Other Teaching Writing Ideas

A descriptive writing idea. 

Ask students to brainstorm a list of 8 animals and get feedback on that in the way you normally would. Sharing ideas etc. 

Ask one student to give you one animal, for example hippopotamus, and write the start of the sentence on the board. He/She Walks like a hippopotamus because... 

Ask the students to think about how to justify that sentence. e.g. heavy steps, slow, deliberate etc. 

Now ask them to write the same sentence for each of their animals finishing it in their own way. 


Variation One 

Write a list of verbs on the board dance walk sleeps eats plays etc. The students have to complete the sentence 

 She / He _______ (verb) like a ______ (animal) because… 


Variation Two 

Half the class brainstorm 8 verbs and half the class brainstorm 8 animals. Write their lists on the board in two columns. Again the students have to complete the sentence. She / He _______ (verb) like a ______ (animal) because…b

The Song Idea

Play a song and provide the lyrics - ask students to highlight some of the nice descriptive language in the song, discuss things that can be described by that language and then ask them to write a story using the language. Simple but fun. 

Facebook Poem
Ask students to go through their Facebook posts and find posts in English. Ask them to write down the first sentences or clauses of 5 or 6 posts. Then ask them to rearrange them so they make some sort of sense. Here is mind.

A Star is born part 1

For those who just shrug

after pride and prejudice,

something for you to chuckle about

just finished ‘Alone in Berlin’

I came across this beautiful puddle today,

All my life choices validated?

Ant Master, your views please.

Descriptive Sentences 

Write a sentence on the board

e.g. the boy walked up the stairs.

Tell the student the boy was scared, ask them where they would put the word in that sentence. e.g. the scared boy walked up the stairs.

Now ask them how he walked up the stairs. elicit an adverb and ask them  where it goes in the sentence. e.g. the scared boy walked quickly up the stairs.

Next ask them to describe the stairs, narrow, steep, dark and ask them where their adjective goes. e.g. the scared boy walked quickly up the dark stairs.

Finally ask them to think of a different word for walked, e.g. ran, climbed, tip-toed etc. the scared boy tip-toed quickly up the stairs.

Put the students in to pairs and ask them to do the same for other adjectives, excited, happy, sad, angry etc.

You can help them with the words by translating or filling in gaps in their knowledge.

Here are some more teaching ideas and some more and check  out my own stories for your amusement.