Writing-- First Week Idea #1 (House Drawings) 1- Give students a blank piece of typing paper and have them draw a picture of their house in pen or pencil. It is important that students not show one another. (5-10 minutes). 2- Collect the drawings and place them face up on the floor. 3- Invite students to come by rows (or groups) to select a drawing they find interesting. Again, it is important that artists not reveal their "masterpieces." It is also important that students not select their own drawings! 4- On a separate sheet of paper, students are to write a paragraph describing the family that lives in the house they selected. They might tell the gender of the artist, the size of the family, etc. This is all speculation, of course. Encourage the students to be creative. (10-15 min.) 5- Collect drawings and paragraphs, but keep them together. Read aloud each paragraph and show the drawing. Students will enjoy hearing what others speculate based on their drawings. After you read the paragraph, ask the owner of the house to raise his/her hand. You might also ask the author to raise his/her hand as well, although some students may wish to remain anonymous. 6- After reading a paragraph and identifying the artist (homeowner), I then ask that person a few questions about his/her family. It's a good icebreaker and gives everyone a chance to get to know each other better. 7- This activity can be stretched to two days or compressed into one. The paragraphs can be taken home for homework to be revised/edited. It's a great writing-diagnostic tool, too. Jennifer Manuel Lafayette High School Lafayette, LA