Write It!

Finding something inspirational to light a "writer's spark"!  Simply put~ FEELINGS...  When a student writes a story or a poem, ask them to write, "how does it feel to you or to your character".

March Bulletin Board and Writing Prompt Ideas

In March it's all about the green, clovers, rainbows, and spring!  Here are a few creative writing ideas to get writing!

The Wizard of Oz:  After I read this story, I have kids write an opinion piece..."If I had Ruby Slippers I would"...The kids really get into this one.

I actually have the kids make this but I turn the black paper to "landscape view".  Underneath, I then attach their writing prompt.

The Yellow Brick Road (Story Order) :  I give the kids a piece of white construction paper to draw their favorite part of the story.  I then glue a yellow background to it and make a yellow brick.  I also have each student write about their favorite part and why.  After the kids write, draw and share their favorite part, I collect them all and as a center activity, I have them put all the story parts in order.  This is a great way to review story order and they get a chance to see their classmates work close up one more time.  After the students get a chance to put them in order, I make a giant "Yellow Brick Road" bulletin board using each student's yellow brick!

Leprechaun Traps:  I have the students write about how to catch a leprechaun.  They are then invited to make a trap at home and bring it in before March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.  Before we leave for the day, we set them up around the classroom.  After all the fun, I put the traps and each student's writing in a bulletin board case.  Here are a few pictures of our project.


Read Across America Week:  This year I read the story, There's A Wocket In My Pocket by Dr. Seuss.  I made a bulletin board but to promote reading I titled it, There's a Book In My Pocket.  I gave the kids an old Library Pocket.  You can also purchase very colorful ones from the Dollar Tree too!  They decorated their pocket with a book slogan.  In the pocket, I gave them an index card to put the title of their favorite book on one side.  On the back, they wrote a couple sentences telling me why this was their favorite book too!

More March Writing Prompts:
1.)  Reading is important because...
2.)  One day I woke up and realized I wasn't in _________________ any more? (from the Wizard of Oz - I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...)
3.)  If I had 3 wishes I would wish for...
4.)  One day I caught a leprechaun...
5.)  I had the luckiest day ever...
6.)  It was a beautiful spring day.  Suddenly, I came across a giant egg.  CRACK!...
7.)  March 6th is National Oreo Cookie month:  Write an opinion of your favorite cookie.  Draw a picture.
8.)  In March, we celebrate national clean out your closet week:  Something is hiding in my closet and this is what I saw...
9.)  One day I woke up and I was the color green...
10.)  I love spring because...

February Bulletin Board and Writing Prompt Ideas

In February there is so much to write and fewer days to do so!  Here are my top favorite bulletin board ideas.  Enjoy!  <3

Life is like a box of chocolates..I love this idea!  You can create a giant class heart and have the kids design their own personalized candy.  Have the students write inside their candy, "Life is like a ______________".


 Heart Breaker: This bulletin board shows split hearts with rhyming words.  I would also use this for compound words too.  I would then have the students include their compound word in their writing.  Super creative!


100 Acts of Kindness:  This is a cute activity I repeat year after year.  You can also do this activity in December or for Read Across America in March.  I read the story How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss.  Sometimes I even get a special guest reader to read the book to the class too.  I then talk about how the Grinch's heart grew.  As a class, we discuss what we can all do to be kind.  I then show the kids a pile of hearts from 1 to 100.  I tell them every time they show and Act of Kindness or do a kind deed, they write their name and a sentence telling me what their act of kindness was and then, we hang it or pin it to our giant Grinch.  This activity is also a great lead into the 100th day of school too.  Here is a picture of our class Grinch.

First:  I hang this poem by or on our Grinch:
         We're Pinning Acts Of Kindness on the Grinch on the wall,
          It's all because his heart is two sizes to small.
         His heart needs to grow more,
          Let's fill his heart with kindness from the ceiling to the floor!
          Can we do it?  Yes we can!
          Our class will lend a hand.

Here's the picture below!


Groundhog's Day!  What do you think the Groundhog will predict and early spring and six more weeks of winter?  Write your own article from a reporter's point of view.


More February Writing Prompts:
1.)  Write a "Kindness" letter to someone special.
2.)  Create a conversation using quotation or "talking marks".  To make it a little extra special, use and glue different conversation candy hearts in your writing too.
3.)  Oh no, the Tooth Fairy over slept and needs your help.  How are you going to help her?
4.)  What makes you smile?
5.)  I can do 100...
6.)  I am ______ years old.  When I'm 100 years I will look like, I will live, I will be able to...Students can compare and contrast between the present and the future.  Let the students draw a picture of what they look like now and what they will look like then.
7.)  If I was the president I would...
8.)  Design a new 100 dollar bill.  Think about what pictures should be on the front and back.  After the students draw a picture of their new $100 bill, have them explain why they made their choices.
9.)  February 11th is National Inventor's Day-  If you could invent anything in the world, what would it be and why?  Draw a picture of your invention.
10.)  You are a meteorologist for one day.  You also have "special" powers to make any kind of precipitation.  What weather would you predict/make?  Where would it fall?  Why?  Draw a picture.  This goes great with the book, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.

