Refining an assignment and defining questions for a writing exercise.
I will be working
with middle school students next year and I want to keep the classes fun and
interesting. As a writing exercise, I would like the students to participate in
a blog where they write about something that is of interest to them every other
week. The entries should be at least two paragraphs, no more than five. They
will be given a different broad topic, but can choose the exact thing they want
to write about. The weeks will alternate between factual (something they will
have to look up or research) and personal (a personal story or thought). What topics would you recommend? What problems
could you see with the assignment?
I love history and political science! A perfect blog topic for the "factual" weeks would be discussing current events concerning our government. You could also ask your students to discuss their favorite American hero. Students could pick any man, woman, or child that made a difference in America. This would be fun! On the "personal" weeks students could write about sports or create a short story. Creativity is key!
ReplyDeleteKevin- I love your idea of a short story for one of the personal weeks. I think that would be really fun. Discussing current events would also be a great idea. I like to keep my students focused on practical applications for their knowledge. Current events keep them thinking and using their problem solving skills in a functional way! Thanks for the great ideas!
ReplyDeleteYeah! Assigning short stories would be great. The students will love writing them. But the best part will be reading them! I think it would be so much fun reading their stories. Young adults can be very creative! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea, because it will allow you to get to know your students better and will allow other students to find opportunity to connect with one another! My only suggestion would be to have them include either a picture or a video that is relevant to the story to make the blog visually interesting to students. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angela! I think a visual aid is a wonderful idea. The students will be able to connect with the information more. I think they could also have fun using original photos or finding relevant images and videos. I would love to see a creative video that they made themselves. I will definitely add a visual aid to the requirements!
ReplyDeleteYou could ask them to write about something in their community. This could include many things from the local government, to their church, to their little league team. You could ask them to interview one person related to the place or issue. One potential issue is internet connection. It would be unfair to assign this assignment if all students do not have internet access. If not, just book a day in the computer lab to allow all students equal time.
ReplyDelete