Writing Journal Calendar Prompts

Writing Journal Expectations

In second grade students become more aware of their writing and understand that writing is a valuable tool for communicating their thoughts and ideas to others. They no longer depend on a picture prompt to direct their writing but are able to write about a specific topic for the purpose of communicating information. By drawing on prior knowledge and personal experiences, students are able to make connections through writing.

The purpose of a daily writing prompt is to provide students with a daily writing exercise that allows them to practice organizational skills, demonstrate correct paragraph structure, apply grammar and mechanics, and write for an audience.

During the first semester students wrote in their writing journal each morning. Students wrote in paragraph form (topic sentence, four supporting sentences, and a closing sentence) and discovered the importance of a strong lead (topic sentence) and a clear, focused closing when writing a paragraph. Students also learned how to indent their paragraph and create a title that captured their audiences attention.

During the second semester students will be responsible for completing writing journals as a part of their weekly homework assignment. At the beginning of each month students will receive a writing calendar that contains a writing prompt for each school day. Writing prompts should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete. Students will turn in their Writing Journal each morning. Some students like to sit down and write for the entire week rather than write one prompt each day. This is fine. It's always a good idea to plan ahead.

Writing Prompts should include the following:
1. Title (be creative)
2. Date (the date of the calendar writing prompt)
3. Topic Sentence (hook your audience)
4. Four Supporting Sentences (be descriptive)
5. Closing Sentence (let your audience know you are finished)
6. Use descriptive phrases and describing words (use adjectives)


If you have any questions about the expectations for the Writing Journal Calendar Prompts, please do not hesitate to send me an email. Please type "Calendar Writing Prompts" in the subject line.

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Student Samples

All writing samples were written by my second grade students and were based on a daily calendar prompt. Students have been trained to write for a specific audience, demonstrate correct paragraph structure, use descriptive phrases as well as adjectives, and to include a title that catches the reader's attention. They've done a fantastic job!

What I Thought I Never Would Learn
by Tatyana

I never thought that I could swim until I tried. One day I went swimming and I got into the water and I just couldn't do it. Next, I got out of the water and then I jumped back in. Water splashed everywhere. I was swimming. I really learned from my mistakes. Swimming was something that I never thought I would learn how to do.

Chess
by Terry

My favorite sport is Chess. I like Chess because it is challenging and you never know who will win. My dream is to make it to a Chess final but if that doesn't happen I will keep trying and never ever give that dream up. I want to grow up and teach my brothers how to play Chess. Chess is my favorite sport.

The Worst Thing I Ever Did
by Alex

The worst thing I ever did was loose my sister's keys. We were in a store and when we got to the register to check out she didn't know that I had lost her keys. When we got to the car she noticed they were missing. She was mad at me. We had to call my dad and he came to pick us up. Loosing my sister's keys was the worst thing I ever did.

Giving to Others
by Tyler

Giving to others is important because we need to give to the less fortunate. We need to give or let someone else receive. We must help others by giving them gifts. We must always think of other people and what they need. We should show love for people. Giving to others is important.

Veterans Day
by Jason

Veteran's Day is important because people who were in the Army and Navy died for our freedom. George Washington was the leader of the Army. Some people died for our flag. Others died for our country. Veteran's Day is very important because a lot of people died for the United States of America.

What I Do When I Am Sick
by Tatyana W.

When I am sick I stay in bed. My mom brings me soup. I lie down for an hour or two and then I watch TV for a little bit. Then I take a nap. It's kind of fun when you are sick because you don't have to go to school. That part is really fun, but being sick isn't.

A Wallet Full of Money
by Erika

If I found a wallet full of money I would find the owner. My dad said it is not right to take something that isn't mine. I should try to return it to the person who owns it. I should not use the money. If I found a wallet full of money I would give it to the police.

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Resources for Teachers

Dedicated Teacher

http://www.dedicatedteacher.com

Can Teach

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html

Writing Fix

http://www.writingfix.com/dailypromptgenerator.htm

Wonderful Writing

http://www.bristolvaschools.org/mwarren/WritingActivities.htm

Teach Children

http://www.teachchildren.com/writingprompts.html

Write On Right Now

http://writeonrightnow.blogspot.com/

Meredith Sue Willis's Writing Exercises

http://meredithsuewillis.com/writingexercises.html

Comic Strip Writing

Allow students to bring in a comic strip (school appropriate) from the Sunday paper. Students can write a reflective piece based on the comic strip. Students can also make a personal connection to the comic. Since they chose the comic, they will be sure to have a lot to say about it.

Calendar Picture Prompts

Save old calendars and turn them into picture prompts. Parents can also donate old calendars. My husband is a member of the ASPCA and the National Wildlife organization. Each year they send out some awesome calendars full of animal prints. The kids love these. They especially like pictures of baby animals. I trimmed the animal prints, matted them onto construction paper, and laminated them for durability. I placed the prints in a large basket. Students love to look through the prints and will choose one that "speaks" to them. They will then write about how the print makes the feel, make a personal connection to the print and write about a personal experience, or persuade the reader in some way. Their writing is pretty neat.

PowerPoint Picture Prompts

Select pictures from the Internet and display them in a PowerPoint slideshow. If you have a way to connect your computer to the television monitor, such as AVERKey, then the whole class can view the image. If you do not have this capability, then load the slideshow onto a student computer station. Students love this because it allows them to select the picture they are going to write about.

Provide questions for the students.
1. Tell what is happening in the picture.
2. How does the picture make you feel?
3. What does the picture mean to you?
4. What message is the photographer trying to give you?
5. List as many adjectives as you can that describe the picture.

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