Zoomies クリエイティブ ライティング クラブ! つながりを作りながらスキルと自信を高めましょう

Welcome to Club Zoomies where young writers meet regularly over Zoom to practice creative writing skills and make connections with other students. Consistent writing practice with high interest topics improves writing proficiency and confidence. Regular meetings allow students the opportunity to get to know other students and build relationships through commonalities, sharing of ideas, and supporting each other through impactful writing experiences. Content does not build from class to class, so students will feel comfortable joining any week for fun, creative writing practice and relationship building. 

This club is for students who can write independently and could benefit from regular creative writing exercises to strengthen abilities and confidence, as well as make new friends. The idea is to have students routinely enjoy positive writing experiences while building a love for writing, rather than getting stuck in a single, mundane writing piece. Consistency grows stronger, more confident writers! Let’s get kids writing with meaningful writing experiences and have fun while doing it!

***Why join a creative writing club?***
 It’s a communal environment where students can grow as creative writers and critical thinkers!
BENEFITS INCLUDE:
~ Encouragement 
~ Motivation
~ Support
~ Creative Sparks
~ Writing Accountability
~ Feedback
~ Imagination
~ Broader Vocabulary
~ Critical Thinking
~ Camaraderie
~ Fun, Positive Writing Experiences to Boost Skill and Confidence!

EACH CLASS HAS 4 PARTS:

1) SHARE TIME
Each meeting begins with 5-8 minutes of student share time where students can tell about interesting or exciting things going on in their daily lives while making connections with other students. (Appropriate topics for share time might include things such as losing a tooth, winning a baseball game, going on a trip, telling about a new book of interest, a special dinner, a birthday, an accomplishment, a new toy, or even going to visit a family member. - Kids this age always have something they can’t wait to share with others, and this will be a supportive place to do it.) Students are encouraged, but not required to share during this time. 

2) INTRODUCE AND BRAINSTORM
After that, we will discuss the creative writing prompt for the day. I will introduce the new topic and have students brainstorm ideas together they may use in their new writing piece. We will also include important spellings and vocabulary words students may need to incorporate in their Writing of the Day.  This will affectionately be known as our “WOD.” (10 minutes)

3) INDEPENDENT WRITING TIME WITH SUPPORT/ CONFERENCING
Using various imaginative and meaningful prompts, students will have the freedom to create a new writing piece each class. Students will have independent writing time and have the opportunity to conference with the teacher for support and guidance. (25 minutes)

4) SHARE YOUR WORK
At the end of our meeting, every student will have the option to share what they have written with the class. Students will provide feedback to each other in the form of compliments and encouragement. Teacher may also provide helpful feedback to benefit the writing skills of the class as a whole. (10 minutes)

*Students may choose to continue writing after class to complete a writing piece, but it is not required. I am always happy to view students completed writing pieces in the classroom if they share them with me. I provide written feedback as I’m able. 
**Families may choose to flesh out a creative writing piece into a more substantial writing project at home if desired. Each meeting will be a chance to create something new based on prompts, questions, and ideas. The idea is to have students continue to enjoy positive writing experiences while building a love for writing, rather than getting stuck in a single writing piece and being overwhelmed with mechanics and multiple drafts. 

We will end with final shares and goodbyes. (2 minutes)

Students may sign up on a weekly basis. Pop in and out as your schedule allows. Content does not build, so your student will never be behind from week to week. 


SCHEDULE:
Week of October 16th: Writing From Point of View
~ Day 1 - Choose an object in your room and write a paragraph from it’s point of view.
~ Day 2 - On a playground, you see another child being bullied. Write 3 short stories from 3 different points of view. (Yours, the bully’s, and the child being bullied.)
~ Day 3 - Choose a pet, real or imagined, and write a short story from the pet’s point of view living in your home.

Week of October 23rd: Future Thoughts 
~ Day 1 - Describe a futuristic setting. What will the earth look like in 100 years?
~ Day 2 - Imagine your much older self (50 years from now) is writing your current self a letter telling you how things are in the future. 
~ Day 3 - Describe your dream house.

