Writing Center : Ideas
Description: This writing cycle is designed to help students with their Ideas. It is called "Brewing Up a Story", at this center there will be a cauldron with many different pieces of paper crumpled up inside. In the pot there will be three different colors: blue, green, and purple. On the blue pieces of paper there will be settings for a story, the green will contain characters, and finally the purple will be a writing prompt. Depending on where the students are with their writing will determine what they do at this center. If they just need something to write about the purple slips would be great to get them thinking. If they are struggling with where to take their story the blue and green could really help move them along. The students would be given 1 to 2 minutes to find the appropriate slip so they don't goof off and waste their time.
One reason I think this is a great writing center is that it can be differentiated to fit the needs of all of your students. If you wanted you could change the rules to fit each student, telling an above level student to pick the first two character slips they find and one setting slip and have them write a story based on those. For a below level student you could have the prompts changed to fit their needs, for instance in stead of writing a letter to someone they miss they could just focus on writing a letter, this would be done by printing the prompts on a lighter or darker shade of purple and telling them thats the one they are allowed to chose.
Rationale: I want to have this center in my classroom because I want to focus on ideas as a center, at least at the beginning of the year. I think the other traits come from teaching them explicitly and then crafting where the students are and how best to help them. I also believe that students can always use a little help with their ideas, and that students would enjoy this center. It can be manipulated to fit the needs of your students and be expanded throughout the year.
Below I have included examples of what they paper will look like for each topic, as well as the files I have created. Each file has a list of many different ideas, for the setting and characters I left some blank so I can go back and fill them out as I get to know my students.
Description: This writing cycle is designed to help students with their Ideas. It is called "Brewing Up a Story", at this center there will be a cauldron with many different pieces of paper crumpled up inside. In the pot there will be three different colors: blue, green, and purple. On the blue pieces of paper there will be settings for a story, the green will contain characters, and finally the purple will be a writing prompt. Depending on where the students are with their writing will determine what they do at this center. If they just need something to write about the purple slips would be great to get them thinking. If they are struggling with where to take their story the blue and green could really help move them along. The students would be given 1 to 2 minutes to find the appropriate slip so they don't goof off and waste their time.
One reason I think this is a great writing center is that it can be differentiated to fit the needs of all of your students. If you wanted you could change the rules to fit each student, telling an above level student to pick the first two character slips they find and one setting slip and have them write a story based on those. For a below level student you could have the prompts changed to fit their needs, for instance in stead of writing a letter to someone they miss they could just focus on writing a letter, this would be done by printing the prompts on a lighter or darker shade of purple and telling them thats the one they are allowed to chose.
Rationale: I want to have this center in my classroom because I want to focus on ideas as a center, at least at the beginning of the year. I think the other traits come from teaching them explicitly and then crafting where the students are and how best to help them. I also believe that students can always use a little help with their ideas, and that students would enjoy this center. It can be manipulated to fit the needs of your students and be expanded throughout the year.
Below I have included examples of what they paper will look like for each topic, as well as the files I have created. Each file has a list of many different ideas, for the setting and characters I left some blank so I can go back and fill them out as I get to know my students.
Settings
writing_centers_setting.docx | |
File Size: | 135 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Characters
writing_center_characters_.docx | |
File Size: | 135 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Prompts
writing_center_prompts_.docx | |
File Size: | 106 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Inspiration!
You can find out more here!
You can find out more here!
WRITING CENTER :Organization
Description: This is designed to help students organize their pieces. This will be hung up in the classroom where everyone can see it during the writing block. It helps them describe the beginning, middle, and end of their story. This picture is just a model of what I would create with my students.
Rationale: For the organization I want it to be up as a constant reminder so they can refer to it often rather than just a center they go to every once in a while. This picture is just a model of what I would create with my students.
Rationale: For the organization I want it to be up as a constant reminder so they can refer to it often rather than just a center they go to every once in a while. This picture is just a model of what I would create with my students.
WRITING CENTER :Voice
Description: This writing center will help students see how using voice can change the writing. The students will select a character from the box and then they will be give a prompt. They will have to write the piece as if they are that character. They then will have to write the prompt from either their point of view or from another characters, then compare the two pieces together. The prompts will not be extensive, they will be short so the student can complete in the writing block.
Rationale: I want students to be able to discover their own voice and one way I think they can achieve this is by seeing others voice. By thinking about how someone else speaks will require them to think about how they speak. Ultimately I hope that this will help students discover that they do have a voice in their writing.
Rationale: I want students to be able to discover their own voice and one way I think they can achieve this is by seeing others voice. By thinking about how someone else speaks will require them to think about how they speak. Ultimately I hope that this will help students discover that they do have a voice in their writing.
WRITING CENTER :Word Choice
Description: In this picture there are common words that students often overuse. I would set this up so that the students would add the sticks to the words throughout the year. When they come across a better word for like they would write it down and place it in the proper pouch. The words in the pouch would change as the students either exhaust the synonyms or they have shown that they have mastered the word.
Rationale: I want this to something that is not done by me, I know the words. I want this to be students centered because they will be interested in not only the words they find but when their peer finds a word they will be eager to see what the new word is. They would also be able to refer to this often.
Rationale: I want this to something that is not done by me, I know the words. I want this to be students centered because they will be interested in not only the words they find but when their peer finds a word they will be eager to see what the new word is. They would also be able to refer to this often.
Writing Center : Sentence Fluency
Description: In order to spruce up their sentence fluency it is important that the sentences flow together. Having strong transition words will aid this process. This like the ,word choice, will be done as a class.
Rationale: I want the student to see the positive examples and to collaborate to make a complete list.
Rationale: I want the student to see the positive examples and to collaborate to make a complete list.
WRITING CENTER :Conventions
Description: This one will just be a chart in the classroom to remind the students which things get capitalized.
Rationale: Like with the organization chart, I just want this to be a constant reminder for the students.
Rationale: Like with the organization chart, I just want this to be a constant reminder for the students.