Resources for Writing Prompts:
Other TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
This collection of reviewed resources includes many types of writing prompts, both visual and verbal, to inspire writing. Whether you want students to try their hand at poetry or informational writing, there are ideas here to help. Make this collection available for students to find their own inspiration for open-ended, creative writing assignments. Teachers can also use this list to find 2-3 possible choices for a targeted writing assignment. Student choice is key in helping student voice come through in their writing.
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ThinkExist - Harold S. Geneen
Grades
4 to 12
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ThinkExist is a Quotation Search Engine and Directory with over 300,000 quotations by over 20,000 authors in the English language. Find quotes by author, topic, keywords, or contributors....more
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ThinkExist is a Quotation Search Engine and Directory with over 300,000 quotations by over 20,000 authors in the English language. Find quotes by author, topic, keywords, or contributors. Narrow your search by subtopics such as nationality or theme such as love or wisdom. Membership to the site isn't required to find and share quotes; however, registration with email allows you to save favorite quotes, receive a quote of the day email, and become a contributor. This site does include significant advertisements that seem to adjust depending on what you search. Preview and monitor young people suing the site. Depending on what search terms they enter, the ads may not be "student appropriate."
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): famous people (12), quotations (12), search engines (41), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Use the site to have a quote of the day (or week) for your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share the site with students to use when in need of a quote for classroom projects. FInd writing prompt quotes based on a search term. In literature or social studies classes, look at the list of quotes by an author or famous person. Invite students to create online posters (or traditional bulletin boards) about the author/person using selected quotes. Use an online poster creator, such as Wallwisher, (reviewed here).You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Learning Network - The New York Times Company
Grades
6 to 12
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This New York Times site addresses many classroom needs. Find lesson plans by category, student opinion section, contests, a daily news quiz, and timely articles connecting current...more
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This New York Times site addresses many classroom needs. Find lesson plans by category, student opinion section, contests, a daily news quiz, and timely articles connecting current events to thinking questions. Find many opportunities for a quick learning game or to express your opinion. There is even a student crossword.
tag(s): news (130), vocabulary (251), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your class web page for students to find challenges or activities. Substitute teachers ca always find an appropriate current events or vocabulary/writing activity if there are no lesson plans. English, social studies, and gifted teachers will want to explore the many lesson ideas that draw on current news stories. Find many prompts for student opinion blogs at this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MailFreezr - Duncan McLaud
Grades
K to 12
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Use this memorable service to store your emails waiting to be sent. This site will deliver your emails after a given number of years. Emails can be sent to any ...more
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Use this memorable service to store your emails waiting to be sent. This site will deliver your emails after a given number of years. Emails can be sent to any address and can be sent in 1 year increments from 1-100 years! Just type in your name, email, the recipient's email, and your message. Choose how many years to freeze the email and you are done. Of course, there are many limitations: will these email addresses be available 100 years from now? What happens if you change your mind? Although the site would be much more useful if the dates could be personalized more to specific dates or months, it might be worth using for simple items.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): new years (11), organizational skills (32), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
A good use for this would be for emails to yourself with reminders for annual events, not for personal use. Send an email to yourself at the end of a unit with information on resources that worked, classroom tips, where to find additional information, etc. Set up emails when you receive your annual schedule with reminders before each event. Use this tool as a writing prompt. Ask students to write an email to themselves as a high school senior or even to themselves at the end of the next year to see if they have met personal goals such as New Years resolutions. Have your entire "graduating" elementary class write a class time capsule about what was important to them in the year 20XX and "send" it to themselves, set to deliver at the end of middle or high school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Annabelle's Quotation Guide - annabelle.net
Grades
2 to 12
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Browse famous quotations and find over 120 different topic areas with famous quotations from authors, leaders, and famous people found throughout history. Topics such as adventure,...more
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Browse famous quotations and find over 120 different topic areas with famous quotations from authors, leaders, and famous people found throughout history. Topics such as adventure, ambition, advice, family, forgiveness, hope, honor, patience, perseverance, wisdom, and truth offer a variety of inspiring quotations. Click on the author of the quotation to view more famous quotation from the same author.
