's Workshop?  I'd love to hear about what you're doing in your Language Arts class!

Winter Poetry and a FREEBIE

Want some ideas on how to keep the writing curriculum fresh, even on those long Winter days?  Then look no further!  Poetry + Figurative Language = FUN during your writing block that will keep the creative juices flowing. 

It doesn't matter if you're in elementary school or middle school when it comes to poetry.  Everyone loves poetry!  You can dig pretty deep into figurative language and writing structure with something so simple as a poem.  Here are some of my favorite forms of poetry:
Cinquains
Limericks
Haikus
Freestyle

What's poetry without some really cool forms of figurative language?  Let's not forget about:
Onomatopoeia
Metaphors
Personification

I designed a unit to explore these concepts further.

This unit is designed to have writers use the following strategies to vary their writing and use descriptive terms:
~"Show, Don't Tell"
~Figurative Language: Onomatopoeia, Metaphors
~Creating rhythm in poetry: Alliteration, Rhyming
~Types of poems: Cinquains, Limericks, Haikus

Standards of Learning/
Objectives addressed:
2.12 c:
~Expand writing to include descriptive detail
4.8 f:
~Incorporate adjectives
5.7 f
~Use precise and descriptive vocabulary to create tone and voice.
Grades 2-5
~Research, plan, compose, and revise for a variety of purposes
Grades 5-8:
~Use specific word choice, descriptive and/or figurative language, and selected information purposefully to craft a message, create tone, and enhance the writer’s voice.
~Includes sentences of various lengths and structures, resulting in a rhythmic flow.

If you'd like to pick up a copy, click here.


And NOW.... a FREEBIE!

Haikus are a wonderful way to dig deep into word choice and the writing process without a lot of pain.  This FREEBIE includes:

~Description and rules for writing a Haiku

~An example Winter Haiku

~Instructions for writing and editing a Winter Haiku 

What are your favorite ways to get the students to buy into figurative language and the writing process?  I'd love to hear how!

Seasonal Sensory Writing: Winter Bakery

Now that the weather is a bit chillier and coffee shops everywhere are offering flavors only available this time of year, it's time to use those sensory experiences in your writing!

I love reading books with the students and picking out sensory/descriptive words together.  Some of my favorite mentor texts for this time of year:

Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer

Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Equally as fun is brainstorming about the yummy holiday foods and decorations available this time of year.  Telling a friend that you had a "richly spicy gingerbread cookie with creamy icing on top while sitting by the crackling fire" really does paint a mental picture!

We also discuss their favorite place to eat. It can be everything from their own kitchen to Panera. I do try to steer them towards a place that offers an atmosphere unique to the season. For example, if their favorite place to eat is Burger King, they are not going to have as much to write about pertaining to the holidays. However, we work with what we get. Even Burger King offers some sensory experiences. 

I present students with my filled-in version of the "5 Senses Organizer" and provide them with a blank copy. 

I created a packet with all the pieces mentioned below.

If you'd like to pick up a copy, click here.

Do you have any great winter mentor texts or writing tricks for winter?  I'd love to hear about them!

Winter Creative Writing Unit

Anytime I can get the kids writing and enjoying it, I feel a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.  I have found that kids really like writing about food, especially if I ask them to use their five senses to do so.  This is the third year I've used this writing unit, and it's been a hit each time.

This PowerPoint guides students to fill in an organizer with sensory details in a bakery setting and the foods within. Suggested mentor texts are included in the rest of the PowerPoint so that students can collect good sensory words as they listen.

You can pick up a free copy at my TpT store by clicking here.

Do you use food to motivate students to write?  I'd love to hear how.

Thanksgiving Personification Writing

I had about a week before Thanksgiving break, and I didn't want to get into anything too involved.  So, I designed this short writing assignment to review figurative language (personification) and help students write a step-by-step narrative.  Since everyone loves food, I thought I'd capitalize on that.

This customizable PowerPoint has students writing about a chosen food's journey from farm to table at Thanksgiving. It includes an organizer that asks students to draw the steps before writing about them. It also includes an optional activity in which students will create a "Missing" poster for the food that was consumed.

You can get your free copy by clicking here.

Do you do anything special for your writing assignments during this time of year?

Writing Hooks: Bold Beginnings Freebie

The state writing predictor test is almost upon us.  With that in mind, I happened upon this post at Two Writing Teachers blog.  They do what is called "Slice of Life" posts. 

If you are a writing teacher or you just need some kind words of encouragement, you need to stop by this blog.  
You can pick up a FREE copy of my PowerPoint on my TpT store that was inspired by that post.

Do you have any activities or tools to teach bold beginnings?

Student-Created Comics

So, our state 4th grade writing test is coming up in the next couple of months.  Starting next year, it will all be online (no paper and pencil---blah!).  We're supposed to get them used to typing in a text box for this.  Uh huh, with all that extra time we have to just stroll on over to the computer lab. 

In any case, I'm always on the lookout for websites that sort of simulate this.  I posted one about storybird recently:  http://storybird.com/

I've now found a new website that allows students to use a variety of comic-style backgrounds and thought bubbles to create and publish a story called makebeliefscomix.com.

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/

It takes a little clicking and dragging, but it's pretty self-explanatory.  I plan to put it on the SmartBoard and play around with it next week to introduce it to students, and then add it to my Literacy Center choices.

Storybird--Helping Reluctant Writers and Artists Create!

I read about this website on a blog recently.

http://storybird.com/

It is so cool!  It's a FREE website where you can get inspired by art to write mini stories.  After you choose your art theme, you create an online book.  It's really similar to online scrapbooking, and there's an extensive gallery of pictures from which to choose.

Here's a peek at something I made just playing around:



Winter Poetry Unit

Part of this unit was inspired by Becky at Dots-n-Spots (the haiku part).  Check out her post on this at http://www.dots-n-spots.com/?p=718.

If you'd like to pick up a FREE copy, go to my TPT store:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Poetry-Unit