Circle Writing

by Jenny Helms

As a teacher I have found that many students struggle with being creative enough to write about various topics. Many times a student is given a topic to write on and they either say, “I don’t know what to write about this.” Or, “I can’t think of enough to say on this topic.” A fun writing activity that helps students to become more creative when they write is circle writing. To prepare for this activity the teacher will need to go to a newspaper or a magazine and cut out interesting pictures of people and activities. The pictures should be ambiguous. Once a picture is cut out it should not have any captions on it. Pictures only! Have at least ten pictures ready and if you have the capabilities you might even laminate them. However, lamination is not necessary. Begin the activity by telling each student that they will need several pieces of paper and something to write with. Break the students into groups of three to five people depending on the number of students in your class. Make sure that each group has the same amount of students. It doesn’t matter how many groups are formed. Have them form a circle with their desks or sit next to each other at tables and place a picture in the middle of their group. Each group should take this time to analyze the picture they have been given. This activity is beneficial to students because they have the opportunity to see several different stories stem from one picture. It is designed to get their “creative juices” flowing and help alleviate the, “I don’t know what to write” syndrome.

NOTE: Each group should have a different picture. Once all of the pictures are handed out the teacher will tell the students to begin writing. All students should begin writing a story about the picture that is in front of them.

NOTE: Every single student should be writing. They can write it in past or present tense and from any point of view. The only rule is that they must be telling a story about their group picture. The teacher will be keeping track of time and after about three minutes tell them to pass their papers. They will pass their paper to the person to their left in their group. Each student will read what the previous person wrote and continue writing the story. After five minutes tell them to pass the paper to their left again within their group. Again, they will read what the two previous people have written and begin writing on that story. This will go on until everyone in the group has participated in writing on a story from each group member.

NOTE: The time allotted each time they pass their paper should increase due to reading time. Give the students time in the end to read all of the stories in their group, and then have them pick the best one from each group and read it aloud to the class showing the picture.

NOTE: Make it very clear before the activity begins that mechanical errors are not extremely important, but their writing should be legible so that the other students can read it.