This Day in History
Throughout the year (or semester), students take turns writing headlines for something that happened on that day, but for any year in the past. These headlines are displayed on the classroom wall.
Student Projects
Topic: Narrative Tenses
Careful What You Wish for
This project is for practicing WISHES & REGRETS. Students create a scenario in which a wish comes true! But the main character is never satisfied an wishes for more. Only the students can decide if the character eventually learns to be content.
Fairy Tales Interrupted
This project is for practicing PROGRESSIVE/CONTINUOUS TENSES. Students will first conjure a backstory to a fairy tale character and lay out a scene, then investigate the scenes that other teams have put together to determine what was going on.
The Inside Scoop
This project is for practicing PAST PERFECT. Interview someone who took part in or witnessed an interesting event, then write an article about it. Some of the details filled in should be in the Past Perfect form.
Crime & Justice
Re-enact a criminal case: craft the situation around a fictional robbery, conduct an investigation, and put on a mock trial. This project works best with multiple classes.
Story Prompts: What If?
Whether you’re doing a brief writing exercise or getting started on a full project on stories, sometimes your students’ minds need to be primed to get those creative juices flowing. Here are some what-if questions to explore.
Movie Mania
Suppose there’s a new film coming out soon that many of your students are excited about. You can take that opportunity to give them some assignments they’ll enjoy. Different assignments will require different skills as we work both before and after the film’s release.