The Writing Teacher's Activity-a-Day: 180 Reproducible Prompts and Quick-Writes for the Secondary Classroom

What Makes This Book Different v

About the Author xv

Acknowledgments xvii

Action Verbs as a Method of Elaboration 1

Adages 2

Adjectives as a Method of Elaboration 3

Adverbs as a Method of Elaboration: Practice #1 4

Adverbs as a Method of Elaboration: Practice #2 6

Allegory 7

Alliteration 8

Allusion 9

Analogy 10

Anecdote 11

Antagonist 12

Application and Synthesis 13

Assessing Prompts: Determining Mode of Writing 14

Assonance 15

Autobiographical Collage 16

Biography 17

Brainstorming 18

Brainstorming: Web 19

Brainstorming: Web Subpoints 20

Business Letter 21

Character Sketch 23

Characterization: Actions 24

Characterization: Contrasting Actions 25

Characterization: Appearance 26

Characterization: Environment 27

Characterization: Inner Thoughts and Feelings (First Person) 28

Characterization: Inner Thoughts and Feelings (Third Person Omniscient) 29

Characterization: Speech 30

Characterization: What Others Say 31

Clichés 32

Climax 33

Choppy Style 34

Commas (Individualized Practice #1) 35

Commas (Individualized Practice #2) 36

Comparison/Contrast Essay (Introduction) 37

Comparison/Contrast Essay (First Body: First Part of Contrast/Comparison of Actions) 38

Comparison/Contrast Essay (First Body: Second Part of Contrast/Comparison of Actions) 39

Comparison/Contrast (Second Body) 40

Comparison/Contrast Essay (Third Body) 41

Comparison/Contrast Essay (Conclusion) 42

Conflict: External 43

Conflict: Internal 44

Connectives 46

Connotation or Denotation 47

Definition as a Method of Elaboration 49

Definitions: Specialized 50

Denouement 51

Description as a Method of Elaboration 52

Descriptive Essay (Introduction) 53

Descriptive Essay (First Body) 54

Descriptive Essay (Second Body) 55

Descriptive Essay (Third Body) 56

Descriptive Essay (Conclusion) 57

Dialect 58

Dialogue as a Method of Elaboration 59

Editing for Grammar Mistakes 60

Elaboration 61

Elaboration: Examples and Explanation as a Method 62

Elaboration: Researchable Fact as a Method 63

Euphemisms 64

Expanded Moment 65

Expository Writing (Introduction) 66

Expository Writing (First Body) 67

Expository Writing (Second Body) 68

Expository Writing (Third Body) 69

Expository Writing (Conclusion) 70

Extended Metaphor (Part #1) 71

Extended Metaphor (Part #2) 72

Famous Quotations Blending into Author’s Own Words 73

Famous Quotations as Methods of Elaboration 74

Famous Quotations (Top Ten) 75

Fantasy 76

Figurative Language Fill-Ins 78

Flashback 79

Foreshadowing 80

Fragments 81

Friendly Letter (Heading, Salutation, Introduction) 82

Friendly Letter (Body, Part #1) 83

Friendly Letter (Body, Part #2) 84

Full-Circle Ending in Narratives and Quick Writes 85

Full-Circle Ending in Free Verse Poems 86

Hooks (Part #1) 88

Hooks (Part #2) 89

Hooks (Part #3) 90

Hooks (Part #4) 91

How-To Vignette 92

How-To or Process Writing (Introduction) 93

How-To or Process Writing (First Body) 94

How-To or Process Writing (Second Body) 95

How-To or Process Writing (Third Body) 96

How-To or Process Writing (Conclusion) 97

Humor 98

Hyperbole 99

Hyphenated Modifier 100

Idioms 101

Inference 102

Irony of Situation 104

Interview Questions (Get-Acquainted Exercise) 105

Literary Analysis (Introduction) 106

Literary Analysis (First Body) 107

Literary Analysis (Second Body) 108

Literary Analysis (Third Body) 109

Literary Analysis (Conclusion) 110

Magic Three as a Method of Elaboration and Voice 111

Metaphor 112

Metaphor Quick Write 113

Mood (Part #1) 114

Mood Prediction (Part #2) 115

Motif 116

Motivation 117

Name 118

Narrative (Setting, Characters, Conflict) 119

Narrative (Furthering Conflict in Rising Action) 120

Narrative (Introduction of Second Conflict and More Insight

into Characters) 121

Narrative (Characters’ Reaction to Conflict) 122

Narrative (Introduction of Minor Character and Continued Conflict) 123

Narrative (Climax and Falling Action) 125

Onomatopoeia 127

Open-Ended Questions 128

Open-Ended Question (‘‘The Physicians of Trinidad’’) 129

Paradox 130

Pathetic Fallacy (Part #1) 131

Pathetic Fallacy (Part #2) 132

Peer Editing 133

Personalizing Current Events: Turning Nonfiction into Fiction 134

Personification 135

Persuasive Writing (Introduction) 136

Persuasive Writing (First Body) 137

Persuasive Writing (Second Body) 138

Persuasive Writing (Third Body) 139

Persuasive Writing (Conclusion) 140

Picture Prompt Writing 141

Picture Prompt Rubric: Student-Interactive (Beginning) 142

Picture Prompt Rubric: Student-Interactive (Details) 143

Picture Prompt Rubric: Student-Interactive (Editing) 144

Play-Doh Writing Game 145

Poem Cut-Ups 147

Poignancy 149

Point of View: Omniscient 150

Prediction (Part #1) 151

Prediction (Part #2) 152

Redundancy 153

Repetition for Effect:

One Trick for Voice (From Excerpt of Short Story) 154

Repetition for Effect (Sentence Practice) 155

Run-On Sentences 156

Science Fiction (Setting and Characters) 157

Science Fiction (Unfolding of Plot: Rising Action #2) 158

Science Fiction (Establishing Conflict: Rising Action Introducing Conflict) 159

Science Fiction (Establishing Connection Between Characters) 160

Science Fiction (Plan Purposed: Plan of Action Revealed) 161

Science Fiction (Rising Action Leading to Climax) 162

Science Fiction (Climax and Falling Action) 163

Sensory Images as a Method of Elaboration (Sight) 164

Sensory Images (Sound) 165

Sensory Images (Touch) 166

Sensory Images (Taste) 167

Sensory Images (Smell) 168

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Noun Absolutes) 169

Sentence Variety: Noun Absolutes Practice 170

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Participial Phrase) 171

Sentence Variety: Participial Phrase Practice 172

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Adverb Clause) 173

Sentence Variety: Adverb Clause Practice 174

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Adjective Clause) 175

Sentence Variety: Adjective Clause Practice 176

Similes as Methods of Voice in a Paragraph 177

Similes as Practice in Developing Voice 178

Snapshot Poem 179

Structure Rubric for One-Paragraph Essay 180

Subjunctive Mood of Verbs 182

Summary 183

Symbol 184

Thank-You Note 185

Theme: Building Themes into Essays 186

Themes: Works Built Around a Theme 187

Transitions: More Sophisticated Methods (Persuasive Essay) 188

Transitions: More Sophisticated Methods (Expository Essay) 189

Verb Tense Shift 190

Vocabulary: I Don’t Think So 191

Vocabulary: Which Word? 192

Vocabulary: What If? 193