You know when you hit that slump in the year (or maybe it’s a couple times a year) and you just need something fresh and new to get everyone excited about? This was my go to this year for my 4th graders. It is an easy to use writing unit that will boost their use of creativity immediately, and maybe even make them excited to write!
I could tell around March that we were hitting that mark… no longer the holidays yet not near the end of the year yet. So I decided I needed something to put a little pep in their step. I also knew I wanted to focus this portion of the year on writing (something that 4th graders don’t like so much) so I especially needed something “fun.” What is more fun than creating your own little character… and I mean actually creating it!
One the first day of this project the students walked into class to these open doors…
They all know that when the CHAOS CABINET (we use this for various projects throughout the year) doors are open something is about to happen. I gave them these instructions:
- use any items in the cabinet to create an original character (does not have to be human)
- you may also use scissors, glue, and tape (I later also got out my glue gun to reinforce)
- Your character must be able to be moved and stay together
- Think about their back story as you are creating
They are so incredibly creative and made truly unique characters. Little did they know this was just my ploy to get some truly creative writing out of them. Now that they already have a character they can let their imaginations go crazy. The best part is the this writing unit is that it really is so easy to use that it can be worked into any curriculum.
Here is a layout of the overall project
- Create characters with found objects, recycled materials, and left over arts and craft supplies
- Create a character profile
- Create a world
- Write about your greatest adventure (journal entry – First Person Point of View)
- POETRY – Write a Haiku, Acrostic, and Limerick about your character (Adaptable to any other type of poetry you want)
- Write a mystery involving your character
- Two truths and a lie game with the class (write clues on a notecard and read them to the class to guess)
- Write a grocery list and a typical daily schedule for you character
- Create a timeline of their life
- Write an Epitaph (Here is a great website to explain and help them write these)
This was a great way to get them writing creatively on a topic they have developed on their own. They had amazing ideas!
One of my favorite things was when we were going to write their daily schedule and I said have it start when they wake up to which I got the following questions/comments…
“What if they are not human and therefore they don’t sleep?”
“What if they are a mummy and spend their days buried in the ground?”
As you can tell you really never know what you are going to get, but the possibilities are endless!
