Writing+Gym

//**A great place to strengthen your writing, meet friends' writing, and have fun. Enjoy!**//
⌘GYM HOURS⌘: OPEN •24 hours• 8 days a week•

[[image:Muscle-774348.jpg width="51" height="46"]]STATION #1: Expository (explains why) Writing
1. Write about what you think the world will be like in 100 years. 2. We are learning all the time. Write about something you have learned recently and how it has affected you. 3. You have been asked by your principal to recommend one course which will help you prepare for the job you want in the future. It could be a course your school is already offering or a new course. Write an essay to explain to your principal the course you would recommend. Be sure to give the reasons for your suggestion. 4. Explain the main reasons why you think students drop out of school. 5. Talk about your favorite music and why you like it. 6. Think of your favorite year in school. Explain why it was your favorite year. 7. Friends are important, but everyone has a different opinion of what makes a good friend. Explain what, in your opinion, makes a good friend. 8. Some teachers are special. Without giving any names, explain why one particular teacher in your life was special. 9. If you could change one thing about your school, what would you change? Explain why. 10. We all get angry at times, but different people react in different ways. Some people show their anger openly, and some hide it within themselves. Explain and describe what you do when you get mad. 11. Friends sometimes experience conflicts. Explain why this happens. 12. If someone were new to your town, explain to him/her the highlights. 13. If you could make changes to your school lunchroom, what would you do? 14. Most people like one particular animal more than others. Explain why your favorite animal is your favorite animal. 15. Most people remember one day that really was special. Think about a special day you have had and write an essay explaining why that day was so special. 16. Your generation faces many problems. Identify one of these problems that you feel is the most important, explain it, and propose some possible solutions to the problem. 17. Much has been written about the negative effects of television on young people. Are all television shows bad for children? Write an essay describing a show you feel has a positive impact on today’s teens and explain how the show could be helpful. 18. Rules are important in our daily lives. We have rules for driving, rules for studying, and even rules for playing. Think about the rules you have in your school. What three rules should every school have? Write an essay explaining to the reader the three rules you selected. Give clear reasons why each one is needed. 19. Games are fun and often teach us something as well. Think about your favorite game. Write a paper telling about your favorite game. Explain to the reader your reasons for enjoying it. 20. Suppose you have been appointed to a neighborhood improvement committee. You must make recommendations on ways to make your neighborhood a better place to live. Think about some changes you would like to make in your neighborhood. Write an essay to inform your reader of changes you would recommend to improve your neighborhood and why these changes are important. 21. If you could choose any animal for a class pet, what would you choose and why? 22. What is your favorite time of the year? Explain why this is your favorite time. 23. Everyone has something or someone that is important to him/her. Pick an object, a person, or a feeling that is important to you and explain why it is so important in your life. 24. Eating healthy foods is very important. Write an essay explaining why it is important to eat healthy foods. 25. Explain why it is important to learn to read. 26. Think back to when you were little and had a favorite toy. Explain why you liked this particular toy. 27. Everyone has chores to do. Explain why you do the job or chore you have. 28. If you could be any other person for a day, who would you be? Explain why you would like to be that person for a day. 29. We are increasingly worried about our environment. Write an essay explaining about one environmental problem you think is important and propose some possible solutions to the problem. 30. Suggest one change that you think can make this country better.

