Windblown Writing

Objective: Students will use pictures and vocabulary to write poetry and stories.

Materials: weather pictures (can be from magazine, newspapers, internet, etc.), weather
vocabulary, pencils, paper, markers (optional)

Background: Weather is a topic that has been written throughout the ages. To get kids in the
"weather writing" frame of mind, encourage students to use their imaginations to create
"pictures" out of words - use adjectives to describe different parts of weather. For example,
gentle and war might be used to describe the wind. Sticky and heavy might be words to
describe fog. Blistering and nasty might be words to describe a hot sunny day.

There are many uses for the pictures and vocabulary words included in this activity. Some
suggestions are listed below.

Procedure:
Give each student one picture and have them write a haiku, encouraging him/her to write about
his/her first reaction when looking at the picture.

Make poem posters. Have each student write a poem on index cards, using one of the pictures
as the basis for the poem. Tape the index card to the picture (or tape both of them on piece of
poster board) and display around the room.

Have each student pick a picture from the bag. Write titles on the board - some suggestions are:
"Skies Alive With Rain", "Dew Does Not Fall", "Listening To Lightning", "Dangerous Downpours",
"Blustery Blizzards", etc. Each title should contain some reference to weather. You might also try
wacky weather titles such as, "Raining Cats and Dogs", "Fog As Thick As Pea Soup", "Toad
Storm", "It's So Hot That Chickens Are Laying Hard Boiled Eggs", "It's So Cold, The Snowman
Came In To Warm Up", etc. Then have the students write a story with the title and the picture.
This can be very fun, especially when the picture and the story title are completely different
from each other!

Hold a theme week. Go through the vocabulary words and pick out all the words that match the
theme of the week - for example, all the words that have to do with lightning. Hold a spelling
bee at the end of the week.

Play match game. Pick out enough pictures so that there is one for every student. Then go
through the vocabulary words and find a word that matches each picture. Mix up the pictures
and have each student draw from the bag. Then mix up the vocabulary words and have the
students each draw from the bag. Then, with a timer, have students try to match his/her picture
with the correct vocabulary word (held by another student). This can be played with a lot of
energy, or you can have them silently try to match their pictures with the words by placing the
pictures and words face down on a large surface and having each student turn over one
picture and one word at a time. Unmatched pictures and words get turned back over and the
next student takes a turn. Play continues until all are matched.

Write a dramatic or mystery story based on one of the pictures. Each student reads his/her
story aloud to the class.