Writing Prompts

I'm thinking about how I will incorporate writing as a daily practice into the curriculum. As always, my goal is to make skills cohesive across content areas and applicable to real life. I like the idea of having daily writing prompts as one of the morning routines, i.e., one of the tasks students complete in the first few minutes of arrival. The prompt would be written on the class board, and students would spend 10 minutes responding in their journals. I think this practice helps to focus one's mind and thoughts in a general "learning mode."


So let's practice! Prompt: "Think of 10 things to do when the power is out."


1)  Light a candle in every room of the house. Choose a different candle for every room (smell, color, shape, size, illumination).


2)  Make a "surprise dinner" using at least 10 ingredients, none of which can use heat or cold.


3)  Put together a jigsaw puzzle.


4)  Play "truth or dare" with your spouse/sibling/friend.


5)  Play hide-and-seek.


6)  Tell a round-robin story with your spouse/sibling/friend.


7)  Invent a new game.


8)  Write a poem about the dark.


9)  Meditate.


10)  Dance.