[[image:Muscle-774348.jpg width="51" height="46"]]STATION #2: Narrative (tells a story) Writing
1. Suppose you had invented a time machine. Write a story about what you did with it. 2. Write to tell of a day when you were the teacher. What did you do? 3. Write a story about trading places with your favorite TV, movie, or rock star. 4. One day a spaceship lands on the playground of your school. . . 5. Your shoe must have a story to tell. Tell it. 6. Your class grew plants as a science project. One day you looked at your plant and saw something really strange had grown there. 7. Write a story about what it would be like if you woke up one morning with wings. 8. On your birthday, a strange-looking lady came to you door and handed you a wrapped present. You rattled it. It made a noise. Write a story about this present. 9. Your teacher one day announced that your class was going on a wonderful field trip. Write a story about this field trip. In your story, you can have your class go anywhere you wish. 10. One day, as you were petting and talking to your friend’s dog, it answered back! Write a story about this. 11. Write a story about yourself as a hero. What did you do to become a hero? Tell your story. 12. As you walked down the hallway at school, you heard some strange music coming from the custodian’s closet. What was it? Write a story about it. 13. Tell a story about children who live in a world where there is no such thing as television, computers, or electronic games. 14. A distant relative bequeathed you a strange ring. As you put this ring on, you discover that it has strange powers. What does it look like? What does it do? Tell a story about this ring. 15. Tell a story about your ideal place to live. What would it be like to live there? 16. (Used twice!) The teacher comes into the room and places a bag on her desk then leaves. The bag moves and wriggles. Write a story about what is in the paper bag. 17. Everyone has a day in his or her life that was extra special or dreams about what he or she would do on a special day. Write a story about a special day you have had or imagine you might have. 18. Every day you pass a door. It’s always closed and locked. One day, as you pass, you notice that the door is open. You step inside. Write a story about what was on the other side of that door. 19. Tell a story about what happened when you traveled on a wagon pulled by horses. 20. Tell a story about a day in which everything went wrong. 21. Imagine you could travel to the future and live there. Think of what you think the future would be like. How different would it be from today? Now, write a story about living in the future. 22. Imagine you could go to any place you wanted for as long as you wanted any time you wanted. What place would you visit? Think about what you would do there. Write a story about a visit to a really neat place. 23. Pretend that you lived in colonial times. Think about what your life would be like, how it would be different living more than 200 years ago. Now, write a story about a young person (or yourself) living in George Washington’s day. 24. Novels are fun to read because the action keeps you interested, and the characters almost become your friends. Think of a book you really liked. Imagine that you were a new character in this book. Write a story about what happened. Note: High school teachers might want to use a specific Shakespearean play or a specific piece of literature. 25. Imagine you woke up one morning and found that you had switched places with a dog or a cat. Think what it would be like. What would you do? Write a story of your day as a dog or a cat. 26. What if you had a personal genie who would grant your every wish? What would your life be like? Think of some of the details. Write a story about having a personal genie. 27. Imagine you had a car that would take you anywhere you wanted to go for one day. Think of where you went in that car and what you did. Write a story about that day. 28. Everyone has a favorite season of the year. What is your favorite season? What do you like to do? Write a story about your favorite season. 29. Imagine one morning there’s a knock at your front door. You open the door, and to your great surprise, you find an alien standing there. What do you do? What does it look like? Write a story about your encounter with this alien. 30. On your way to school one morning you see a huge truck speeding down the road. Suddenly, the back door of the truck opens and a large, mysterious box falls off the back of the truck. It sits there in the road. What is in the box? What do you do? Write a story about this mysterious box.