tag(s): creativity (66), quotations (12), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Use as a daily writing prompt to encourage students to develop critical thinking skills and synthesize how this might apply to their lives. Use as connections to literature and make comparisons. Explore the historical impact of the quotes in current events. Challenge gifted and advanced classes to discover how the quotes can help provide answers for pressing life decisions. Use the quotes for students to create posters or bulletin boards. Make the projects even more "high-tech" by creating electronic posters using a site such as Wallwisher, (reviewed here). Challenge students to create virtual word clouds using Wordle, (reviewed here). Students can create their own quotes to make a class quote collection book. Use as a basis for studying themes and values that guide characters in literature and writing. Send inspirational quotes and personalized messages to each student. Never be without words of wisdom! Learn more about students during the first week of school by having each select his/her favorite quote to include on an "about me" page of your new class wiki or on a class bulletin board.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Wilderness Downtown - Chris Milk
Grades
4 to 12
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This interactive music video will bring in a street view of any address you enter. The pop group, Arcade Fire, worked with Google to develop this video for its song ...more
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This interactive music video will bring in a street view of any address you enter. The pop group, Arcade Fire, worked with Google to develop this video for its song "We Used To Wait." The video is best viewed in Chrome, but can also be viewed in Safari, and most of it on Internet Explorer. It uses Google Maps and Google Street View to bring the address you entered directly into the movie. You don't have to enter an exact address for the interaction to happen. You can put in a city, state, and country and get some very good results. A warning will appear that the information isn't complete, but click on "continue anyway" to see the results. Not only is this a sentimental trip down memory lane for you, but there are a myriad of ways to use this video with your students. Note: the video actually launches in multiple smaller windows, so allow all of them to montage on your screen! The final "postcard" that prompts you to write to your younger self uses the same artistic font as the title page. Take a screen shot of it to preserve what your message.
tag(s): creative writing (67), descriptive writing (11), poetry (169), video (66), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
World history, and world culture teachers could use this video by putting in a city and country where you know there are historical buildings from the time period you are studying. Science and math teachers could put in cities and countries for the origins of famous scientists or mathematicians or locations of major environmental events. And, of course, world language and geography teachers can input any city and country you are studying.Any student, but especially ESL/ELL students, will discover forgotten memories after putting in an address and watching the film. Students who have always lived in the same home may want to put in the address of a favorite relative or vacation spot. At the end there is a prompt to write a postcard; however, it cannot be mailed to anyone in particular. So, have students jot memories ignited by the video on paper or in an open word processing document. Have them use one of the memories as a prompt for a memoir. Or use a tool such as Instablogg reviewed here to have students create a simple (one time use) blog post with a unique URL so others can view.
During Poetry Month or a poetry unit, talk about the song lyrics as poetry, then have students write their own poems and read them along with their personal location video (with sound muted). Make poetry a personal performance piece!
Have you ever wanted to show your students the setting of a novel you are reading as a class? Imagine using the setting for Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet and putting in the street, city, and zipcode for Hyde Park and the University of Chicago. Powerful! At the end of the book there is a chase scene, and the students will really be able to visualize this section of the book. You might want to show the setting at the beginning and ask the students to write about why the person is running. After reading the novel, students could select different music to fit their impression of the book. Just mute the music in the video and allow their selection to play. Have students explain why they felt their choice fit that part of the novel better. Have students do this and vote on the musical selection they think fits best by using a tool such as Thinkmeter reviewed here.
This video could also be used as a prompt for a creative writing. Ask the students to listen carefully to the words in the music and connect the runner with the words, and explain why the figure is running? What might the figure be running from? Toward? Or, students could create a poem for the video, and even put the poem to music, or use the music from a favorite song for their poem. This site invites creativity and multimedia responses.
