SMN Picasso Project: Language Arts Lesson 2

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lesson1.gif (1287 bytes) Story Starters
Objective:
Students will use their imaginations to produce a creative writing story starter about principals.

Time frame:
4 - 40 minute time periods

Procedure:
Students meet on the classroom carpet. A discussion concerning other writing activities about principals transpire. A discussion regarding beginning, middle and endings take place. The teacher writes all the suggested titles on the board. Some of the titles that the students came up with were:

The Perfect Principal
Principals are People Too
Dealing with Teachers
Dealing with Students
Making the Right Decisions
If I Were Principal, How Would I Deal With Me?

Students are requested to write a story about the principal. They can use one of the suggested titles to help them start or they are free to think of an original idea of their own.

During the next two classes, students share their writing with their peers. Students respond to the writing and offer suggestions. They spend the rest of the time in these classes completing and editing their written work.

The final class involves students publishing their stories in the computer lab. See Lesson 2 under Technology Integration.

Evaluation:
Analyze the published document. Do students have a complete story with an exciting beginning? Are they able to edit for spelling and punctuation? Is the story about the principal?

The Good Principal?
Written by Brandi

Our principal, Mr. Scott is a really good principal because he is good to the students and teachers. He always listens to everyone and tries to help us when we are sad.

One day Mr. Scott yelled at one of the boys in our class because he had wet snow on his boots. The students were sad. The teachers were sad too. The whole school was sad. I was sad too. The next day Mr. Scott yelled at another boy because he had to go to the washroom during class. Everyone was sad again.

The kids in the room got together. Something is wrong. Mr. Scott doesn't yell at kids for silly things like wet boots and washroom emergencies. What was going on?...What do you think happened?