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THE STORY WRITING PAGE

SEPTEMBER 21ST, 1937 It was on this day that J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit was published. Children and adults alike were enthralled and Tolkien's publishers asked for a sequel, which became The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

ILLUSTRATE A WORD:
Here's a wonderful lesson plan for reluctant or slow readers. Students can play with their words - illustrating them with doodles, or to reflect the idea of what the word conveys. Younger students might simply enjoy illustrating the letters of their names, using design to construct an overview of who they are or what they like, while older students can consider graphic design principles at work.

PICTURE STORY STARTERS:
Beginning writers can use these printable worksheets to help them get past the initial writer's block. Simple picture worksheets are available for themes covered throughout the school year, with primary lines. You can always ask, "What is the (person, dog, scarecrow, etc.) doing, to prompt writing.

STORY STARTERS:
It may encourage students to want to read if they first become attached to stories - and this lesson plan has them becoming the storytellers. They won't have to write these stories down; instead, all students contribute items to a story box, and they will then use these items as props and prompts to tell a story. Ask them to connect a few of the items; draw out three objects and relate them in a short tale; give a character/personification to the object they are holding; state what last happened to that object; etc.

GOOD BAD STORY GAME:
Make writing an enjoyable experience right from the start. Try this game, where students will create a spinner (use two circles with a brad put through the middle; one circle simply holds the other up as a spinner), and then depending on which section they land on, write a good thing or a bad thing. If you don't want to make spinners, you can simply write "good thing" or "bad thing" on slips of paper, fold them over, stick them in a paper bag, and have students make a selection. Give them a preset time to work together, and a warning for finishing up their stories with a conclusion. One of the best parts will be sharing each group's stories when they're all done.

STORY WRITING GAME:
Get the dice rolling for this writing game, where students will pay attention the number on the dice in order to see how many words they each have to write down in order to create a story. The game can be played individually, separately, in small groups, or as a pass-around.

TUESDAY TERMS:
[ *see link below* ]
We're trying out a new feature in our Everyday Teaching calendar - a sponge activity or bell/desk worksheet to draw upon literacy and revision skills. Try today's adjective exercise to describe the autumn season.