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morgueFile - Kevin and Michael Connors, Johannes Seemann
Grades
4 to 12
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Use MorgueFile for free images for inspiration, reference, and use in creative works. These images are legal for use without concern about copyright. Photographs were 'freely contributed...more
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Use MorgueFile for free images for inspiration, reference, and use in creative works. These images are legal for use without concern about copyright. Photographs were 'freely contributed by many artists to be used in creative projects by visitors to the site," though they do request that proper credit be given (see "about"). Enter your search term and refine your search to find images in various categories, size, color, and other options. Click on the image to go to its own page. Save on your computer by clicking Download. Inappropriate images can be reported on this page as well. Create a login to use an organizer to manage photos you have found. Be sure to check out the portfolio tab to view other photos as well as the Classroom tab. Use the Classroom tab to learn about cameras, lenses, and taking better photographs.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): copyright (39), images (115), photography (96), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Use this site in every subject area where images can convey concepts or students make projects. Find free images easily for use within the classroom. Use images for drag and drop activities on IWB, such as sorting vegetables from fruits, etc. In Art class, have students find images to demonstrate different design concepts such as rhythm, line, etc. Project an intriguing photo on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a writing prompt for a short story (or poem). Use images for practice writing in world languages, by having students describe the scene or tell a story about it. Assign cooperative learning groups to different images and have them create a Voicethread (in English or another language) about what they think the image portrays. Voicethread reviewed here allows users to narrate a picture. Use images from this site to illustrate a literary magazine or poetry blog during Poetry Month. Be sure to follow guidelines in "about" to cite images and model this for your students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Five Card Flickr Story - CogDogBlog
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
At this site students select 5 pictures from a random set of offerings and they write a story about the pictures. They can also write a new story about an ...more
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At this site students select 5 pictures from a random set of offerings and they write a story about the pictures. They can also write a new story about an existing set of pictures. Pictures are available from Flickr (reviewed here. You can save or send the story to parents or with a college application if so desired. Because some of the content is user created, you may notice some spelling errors. To save a story you must create a title, a nickname for yourself, and fill in the comments/explanation of the story. Stories can be viewed and shared by unique URL (web address), so it is easy to keep them in favorites or collect the links for en entire class stories.
Be warned: as this is a user-created tool (and not constantly monitored) it is important to discuss proper language, proper use, and consequences with your students. Some of the content presented may include inappropriate language. Take caution and preview as much as necessary, if you choose to share the already created stories.
tag(s): writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Display the pictures on an interactive whiteboard or projector and have the students work in pairs to write stories. When assigning students to write stories about the pictures offered here, be sure to designate a specific number of words or sentences, since the stories already written and displayed are quite short! Share this site to explain the idea of the 5 random pictures. Then have the students take their own pictures and assign pictures to each other and write stories about them. Use subject-related pictures of science experiments or other content related subject matter for students to write about and display their understanding in a creative way. Use this site in world language classes, by having students write the story in the world language, rather than their native language.
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Odosketch - Odopod
Grades
K to 12
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Odosketch is a flash drawing tool that is simple to use. Simply click "Create A Sketch" to get started. Choose a color from the palette below and use your mouse ...more
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Odosketch is a flash drawing tool that is simple to use. Simply click "Create A Sketch" to get started. Choose a color from the palette below and use your mouse to begin drawing. Erase, use white (essentially a watermark on the display), and reload to start over. Create an account to be able to save creations. The colors of the palette are beautiful and go well together. Play with the movement of the mouse to achieve various brush strokes.
tag(s): colors (36), drawing (58), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Create a class account for students to use to create or allow them to create their own account.Use this site anywhere pictures can be used to describe content. Assign prompts that can be answered with a visual picture instead of writing. Or have highly visual students use drawing as a prewriting activity Connect students with their feelings by having them describe their emotions, thoughts, and feelings with a picture. Provide themes so students can then draw whatever comes to mind. Follow with a simple sentence or description of what they were thinking or feeling. Create special drawings for holidays or events such as Earth Day. Take a screenshot to save the image and include it in an album of images using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Resources for Writing Prompts - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources includes many types of writing prompts, both visual and verbal, to inspire writing. Whether you want students to try their hand at poetry or informational...more
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This collection of reviewed resources includes many types of writing prompts, both visual and verbal, to inspire writing. Whether you want students to try their hand at poetry or informational writing, there are ideas here to help. Make this collection available for students to find their own inspiration for open-ended, creative writing assignments. Teachers can also use this list to find 2-3 possible choices for a targeted writing assignment. Student choice is key in helping student voice come through in their writing.
