More Writing Exercises
Here are some writing exercises that I've used with a variety of students. I used to teach word processing, typing, and desktop publishing. Sometimes, the formatting exercises got a little dull. I supplemented the lessons with the following ideas:
1. Save old calendars and separate the pictures. (Make sure that there is nothing too personal written on the other side.) Let each student pick one. Have them write a story or a news article about what's depicted. If you don't have old calendars, old National Geographics are wonderful!
2. For lessons on creating tables, I would do an ice breaker where everyone would supply answers to "My Favorite..." (movie, song, book, group...). Everyone listed his/her name and answer on the board. The class exercise was to create a multi-columned table with the information.
3. After we covered basic document formatting, I would divide the group into teams. The group had to create a newsletter. They had to pick a topic and assign roles (writers, editor, proofreader, designer, etc.). When they were due, we reviewed everyone's creation. This project also works if you can partner with an English or history project.
4. In another word processing lesson, document formatting got boring. I brought a copy of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" in. We listened to it a couple of times. I also provided them with the words. They had to choose 15 items and do a quick internet research on the topic. Then they had to create a table with the item and a short explanation. The homework for the lesson was to create a list of at least 25 items (with definitions) of what could be included if he wrote an updated version to the song.
I also did a variation on this lesson with a college group. I gave them copies of the appendix in E.D. Hirsch's Cultural Literacy: What Every American Need to Know. They had to do the same exercise, but they chose items from this list. I also had them create a list of things from the last 10 years that they should be on a revised list.
5. Get a bag or a box. Fill it with common items (cotton balls, crayons, paper clips, rocks, wrapped candy, stuffed animals). Make sure that nothing is sharp or dangerous. Each student had to reach in without looking and touch something. They couldn't pull it out. They had to write an essay or a poem about what they felt. We discussed the final papers as a group. Then I did the big reveal. Some were surprised. Their item wasn't what they thought it was.
6. Get a can or a bag. Fill it with strips of paper with nouns or verbs. Each student has to pull one and write for 15 minutes. Then we talked about what they wrote about.
7. Choose small samples of a variety of songs. Play each one for the class, and let them write for 2-3 minutes during the music. Discuss this afterwards. I used this when we were discussing mood in literature. They were able to "feel" the moods in the music. Then we talked about the connections with moods in literature.
8. When I was teaching poetry, I found song lyrics that were examples of each of the techniques. It made the lesson a little more contemporary.
I also used modern song lyrics when I did a lesson on proofreading and editing. The students had to rewrite the lyrics using standard grammar rules. For a homework assignment, they had to bring back other song lyrics with their corrections.
1. Save old calendars and separate the pictures. (Make sure that there is nothing too personal written on the other side.) Let each student pick one. Have them write a story or a news article about what's depicted. If you don't have old calendars, old National Geographics are wonderful!
2. For lessons on creating tables, I would do an ice breaker where everyone would supply answers to "My Favorite..." (movie, song, book, group...). Everyone listed his/her name and answer on the board. The class exercise was to create a multi-columned table with the information.
3. After we covered basic document formatting, I would divide the group into teams. The group had to create a newsletter. They had to pick a topic and assign roles (writers, editor, proofreader, designer, etc.). When they were due, we reviewed everyone's creation. This project also works if you can partner with an English or history project.
4. In another word processing lesson, document formatting got boring. I brought a copy of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" in. We listened to it a couple of times. I also provided them with the words. They had to choose 15 items and do a quick internet research on the topic. Then they had to create a table with the item and a short explanation. The homework for the lesson was to create a list of at least 25 items (with definitions) of what could be included if he wrote an updated version to the song.
I also did a variation on this lesson with a college group. I gave them copies of the appendix in E.D. Hirsch's Cultural Literacy: What Every American Need to Know. They had to do the same exercise, but they chose items from this list. I also had them create a list of things from the last 10 years that they should be on a revised list.
5. Get a bag or a box. Fill it with common items (cotton balls, crayons, paper clips, rocks, wrapped candy, stuffed animals). Make sure that nothing is sharp or dangerous. Each student had to reach in without looking and touch something. They couldn't pull it out. They had to write an essay or a poem about what they felt. We discussed the final papers as a group. Then I did the big reveal. Some were surprised. Their item wasn't what they thought it was.
6. Get a can or a bag. Fill it with strips of paper with nouns or verbs. Each student has to pull one and write for 15 minutes. Then we talked about what they wrote about.
7. Choose small samples of a variety of songs. Play each one for the class, and let them write for 2-3 minutes during the music. Discuss this afterwards. I used this when we were discussing mood in literature. They were able to "feel" the moods in the music. Then we talked about the connections with moods in literature.
8. When I was teaching poetry, I found song lyrics that were examples of each of the techniques. It made the lesson a little more contemporary.
I also used modern song lyrics when I did a lesson on proofreading and editing. The students had to rewrite the lyrics using standard grammar rules. For a homework assignment, they had to bring back other song lyrics with their corrections.
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