Excerpted from Writing Workshop Survival Kit.
Observational Journal Writing
The world is an interesting place, and it is full of ideas for writing. Encourage your students to become keen observers of their world. They should learn to see things not in isolation, but in relation to other things. How do things affect each other? How are they connected? Encourage your students to use all their senses – seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting – to gain full appreciation of their world.
Explain to your students how observation can be important to prewriting. Offer them this example. Most people see a tree only as a trunk, branches, and leaves. It's much more. Its roots hold the soil and draw water from the ground. It provides a home for birds, squirrels, and other animals. Its leaves are food and shelter for insects. Trees help provide the world's atmospheric oxygen. Every tree is a part of an ecosystem, and each of these relationships can be a possible topic for writing.
As a follow-up to your explanation, you may wish to assign this activity. Ask your students to choose a place – a park, the backyard, or their rooms are some examples. They are to stay at the place they select for 15 minutes to a half-hour and observe the spot. What is there? What are the relationships? How is each of their senses affected? To help your students with their observations, you can hand out copies of What Do You See? Encourage your students to write about their observations in their journals.
2008 Summer Olympics
Celebrate this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, China, with our resources, activities, and lessons.
Teaching about Natural Disasters
The world has suffered two natural disasters this May — Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and the earthquake in China. These tragedies may have your students wondering why such large catastrophes occur. We have resources to help you explain earthquakes and cyclones, and for dealing with the subjects of death and crisis with your class.
July Events
Find educational activities for every day in July. Take a look at our Summer Activities Slideshow for our favorite summer-themed activities, lessons, and printables.
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New Customizable Printables
Easily create personalized hall and office passes or teacher stationary with our customizable classroom passes and notes. Prepare for substitute teachers, field trips, parent-teacher conferences, and more with our customizable charts and forms.
Drama Resources
Explore our drama resources – from Shakespearean plays to The Miracle Worker to Readers Theater – to widen your curricular focus. Students will enjoy the change of pace that putting on a classroom play will bring!
ADD/ADHD Resources
From frequently asked questions to assessment accommodations, these articles and resources will help you to deal with the special nature of students with ADD/ADHD.
