Writing Journal

On this page you will find grading criteria and select prompts.

You should plan to write in your journal or type for at least 10 minutes every school day.

Writing journals will be graded on the 1st Friday of each month.

Write this on the first page of your Writing Journal:

** This is my writing journal.

I love it!

I am going to write in it every day. Why?

Because I am a great writer.

Also, what I have to say is valuable.

I am never afraid of a blank page.

I will cover it with words and pictures. I will make my pages art: poetic and prose.

I AM A GREAT WRITER!**

Each entry will include the date and the prompt. The length is expected to be a page or more (unless we have a special writing situation).

Journals will usually be turned in on the first Friday of each month.

You will receive a writing test grade for completeness:

_ Each full page entry (3/4 page for 6th grade first 9 weeks only) will count an equal portion to equal 100 points possible. Eg. 10 prompts would equal 10 points each.

** Some entries will be graded that day for Language Arts Classwork skill checks.

Writing Prompts

GROUP 1

August 14 - 10-minute Fluency Check

August 15 - A person I admire

August 16 - Summer Vacation

August 17 - The theme of Horton Hears a Who is: a person's a person no matter how small.

Describe times when this theme has applied in your life.

August 18 - Typing fluency

August 21 - The Historic Solar Eclipse

August 22 - Travel Anywhere: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and what would you do?

August 23 - Free Freewrite: write about anything you'd like

August 24 - If you could be any part of speech, which part would you be (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, article/determiner, preposition, conjunction, interjection) and why? Write a short story to show how important your part of speech is. For instance, what if you didn't exist?!

August 25 - If you could be any punctuation mark (period, comma, colon, semi-colon, hyphen, quotation mark, parenthesis, question mark, exclamation mark) which would you be and why? Write a short story to show how important your part of speech is. For instance, what if you didn't exist?!

GROUP 2

August 28 - (6th grade) "I Just Won the Lottery - $700,000,000" Describe how you felt when you found out you won. Where were you, and what was your reaction? Also, discuss how you will use your wealth.

(7th grade) If you were the President, would you have pardoned former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio?

*Discuss what he was found guilty, what his defense was, and what his sentence might have been.

*Include the Rule of Law in your discussion and how does it apply in this case?

*Explain why you believe a President should or shouldn't be allowed to pardon someone.

(8th Grade) Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and there is massive flooding. Discuss this major event and how geography plays a role in the catastrophe. How do you believe the community and government prepared for the natural disaster? What followup do you expect will take place from the community and the government?

August 29 -

6th Grade: “Would Winning the Lottery Make Me Happy?”

Explain why or why not. Describe what happiness is and how to be happy.

7th grade: If you were the President, would you have pardoned former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio? (TWO DAYS)

*Discuss what he was found guilty, what his defense was, and what his sentence might have been.

*Include the Rule of Law in your discussion and how does it apply in this case?

*Explain why you believe a President should or shouldn't be allowed to pardon someone.

8th Grade: “I won the Lottery: $700,000,000

*Describe how you felt when you found out you won. Where were you, and what was your reaction? Also, discuss how you will use your wealth.

August 30 -

6th Grade: Write a short story (half a page) form 1st person point of view (POV), then write it again from the 3rd person limited pov.

7th Grade:

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and there is massive flooding.

*Discuss this major event and how geography plays a role in the catastrophe.

*How do you believe the community and government prepared for the natural disaster?

*What followup do you expect will take place from the community and the government?

* Describe the impact on the local economy. (Jobs, prices, etc)

* Describe the impact on the national economy. (Jobs, prices, taxes, etc.)

8th Grade: “Would Winning the Lottery Make Me Happy?”

Explain why or why not. Describe what happiness is and how to be happy.

8/31/17

6th, 7th and 8th Grade: "Empathy": A theme developed in Horton Hears a Who is empathy. Define empathy and discuss how Horton was empathetic to the plight of the Whos while the jungle animals were not empathetic to Horton.

9/1/17

6th Grade: It's Friday! Tell about your weekend plans.

7\th Grade: How Can We Help Victims of Hurricane Harvey?

8th Grade: The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: There is evidence of people living in the Americas (North and South) as far back as 10,000 to 13,000 years ago. Discuss these pre-Columbian cultures.

9/5/17

6th Grade: "You Are What You Eat" Discuss this popular saying. Do you agree with it? Why or why not.

7th/8th Grade: How is North Korea's testing of the H-bomb considered an international threat by the U.N.? Also, explain North Korea's justification for testing the H-bomb. Do you agree they have a right to test nuclear weapons? Explain.

9/6/17

6th Grade: Surviving Irma: Describe your dramatic survival of or escape from Irma. (Be creative!)

7th/8th Grade: Burma Refugees: Our First Amendment protects our freedom to practice any or no religion. Compare this to the situation in Myanmar.

9/7/17 thru 9/13 (Story time was extended due to school closure on 9/8 and 9/11)

All Grades - "My Short Story" 3-day/600 plus words. Be sure to write the plot, then make sure your story has an antagonist and protagonist, conflict, rising action, climax, resolution, and theme.

9/14 - No prompt

Students complete a story graph for their own story and share their story with a partner.

9/18 - "Do Over" If you could go back and do it again, what would you do? Would you change anything? Use descriptive language

9/19 - "You're An Animal": Disclose what type of animal you are (without naming it) by telling about a day in your life.

9/20: "You Are What You Believe": Discuss how this statement may be true. Also, discuss when it may not be true.

