Students will be coming back from holiday break and ready to learn! Start planning different types of writing into your instruction this month that will get your students excited to write! This blog post will give you 8 ENGAGING WRITING ACTIVITIES FOR JANUARY. I hope you find something that works for your kiddos!

 

1.  NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS BALLOONS AND GOOD FORTUNES

Are you looking for a New Year’s Resolution Writing activity that makes an adorable hall display? This resource has you covered! There are printables not only for New Year’s Resolutions, but also Good Fortunes for the year! You will love to read your student’s resolutions!

 

SUPPLIES:

  • color card stock (2 pers student)
  • ribbon
  • white printer paper

Student Directions for Resolution Balloons:

  1. Read a New Year’s book to students.
  2. Discuss resolutions.
  3. In journals or a piece of paper, help students write a resolution for home, school, and/or favorite sport or activity. Then tell them to explain how they might achieve it.
  4. Write final copies on white circles.
  5. Cut out each balloon and glue the flap onto the white cut-out.
  6. Have students decorate.
  7. Add ribbon and display!

Student Directions for Good Fortunes:

  1. Discuss the meaning behind good fortunes.
  2. Cut out each good fortune and have students pick one. You can put these in balloons for them to pop!
  3. In journals or a piece of paper, copy down the good fortune and write a prediction of what this good fortune may do for you in the new year.

The resource includes: 

  • 3 Balloon Designs
  • Balloon writing templates
  • Worksheet style writing templates with 3 Line spacing options!
  • Signs
  • Definition of resolutions
  • Fortunes to share with students
  • Ideas and information about resolutions and good fortunes for the teacher

2.  PENGUIN WRITING CRAFT (INFORMATIVE WRITING)

This cute little fella makes an adorable wall display! On top of that, students will comprehend more about penguins when they write about them!

SUPPLIES AND PREP:

  • Take already lined paper and cut out circles for writing.  (5 per student)
  • Cut the same size circle on plain white paper. (1 per student)
  • Cut out larger circles from black construction paper. (2 per student)
  • Have other colored paper available for students to create the hat, arms, eyes, nose, bow tie, and feet.

Student Directions:

  1. Read a nonfiction penguin book and/or research penguins on the Internet.
  2. Take notes on the information.
  3. In your own words, write a final copy onto the smaller circles (try to fill up 3 circles). Use complete sentences and proper capitalization and punctuation.
  4. Illustrate a picture on the plain white paper and write a caption.
  5. On a lined circle, list four new words that you learned from your reading. Write their definition next to them.
  6. On another lined circle, document the sources used in research.

After students write the informative essay on the circles and create the penguin, then staple the writing onto the belly of the penguin. Cute cute cute!

The resource includes: 

  • Student directions for homework or center
  • Templates for all parts of the penguin
  • Graphic organizer to use when taking notes:  there are hints on the organizer for guided note-taking
  • 8 writing templates for different topics with places for title, heading, picture, captions, vocabulary
  • a sign for a bullentin board
  • Bibliography page
  • Rubric for grading

3.  THE DAY I WAS A SNOWFLAKE (NARRATIVE WRITING)

This is a fun activity to get those creative brains ticking after break! They pretend to be a snowflake and tell about their experiences that day. Make sure to have students share their final copies!

SUPPLIES AND PREP:

  • One white sheet of paper per student to cut out a snowflake.
  • One lined sheet of paper or a notebook to write a rough draft.
  • One lined sheet of paper to write the final copy. (or print the template)

Student Directions:

  1. Write a rough draft. Start with falling from the sky.
  2. Tell about where you landed and events of your day.
  3. Provide a beginning, middle and end.
  4. Use complete sentences and descriptive words.
  5. Edit and revise writing.
  6. Write the final copy.

The resource includes:

  • Student directions for centers, homework, or independent writing
  • Directions on how to make a snowflake
  • Final copywriting printable (different line-spacing options)
  • Rubric for easy grading

4.  HOW TO BUILD A SNOWMAN WRITING (HOW-TO WRITING)

How to writing is an important skill for students in the elementary grades. It helps them understand sequencing, steps, and writing nonfiction! The snowman is as cute as can be and it makes an adorable hall display. Students enjoy creating their own unique snowman!

SUPPLIES AND PREP:

  • Cut out three different size circles on white construction paper. (If students need lined paper, glue or staple it to the two large circles.
  • Provide colored paper for hat, scarf, nose and arms.
  • Optional:  Provide tinsel for the hat.

Students:

  1. Write a step-by-step rough draft on how to build a real snowman.
  2. Number each step.
  3. Be very specific!
  4. Use complete sentences.
  5. Edit and revise.
  6. Copy final steps onto the two larger circles after the snowman is created.

