Writing Centers

Janae Copeland

Emily Gubler

Aubrey Olsen

Cliff Peterson

Braxton Bateman

Our idea for a writing center is: the students would be set into groups at the beginning of the year. Each group would have four students, with the class having about six groups. These students would work together for the next three months. The groups would change three times during the school year.

Writing centers: each group would have an “Idea Jar” in which different writing ideas are printed onto strips of paper. Each time the group uses the center, they pull an idea out of the jar. Some examples for ideas to be put into the jar would be:

1] Compose a comic strip from pictures found in a magazine, The students must use five of ten offered words that are listed on the idea jar strip they have chosen.(teacher can choose words that may be appropriate that the students can learn to use, and incorporate into their comic strip.)

2] Compose a children’s picture book, can use any appropriate picture found in magazines, ect… The students must use five of ten offered words that are listed on the idea jar strip they have chosen.(teacher can choose words that may be appropriate that the students can learn to use, and incorporate into their comic strip.

3] Compose a commercial about your favorite restaurant. Students must use five descriptive words and incorporate them appropriately into their commercial.

4] Write a new song for your school. Using five descriptive words, used appropriately.

5] Write a mystery about your class, or school, using both fictional and non-fictional characters.

6] “You are running for President of the United States. Compose a television ad telling the people of the United States why they should vote for you.” (this could also involve the use of technology, the students could video the final product, and show to the class.)

The jars should be the same for all the groups, each group could pick a topic that could be different from the other groups. The teacher should have enough topics in the jar to last for the next three months, depending on the timetable that the teacher allows for centers. There are many, many other ideas and topics, find subjects that interest the students, you can also use current events. The ideas should be fun, and motivating!