tag(s): creative writing (67), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Make this collection available for students to find their own inspiration for open-ended, creative writing assignments. Teachers can also use this list to find 2-3 possible choices for a targeted writing assignment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What-If Questions - Bruce VanPatter
Grades
3 to 12
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What-If Questions offers questions and suggestions for story starters for students to use in writing. Questions prompt students to dig into the world of fantasy and creativity. If students...more
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What-If Questions offers questions and suggestions for story starters for students to use in writing. Questions prompt students to dig into the world of fantasy and creativity. If students don't like the prompt offered, they can click on the picture to get other possibilities. Some prompts offered were: What if a tree put a spell on a hillbilly?, What if a friend annoyed your mom?, and many others. There are lots of possibilities so students are sure to find one to spark their imaginations and get their story started! Many of the prompts offer unusual juxtapositions likely to build creative flexibility and originality.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (67), flexibility (6), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Create a link on classroom computers for students to use as a resource for journal or creative writing activities. Challenge students to come up with their own what-if questions and create a bank of additional questions. Share your what-if questions on your class wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Creative Writing Practice for Secondary Students - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 12
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Find ideas and quotes to prompt secondary students to write, write, write. These evocative ideas and questions will give even the most uninspired student something to write about....more
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Find ideas and quotes to prompt secondary students to write, write, write. These evocative ideas and questions will give even the most uninspired student something to write about. Included with the prompts are some tool suggestions to encourage writing process that moves beyond "I'm done!"
tag(s): essays (13), expository writing (14), process writing (14), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Share these prompts one at a time or as options for essay writing. Some of the results may end up being strong enough to warrant revision and submission as college essays. Extend the idea of quotes as writing prompts by creating a class "quote graffiti" wall on a wiki or on paper so students can offer their own quotations as possible writing prompts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Brainyquote - Brainymedia
Grades
5 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Browse one of Writer's Digest 101 Best Sites to quickly find and display famous quotes by topics, keywords, authors, and even author types, such as poets, musicians, lawyers,...more
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Browse one of Writer's Digest 101 Best Sites to quickly find and display famous quotes by topics, keywords, authors, and even author types, such as poets, musicians, lawyers, or politicians. A quote of the day and a trivia game are also included. BrainyQuote is a free service that supports itself by revenue generated from a few advertisements on the site. However, they are not intrusive, and they are easy to ignore.
tag(s): authors (73), themes (7), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Save this site in your favorites on Teachersfirst. If you are not already a member, just click on "My TF" to join for FREE. When you are searching for a writing prompt or universal theme to connect with your curriculum area, a famous quote provides a springboard for students to reflect on the topic they just read or studied. After reading two or three literary works or studying historic figures, you might try changing the quote into a question. Have students compare/contrast how each of the characters would respond, and support their responses by citing specific examples. Then, students could answer the question from their own point of view to relate the meaning of the quote to their lives. Create a class wiki for the quotes of the day (and student responses). Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. Or invite students to choose a favorite quote from this site and interpret it both visually and verbally by creating an online poster using GlogsterEDU, reviewed here
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One Word - Oneword
Grades
3 to 12
3 Favorites
1 Comments
Oneword is a quick, simple-to-use writing prompt generator. Each day on the website, one randomly generated word appears at the top of the screen. You have sixty seconds to write...more
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Oneword is a quick, simple-to-use writing prompt generator. Each day on the website, one randomly generated word appears at the top of the screen. You have sixty seconds to write about it. Click "Go" and the page will load with the cursor in place. Don't pause to think; just start writing whatever that particular word inspires, and keep your fingers typing, (or pen moving), until time is up. WOW sums it up in "one word!" This activity builds creative fluency and flexibility! One word of caution: before you click on the button to submit, you must type your name and email. Students do not HAVE to submit their work. Carefully check your school's policy. See suggestions below for how to deal with this effectively in the classroom.
This tool also has a "read" section where you can see what others have written. Since this section is unmoderated and open to the public, it could contain writings not appropriate for the classroom. Stick with the writing prompts page to avoid this issue or prescreen before sharing.
