Rural Exceptional Student Talent Opportunities, Resources, & Experiences
READING & CREATIVE WRITING ENRICHMENT
READING & CREATIVE WRITING ENRICHMENT
(Gr. K-2)
Embedded Files
1. Author’s Choice Debate
Student-Facing Task:
“Choose a story you’ve read. Imagine the author changed either the setting or the narrator. Write 1–2 paragraphs explaining how the story would change. Then, prepare to defend your opinion in a debate.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Reading comprehension, analyzing author’s craft, argumentation.
DOK: 3 (Analyze, justify).
Tips: Encourage use of text evidence. Assign debate partners with different “what if” choices.
2. Alternative Endings
Student-Facing Task:
“Pick a story you know well. Write a completely new ending that changes how the conflict is resolved. Then, explain in 3–4 sentences how your new ending changes the theme.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Creative writing, theme analysis.
DOK: 4 (Create, evaluate).
Tips: Younger students may dictate or draw endings. Older students should explain theme impact.
3. Character on Trial
Student-Facing Task:
“Put a main character ‘on trial’ for a choice they made. Write arguments for the prosecution (why they were wrong) and the defense (why they were right).”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Persuasive writing, empathy, reasoning.
DOK: 4 (Evaluate from multiple perspectives).
Tips: Allow role-play trials. Emphasize citing specific actions from the text.
4. Genre Transformer
Student-Facing Task:
“Take a scene from a book you know. Rewrite it in a new genre—turn a realistic story into a mystery, fantasy, or science fiction story.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Genre awareness, creative adaptation.
DOK: 4 (Create).
Tips: Provide examples of different genres for reference. Compare versions in groups.
5. Text-to-World Challenge
Student-Facing Task:
“Pick an event from a story and compare it to a real event in history or today. Create a chart of similarities and differences.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Text-to-world connections, comparison, synthesis.
DOK: 3 (Analyze).
Tips: Provide newspaper articles or history references. Allow multimedia presentations.
6. Symbol Scavenger Hunt
Student-Facing Task:
“Find at least 3 symbols in a story. Explain what each one means and how it connects to the theme.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Literary analysis, symbolism.
DOK: 3 (Analyze).
Tips: Encourage visuals—students can draw or create collages of symbols.
7. Author Collaboration
Student-Facing Task:
“Imagine your story’s author co-wrote with another famous author. Rewrite a scene in their combined style. Explain what changed.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Literary style, synthesis.
DOK: 4 (Synthesize styles).
Tips: Provide mentor texts for reference. Let students share dramatic readings.
8. Perspective Shift
Student-Facing Task:
“Retell a key scene from the viewpoint of a minor character. How does it change what readers know?”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Point of view, perspective-taking.
DOK: 3 (Analyze).
Tips: Use role-play for deeper engagement.
9. Literary Invention
Student-Facing Task:
“Design a new character who could fit in the story. Write a dialogue between them and a main character.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Characterization, creative writing.
DOK: 4 (Create).
Tips: Encourage balancing consistency with originality.
10. What If…?
Student-Facing Task:
“Change one big event in the story. Write a summary showing how the plot would be different.”
Teacher-Facing Task:
Skills: Cause-effect, prediction, creative thinking.
DOK: 3 (Strategic thinking).
Tips: Use graphic organizers for younger students.
Page updated
Report abuse