Second Grade Best

We all know how much our students struggle with writing.  It seems like the harder we work trying to teach writing, the less they enjoy it. I decided I wanted needed to find a way to show them writing can be fun.  I had taught summer writing in the past, and although it was successful, I still didn't feel like they realized how fun expressing themselves in writing can be.  That is when I thought of doing it as a camp. I had seventeen campers sign up for this adventure.  I love how my room theme inspires me, so I knew I needed a theme for the camp too.  I decided to go with a "Survivor" theme. I set up four tribes.   This allowed me to break them up into homogeneous groups for differentiated instruction.   We met for five consecutive days.  I was a little concerned that five hours each day might be too much for them, but the only negative comment I got on the evaluation sheets was that it should be longer!  We explored several different genres including narrative, fairy tales, dramatic, and informational.  We targeted specific skills such as brainstorming, getting through the writing process, plot, and word choice.  The campers came back more excited each day than the day before...you remember I said this is a writing camp, right?  So I guess I could say mission accomplished.  I am going to get all of the materials together and post pictures soon.  Now it is time to start thinking about getting my classroom ready.