Putting the snowman together:

  1. Glue the three circles together from smallest to largest.
  2. Draw and color eyes, mouth, and buttons.
  3. Create arms, nose, hat, and scarf out of colored paper.
  4. Glue all the part onto the snowman.
  5. Write final copy on the snowman.

The resource includes:

  • Student directions to set in a center, for homework, or independent work
  • Graphic organizers (2 options)
  • Snowman templates for writing
  • Snowman parts templates to trace
  • Rubric for grading

5.  WINTER DIAMANTE POEM- FREE! (POETRY WRITING)

SUPPLIES AND PREP:

  • Anchor chart on how to write a diamante
  • Paper for final copy

INSTRUCTION:

  • Show the directions and samples for writing a diamante.
  • Brainstorm January antonyms together!!!  This will help your students start thinking about their own writing!

Students Directions:
Using the example on the printable, create your own diamante related to January!!!

The resource includes:

  • Anchor chart with an example
  • Writing template
  • Brainstorming ideas

CLICK HERE to download this resource for FREE inside my VIP Freebie Album of Resources.

6.  MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. NEWSPAPER WRITING (INFORMATIVE WRITING)

Nonfiction is important for not only reading, but writing! Students can apply the nonfiction elements and create their own newspaper.

SUPPLIES AND PREP:

  • Informational text or a book on Martin Luther King Jr. (or article that is included)
  • paper or templates to write information

Students Directions:

  1. Read about Martin Luther King Jr.
  2. Create a newspaper page about events in his life.
  3. Create a title for the newspaper.  Ex.  Montgomery Times
  4. Create a date towards the end of his life.
  5. Create a headline for a specific event and illustrate it with a caption.
  6. Write an article including details about the heading.
  7. Repeat c and d for a new event.
  8. Create a timeline of Martin Luther King Jr.  (Label the dates and what happened.)

The resource includes:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. informational text
  • Student directions for centers, homework, or independent work
  • Newspaper template for final copy
  • Timeline template
  • Sign for display
  • Rubric for easy grading

7.  POWER OF A DREAM LYRIC ANALYSIS AND WRITING ACTIVITY (WRITING ANALYSIS)

If you can find a way to squeeze music in at any time,  your students will be so excited!  I love the song, Power of a Dream, by Celine Dion. It ties well into Martin Luther King Jr. activities!

SUPPLIES AND PREP:

  • Download the lyrics-  I use the site AZ Lyrics-  POWER OF A DREAM
  • Develop questions about the lyrics.  
    a.  Explain the meaning behind the title of the song.
    b.  What is the rhyme scheme in stanza 2?
    c.  Choose a line to illustrate.
    d.  What do the following words mean in the song?   fate, embrace
    e.  Make a meaningful text-to-world connection.
    f.  What lesson does the song convey?
  • Make a cloud pattern for student writing.

Student Directions:

  1. Read and listen to the lyrics.
  2. Analyze the lyrics by answering the questions above.
  3. Reread the line:  “Teaching lessons we must learn.”  What lesson do you think we need to learn and why?    Or what is your dream?
  4. Write your final copy on a cloud pattern.

The resource includes:

  • A copy of the lyrics
  • Analysis questions 
  • A writing template
  • Answer Key

8.  SUPER BOWL WRITING (PERSUASIVE WRITING)

Do you have some sports fans? Get them excited for the super bowl! No worries, there are some prompts for those who are not interested in football!

SUPPLIES AND PREP:

Student Directions:

  1. Choose between the following persuasive prompts:
    a.  Convince the NFL to advertise a commercial about a new phone that you invented.
    b.  Persuade the NFL to sell your favorite homemade snacks at the game.
    c.  Convince the NFL to allow you and your friends to perform a song or dance at half time.
    d.  Persuade the fans for the opposing team to root for your team to win!
  2. Write a rough draft.
  3. Edit and revise.
  4. Write a final copy.
  5. Draw football-themed illustrations.
  6. Staple the final copy on construction paper.
  7. Glue illustrations around the paper.

The resource includes:

  • Directions for students- great for homework project or centers
  • Elements of persuasion
  • Persuasion prompt choices
  • Friendly letter anchor charts to teach parts of a friendly letter
  • Three different choices to write final copy  (Worksheet-style, football head with letter all on one worksheet, craft- football head with letter and feet separate to glue together.)
  • Sign for bulletin board
  • Rubric

I hope you were able to grab some ideas for your January writing instruction! All of these January Writing activities can be purchased individually and also at a bundled price.

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