Fall Leaf, Apple, and Pumpkin Writing Prompts
October Themed Primary Journal Topics, Story Starters and Projects
Sep 27, 2008
Primary teachers can use fall themed activities to teach students about writing. Students can learn to write different types of paragraphs, practice grammar skills, record science observations, and write poetry during leaf, apple and pumpkin units.
During a thematic unit, teachers plan lessons that relate to one unifying topic. Students are immersed in the subject when the topic is presented to students in all subject areas. Creating lesson plans with a common thread allows students to more fully understand the individual concepts being taught.
Primary Writing Activities for Fall Leaves
The students collect leaves on the playground or in the yard and bring them into the classroom for all to view. The leaves become a visual writing prompt for the students. They practice using adjectives to write descriptive paragraphs about the leaves to share with the class. Their paragraphs are displayed in the classroom with crayon or chalk rubbings of the leaves.
Students can also go outside and record weekly tree observations in a science journal. The teacher can guide the students to sketch and write detailed notes about how deciduous trees are changing, how coniferous trees are staying the same, and what the area wildlife are doing. The students then make predictions about what they think the trees will look like next week. Teachers can use the observations and predictions as the basis for leaf themed science lessons.
Elementary Apple Themed Writing Projects
Kindergarten and first grade students can use the experience of making applesauce to write a class story during a Language Experience Approach. After the students have read and practiced the class story, they can create and write their own apple recipes. The recipes can be drawings of each of the steps with captions and can be silly or serious.
Teachers can also use apples to introduce the concept of personification to students. Each member of the class can use art supplies to dress up an apple as Captain Apple. The students can write paragraphs or short stories detailing a Captain Apple adventure. Final copies of the stores can be collated into a book for the class library.
Pumpkin How-To Paragraphs, Writing Prompts and Poems
October is the perfect time for elementary teachers to plan a pumpkin themed unit. Teachers can incorporate writing into math and science pumpkin lessons to build greater understanding. Students can write informational, or how to, paragraphs detailing the steps they followed to make a pumpkin pie during a math and science cooking lesson.
Pumpkins can be used during a Writer’s Workshop as inspiration for creative writing. Teachers can help students come up with writing ideas by putting pumpkin story starters in a pumpkin pail and inviting students to pull one out when they are stuck. An example of a pumpkin prompt is, “Pretend you are the smallest pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. What would you say to people to convince them to pick you?”
Pumpkins and poetry are a great combination. Teachers can teach poetry mini-lessons throughout the month. Students use the different types of poetry to write pumpkin poems that they illustrate and publish in a pumpkin poetry scrapbook. At the end of the month the class can host a pumpkin poetry party and invite family members into the classroom to see the students’ work.
Using fall themes such as leaves, apples, and pumpkins as a basis for primary lessons motivates students to practice creative, descriptive, informative and scientific writing. Students enjoy thematic units and are able to have fun while learn writing, math, and science concepts simultaneously.
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