9/21: 6th: "Watch What You Say": Did you know about 90 percent of your conversations take place in your head? Think about your "self-conversations". Discuss them and decide if they are helping you be your best or holding you back from reaching your dreams.

7th/8th "Three Wishes": Make three wishes then discuss what could go wrong it they came true. (Think of the Monkey's Paw.)

9/22: 6th: "Three Wishes"

If you could have three wishes, what would they be. If they came true, discuss best case scenerio and what could possibly go wrong.

7th: "Watch What You Say": Did you know about 90 percent of your conversations take place in your head? Think about your "self-conversations". Discuss them and decide if they are helping you be your best or holding you back from reaching your dreams.

8th: Half page each: "You Are What You Believe" and "Watch What You Say"

9/25: 6th Grade: "Draw My Life" - Draw side-by-side pics of you today and you sometime in the future when you've accomplished some goals.

7th/8th: "To Kneel or Not to Kneel" during the National Anthem. Discuss whether NFL players should be fired for this form of peaceful protesting.

9/26: 6th: color and share you picture from yesterday.

7th/8th: "Draw My Life" - Draw side-by-side pics of you today and you sometime in the future when you've accomplished some goals. Color and share. (IN WRITING JOURNAL)

9/27: 6th "Me vs. My Best Friend" Compare and contrast your character traits with those of your best friend. You must write to this. You may also draw a venn diagram.

7th: Healthcare: Should it be affordable or free for all citizens? Explain how to pay for your idea

(Mrs. Day spoke to class and they will get a second day to write.)

8th: Freewrite

9/28: 6th: "School or No School?" Should we have school in America? Explain your idea of the best type of education. Draw a picture of a classroom you would design.

7th: Same prompt as yesterday.

8th: No prompt: work on essay.

GROUP 3

10/2: 6th Grade: "My Book" You are going to write the best book of your life. What will it be about? Describe it and give it a title.

7th: Brain Trauma: Would you let your children play football or soccer or even box?

8th: The 8th Grade Room Plan

10/3:

7th: Worked on Essay

8th: Worked on Essay

10/4: No Prompt

10/5: No Prompt

10/6: "Should We Celebrate Columbus Day": be sure to include a grabber, some background, and a thesis statement, as you develop this short essay.

10/10: "Why I Like Dancing": be sure to include a grabber, some background, and a thesis statement, as you develop this short essay.

10/11: Continue Yesterday's Prompt / 15-min fluency check

10/12: Freewrite

10/13: Freewrite (Giselle)

10/16: Freewrite

10/17: 6th Grade: Why I (like/love/hate) Fall

7th/8th Grade: Typing fluency

10/18: 6th: Typing fluency check

7th: Which political party (Republican or Democratic) do you most associate with?

8th: None

10/19: 6th Grade - Work on Burmese Python essay

7th Grade - Discuss the local/national cause you would like our school to support this year. Be sure to explain why you think it is the most worthy cause for the Civics class.

8th: Discuss the Triangular Trade Route and draw a map. What do you think about the slave trade that existed?

10/20: All grades: What if dinosaurs had nover gone extinct? Describe life with these creatures still roaming around.

10/23: All grades: "Happy 100th Birthday to Me" - Describe your 100th birthday celebration, your friends and family, your presents, etc.

10/24: 6th grade - Write an introductory paragraph to your essay about "Hammurabi's Code, Was It Just?"

7th/8th - No prompt

10/26: None

10/27: 6th - Happy Friday

8th - French and Indian War

Group 4

10/30: "Who Are You?" Tell about your costume for school (Book Character or Historical Figure)

10/31: Review the candidate websites and decide which party you will support. Write about why you plan to support this party.

7th grade: nothing

11/1: Write about last night or about the elections.

11/2: Holiday Greeting Cards for Veterans

11/3: 6th - Freewrite

7th/8th - none

11/6: 6th - What if the Earth's core was hollow?

7th: Should people be required to vote? Explain your reasoning.

8th: Freewrite

11/7: No Prompt - VOTING DAY

11/8: Super You! Tell about your super power

11/9: Veterans Day

11/13: Nutcracker

11/14; Freewrite

11/15: Freewrite

Group 5:

11/27: "Holiday Lesson": What I did for my Thanksgiving Holiday and a lesson I learned.

11/28: 6th/7th: Should Restaurants be Allowed to Ban Children? Write a full thesis statement and mini essay. None for 8th

11/29: 6th: Should all middle school students be required to wear school uniforms? Write a full thesis statement and a mini essay.

7th: None

8th: Should Restaurants be Allowed to Ban Children? Write a full thesis statement and mini essay.

11/30: continue yesterday's essay

12/1: Should pets be able to talk to humans? Thesis with mini essay.

7th Social Networking

12/4: 6th: continue yesterday's essay

7th: Think of an issue you care about. Discuss the issue and how you can take action.

8th: Write about George Washington as a leader. What traits made him a good leader?

12/5: No Prompt (Spelling Bee day)

12/6 - 12/13: All Grades: Holiday Story (the plan goes in the writing journal. The story will be typed and turned in online at classlink)

Beginning of Group 6

1/4: 10-Minute Fluency Check

1/5: Typing Fluency Check

1/8: My Restaurant: If you could create your own restaurant or fast food restaurant, what would it be? Discuss the food, the atmosphere, the marketing, etc. Include anything that makes your restaurant unique.

1/9: Freewrite

1/10: If you can create or get rid of any law, what would it be and why?

1/11 - 1/18: 6th Grade: Complete the "Write a Story" contest (see back of Scope magazine and Scope website - code bandgreen2 - for full directions). Please type final and turn in on ClassLink.