Creative writing
Creative writing is an important skill for students to develop. Creative writing stretches the imagination and encourages thinking skills. Creative writing also helps students to formulate sentences, practice grammar and organize their writing. Often students only need an idea to get them off and writing an interesting creative writing journal entry.
A Strange Pet
Suggest students think up the strangest pet they might own. It could be a dangerous animal, an exotic animal, an extinct animal or even an imaginary animal they may dream up out of thin air. They need to describe what it is like taking care of the animal, playing with it, walking it, feeding it and cleaning up after it. They should include anecdotal stories about what daily life is like with their pet. They might also describe how other family members like the animal and how other pets get along with it.
Go Back in Time
Choose a time period and write about what it would have been like to have lived then. The student should transport herself back into the chosen time period as a young person of the same age. Select an exciting time period that is of special interest, such as the Civil War, the middle ages, western exploration of the United States, ancient Egypt, the Roman empire or the Revolutionary War. Expect the students to include factual information relevant to the time period and other details that are historically accurate. Encourage them to place themselves into the time period as an active character with a challenge or an obstacle to overcome.
Go Forward in Time
Go forward in time, but not too far forward. Encourage students to project themselves forward in time 20 years. They should write about some of the things they accomplish and experience in the years between their current age and 20 years from now. They should include education, travel, career, love, family and any other interesting experiences they imagine they might have. Perhaps they would like to imagine they become a famous opera singer or a successful basketball player. Perhaps they are a gifted inventor or a brilliant scientist who discovers a breakthrough cure for a disease. Encourage the students to set their sights high and achieve big results with the next 20 years of their lives.
A Wild Adventure
Suggest the students write about a wild and wacky adventure. Perhaps a trip to South America and a trip down the Amazon River or a mountain climbing expedition up to the summit of Mount Everest. There are many different adventure tales to be spun.