[[image:Muscle-774348.jpg width="51" height="46"]] STATION #3: Descriptive Writing
1. Describe a place you always wanted to visit. 2. Describe the most beautiful scene in nature that you can imagine. 3. Describe a kitchen that you have seen or would love to see. 4. Describe the ocean. Think about what it looks like on and below the surface. 5. Describe a storm. This could be a thunder storm, a snow storm, a hurricane, a tornado, a hail storm, a rain storm, or any type of storm. 6. Describe a place where you feel safe and protected. 7. Describe a toy you love(d). Think of all its good points. 8. Describe your ideal playground. 9. Describe the perfect shopping mall. 10. Describe a place where people congregate (like a zoo, a church, a circus, etc.) 11. Describe your bedroom the way you want it to be. 12. Describe your favorite dessert (or food). 13. Describe a beach (a desert, a mountain, a city, or a plain). 14. Think of your favorite animal and describe that animal. 15. Describe your best friend so that the reader can picture him or her. 16. Think of your favorite place. What do you like about this place? What do you do there? How does it look, smell, and feel? Now write an essay describing your favorite place so that your reader will be able to picture it. 17. Some people prefer dogs as pets, some like cats, and others prefer birds, snakes, fish, rabbits, pigs, horses, and other animals. What is your perfect pet? What does it look like? Is it soft or hard? Does it make any sounds? Now describe your idea of a perfect pet so that your reader can picture it. 18. Different teachers decorate their classes in different manners. Think of your idea of the perfect classroom. Is it colorful? Does it have desks or tables? What does it look like? How does it smell? Are there any sounds in it? Write an essay describing your idea of the perfect classroom. 19. Each season of the year is beautiful in some way. Think of which season is your favorite: winter, summer, spring or fall. Think of what your town looks like during that season. What does it feel like? Is there a smell or taste to it? Now write an essay describing an outdoor scene during your favorite season of the year. 20. Everyone has a favorite object that they treasure. Think of some object in your room that you really like. It could be a toy, or a doll, a game, a stuffed animal, or a book, but whatever it is, it is special to you. What does it look, feel, smell, and sound like? Now, describe this object to your reader so that he or she will be able to picture it clearly. 21. Every person has a favorite place to play. Think of your favorite place to play. It may be your backyard, or a playground, or a nearby woods, or an open field. What does this place look like? What are the sounds you hear there? What does it feel and smell like? Describe your favorite place to play so that your reader can see it without being there. 22. Almost all houses have kitchens. Some are big and some are tiny. Think of the kitchen at your home. Think of how you might change it to make it even better. What is in it? What does it smell like? Now, describe this perfect kitchen to your reader so that he or she can see it clearly. 23. There are trees everywhere, even in the middle of big cities. Think of a tree you have seen. What does it look, feel, and sound like? Describe that tree so that your reader can picture it too. 24. People gather at places like malls, fairgrounds, schools, gymnasiums, sports fields and swimming pools. Think of a place in your town where there are lots of people. How does it look, sound, smell, and feel to be there? Now, describe that crowded place so that your reader can feel as if he or she is there. 25. Every child enjoys playing on a playground. Think of the playgrounds you have played in. Think of what makes them better. Maybe you’ve already seen it, but think of what makes the perfect playground. Think of how it looks, sounds, feels, and smells. Now, describe your idea of a perfect playground so that your reader can see it clearly. 26. Even in the desert it rains sometimes. Think of what the world looks like outside your window when it rains. Think about how it looks, smells, and feels. What sounds do you hear? What does rain taste like? Describe what the world looks like outside a window when it rains. 27. Flowers always make a yard or a room look very pretty. Think of a garden or a bunch of flowers you have seen. Make it even better and prettier in your mind. What does it look and feel like? Does it smell? Describe the garden or a bunch of flowers so that your reader can see it and smell it in his or her mind. 28. Cities and towns have lots of things going on in them, lots of stores, traffic, people, churches, schools, parks, and maybe even a zoo. Think of your city or a city you have visited. As you walk down the sidewalk in the middle of that city, what do you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel? Describe that city for your reader and what it is like to be there. 29. Even in big cities, there are parks where there are woods. There are woods everywhere in this big country of ours. Think of a woods you have been in or played in. What does it look like? Now describe this woods so that the reader can see it. 30. Alice visits Wonderland in Alice in Wonderland. Wonderland is the land of her dreams. What is the ideal place for you? What place do you dream about? What does it look like? Does it have a smell? How does it feel? Do you hear sounds there? Describe the ideal place of your dreams in such a way that the reader can picture it, too.

