Shows how a teacher used student curiosity and imagination in helping students to develop lifelike characters and to collaborate on writing short stories. Provides samples of the sketches and stories. (RL)

Combining the journal writing process with the concepts of collaboration can produce more focused writing and learning. Through the channel of collaborative situations, such as group journal writing, teachers can capitalize on the benefits achieved from the collaborative process and cultivate thinking and writing skills. A group journal writing…

From reading texts to annotating web pages, grade 6-8 students rely on group cooperation and individual reading and writing skills in this research project that spans six 50-minute lessons. Student objectives for this project are that they will: read, discuss, and keep a journal on a book in literature circles; understand the elements of and…

When children hear, write, and recite poetry, they understand more deeply the qualities of verse--the importance of sound, compactness, internal integrity, imagination, and line. Students' working collaboratively on poetry helps provide a safe structure for their creativity. This lesson plan for a unit on collaborations in poetry writing intended…

This Digest recounts the varied experiences, for both elementary school students and teachers, of producing a classroom newspaper. In the particular instance discussed in the Digest, for the students, it was a chance to collaborate with their peers, to pursue their own special interests, and to see their work published. For the teacher-adviser, it…

The newspaper program at the New Suncook School, Lovell, Maine, is a multi-level, language arts based unit designed to develop in students strong writing and interpersonal relationship skills, and to bring relevance to writing. The monthly newspaper features interviews, surveys, news, and some fiction stories written by students. The newspaper is…

Describes the Partnership Story Project in which students from two countries participate in collaborative story writing projects. Suggests that the project increases intercultural understanding by aiding in recognition of subjective dimensions of culture. Includes a sample story from the project. (DK)

Surveying a project that was conducted through the Center for the Study of Writing at Carnegie Mellon University, this book details the classroom inquiries conducted during the 4-year project (1988-1992) by 33 teacher-researchers from secondary and postsecondary classrooms. The articles and their authors are: (1) "Teachers as Theory…

Intended for teachers and encompassing all aspects of teaching writing, this book applies the process paradigm to junior and senior high writing instruction. Part 1, "Process and Paradigm," outlines challenges faced by junior and senior high school writing instructors, defines the process paradigm, and presents a sample integrated…