Writing Strategies ~ 6+1 Traits of Writing by Ruth Culham
K-2nd Grade Writing Suggestions Flotsam offers the children the opportunity to create their own stories based on their interpretations of the pictures. You will need to share the book with the children and discuss the basic storyline of what is actually happening before you begin the writing activities.
1. Every Picture Tells a Story - Trait: Ideas The underwater camera captures some very interesting images while traveling through the oceans. Allow the students to look at some of the snapshots from the camera and create their own story based on that picture. o Mechanical Fish o Octopus Living Room o Blowfish Hot Air Balloon o Sea Turtle Cities - Scroll down and click on the sea turtle image. o Underwater Martians o Starfish Islands
o Mermaid City 2. Five Senses Stories - Trait: Word Choice Using the graphic organizer, the student can list or write about the beach or ocean using their five senses. Older students can then turn their graphic organizer into a story. 3. Underwater City Discovery - Trait: Ideas Allow the children the opportunity to write about discovering their own underwater city. Use the graphic organizer to help get things started, and then they can turn their thoughts into a story to share. Younger children may even want to draw their pictures first and then start the graphic organizer.
Pretend you found a camera on the beach. When you got the film developed, there was an interesting photograph of an underwater city. Use this graphic organizer to help you develop ideas for your story.
Who? What?
Adjectives: Adjectives:
When? Where?
Adjectives: Adjectives:
Why? How?
Adjectives: Adjectives:
3rd - 5th Grade Writing Suggestions The story Flotsam offers the reader many opportunities for writing since there are no words. The main trait I pulled from this book is Ideas, but all the traits come into play with Write the first sentence to your story that will “hook” the reader. these activities. ______1. Book Trailer - Traits: Ideas, Organization, Word Choice Your favorite book has just hit the Best Seller’s List. Your task is to create a “book ______trailer” for your book. Hook your students with this concept by watching the "Book ___ Trailer" for Flotsam. The students could even turn their writing into an actual video to show the class. 2. Flotsam Webquest - Traits: Ideas, Organization, Presentation This webquest gives the students the task of creating an article for a children's science magazine (class magazine). The students work with a partner to be the "reporters" assigned to a specific location (one of the images from the book). They are to write an article about how life is in that picture. This webquest offers a graphic organizer, Writing Process Tips, and rubrics. 3. Take a Closer Look - Trait: Ideas In the story, the boy takes a closer look at the photograph of the girl holding a photograph using his microscope. Have the class bring in a photograph of their choice. Using the microscopes from the media center, allow the students to discover and write about the new things they see in their picture. Other Writing Suggestions:
1. Write about what the boy is thinking as he looks at each photograph. 2. Write your version of the story. Compare and contrast your version to another student's. 3. Comic Strips - Some of the pages are set up like a comic strip (many small pictures on a page). The students could write the caption bubbles for what the boy might be saying. 4. Compare and contrast Flotsam to other David Wiesner books - Tuesday and Hurricane are in our media center.