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The following ideas are only a few ways that you can inspire and morivate your students to produce interesting outcomes

ZOOM

Freeze a moment in time and describe in sensory vivid detail (5 senses).
First, have students write a paragraph about a memory in their life, “The First Day in America.” Now, focus in on a key moment- stepping off the plane. What did you hear, see, smell, feel, and/or taste?- …as I stepped off the plane the cold wind pinched my cheeks and a voice on the loud speaker sounded like he was telling everyone I had arrived… Relive that moment.

PAPER TREE

Students write a detailed description of a character, fiction or non-fiction. Tell the character’s likes and dislikes, where he lives, his habits, what he looks like, etc. Compile all the characters in a packet to give to each student. Together, go over the characters and write a story about how all the characters intertwine and cross paths, use this as an example. Now let them write their own story. Have the students read their stories in class. It’s interesting to see how the stories are all so different.

LIST POEM

Have students put one emotion on a piece of paper. Pass the paper around to the other students in the class and have them add a line to it.
Give the paper back to the original owner. Talk about prioritizing lines, rhythm, and the human condition. Change the last line by not using the emotion word. Examples to write about joy, anger, frustration, envy, etc.

FACT TO FICTION

Each student writes a plot or topic sentence on a piece of paper on an event that really happened to him or her. Give that plot to another student and have them write a believable story. Compare the fiction story to the facts.

I WAS THERE

Have student complete this sentence. Have them describe what was going on in their lives when an historic event occurred and/or something that impacted their society. This can involve current events, historic sports moments, political and social topics, etc.

REWIND TIME

If the student could rewind one moment in their lives, what would it be and how would you change it? An example would be when you got in trouble and how would change it.

BEHIND A PHOTO

Show your class a photo from a magazine and ask them to write a story based on the photo. Example: A teenage girl putting makeup on in from of the bathroom mirror. Student might write about the girl getting ready for her senior prom based on the other things in the photo.

WORD BOWL

Place random words in a hat. Students pick out words and construct a story around based on the words. Example: magnetic poetry game.

IN 2020

If you ran into someone from class in 2020, what would you tell them about your new life? Examples: family, job, hobbies, etc.

FOLKLORE

Students write about how an animal got its particular feature. Examples: How an elephant got his trunk, giraffe got his log neck, leopard got his spots, rabbit got long ears, and zebra got his stripes.

WALKING IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES

Retell a well-known story from someone else’s point of view. Example: The Three Little Pigs- tell from the wolf’s perspective, Cinderella- tell from the three ugly sisters’ view, etc.

 

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