Wordle~ Fun With Words

In January I've used the website wordle http://www.wordle.net/ in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  I have the kids create a Wordle Bubble and share their dreams.  The students prewrite in their writer's notebooks then as their final draft, type in their narrative, poem, or story about their dreams in Wordle.  When they are done.  The print them out to publish their work in their portfolio.

Here is one of many examples of wordle art!



Remember:  The writer's notebook is to collect and try ideas.  This is not where the finished product goes.  I have a separate folder with each child's name on it for this.  It is important for the students to understand that writing is a process!

January Bulletin Board& Writing Prompt Ideas

I just love getting kids excited about writing.  Here are some cute bulletin board ideas for January!
I love to share a lot of Shel Silverstein's work.  One of my favorite poems is "Snowball".  I have then have the kids write their own version of the poem.  I then have them take a snowball or snowflake and come up with their own snowball or snowflake pet.  They then write and draw it!  You can have the kids make animal clues to see if other children can guess what the animal is too.  This is super fun when you have an Author Share in your classroom.  This is also something you can keep up during the winter season too.


This is a fun opinion piece I found too!  There are so many ideas I've used this for!

I always encourage the children to give their opinion and support it with at least 3 reasons or facts!


Here are a few writing prompts I've used too!
Dream Jars~ Every year I read the story The BFG by Roald Dahl.  After we read the chapter about dreams, I have the students bring in a plastic clear jar without a label.  I then have the kids decorate and fill the bottles with different items, notes, or pictures that represent their dreams.  I also tie this into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech for Social Studies too for a cross curricular approach.  After they decorate and fill their jar, they then use their jar as inspiration to write.  The kids loved this project!
Here's a picture I've found off the internet to give you an idea.  My personal preference - plastic jars only!


Other January Writing Prompts:
1.)  If I were a snowman I would...
2.)  Yesterday, we had a snow day.  How did you feel?  What did you do on your day off from school?
3.)  What do you think it would be like to live in an igloo?
4.)  Your parents say you can have any pet.  What pet would you pick and why?
5.)  You're sick of snow!  Write a letter to Jack Frost and let him know how you feel and why he should stop.
6.)  How to _________________.
7.)  My goals for the New Year are...
8.)  What is something you really want to do this year?  Why?
9.)  I was sledding with my friends when all of a sudden...
10.)  We had a terrible snow storm and my class was stuck at school.  Suddenly...

Let's "Anchor" Good Writing Traits for Primary Students

Here are some great anchor charts I've used in my classroom from teaching ideas, modeling, and other great ideas.


On my classroom "What Do Writers Write?" I have added songs, news - important events too.
Through the years, I have added samples to show what each item looks like so the kids get a better idea.

Opinion Writing Oreo Model:

Student Graphic Organizer:  This would easily fit in their writer's notebook!  I also tell the kids to give the opinion then "back it up" with 3 reasons or facts to support their opinion.


Narratives-Story Writing:


Personal Narratives:

 There's also a cute activity that you can do with your students.  Use this watermelon lesson to teach students how to focus their writing.

Here's another resource you can use for the Watermelon Writing Focus strategy too:
http://totallyterrificintexas.blogspot.com/2012/03/small-moments.html


How To Anchor Chart:


The above anchor charts and ideas I've found gathered from other teachers on various sites and in my own district.  These are great ideas I've been using and just made my own to suit my little learners.

Technology: Power Point Stories

Every Fall, I use Microsoft PowerPoint to create story books.  The students write a narrative and focus on story order using time ordinal words.  In their writer's notebooks, as part of the pre-writing phase, I have the kids create a Beginning, Middle, and Ending graphic organizer.

Here are a few ways you can do this:
  


You can have the students fold a page in their notebook to have 3 blocks for beginning, middle, and ending.

Sample Anchor Chart to model Beginning, Middle, and Ending


When the students are ready to pull the ideas from their notebook, I then have them get 3 different colors of construction paper.  At the top they write or glue the words beginning, middle, and ending at the top.  One heading for each piece of paper.  They then, expand their ideas using these three sheets by writing more details.  Once the students have their drafts completed they then move to the computer select and save a blank PPT template.  The students who are more technologically advanced can create their own template design.  They can even design their own pictures using a paint program, upload their own approved photos, or select various clipart too.

When the the PowerPoint stories are complete, the students get a hard copy to take home and enjoy.  This project is also a great way for students to present their stories to not just their classmates but to celebrate their writing with parents at a special "Author Share" event to celebrate each child's writing.

Here is a link to my classroom website showing some stories that were created by my students.
https://sites.google.com/a/burltwpsch.org/jestep/home/ppt-stories