Tools for Writing:

Word Processing
 
 
Over 95% of computer time is spent with word processing and email.
 
We often forget the importance of teaching process writing when using a word processor. The power of the word processor is flexibility. Too often students only have time to "type" their report.
  • Prewriting
  • Composing
  • Revising
  • Editing
  • Publishing
Explore topics for word processing projects.

Word Processing Activities
 
Open any word processor and try the following activities:
 
Activity One: Brainstorm
Create a list of things that people throw away. Create major recycling categories. Move "throw away" words into categories. Practice copy and paste, indentation, font sizes and style.
 
Activity Two: Add Color
Write a sentence. Put it in a cool color. Add to another student's paragraph in another color. Edit in your color. Add adjectives and adverbs. Add more action. Do some editing.
 

Activity Three: Create a Postcard

Explore the state postcard site. Think about a place that you've visited. Or, pretend you've visited a cool place. Find a picture at Yahooligans Downloader. Read more about states on the Internet at IPL States. Create a postcard in HyperStudio or KidPix. Add a graphic and write about your adventure.
 
Activity Four: Authentic Documents, Audio, and Visuals
Go to All About Birds or one of the other Zoom sites. Choose a visual, document, or audio to serve as the focal point for a project. Copy and paste the visual, document, or audio into your word processing file. Use facts and pictures in a story about your animal.
 
Activity Five: Extend
Start a short poem. Go to the Research-It site. Find a rhyming word to use in your poem.
 
Activity Six: Reach Out
Use the Ask-An-Expert site or AskA+Locator site to locate an expert that could answer a question for your class. Write an email message that contains the following elements:
  • Your school, name, and grade level
  • Your interest in the topic
  • Your question
  • A thank you statement
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Developed by Annette Lamb, 7/99. Updated 10/99.