Camp Write About It!

STAAR Writing is finally behind us for my 4th graders! PTL.

I know kids hate the STAAR test as much as the teachers do. What I hate most about STAAR testing is the need to review. 

In years past, kids would stare at the wall behind me, and all  they heard was, "whomp, whomp, whomp". 

Not anymore! My kids actually LOVE reviewing for STAAR writing now, and it's all because of Camp Write About It! I found out this year that some of my kids even wrote about Camp Write About It on the test last year when the prompt was asking them to write about their favorite part about 4th grade! 

We do Camp Write About It the school day before STAAR Writing test (this has been a Friday before, but usually falls on a Monday). Kids can bring their sleeping bag, flashlight and pillow that we allow them to use for part of the day. Most of the stations that we do pertain to the theme of camping. 

We split the whole grade level up into twelve groups. They spend the day rotating around 12 different stations. Each station, students practice a different skill. 

See the link to read about what all my Camp Write About It pack includes! 

The video below gives you a little peak at what all is included in the pack. 

You can download the video on my TPT page to see a visual of how the day goes, but check out the pictures below to get a little taste too!

When students walked into school this morning we had them put their "camping stuff" in the science lab. This is where we had the stations that students were allowed to "camp out" and use their supplies. These stations students brainstormed a topic, planned an expository piece, drafted the expository piece, and then revised and edited their piece. See some pictures below of some students in these stations. We even set up a "fire" by attaching crepe paper to a fan and surrounding the fan with "logs" made of construction paper. This year we even hung Christmas lights on the ceiling to look like a starry night. The more you go all out, the more fun it is for the kids!  

Pictured here is some work in the revising station. Students revised their peers' papers. I keep a collection of good papers and rewrite them (so their legible) and make copies for Camp Write About It. Students in this center revise in the skipped lines. 

This student is working on the graphic organizer station where students draw a picture of a camp site. They have to answer the question correctly to draw the correct details in the picture.

This is one of the more eye pleasing stations. Students work at "Lake Lead" to create camp themed leads for an expository piece. See some of the leads a student created in this center below. 

Certainly the most popular station among students is the trail mix station. Students get to create their own snack bag that they are able to bring back to school for testing the next day if they choose. Each item in their trail mix bag represents a different component they need to be sure to include in their paper. 

At this center, the student is reading a paper written by a peer. He was analyzing the paper and identifying good characteristics within and things the writer could do to improve it. I had blown these compositions up and printed them out to be poster sized for easier reading. The kids always think it's more fun to read something so big too!

If you try it out and decide you like it, check out my Reading Round Up STAAR review pack on TPT. It follows the same concept as Camp Write About It! Your kids will thank you!