Bite Size Writing Assignment: Imagine!

This week have your little writers stretch their minds and use their imaginations! The sky is the limit on this one.

Have students write at least half a page (a full page for older students) about... well... anything they can come up with in their imaginations!

Here are some ideas to get them started:

• Imagine your bedroom is a distant land. Describe it!
• Imagine you are a famous person. Who are you and what are you like?
• Imagine your family members are pirates and you are their captive. How do you get away?
• Imagine your pet is a fierce beast. Write a description of what it looks like and how it behaves.
• Imagine your lunch suddenly comes to life. What does it do?
• Imagine your little brother or sister is in a circus. What does he or she do in the circus?
• Imagine you live in the woods in a cave. What do you do all day and what do you eat?

Here's the key to this writing assignment: imagination.

Have fun!

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Bite Size Writing Assignment: An American President

This week we celebrate President's Day on Monday, February 18. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were both born in February. They are also known as two of the greatest American Presidents. There is oodles of information about both of these great men on the Internet and at the library, in books.

Have your students write about the character traits it takes to be a good U.S. President.

For younger students, have them read about Washington or Lincoln online or in a book and write a few sentences about one of them.

For older students, have them do a little research and write an essay on why Washington and Lincoln were great Presidents.

This assignment should be in essay form. Have older students write a full page.

For an additional essay this week, have older students research the song that is closely associated with the President, "Hail to the Chief."

Bite Size Writing Assignment: Why I Love ___________.

This is the week that we celebrate Valentine's Day. This lovely holiday is most often celebrated by giving cards, candy, or flowers.

Why not have your little writers give the gift of words to someone they love?

Have your student(s) finish the title above by filling in the blank with the name of a loved one. Some of the people that come to mind are: grandma, my sister, my dad or mom, and a whole lot of other people I love.

After the subject has been identified, have your student(s) sit down and write. The assignment can be a list of things he or she loves about the identified person, a poem, or a short essay. No rules on this one. Expressions of love are personal and should be from the heart.

The point is to write and deliver this "love" letter by Valentine's Day.

Bite Size Writing Assignment: News Article

This week have your little writer put on a press badge. News articles are both fun and simple to write, if you understand the process!

First, there are two main types of articles in a newspaper: news articles and feature articles. News articles report the news. They are pressing and timely. News articles are written for the same day. Who wants to hear old news?

Feature articles are not as timely and often hold no significant information for the community. They tend to be human interest stories, like an article about an elderly gentleman who has been collecting Super Bowl programs since the first game was played. They are "of interest" stories.

This week, we will focus on the news article. This assignment will be timely, accurate, and newsworthy.

Sit down with your student(s) and think about what is going on in your home or school. What things are worth reporting in the news? Perhaps you have a new dog, or maybe your sewer backed up. Or, if there is nothing earth-shattering, maybe your reporter will write about the long, cold winter.

Whatever the topic, have your student write an article that answers the five "Ws" and one "H" that are crucial to the news article.

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• How

Your student(s) may need to conduct an interview to answer all questions. Once the information is gathered, the article can be written.

Newspaper writing is fun. Allow some creativity with this assignment. While our opinions should stay out of the news, our creativity doesn't need to!