Journal, Letter and Persuasive Writing for Junior Students
Journal Writing
Journal writing is an excellent way to promote reflection and discuss the techniques and strategies involved in the writing process. It also creates a venue for students to express their personal feelings. This form of this writing can be easily adapted to suit the students' various needs while providing the teacher with work samples to assess.
- Have the students keep a personal journal about thoughts and feelings that occurred to them while reading the novel.
- Have the students write a journal entry in role as a character from the novel.
Letter Writing
Letter writing like journal writing is an excellent way to promote self reflection as well as to review the writing process.
- Have the students write a letter to a character from the novel.
- Have the students write a letter in role as a character in the novel to another character.
- Have the students write a letter to a classmate expressing their opinions about the novel they have read.
Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing is a form of writing we encounter constantly and it plays an important part in your everyday life. The goal of persuasive writing is to try and convince the audience to agree with the writer on a specific issue. A major focus is placed upon facts instead of opinions. Persuasive writing is an excellent way to review the writing process.
- Have the students write a newspaper article describing an incident that occurred in the story.
- Have the students examine a conflict in the novel and present the information gathered in a subjective manner.
- Have the students write a letter to the author expressing changes they would have made to the text or what they would like to see if the story were to continue.
Suggested Titles
Bifocal
Written by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters
Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2007
The Moon Children
Written by Beverley Brenna
Published by Red Deer Press, 2007
Spells and Sleeping Bags
Written by Sarah Mlynowski
Published by Delacorte Press, 2007