In March, winter begins to loosen its icy grip.
Keep students’ skills sharp as everyone
anxiously watches for the first signs of spring. Set enough time aside in students’ writing
schedules to include both group work and individual activities.
Animals are used to describe March weather,
but March weather can also describe
animals. Have students each pick a favorite
pet or other animal to describe. Then, think
of weather conditions that could be used to
describe the animal. For example: My cat
is lazy like a rainy day. Sometimes she races
around the house like lightning. She scares
me like thunder when she jumps on my bed
in the middle of the night.
Give students the opportunity to
learn more about their classmates
Having trouble catching up with a leprechaun? with a story jar. Write personal
Write him a letter. Have students write letters to topics, such as My favorite place
a leprechaun persuading him to share his gold. is..., or After school, I…, on slips
Students can explain why they should get the gold of paper and place in a jar. At
and what they would do with it. Have them seal their writing time, let each student pick
letters in envelopes decorated with gold and rainbows, a slip from the jar and write a
then place the letters under a bush near the school. At personal narrative on the chosen
the end of the day, gather the letters and write short topic. Let students share their
responses to each on shamrock patterns (page 77), stories, then return the slips to the
saying why you (the leprechaun) think they are all jar. Have students periodically
too deserving to choose just one—so you’ll have pick new topics from the jar.
to keep the gold! If desired, substitute a
gift of a gold foil-covered chocolate
for the real thing.
12
© Carson-Dellosa CD-2096
Turn things around in your writing classroom!
Instead of having students illustrate after writing a
story, let them illustrate before they write. Without
telling students they will be writing a story, have Are your students listless journal
them each draw and color a picture of their choice writers? Add some lists to their
on white paper. If desired, let students exchange journals! List-making can boost
drawings. Then, tell students to look at the pictures memory and provide spelling
and think about what is happening in the scenes. and observation practice. Pro-
Based on the illustrations, challenge students to vide a different topic each day,
write imaginative such as things in a classroom or
stories to accom- toys I have. Challenge students
pany the pictures. to develop of list of as many
Display the pic- words as possible that fit the
tures, then have category.
each student read
his story and let the
class guess which
picture matches it.
Free up your time during writing
activities by assigning students to be
senior editors. Choose two or three
students each weeks to be the official
Welcome spring to your classroom by editors and help their classmates
displaying a colorful spring-themed poster with their writing. Students can come
(flowers, rainbow, etc.) Ask each student to to the senior editors and ask for help
look at the poster and write a poem using with spelling, grammar, and story
it as inspiration. They may wish to describe idea . Encourage senior editors use
the scene in their poems, or write about the dictionary and to ask each stu-
how they feel as they look at it. Provide dent questions about his characters
spring-colored paper for students to copy and plot to help him get past any
their finished poems on, then arrange the writing difficulties.
poems around the poster, creating a cheerful
spring display.
Turn studying spelling words into fun and games! Divide the class
into 4-5 groups and number students so each group has a number
1 student, a number 2 student, etc. Call a number and have each
student with that number go to the chalkboard. Call out a spelling
word. The first student to spell the word correctly on the board wins
a point for her team. Give each member of the winning team a
bonus point on the weekly spelling test.
13
© Carson-Dellosa CD-2096