Description
What spooky surprises will your students conjure up with a fun Halloween Descriptive Writing Activity and Short Story Project? This easy-prep resource combines directed drawing with descriptive and narrative writing to engage students. Perfect for upper elementary and middle school students, Draw & Draft activities provide everything you need to inspire your reluctant writers AND your enthusiastic writers!
Each worksheet includes a Halloween setting, character, or object image. Students will follow the step-by-step directions to draw it, then they will follow the writing instructions to describe the image. For setting they’ll create a time and place and describe it and how it might influence a story. For characters, they’ll invent character traits, and explain something the character wants to have or achieve. For the object, they’ll describe it and explain how the object might be connected to the plot of a story.
Option to expand and extend the learning: When students finish writing, they’ll use the graphic organizer to combine the information and plan a story incorporating each component.
Benefits of Draw & Draft Halloween:
- Easy to Use: No prep required—simply print and go!
- Sharpens Students’ Skills: Following directions, descriptive writing, planning and writing a short story
- Differentiated Learning: Includes two versions suitable for grades 4-7, catering to various skill levels.
- Stress-Free Writing: Combines directed drawing and writing to alleviate writer’s block and foster creativity.
- Critical Thinking: Encourages students to form connections between images, words, and meaning.
- Interactive and Engaging: Hands-on fun that sparks student interest.
- Versatile: In addition, there are lots of ways to use this resource!
What’s Inside?
- 2 versions for differentiation
- Instructional slideshow (optional)
- Editable mentor texts
- Step-by-step directed drawing with 16 choices
- Detailed writing prompts & graphic organizer
- Student directions, writing tips, and checklist for revising and editing
- Optional station signs for easy classroom setup
How to Use Draw & Draft in the Classroom
- Stations: I recommend setting up stations using the signs included. You’ll print multiple copies of each sheet and allow students to choose from two settings, several characters, and several objects.
- Individual Practice Worksheets: If you don’t want to have students complete all of the sheets at once, you can simply distribute them one at a time. Used this way, you can assign them as early finisher work, enrichment, or homework.
Try this unique blend of visual arts and literacy with Halloween Descriptive Writing Draw & Draft. Get ready to watch your students actually get excited about writing!
Check out the preview to get a closer look. 🙂