by Sally Matheny
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| Sending You a Tropical Breeze |
Do you have a young, reluctant writer in your home? I
do. My fourth-grader freezes over when he’s required to write. He hates it.
Which is why I was eager to try out Jan May’s curriculum, Ocean Adventures in Creative Writing. Clearly stated on the front cover is the
statement, “Even the reluctant writer will dive in!”
Not only did I plan to get my reluctant writer’s toes
in the water, but I also hoped the curriculum would splash enthusiasm into a
homeschool co-op class I was teaching.
The students ranged in ages from eight to twelve. Only
a third of the class professed to enjoy writing. Here are a few of their comments upon completion of the class:
I liked writing a story about my ocean
adventure. I liked being able to choose my own animal instead of being assigned
one. – Meredith (10)
I’ve never been able to write this much in
one week before. I never wanted to write this much before this class. – Samuel (8)
I loved how fun it was. I liked the ocean
theme. [The lessons] were easy to understand. – Zac (10)
What makes
this curriculum so likable to students?
Freedom
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| Ocean Adventures in Creative Writing |
·
to research an own ocean animal of their
own choosing
·
to create their own ocean community setting
·
to devise their own characters and plot
·
to focus on the story more than grammar and
punctuation
Bite-Sized
Lessons
·
Character, Setting, and Plot
·
Writing beginnings, middles, and endings
·
Spicing up your story
·
Editing
Fun
Factor
·
Opportunities to interact with friends
·
Additional art and craft ideas
·
Spotlight presentation at the end
What makes this 53-page curriculum attractive to
teachers?
Easy
·
Easy to follow teacher notes
·
Clear and concise worksheets for students
·
Printables of twenty ocean animals and
handwriting paper with an ocean-themed border
Adaptable
·
Easily incorporated into other school
subjects
·
Written primarily for ages 8-12, it is great
for use by students of various ages, within the same setting
·
For students at various writing skill
levels
The
curriculum offers ten lesson plans before students present their final story. Jan May offers additional
ideas that could easily stretch this curriculum over several months, if desired.
A “spotlight
theatre” is suggested for the culminating project where students present their
stories. However, my class opted for a sunlight theatre outside.
The reluctant
writers may not be in the deep waters of writing yet, but they sure
enjoyed wading out past their knees.
After
presenting their stories, several students experienced the exhilaration of riding their
first wave. That’s a great feeling and usually it prompts a desire to do it
again!
If your students are dreading the winter
blahs of writing, consider sending them a fun, tropical breeze with the Ocean Adventures Creative Writing program.
*****
Jan is graciously offering a free download of the Ocean Adventures Creative Writing curriculum
to the one winner Rafflecopter selects on November 25, 2014. There are several
ways to increase your chances of winning.
Rafflecopter will accept entries between midnight on 11/17/14 and midnight 11/25/14.
Rafflecopter will accept entries between midnight on 11/17/14 and midnight 11/25/14.
