I am so excited that I get to be in charge of the writing lesson for awhile...I love to see how creative kiddos can get! We have been learning about the writing process in class. Together we decided on setting, characters, problem and solution. We plotted the events of the story on a story line. I modeled writing the first paragraph for them.

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Suzanne and her friends left ofr home. They sky was cloudy and damp. Suddenly, Mike stopped and pointed. "There's a light on in the old haunted house," she said. "Let's go see who's there." The friends decided to look around. They walked up the cracked sidewalk and onto the rickety, old porch.

From this point on they have free reign over their own stories as long as they remember to follow the story line. Each of them has found their own unique way to do that. Some of my favorites (copied exactly as written):

by Ashley ~
They trnd the dron np (doorknob)and walked in. They trck one step and flale in a chrap (trap). Ten days latr a grly name Abigail and Sandra saw the haunted house and whent in and look and saw the childen. Abigail and Sandra got the detective. The detective's name was Mrs. Hommel shes the dest detectives in the world becouse she owas finds the plob(problem). Abigail and Sandra tod Mrs. Hommel we went in a haunted house and saw some childen in a trap. "You wont" went in a haunted house. (not sure what she's saying at the end here...)

by Timothy ~
...all of sunded a green thing grabed Timothy and poot him in a dungeon...

by Andrew ~
And when they got inside the old house Andrew spotted something shadowy and started to folow the mistireus figure (can you believe that word choice? wow!) Sarah saw him and followed it too the mysterios figure saw the chidren and looke dup and the children screamed "I'm sorry guys did I scare you" "yes you did" " I'm dective Worley I'm trying to find clues about the children hwo got lost and wnet here." "can we help"

Aren't they great? notice how they each play a major roll in their own stories...still in that "i am the center of the universe" phase. and yet beginning to gain the perspective that allows them to think about and care for others. I really enjoy 3rd grade! :)