This tool also has a "read" section where you can see what others have written. Since this section is unmoderated and open to the public, it could contain writings not appropriate for the classroom. Stick with the writing prompts page to avoid this issue or prescreen before sharing.
tag(s): creative fluency (5), journals (9), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Oneword can easily be displayed on your interactive classroom whiteboard at the front of class or as an inspirational "sidebar" as students enter class. Preview that day if you plan to display the public submissions, since they are unmoderated! Teachers may use their school email (or free gmail account) address for submissions. When working on individual computers, you may want your students to write their entries offline and save them for the class to submit to a single account. The whole tedious task of entering student names and email addresses can be alleviated by the teacher signing up and creating a free account. This will also provide you with a continually expanding list of more "oneword" features and give you access to all of your entries in one place. Another option of course is keep it old school; students open their journals and just write. Like many other familiar writing prompts, they can be used in a number of ways, including daily warm-up activities, journal entries, free-writing, or as an "anytime" or "when you're finished" activity. The element of surprise is inherent in Oneword, which provides built in motivation, as students, ready-to-write, wait for the word to appear on the screen and then, without hesitation... Go! This is a spontaneous exercise in flow; therefore you may want to revisit these one minute entries and choose some for revising and editing into a cohesive piece at the end of a week or other designated time period. You can also use the prompts for student volunteers to model writing techniques on your interactive whiteboard. Have students brainstorm lists of words that would be good writing prompts that are only "one word." ESL/ELL students will improve vocabulary with such brainstorms. Teenagers can try something new by creating an interactive book online with the collection of various different entries for one word. Not sure how to do it? Create an online book using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
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Comments
Because the site is not moderated, any unsavory or objectionable entries are on full display. I did not request a membership so I don't know if there is a way for members to flag inappropriate comments. Not for my upper elementary kids, though I may use the idea off line.Ann, PA, Grades: 1 - 5
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34 Ideas to Inspire Writing - Mark Warner
Grades
5 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Want to spice up your writing program? 34 Ideas to Inspire Writing will have something just perfect for you. This is a slide show of more than 34 very creative ...more
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Want to spice up your writing program? 34 Ideas to Inspire Writing will have something just perfect for you. This is a slide show of more than 34 very creative ideas to get your students writing. The ideas range from writing a script to present the weather, using Voki reviewed here or Blabberize reviewed here to bring a photo, a character, or an inanimate object to life, or random story starters from the Scholastic Story Starter Machine. Some of the slides have a central idea with several alternate suggestions, so you end up with way more than 34 Ideas to Inspire Writing. Some slides include links to sites; others include interactives, videos, and photos.
tag(s): writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
You can select one of the ideas and use your projector and interactive whiteboard to have the class brainstorm for their writing assignment. You could have a link on your web page and use it as a center for students to rotate through, either choosing which idea to use for their writing, or you could designate which idea students are to use. You can also assign small groups to certain ideas and when the writing is done, all groups share what they've written with the class.
This resource requires Adobe Flash and PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Creative Copy Challenge - Shane Arthur, Sean Platt, David Wright
Grades
8 to 12
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0 Comments
This blog is definitely a good source for creative options to writing prompts and is an engaging source for great writing challenges and idea generators. The "cool" attraction to this...more
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This blog is definitely a good source for creative options to writing prompts and is an engaging source for great writing challenges and idea generators. The "cool" attraction to this site is its simplicity. Each blog post contains 10 random words or phrases from which students create a cohesive short story. New posts are added twice weekly and you can access old posts in the archives. What a fantastic way to crush writer's block, improve vocabulary, practice proofreading, and exercise your creativity-one fun challenge at a time! Students are able to submit their work, or comment on others. But in order to write anything on this website a username and email address must be provided.
Be sure to check this site for appropriate language BEFORE sharing with your students. At the time of this review there was a suggested site called "The Best Damn Theme On The Web."
