IMG_0601To help students write creatively using many details, we decided to do a fun project.  Especially at this point in the school year, it’s important to create engaging activities that allow students to combine and practice what they’ve learned as their minds wander outside to the spring weather.

After reading the book, The Principal’s New Clothes, students had the task of designing a new outfit for our principal.  Students picked out fabric to create a dress, blouse, skirt, or pants (note: the project requires a lot of prep work creating the paper dolls and cutting the clothes from the fabric) that they glued onto their doll.

This project worked perfectly with our skill of main idea and details as we discussed the writing part of describing our principal.  We brainstormed a list of questions we wanted to know about our principal.  After writing the questions on post-its (what’s your favorite color, do you like being a principal, do you have kids, etc) we sent them to the office and awaited her responses.

The kids were very excited she responded!  I shared the responses and we discussed how to turn the questions into sentences.  We also discussed using lots of details and descriptive word choices.  Students then went off and wrote.

IMG_0595This was a fun activity-the students have really grown as writers this year and had the chance to be creative.  And the principal definitely has some cool new clothes!