A Back to School Writing Lesson
I love reading and writing lessons at the beginning of the school year. They are so low stakes, and so fun! You’re not interested in hitting every standard or making things super rigorous. You’re simply interested in easing students back into the routines of school and re-engaging their love of literacy.
Today I have a fun back-to-school writing lesson to share with you! This is one that I have done since I was in graduate school. So, it has a full decade of students behind it, and it never fails me!
The Story of My Summer
Step One:
Begin by reading “How I Spent my Summer Vacation” by Mark Teague. This is a fun story about a boy sharing with his class all about what he did for the summer. The story is a little on the crazy side, and your students will love guessing how much of his story is actually true.
Step Two:
Chart the parts of the story. This is a great review of the elements of fiction! On chart paper, or simply on the board, map out the main characters, setting, and 3-4 main points of the plot.
Step Three:
Give your students a blank piece of paper, or graphic organizer, and have them chart the same elements of their own summer. Their name and any main family members they spent a lot of time with, the places they went over the summer, and three or four things they did.
Step Four:
Have your students draft a story of their summer and illustrate it! I have a printable project version of this activity that guides students through drafting an introduction, the main points of their story, and a quick conclusion. This way, students have a little structure to their writing without you having to teach a full unit!
Step Five:
Just like in the story, have your students present the stories of their own summer vacation. It’s a great icebreaker activity for your class, but it also adds an academic element. It gets students talking and sharing about their lives with each other, but also requires that they do some writing!
You can check out the Story of My Summer Vacation writing project here! I also have the writing project bundled with a book companion for ‘How I Spent my Summer Vacation”, by Mark Teague. The book companion includes graphic organizers, vocabulary tasks, and more. You could do a full reading lesson around the book and transition into the writing component a day or so later. Whatever best fits the needs of your classroom! Happy teaching, everyone!