Be sure to check this site for appropriate language BEFORE sharing with your students. At the time of this review there was a suggested site called "The Best Damn Theme On The Web."
tag(s): creative writing (67), vocabulary (251), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Link this site to your class web page or wiki for easy, frequent access. You can use it often in a variety of ways, at the beginning or end of class, for a homework assignment, or to print a few word lists to keep in your emergency/substitute teacher folder. Even reluctant writers will love this site because the playing field is even. The vocabulary presents a challenge and will send many of your students straight to the dictionary. Depending on your goal, you can set a timer to build speed in writing. Individuals or small groups of students could be assigned the task of using the word list to write a scary story or one that is funny or serious. Change the task to writing poems or another genre. Project the words on your projector or interactive whiteboard, or if your classroom lends itself to individual computer access, double the fun by allowing the students to type and submit their creations on line, but first be sure to check your school district's policy. Of course, make them accountable for proofreading and editing! If you plan to have students register individually and need email addresses, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
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Writing Bugs - Education World
Grades
3 to 12
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Writing Bugs is an online library of writing prompts organized in a timely fashion by months, (for example: Describe snow to someone who has never seen it), as well as ...more
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Writing Bugs is an online library of writing prompts organized in a timely fashion by months, (for example: Describe snow to someone who has never seen it), as well as "Anytime Writing Bugs," such as: Write about a goal that you would like to achieve this year. Stop racking your brain for new writing ideas and start livening up your resources with this variety of topic and story starters. A huge advantage for these writing prompts is that the subjects are categorized month by month so you can be assured that the topics deal with relevant content, or you may choose from the many that are applicable all year round.
tag(s): writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
You can easily click on the current month and display a particular journal entry starter on your whiteboard or choose to project a few to provide your students with options. They can be used to "get the ball rolling" at the beginning of class, as daily or weekly warm-up activities to practice general writing or skills that you are focusing on, preparing for state assessments, free-writing, or as an "anytime" or "when you're finished with your work" activity. They can be easily printed to use as "emergency" or substitute lesson plans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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21st Century Questions - 21st Century Question
Grades
6 to 12
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21st Century Questions is a collaborative blog designed to pose thoughtful and challenging questions about the impact of technology on society. In partnership with efforts to...more
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21st Century Questions is a collaborative blog designed to pose thoughtful and challenging questions about the impact of technology on society. In partnership with efforts to promote digital literacy skills, teachers, students, and others can use this site either by accessing the questions already posed and exploring them with students, or by posing additional questions themselves. Each post contains a prompt, either in the form of a short video clip, a cartoon, or a short narrative, and then a series of open-ended questions. The rest is up to you!
tag(s): literacy (101), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
These questions present a wealth of challenging writing prompts, class discussion starters, or extension/enrichment activities for gifted students or high ability writers in science or social students classes, in debate club, or in enrichment programs. Access the site yourself and cherry-pick your favorite questions. Alternatively, provide a link to the site and ask students to explore possible questions they'd like to answer or discuss. Finally, collaborate as a class to develop question prompts of your own as a group project and then post them to the site. Bookmark this site as one of those you go to when you have unexpected time to fill in class, or as a resource for a substitute teacher-led discussion. Science teachers can use technology issues to connect science with real world topics for students who may not otherwise see value in mastering concepts. Assign groups to explore a topic of their choice from this blog and present it in open-ended debate once a month in your science class or as part of a science careers unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Class Chatter - Daniel DeLuca
Grades
4 to 12
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This site has a useful choice of blogging tools that are simple to learn for students and teachers. The class mail feature is especially valuable because many schools do not ...more
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This site has a useful choice of blogging tools that are simple to learn for students and teachers. The class mail feature is especially valuable because many schools do not allow students access to an email program. Class mail permits students and teachers to exchange information in a controlled professional environment similar to email or instant messaging without the hassle of having IM or e-mail accounts. There are several types of blogs available including; personal, assignment, and topical. Personal blogs provide students with a space to write and communicate freely. Assignment blogs allow the teacher to post and grade writing assignments. Topical blogs offers a forum for students and teachers to communicate about a common idea or topic. A co-teacher can be added to a class to share administration of blogs and other features.
tag(s): blogs (51), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
A user's guide and introductory video are provided for registered users once they are logged in. The video explains in detail how to use all of the features available. After becoming familiar with the program, start with one class to pilot the program. Setup a test student account and become familiar with way in which students will use the program. It is important to understand the unique features that each type of communication offers. Familiarity with blogging and blog etiquette is important for safe ethical implementation. The help page includes a link to Information about educational blogging to help teachers and administrators understand the educational benefits to electronic communication.Using the customize class feature, teachers can control student access to information and Class Chatter features such as class mail. Teachers have detailed control of students' post including safe guarding students' identity from others and editing posts including posts they created. It is important to follow any school procedures before using Class Chatter.