[[image:Muscle-774348.jpg width="51" height="46"]] STATION #4: Persuasive Writing
1. Convince your parents to raise your allowance. 2. Should at least two years of foreign language classes be required for high-school graduation? 3. Should there be a dress code at your school? 4. Persuade your parents to listen to your favorite music. 5. Your principal has asked you to suggest one way of improving your school to make it a better place for students. Think about the changes that are needed at your school. Pick one change you feel would really make a difference. Write an essay to convince your principal that your idea is one that should be adopted. 6. Convince your teacher to read a favorite book of yours to the class. 7. Children watch too much television. Do you agree? Take a stand and support it. Convince your reader of your position. 8. Are part-time jobs for high school students a good thing or do they hinder getting an education? Take a stand. 9. Students are allowed to drop out of school at age 16. Should the state lower the school dropout age? Write an essay to support your view on the subject. 10. Should your school require uniforms? Convince your reader why or why not uniforms should or should not be required in your school. 11. Convince your parents to take you to a particular place. 12. Should gum chewing (use whatever is forbidden at your school) be allowed on the school campus? 13. Should community service be a requirement for graduation from high school? 14. Suppose you want a pet, and your parents are not sure you should have one. Think of the reasons for having a pet. Think of what you can say that would change your parents’ minds. Write a paper to convince your parents to allow you to have a pet. 15. Persuade your mom to let you have your favorite food any time you want it. 16. Should the state legislature add ten days to the school year? Write to convince your reader of your side of the argument. 17. Should we do away with extra-curricular activities such as Art, P.E., and Music and go back to the basics, or are these classes necessary to a student’s education? 18. Should homework be eliminated? 19. Considering the rights of non-smokers, write an essay about whether smoking should or should not be permitted in public places. Convince your reader of your position. 20. Should students be allowed to drop out of school? 21. If you could make a suggestion to change the school dress code, what one suggestion would you make? Now write to convince your reader to adopt your suggestion. 22. Your teacher has asked for suggestions on a place to visit for a field trip. Where would you like to go? Now write to convince your reader to adopt your suggestion. 23. We have rules everywhere. Argue to support the need to change a rule or situation that affects you. 24. Vandalism is becoming a problem in today’s society. Do you think teenagers who vandalize should pay fines or serve mandatory community service to help repair the damage? Write an essay to convince your reader of your position. 25. Should students hold after-school jobs? Convince your reader of your point of view. 26. Parents, courts, and cities often impose curfews on teenagers. What do you think of curfews? Are they helpful in saving lives and keeping teenagers out of trouble, or are they just another insult to responsible teenagers? Think of some arguments to support your opinion. 27. Some things are taught in school that students do not think should be taught. Think of one thing you are required to learn in school that you do not think should be included in the curriculum. Now, write an essay to convince your teachers to abandon that part of the curriculum. 28. The state writing assessment test puts pressure on students and their teachers. On the other hand, student writing all over the country has improved since this test has been implemented. What is your opinion on the matter? Should there be a state writing assessment test, or should this particular test be eliminated? Write an essay to convince your state of your opinion on whether there should (or should not) be a state writing assessment test. 29. Parents, schools, and society all impose rules, but schools especially have a set of rules that must be followed. Think of one school rule that you really dislike. Think of some arguments against having this rule at your school. Now, write an essay to convince your principal and teachers to abandon this particular rule. 30. Universities require that an entering freshman must have taken at least two years of a foreign language in high school in order to be considered for admission. Some teacher and politicians think that high schools should require two years of a foreign language for graduation. What do you think of this possible requirement? Should high schools require two years of studying a foreign language for graduation? There are many arguments for and against this. Write an essay to convince the powers-that-be whether or not two years of a foreign language should be a requirement for graduation from high school.

