Writing-- First Week Idea #2 (True/False Test) 

1- Ask students to take out a sheet of paper, write the proper heading, 
number the paper from 1-10 and get ready for a true/false test. Assure 
them that no one fails this test. 
2- Give students ten statements about yourself. Students are to decide 
if they think the statements are true or false. Some examples I use 
are: 1) This summer I climbed Pike's Peak [false], 2) I play the 
flute [false], 3) I have a 20-pound cat [true], etc., etc. Try to make 
them as outlandish as possible, but include equal amounts of true and 
false statements. 
3- Go over each statement. Have students raise their hands if they put 
true or false. Then "prove" each statement. For the statement about the 
cat, I show them a photograph of her in all her fatness. I also bring 
my flute and play a few bars of a familiar tune. 
4- Students are then allowed to give themselves an "A" no matter what 
they made on their test, but in order to keep that "A," they must then 
compose a well-drafted paragraph (or two) about their English teacher. 
It must be factual, but does not have to be solely based on the 
true/false test. (Some students choose to write a paragraph describing 
my physical attributes.) 
5- For homework, students are to compose their own true/false test. 
Remind them to include an equal (or close to equal) number of true 
statements and false. 
6- The next day, pair students up. Have them administer their tests 
on one another. Then have them write paragraphs about each other. 
(They can ask more questions of one another if necessary.) 
7- Students then introduce their partner to the class by reading their 
paragraphs out loud. For homework students can revise/edit their 
paragraphs. 
8- Again, this activity can be stretched into two days or compressed 
into one. It's also a great writing-diagnostic tool. 

Jennifer Manuel 
Lafayette High School 
Lafayette, LA