A class blogging program has limitless possibilities. Engage students in discussions using a topic blog on current events, independent reading, literature, and more. The class assignment feature creates a formal way for teachers to assess students' writing. Students can create an online journal by creating a personal blog. Class mail offers the chance for quick informal exchanges such as a response to a post, question or idea. The robust features of Class Chatter capitalize on students' eagerness to communicate electronically while allowing the teacher to control the format and flow of information. Convert current assignments to an appropriate electronic exchange. As an extension assignment have students create a personal message using the design of their blog page as the medium. This gives students ownership of their communications. Find many more ideas for class blogs in TeachersFirst's Blog Basics for the Classroom .
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Phylotaxis - Seed Magazine
Grades
6 to 12
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As explained by the author/artist of this website, "phylotaxis" is the study of the ordered positions of leaves on a plant stem; scientists have discovered that these positions are...more
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As explained by the author/artist of this website, "phylotaxis" is the study of the ordered positions of leaves on a plant stem; scientists have discovered that these positions are not random, but governed by the Fibonacci Sequence. This website uses this word to describe the exploration of the space where science meets culture. Flash gives this site one of the most elegant visual impacts currently out there on the web. A collection of round icons is all gathered together in a flower-like structure. Each icon represents a news story about either science or culture. Use the slider bar to make the icons scatter in a more random (like culture) pattern or a more ordered (like science) arrangement. Click on "discover" to read any of the news stories; click on "agitate" to make your mouse disrupt the patterns and move the icons around. Load another arrangement for another date.
tag(s): news (130), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Aside from the pure "wow" factor of this site's appearance, projected on an interactive whiteboard or projector, it would serve as a good current events warm up for a social studies or science class. Additionally, its very configuration would spark an interesting science or culture discussion. Perhaps more beautiful than practical, it still deserves a place in your bag of tricks. Pull it out when you need something to spark discussion or wake up your class. Have students investigate a story of their choice and create an interactive online poster ("glog") using Glogster EDU, reviewed here. As a higher level thinking challenge, have students discuss the "why" connections behind these articles or use ideas from this site to spark an unusual essay or blogging assignment. Teachers of gifted will want to share this link on their class web page, for sure!
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Writing Fix - Northern Nevada Writing Project Coordinators and Consultants
Grades
2 to 12
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Here's another thought-provoking site that creates writing prompts on the spot, categorized in some unique ways to address learning styles such as prompts for right-brained people,...more
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Here's another thought-provoking site that creates writing prompts on the spot, categorized in some unique ways to address learning styles such as prompts for right-brained people, for left-brained people, for kids, practice prompts for state exams, and many more topics. WritingFix has interactive lessons for building stronger writing skills in writers of any age, with the "kids" portion dedicated to the elementary/middle school student.You will also find lessons and links to resources to enhance your writing instruction. WritingFix is an ongoing professional development project. Your initial reaction to the page might be that it is very busy, but do not let that scare you off. Once you get started, you will find the organization quite easy to navigate.
tag(s): resources (75), writing (292), writing prompts (50)
In the Classroom
Use the writing prompts before, during and after reading to foster the reading/writing connection. There are abundant ideas ranging from simple responses and mini essays to constructed responses. The daily writing practice and student choice is a popular page for assigning daily or weekly prompts to your whole class or allowing your students to feel they have a choice in what they can write about, by giving them access to a set of class computers and letting them click the button until they find the prompt that fits them for the day. They can type their responses right on the interactive page, save or print, and come back to it to expand, revise, and edit later.Another idea is to have students help you incorporate the site into the class. Because many of these prompts are individual, you can have students working on individual projects at once. If you have only one or two computers available, allow students to have (or earn) a 30 second "prompt finder" slot before a writing assignment in class or for homework. Put a timer by the computer. You may find they compete to see who can find the best ideas- FAST. Build a "favorite prompts" list in a document on the classroom desktop -- allowing each student to record (copy/paste?) the idea he/she generated and his/her name. This will give you yet another source for prompts--promptly!
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