[[image:Muscle-774348.jpg width="51" height="46"]] STATION #5: Response to Literature
1. Choose a character in the story. Tell whether you would want him/her for a sibling, friend, partner, (choose one) and tell why, using specific examples from the text. 2. Write a letter to the main character, commenting on what you think of what he/she did in a significant event(s) in the story. You can agree or disagree with the character’s actions. 3. Find at least 5 parts of the book that “speak” to you. They can be one sentence or one paragraph, but they must stand out to you. First, you must quote the text directly. Underneath the direct quote you must have a paragraph explaining why these parts of the book stood out to you as the reader. This is not set up like an essay; instead you will number the five different parts. 4. Choose a character in your book and compare him/her to a character in a movie, TV program, or another book. How are they alike or different? (Make sure you explain each character in a detailed way, and then give specific examples of why they are similar and different). 5. Choose someone you know well (it could be yourself) and compare a character to this person. How are they alike or different? (Make sure you explain each character in a detailed way, and then give specific examples of why they are similar and different). 6. Put a character from your story in a situation that you know well (i.e. the mall, in the school cafeteria, at home) and show how he/she responds. (Pretend that you are the character and write in first person (I, me us). *Use of dialogue will help you create a strong response. 7. Put yourself into an important scene in the story and see how this alters the events. (Use first person and let the reader understand your thoughts. You may also want to use dialogue between yourself and the other characters.) 8. Write a letter from one character in the book to another. You must become the character, so make sure you are writing in first person. The letter should reflect thoughts and feelings about an event(s) in the book. 9. As if they could use a computer, write a series of Instant Messages between two or three characters in your book. The messages must have meaning and allow the reader to understand what the characters are like. Write a paragraph before the Instant Messages. Make sure you give background information about who the characters are, what they are going to be discussing, and what their screen names are. **Even though you are instant messaging, you must use correct grammar! 10. Create a comic strip that retells an important part of the story. You must write a paragraph giving the reader background information about the comic strip. You must have at least 6 frames in the comic strip. The illustrations can be drawn or computer generated. 11. Write a persuasive letter to one of your teachers convincing him/her that the book you just read should be taught in the classroom. Make sure to use correct letter format (addresses, date, heading, and closing). 12. For each chapter in your book, you must write 2 questions, 1 prediction, and 1 connection (T-T, T-S, T-W). This is not set up like an essay. You need to number each chapter, and then write the 2 questions, 1 prediction, and 1 connection.**

13. Take a character from one of the novels we've read in class and examine his or her ipod playlist. What 10 songs best describe the character? Explain.


[[image:Muscle-774348.jpg width="51" height="46"]] STATION #8: Poetry
1. Colorful Poetry Explain how your favorite color makes you feel. Use your five senses to compare your color to other things. 2. Word Pictures: Concrete Poetry Words create pictures, literally, when using the poetic form of concrete poetry. The positioning of text is as important to the composition as the words that comprise the poem. Concrete poetry projects are a great way to connect writing to the visual arts. Try the following prompt ideas: 3. Outside the Window Think of a view from a window they know well. Ask them the following prompts, having them respond on paper after each question. Each of their responses will form one line of their poem. 4. “I Can’t Write a Poem” Poem Make a list of your favorite excuses or complaints about writing poetry. “I Can’t Write a Poem” makes a great title. Add an ending such as: Time’s up? Uh oh! All I have is this dumb list of excuses. You like it? Really? No kidding. Thanks a lot. Would you like to see another one?
 * Select a proverb or cliche to "rewrite" in concrete poetry form. (e.g., "Bird in hand is worth two in bush,")
 * Using a text processor or drawing application arrange words and letters in such a way to create your self-portrait. The words should describe you or provide a personal history.
 * Use calligraphy pens to write an excerpted line or two from a favorite poem to visually represent an important feature or meaning of the passage.
 * What do you see straight ahead of you?
 * What is on the left and the right?
 * Do you notice anything different outside?
 * Use the words “sometimes” or “always” in describing your view.
 * Include a detail that suggests time of day or time of year.
 * Look for two more details, one of them so far in the distance you can hardly see it... or maybe can’t see it at all...

5. Mathematics and Poetry Mathematics and poetry intersect in surprising ways. One of these ways is through structure. A poem’s stanzas, lines, syllables, and accents often follow set patterns. Manipulating language by counting syllables and accents so that it fits the pattern and conveys a message is part of the challenge of poetry. N+7 is a new poetic form created by Raymond Queneau, writer, philosopher and founder of a group of writers who explore literary structures. To write a N+7 poem, choose an existing poem and get a dictionary. Replace every noun by the noun seven words farther along in the dictionary—or if that one doesn’t rhyme or have the correct number of syllables, you may move on seven more words.

6. In the Arts Writing in the fine arts curriculum can improve observation and analytical skills. Maintaining a writing portfolio will assist students in tracking artistic development patterns and documenting strategies and techniques. Below is an assignment suggestion for areas in fine arts education. MUSIC** Write improvisational lyrics to a known piece of music. Explain why the subject, theme, tone, mood, etc., are appropriate. 

credits: //Blowing Away the State Writing Assessment Test// by Jane Bell Kiester http://www.thewritingsite.org/resources/prompts/poetry.asp