Week of October 30th:  Villains Week (Please not we will meet on Monday, Thursday, Friday this week.)
~ Day 1 - Write a ‘wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. What is their crime, and what reward will you give for having them caught?
~ Day 2 - You are a journalist interviewing one of the most famous villains of all time. What questions would you ask, and what would their responses be?
~ Day - 3 Write a letter to a villain of your choice trying to convince them to turn from their villainous ways and use their powers for good. Think about what they want and how you might be able to persuade them. 

**No class week of November 6th**

Week of November 13th: Fantasy Week
~ Day 1 - Imagine you found a box on your doorstep. You open the box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers. 
~ Day 2 - You just won $10 million. What would you spend the money on?
~ Day 3 - Imagine you found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to, and why?

**No class Week of November 20th**

Week of November 27th: Character Week
~ Day 1 - Create a character description based on 1 fact and 3 fictional elements.
~ Day 2 - Describe your own super hero. Think about their appearance, special abilities, and their name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their # 1 enemy?
~ Day 3 - Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that would happen to your character?

Week of December 11th: All About Me 
~ Day 1 - What Makes Me…Me?
~ Day 2 - If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song. 
~ Day 3 - If you were on a deserted island, what 3 must have items would you want to have and why?

Week of January 8th: Creative Sparks
~ Day 1 - Create a fake advertisement poster for an object that is near you. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this product from you. 
~ Day 2 - Write 7 haikus. One for each color of the rainbow.
~ Day 3 - Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings, and actions during this time. 

Week of January 15th: Humorous Thoughts
~ Day 1: Imagine you are at the grocery store. Write down at least 3 funny scenarios that could happen to you. 
~ Day 2: - You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time.
~ Day 3: - Pick a random book and go to page 9. Find the 9th sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter. 

Week of January 22nd: Critical Thinking
~ Day 1: - Describe the most beautiful thing you have ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty. 
~ Day 2:  - Complete this sentence 10 different ways:  Every time I look out the window I …
~ Day 3: - Write a book or movie review.

Week of January 29th: Critical Thinking
~ Day 1: - What does your name mean? Use it as inspiration for your story.
~ Day 2: - If someone gave you $20, what would you spend it on today and why?
~ Day 3: - Write a letter to your favorite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? 

Week of February 5th: Mission to Mars
~ Day 1: - Create a Travel Brochure to Mars
~ Day 2: - Diary Entry For a Day in Your Life on Mars
~ Day 3: - What Happens Next Writing Prompt


Week of February 12th: For the LOVE of Writing - Valentine themed writing week
~ Day 1: - Love Is: Writing well formed paragraphs about what love is to me
~ Day 2: - Valentine Poetry (Acrostic, Haiku, & Cinquain) for Valentine cards
~ Day 3: - Secret Kindness Agents: Fantasy writing about a day in your life

***ADJUSTED SCHEDULE: CLASSES MEET TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY THIS WEEK***
Week of February 19th: Kind Characters Week
This week we will celebrate kindness while learning about character traits, identifying different traits of various characters, and developing characters based on how they talk and behave.
~ Day 1: - Secret Agents of Kindness
~ Day 2: - Writing a Friendly Character
~ Day 3: - Identifying Character Traits


Week of February 26th: Character Traits
~ Day 1: - Rewriting common fairy tales with alternate character traits
~ Day 2: - Develop specific character traits through character’s actions and words
~ Day 3: - Character arcs! Short stories where a character’s dominant trait changes


Week of March 4th: Responding to Literature
~ Day 1: - A Bad Case of Stripes: Create an imaginary ailment, causes, symptoms, and cure
~ Day 2: - After the Fall: Short story where character overcomes a fear
~ Day 3: - The Bad Seed: Create an edible character with a story arc


Week of March 11th: Overused Words
~ Day 1: - Identifying overused words and more interesting words to replace them
~ Day 2: - Use text to identify & replace overused words in a story to make it more interesting
~ Day 3: - Using 10 interesting replacements in an original story

**NO CLASSES THE WEEK OF MARCH 18TH**


Week of March 26: Responding to Literature
~ Day 1: -
~ Day 2: -
~ Day 3: -

***Additional Weeks Will Be Updated on the Schedule ***