Creative Writing Ideas for Teachers
Getting students involved with a creative writing class sometimes can take a little time, especially if you're working on getting their creative juices flowing. Keeping a running list of creative writing ideas helps teachers no matter what grade or age group they are working with. Writing helps students open their minds while developing their writing skills.
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Elementary School Students
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Choose a prompt for students that incorporates other lessons. Lesson Planet suggests using a topic such as "Under the Deep Blue Sea." Select an important period of time from history class, such as the Civil War, or have them pick a favorite holiday to pen a creative story about. Encourage research online so that students also become familiar with computers and search engines.
Middle School Students
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Topics that focus on a geographical location are one way to infuse knowledge into a creative writing task. Give the students prompts such as "Eternal Ancient Egypt" or "South American History." Students can explore the way people lived during ancient Egyptian times or research the legends and folklore among South American cultures. Students also could focus a creative story around the life of a famous political figure, incorporating any findings and research.
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High School Students
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Get high school students involved by having them write about their most memorable experience so far in their lives. Descriptive words should be used for what was felt physically, not emotionally, having them paint a picture with their words. Other prompt suggestions can center on where they see themselves in five or 10 years, or have them write a short story and choose a music accompaniment that conveys the story's emotion.
College Students
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Creative writing topics in college can have more elaborate structure and depth. One option is having students write a six-sentence paragraph where words cannot be repeated and must make sense. Students can also be assigned a journal activity to be practiced daily and turned in weekly for teacher feedback. Assign students the task of creating their own haiku, a Japanese poem with 17 syllables in three lines of five, seven and five syllables.
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