In honor of NCTE's National Day on Writing, tune in to hear about the growing number of books featuring teens who write.
Teens as Writers
Sandra Cisneros was born today in 1954.
Students choose a small aspect of their lives to develop into a story, poem, or brief essay inspired by Cisneros' work.
Time Magazine launches its "Tom Swifty" contest today in 1963.
Students have fun with language by creating a special kind of pun with its origin in a literary source.
Frederick Douglass began publication of The North Star today in 1847.
Students read and discuss an editorial written by Frederick Douglass and then write the opening editorial for a contemporary publication devoted to a social cause important to them.
César Chávez was born on this day in 1927.
Students work in small groups to research a civil rights leader and do a creative writing piece, followed by a short story, with their group.
Today, the American Library Association announces its annual book award winners.
Students research different awards given by the ALA and do an activity based on one of the awards.
Blog About Courage Using Photos
Engage teens in this activity in which they use photographs to examine and write about courage on a blog.
MyTube: Make a Video Public Service Announcement
Invite teens to explore issues that are important to them, and then write a script and film a video public service announcement.
Music in Movies: You Pick the Soundtrack
Explore how music can have an emotional impact on a scene in a movie, then help teens write and film a scene of their own.
Create a Career Blog
This activity invites children and teens to explore various careers and then write about what they might want to be when they grow up in a blog.
It's Raining Cats and Dogs! Make a Children's Book about the Weather
Kids learn about weather sayings throughout history while writing and illustrating a book for younger children.
Special Memories & Significant Moments: Making an Electronic Scrapbook
Using a variety of artifacts, mementos, and technologies, teens can create an electronic scrapbook of their most important moments in high school.
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein was published in 1974.
Students are introduced to a Silverstein verse and asked for their impressions. They then draw that they imagine when they read one of his lines and then write a line or two to continue the passage.