1 2 3 Come Do Some New Year Writing With Me
I realize people have been wishing each other a Happy New Year for a week now, but I thought a few more New Year-themed writing prompts would still be appropriate, since quite a few schools in the midwest have not gone back yet, because of all of the cancellations due to snow and below zero weather conditions.
My home state of Michigan included, as we are enjoying another snow day with a -25 windchill as I blog.
This photo is of the St. Joseph Lighthouse on Lake Michigan. with the caption: "Today, it is encased in ice as the Midwest is hit with a "polar vortex", causing wind chills to reach -50 degrees! " The waves froze as they crashed over the pier.
Inez, from equally cold Canada, requested some New Year puzzles that counted down from 10 to 0. Great idea Inez! I so enjoy hearing from other countries. On any given day we have visitors from over 150.
I'm always amazed at how the Internet makes everything so much cozier. Click on the link to view/download 5 New Year counting puzzles.
When I'm designing within a theme, the ideas just keep coming, so I also made a pair of New Year spectacles.
I enjoyed seeing these goofy glasses being worn by a lot of New Yorkers as they watched the ball drop. I thought it would make a cute writing prompt "craftivity."
Students can write what they "see" in their future for the New Year, or write things they are hoping and wishing for. i.e. health, happiness, success etc.
After I finished my sample, the only "person" I could find to model them, was our poodle Chloe. She'll do just about anything for a treat, and kept the glasses on long enough for me to take a picture.
I've included a set of numbers so that you can make future years. Click on the link to view/download the New Year Writing Prompt Glasses.
I really liked that chunky number font and thought it would make a nice writing prompt as well, so I designed a New Year craftivity entitled "Past and Present."
Students reflect on the prior year, jotting down memorable moments from that year, as well as their activities, goals and hopes for the New Year. My sample is from a high school student's perspective.
I've also included templates through 2024 so you can reuse this idea for awhile. Who knows where we'll all be in 10 years. Completed reflections make a sweet January bulletin board. Mount them on a variety of colors of construction paper, scatter on a few snowflakes and you're set. Click on the link for the New Year Past & Future writing prompt.
While doing research I came across a cute poster over at Dimple Prints. Show the poster to jumpstart your students' creative minds, and have them design their own word poster.
Finally, my personal favorite, is a January writing prompt that I call "More or Less." It's a nice way to toss in a little math as well.
Have students brainstorm a list of things that they think they should do less of (watching TV, playing computer games, fighting with siblings ...) as well as a list of things that they think they should do more of (studying, reading, exercising etc.).
Write these on the board to help with spelling. Students return to their desk and write their own list on the pre-writing paper.
When they are happy with their lists, they write complete sentences on the greater than and less than symbol pages. Have students color the symbols their favorite colors.
When they are done, students trim their papers. To turn this into a really interesting January bulletin board, have students trace their foot (with their shoe on). Offer a variety of colors for students to choose from.
They cut out their foot, glue on the "More or less I will try to put my best foot forward in the New Year" square, add a photo, name and the year. Click on the link to view/download the More or Less New Year Writing Prompt packet.
Thanks for visiting today. I try to design and blog daily, so I hope you can stop by tomorrow to check out the newest FREEBIES. Feel free to PIN away.
"While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best." -Tom Allen
