Camp Write Along - Day 1

Welcome to Shepherd's Shining Stars 2nd Annual Camp Write Along! Camp Write Along is a writing camp focused on enhancing writing skills and techniques such as writing strong hooks and endings, creating a title, revising and editing and publishing, as well as singing songs all while in our sleeping bags collaborating with our peers. It's all about peer editing and self-assessing in order to prepare for our upcoming state writing test (LEAP) on March 19th. 

The week before the event we send a letter home to our parents informing them of our Writing camp. You can get the letter as well as the songs and agenda at Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies blog.

Today was the first day of Writing camp for my 4th graders and we are off to a great start. We began the day with a video from our Camp Director, and then began with our first camp song the "Writing Hokey."

Then the day began with our first activity of identifying hooks in chapter books. In groups of 4 students searched through several books locating the hook and identifying the type of hook the author used such as: talking hook, onomatopoeia, descriptive, and a question hook. Next, we discussed how the conclusion should match the hook and how to write a complete and strong conclusion. I used the following anchor chart as a visual for students to use when they worked with their group. You can also view the powerpoint I created that I used today and will use tomorrow to teach how to create enticing titles.

Camp write along lesson from Erica Shepherd

Here are a few shots of the students hard at work collaborating with their peers on strong endings to match their hooks.

Lights out Shining Stars!

See you tomorrow at Day 2 of Writing Camp